Just a few of my Fave Kentucky Etsy Shops

Being a local artist myself, I really love supporting other folks who are local, just doin' their thing. Etsy does a decent job of making shops searchable by the state they are in and I've managed to fan quite a few of our local Kentucky folks. 

This will be the first is a series, starting with where I live now and branching into some of the other places I have lived. So for those looking in Kentucky, here are just a few of my favorites.

1. Foodie Boards: https://www.etsy.com/shop/foodiebords - Robert Ellis - Columbia (Central)

Based in Western Kentucky, right along the Cumberland Parkway, south of Louisville and east of Bowling Green, this shop has such beautiful work. I have wanted to order one of these gorgeous cutting boards for a while now. He also has some amazing photography! This one is my favorite, both because it's an amazing photo and his use of the word 'snaggly'. 


2. Patent Prints: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PatentPrints
Bowling Green (Western)

I found this shop recently when looking for a unique gift for my husband. The man loves tanks (both the military version and the fish version) and the detail on these prints is excellent. There is tons of variety here, for almost any person. They even have Care Bears, Howdy-Doody, and a Nintendo 64 controller. In addition to prints, it has t-shirts, pillows and, mugs. 


3. A Crafty Concept: 
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ACraftyConcept
Ashley Stallsworth - Berea (Central)

I love to crochet, but I'm not this talented...yet! Her work ranges from the more practical beanie to beautiful wall hangings. This little dino backpack is my favorite item of hers, even though my kids are wayyyy to old for it. 


4. Sintique Artworks: 
https://www.etsy.com/shop/SintiqueArtworks
Louisville (Central)

The artwork in this shop is gorgeous and she makes sure it's on a variety of different formats. If you like watercolor painting, you will love this shop. Her landscapes are stunning!


5. Bone Steel and Canvas:  
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BoneSteelAndCanvas
James T. Back - New Hope (Central)

This one is cool. The handmade knives, daggers and wands speak to the cool gamer and backwoodsmen and women out there. He even has a couple of lovely art prints. His work with animal bones is what bring me here though. He is located in a small town south of Bardstown and just west of Lexington.

6. Miller and Magnolia: 
https://www.etsy.com/shop/MillerandMagnolia
Belfry (Eastern)

Belfry is in the far eastern part of Kentucky. This adorable shop does embroidery and applique, making great products for Kentucky folks and state hats for every other US state as well. They also monogram and make shirts as well. I love their stuff!


7. Anchored in Concrete: 
https://www.etsy.com/shop/AnchoredinConcrete

Koreana Comperry has lots of concrete based art, for a wide range of gifts. Her chicken on a fence is what caught my eye. It's just the cutest thing!

I also really like this little table for dads. 


This is just a few of my favorite artists - there are so many more! 

Benefits of Backyard Chickens - No Really

There are a lot of articles out there about the benefits of having backyard chickens. Most of them seem to point out the positive impact chickens have on the environment or the importance of treating animals humanely. Sure, that's great! I'm a big fan of all that stuff, but what if that's not really your thing? What if you want them to benefit you and/or your family without making a political statement? What if you just want to do something cool and super fun?

Raising chickens in the city is something that has provided me tons of things that have nothing to do with being organic, liberal guilt, or animal rescue and they can do the same for you!

1. The eggs taste better. They really do. I didn't expect that one, I was all, yeah, right. It's definitely true though. The yolks are darker than store bought and have a richer flavor. I wasn't a huge egg fan before I got the ladies, but now, I cannot get enough quiche. I even own egg cookbooks. 

2. They eat bugs and mice, lots of them. I love that they eat bugs, but in particular, mosquitoes. YES. I watched my barred rock jump and pick them out of the air once and it filled my heart with joy. My husband, meanwhile, loves that they eat spiders. That's all I'll say about that. Them eating mice is one of my favorite things as well. And they don't leave little body parts, like my cats do. 

3. Thanks to composting with bedding and chicken poo I bought my first bag of garden soil just last week. Usually, by early March, my husband and I are trying to figure out how we can afford to get a ton of new soil for the gardens. But thanks to composting over the winter and deep litter in the run, we had plenty of excellent stuff to use for the garden and to get things going. 

4. They are hilarious. I cannot express this one enough. They truly crack us up all the time and have such individual personalities. We used to have a bantam rooster named Turtle (when he was first hatched he would fall on his back all the time and couldn't turn over). His complete inability to properly mate our regular sized hens is just hilarious. The poor guy. He's very intense and we believe it is frustration.

  

And spaghetti noodles; watching them run away from each other to hoard them is amazing. Who knew? If you really want to be convinced, find someone who has chickens, bring beer (or coffee or whatever) to their house and sit and watch the chickens. It's hours of fun.

5. If you're up for harvesting chickens, they taste way better fresh than the frozen Kroger version. This was also a nice surprise. My feelings on hearing this from chickens folks(or people who spend $25 on a whole chicken at a snooty grocery store) was very much like #1. But, as I tell my kids, sometimes it's good to be wrong. 

6. They get my lazy butt outside.

I get more exercise since I started with the chickens, than I have since I was in my early 30s (my peak physical time). And because I care about their well-being, I do all sorts of stuff during the winter to keep them comfortable as well, even if it's freezing, rainy, sleety, muddy, all of it. A couple of years ago, I would have chuckled at the thought. I HATE the cold. Yesterday, there were tornado sirens going off and I was running outside with mealworms to get them into the coop. Yes. I hate tornadoes. I'm usually the one in the tub with a couch cushion over my head. It's like I've gone insane.

7. They mow the yard. Now, this is both a plus and a minus really, because really, they'll demolish your yard, depending on how many doodles you have. Our first year, they kept the yard mowed, but the second year there was no grass to be seen. So, we worked out a compromise and built an enclosure, agreeing to split the yard with them and our side gets seeded a lot. We have the chicken yard and the people yard. Our front yard (no chickens there) started getting mowed this year in early March and we will likely mow the backyard 2-3 times this summer.  

8. I can build stuff now. Due to a desire to take care of these monsters, I have new power tools and have learned all sorts of things about building stuff. My husband has been a patient teacher of the basics and he has learned more complex stuff as well. Just a few of the additions to our tool collection include a dremel, router, table saw, a cordless drill and circular saw set, so we can both work at the same time. We're very macho. 

9. You get to buy cool stuff. I now own things like muck boots and work gloves. I go to tractor supply now and need cool things in the store. I even have a bunch of t-shirts declaring my chicken love. Good stuff.

 10. Falling in love. Since I have gotten chickens, my life is truly more full. This from a woman who was incredibly happy before. In that time I've had my kids move out, had to convince my husband  (he's 100% on-board now. Ok, he's as bad as I am) and had many friends think I've gone out of my mind. I went from not having pets during my adult life to becoming this giant animal lover in my 40's. But, I am absolutely in love and my husband and I have such an amazing time with them. Being home is my favorite. 

11. And ... baby chicks. I mean seriously. Everyone loves them and watching them hatch out of an egg is exciting EVERY time.

Now, go buy chickens. GO.

Planning Your Urban Chicken Farm

In planning my chicken farm I did a tremendous amount of surfing the internet for what-to-do-first articles, checklists and anything else that would feed my obsessive need to plan. I am an animal lover and wanted to make sure I did right by the birds I brought home. 

Here's the biggest thing I've learned in the past year of chicken keeping in the city: I knew nothing about anything before I brought these angels home. This project has given me knowledge, joy, lots of laughter and peace. I can sit outside the coop watching the chickens, and experience all of those while drinking coffee on a Saturday morning. I love it.

That being said, how can you, you amazing person, find this same wonder? Why, by diving into chicken keeping as well. Here are my recommendations when planning your little farm. All of these are equally important, but I would start in the order I've chosen.

1. Check the laws for where you live (state, county, HOA, and/or city). This is a vital first step. It's important to not get too deep into this if you will have to get rid of your chickens or you need to change a city ordinance. 

2. Learn the terminology (and bookmark this page) so you know what you're shopping for. Below are a few terms for you to remember.

Pullet: Female chickens prior to 1 year of age.

Broody hen: A hen that has decided to hatch her own eggs.

Candling: The process of checking the viability or an egg during incubation. 

Chicken Coop: The house the chickens live in.

Chicken Run: The outside area, generally fenced in and connected to the coop, the chickens can spend time in during bad weather or sometimes all the time, depending on your location.

Cockerel: Male chickens prior to 1 year of age.

Comb: The fleshy thing on top of the head of male and female chickens. It's generally red or pink and comes in a variety of shapes.

Cull: Removing an animal from your flock. Often it means putting the animal down, but it can also mean re-homing.

Dust bath: When your chicken is rolling around in the dirt throwing it all over the place. It looks weird, but it's a good thing.

Free Range: Allowing your chickens to run around property during the day, eating bugs, weeds, whatever they choose.

Hen: Female chicken older than 1 year.

Rooster: Male chicken older than 1 year.

Straight-run: Chicks that have not been sexed. 

3. Why do you want chickens? This is a super important question. Do you want pets, eggs, meat, entertainment, breeding, lawn mowing services, compost, etc, etc, etc. This answer plays a role in many of the decisions with planning your farm, including breed and, if you plan to not cull at any point, making sure you plan for after your hens stop laying.

4. Space and coop requirements: It's a good idea to plan for 4 square feet per chicken in the coop, then 10 square feet per chicken in the run. Also, if you have a small yard, there will be chicken poop, do you want to keep them from one area to curb that or just let them roam about?

5. Security: It's important to protect your flock from predators. Learn about what is a concern where you live and how to protect your flock. I have possums, raccoons and hawks to deal with in my city. So I have a wired enclosure I leave them in at night and a roof over my run. That has kept them safe so far. knock on wood

6. Ok, so you are ready to start thinking actual chickens! Do you want to start with chicks,they will require a brooder and heat source, or older ones that are ready to go straight outside? And do you need to make sure you have a specific gender only? If so, buying straight run is not for you.

7. Last, but certainly not least, choosing the breed. Do you want to mix breeds or get only one breed? If mixed, what breeds get along with other breeds? Do you need them to not be quite as able to fly? Are you willing to clip the wings of the breeds that are flyers (leghorns)?

This is the fun part for me. It means it's truly about to happen and I get to look at the beautiful pictures of these beautiful creatures.

Happy chickening!