This week on the podcast we have special guest Anne Briggs (a.k.a. Anne of All Trades) to talk with us about raising laying hens at home. We had so much to talk about on the subject that we ended up breaking this topic into two episodes. This week, in Part 1, we discuss Anne's favorite breeds of chickens; how to source your own laying hens; the egg laying cycle; and what we love about having chickens at home. 

HOW TO LISTEN:

• Subscribe in iTunes , Stitcher, or any of your favorite podcast players to have new episodes sent directly to your device.

• Listen right now in your browser by clicking above.

SHOW NOTES:

In this episode, we discuss:

• The laying cycle

• Your favorite types of hens

• Sourcing chickens

Important Take-aways:

• Anne evolved from working in tech to making things with her hands, getting chickens, and starting a garden. Her favorite part about having chickens is how her little egg business connects her so closely with her neighbors.

• You can get chickens from mail order catalogs, at feed stores, or even from local farms.

• The prime laying time for chickens is two years. They will continue laying for their whole life, but it really slows down after a certain point.

• Anne finds that Australorp, Bard Rock, and Rhode Island Reds are the most productive and low maintenance breeds of laying hens.

Barred Rock (left) and Rhode Island Red (right) laying hens:

Photos from Anne: 

Like what you hear? Please share our podcast with a friend. Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast player so you never miss a beat. And we'd really appreciate you showing us some love by leaving a rating and review on iTunes. 

Have a topic you'd like see us dig in to? Leave us a note in the comment section below or #EBpodcast on Instagram and Twitter!

Your support is what keeps this podcast going! Any amount helps, so consider support us by making a one-time contribution:  

A huge thanks to our friends at Elevate Chiropractic and Rehab for helping to sponsor this episode! To receive a complimentary PDF of exercises you can do in the gardening off-season to help make sure your body is ready to go when spring rolls around, email getwell@elevatechiropracticrehab.com or submit a request through their website www.elevatechiropracticrehab.com

More about our special guest: 

Anne is a very talented woodworker, musician, farmer, and mom to a whole cast of creatures. On her suburban farm just outside of Seattle, she has 2 miniature donkeys, 3 alpacas, 2 nigerian dwarf goats, and one kinder goat (which she uses for milk), a bunny, two barn cats, a dog, 20 ducks, 4 geese, and anywhere from 20-40 chickens.

A Note From Anne: 
I'm currently in the process of writing a book chronicling my metamorphosis from a city-dwelling millennial working in a soul-crushing job in the tech industry to a full time woodworker and organic farmer. I've made some major changes in my life, my buying habits, and altered my perspective on what's important in life significantly. Five years ago, I picked up my first tool. My first woodworking project led to another and another after that. The gratification I experienced working with my hands in the woodworking shop expanded outside the garage and I convinced my husband Adam to let me get chickens. One thing led to another, and a couple years later we lived on a farm, I'd built most of the furniture we owned, and I wouldn't trade this new life for the world. 

http://www.anneofalltrades.com/
Instagram: @anneofalltrades