Ten Hens Homestead

Excited for new things coming to the homestead this fall 🇫🇷

Good Morning, Friends! I've had lots of inquiries about baby chicks. Baby chicks will be available for sale in October 🐣
I'll post when they're available! See you soon!

"How do you integrate young grow outs into your flock so easily?"
This is a question I get a lot from chicken friends. The answer is really simple; good roosters.

I don't have seperate grow out pens for my youngest birds-- they go from their brooder straight into the "big coop", where my best roosters reside.
While there's normal pecking order behavior, which is important, I have never had an issue with aggression or fighting amongst the flock. And I have never had to slowly introduce new flock members either.
My senior roosters do not tolerate any riff raff. They jump in and seperate fights and they protect the babies fiercely.
In the "big coop" the youngsters learn proper flock manners and social boundaries from my older birds. And young cockerels learn flock duties, such as calling for danger, and how to call their hens for food.
This is why I'm very selective about my roosters. A good rooster is irreplaceable and truly worth their weight in gold!

Oliver would like to introduce you to his new baby brother!
Welcome to the farm fam, Gunner aka "Gunny".

I swore I would never have bantam chickens, yet here were are 😏.
They're just about the cutest little things ever, though.

Hello! 🩶

My December pullets are just starting to lay and look at these bloomy, mossy beauties! These are from my OG breeding lines so I'm very excited about these. (Pullet eggs in the center)
It'll be quite a bit of time before you see these in your hatching egg orders, but if you've purchased hatching eggs from me over the last six months or so, these are likely some of the colors you can expect to see in your nesting boxes.

It's been a heartbreaking morning. The first of my original "ten hens" passed away peacefully in my arms. Despite her name, "Kar-Hen" was a sweet girl who was always down for cuddles. She was quirky and had just the right amount of attitude.
Kar-Hen waited for me this morning. I woke up earlier than usual and noticed how heavy she was breathing and I knew it was almost time for her to cross the rainbow bridge. Her eyes were closed but I said her name and she turned in my direction. I picked her up and gently wrapped her in a blanket and put her in my lap. I pet her little beard and within a minute or so she had passed.
To some people, it's silly to name all of your chickens and become so attached to livestock. "Don't ever name your livestock". "Why do you become so attached? They're just going to die". I constantly think I must not be cut out for this homesteading world, I just get so deeply attached to all of my animals.
But today it occurred to me that is EXACTLY why I homestead. I cherish all of my animals because they deserve that. They should be treated with respect and dignity whether they're for eggs, food or companionship. And even if that means that I endure a whole lot of heartbreak, I'm okay with that.
Rest in eternal chicken heaven, Kar-Hen 💛

The ladies are showing off their Spring '26 collection 💅 🩷