The Coop with Meyer Hatchery

Today we’re taking a look at coop considerations, as part of our A Year With Chickens Series. We dedicate one episode per month to this series, covering what to expect when raising a chicken in that particular month. For the month of May, we're providing some considerations in regards to your new or existing coop, including the differences between a coop and run, general building considerations and add-ons! 

In this episode you'll: 

• Hear About Kendra + Jeff's Coop Experience 
• Learn The Difference Between A Coop + Run
• Get Some Tips for Location, Electricity + Water 
• Leave With Considerations For Your Coop

Important Links:

• Poultry Pick Of The Week: Barnevelder
• Predators 101
• Coop Ventilation And Why It's Important
• Instant Download Coop Plans

Also don't forget to join our exclusive Facebook Group "Inside The Coop" and submit your Poultry Pride Story, here!

Let’s take a Meyer Moment to talk about Giving Tuesday! Giving Tuesday Now, popped up last Tuesday, May 5th in response to the COVID-19 pandemic but sparked a month-long global generosity movement. The term “giving” can mean donating, volunteering, thanking someone, or really any act of generosity. Podcasters are stepping up to show their appreciation to fellow creators today, May 12th, for Giving Tuesday Podcasts. 

So what better way join in on the fun than to give a special shout out to a few of our personal favorites!

This minisode is a little bit different than traditional episodes, as we cover relevant happenings in and around Meyer Hatchery. This episode is a special part two continuation from my conversation from last week with Adam Danforth, a butcher, educator, and James Beard award-winning author. As a reminder, last week we introduced Adam and his initiatives at Good Meat Project and Atlas of Butchery. We also covered how the effects of COVID have impacted meat production and how the local landscape is shifted. If you missed last week's episode I highly recommend giving it a listen. 

Without wasting any time, let’s jump into the remaining interview as we take a closer look at home processing. 

In this episode you'll: 

• Hear A Brief Overview Of The Home Processing Set-Up
• Learn More About The Community Aspect of Butchery
• Better Understand How You Can Participate As A Beginner
• Catch Details On A Special Giveaway!

Important Links:

• Listen to Part 1 with Adam Danforth
• Good Meat Project Resources
• Adam Danforth
• Adam Favorite Breed
• Adam's Favorite Recipes:
  - Roasted Half-Chicken
  - Chicken Sausage with Garlic and Rosemary
  - Smoked Chicken Wings
• Purchase Butchering Chickens: A Guide to Humane Small-Scale Processing.

Also don't forget to join our exclusive Facebook Group "Inside The Coop" and submit your Poultry Pride Story, here!

This minisode is a little bit different than traditional episodes, as we cover relevant happenings in and around Meyer Hatchery. Sometimes we also interview industry leaders, and today I’m excited to be joined by Adam Danforth, a butcher, educator, and James Beard award-winning author.

You may recognize the name from his comprehensive butchering books, including his newly released book Butchering Chickens: A Guide To Humane Small-Scale Processing. He is an active board member of the Good Meat Project and Chefs Collaborative and through this work, he leads experiential workshops worldwide on butchery and meat science for venues such as Stone Barns Center for Agriculture, the James Beard Foundation Chefs Boot Camp, Google, and the National Bison Association. Adam also consults and provides education to restaurants including Eleven Madison Park, Gramercy Tavern, Bazaar Meat, and Maude. 

In today’s interview, Adam’s passion is truly evident, and I can’t wait to share his wealth of knowledge and insight with you all. 

In this episode you'll: 

• Learn About The Good Meat Project & Atlas of Butchery Initiatives
• Hear How COVID-19 Has Changed The Local Landscape
• Get Resources On Supporting Local
• Learn About Processing At Home
• Catch Details On A Special Giveaway!

Important Links:

• Good Meat Project Resources
• Good Meat Switchboard
• Eat Well Guide
• Eat Wild
• Local Harvest
• Adam Danforth
• Purchase Butchering Chickens: A Guide to Humane Small-Scale Processing.
• Be sure to listen to Part 1 & 2 with Adam Danforth!

Also don't forget to join our exclusive Facebook Group "Inside The Coop" and submit your Poultry Pride Story, here!

Let’s take a Meyer Moment to talk about poultry waterers. It seems like a simple task, to water your chickens, but there are a lot of different watering systems available to you! We thought a simple breakdown of waterer styles may introduce you to new concepts while helping you find the right fit for your homestead or farm. 

Providing fresh clean water to your flock is vital, but can become a daily chore if your system is not properly set-up, or you can’t find a solution to accommodate your coop. We’ve rounded up different waterers available, to help you find the best fit for your daily routine, while also hydrating your flock!  

This minisode is a little bit shorter than our traditional episodes, as we cover relevant happenings in and around Meyer Hatchery. Today we’re extending our conversation from Episode 06 when we discussed the hatching process at Meyer, to now covering how all those little peeps make their way to their new homes. 

A lot of new customers are shocked to hear we ship live day-old chicks throughout the United States. And typically those conversations are followed up by further questions regarding our procedure and their safety. Today, we’re here to answer those questions!

In this episode you'll: 

• Hear How We Hard To ID Breeds Are Leg Banded
• Learn About Our New Box Design
• Get Answers To Common Questions
• Catch Details On Meyer Hatchery's Golden Ticket!

Important Links:

• Shipping Related Help Desk Articles
• How To Remove Leg Bands
• Meyer Meal Maker

Also don't forget to join our exclusive Facebook Group "Inside The Coop" and submit your Poultry Pride Story, here!

Let’s take a Meyer Moment to talk about National Gardening Day, happening today, April 14th. We thought we would help you celebrate by sharing some plants you can start now for you and your chickens to enjoy.

Gardening is a satisfying hobby but also a way of life for many. Did you know there are plants that have natural remedies to help your flock with their overall health? Green thumb or not, we’ve rounded up some easy to grow, enjoyable plants to get you started today. 

Today, I'm joined by my co-worker Amanda to talk Chicken Tractors! Amanda has successfully used chicken tractors and will be using our instant download plans to build a new chicken tractor next month. We’re going to cover our very different experiences with chicken tractors, essential elements of a chicken tractor build, including the pros and cons of raising poultry in this method.

In this episode you'll: 

• Hear About Kendra + Amanda's Chicken Tractor Experience 
• Learn What A Chicken Tractor Is
• Hear Some Tips For Chicken Tractor Success
• Learn About Our New Chicken Tractor Plans

Important Links:

• Chicken Tractor Tour
• Watering Cups
• Chicken Tractor Plans - Instant Download!
• Meyer Hatchery YouTube - Subscribe Today!
  
  

Also don't forget to join our exclusive Facebook Group "Inside The Coop" and submit your Poultry Pride Story, here!

Let’s take a Meyer Moment to talk about Mud Season. That glorious time between winter and spring when your driveway, yard and chicken run are mud. This is also the time of year when you typically start to smell your chicken coop again. The cold winter season, if you’re from the northern United States, will often mask the smell of your chicken coop but when spring and that warmer weather return, you know it’s time to get cleaning. 

To control the effects of mud season and chicken coop odor, we want to share a few ways we care for our chickens. 

Today we’re taking a look at brooding, as part of our A Year With Chickens Series. We dedicate one episode per month to this series, covering what to expect when raising a chicken in that particular month. For the month of April, we're going to cover how to raise chicks from arrival to fully feathered including brooder set-up, troubleshooting, and a few identification basics.

In this episode you'll: 

• Hear About Kendra + Jeff's Brooding Experience 
• Learn How To Revive A Weak Chick 
• Hear Some Tips For Brooding Success
• Learn A Few Identification Basics

Important Links:

• Poultry Pick Of The Week: Frost White Legbar
• Chick Brooding For Beginners Blog Post
• Chick Brooding Supply Checklist
• Feed Guidelines
• Chick ID Guide or Bantam ID Guide
• How To Revive A Weak Chick
• How To Treat Pasty Butt
• Mixing Instructions for Vital Pack or Grogel 

Also don't forget to join our exclusive Facebook Group "Inside The Coop" and submit your Poultry Pride Story, here!