Love Your Flock

04/15/2026

04/06/2026

Between flock visits this is just one of the many ways we keep everyone safe.

04/03/2026

Flock dynamics are never quite static.

There’s always a quiet negotiation happening; who moves first, who yields, who gets pushed to the edges. And sometimes, when I step in to care for a flock while their people are away, I have to adjust the rhythm slightly.

A door stays closed a little longer.
A hen gets a separate moment to eat.
An eye stays on the one who disappears first.

Not because anything is “wrong” but because within every flock, there are individuals who need a bit more protection than they’re given.

She’s one of them.

04/01/2026

Early spring, and the ground opens again.

There’s a kind of remembering that happens here; not taught, not rushed. Just the quiet return to what they know to do.

Because care isn’t only about keeping them safe. It’s about giving them space to be who they are.

Care, rooted in attention.

03/27/2026

Every day is a surprise when you work with backyard flocks! Today was full of them. My favorite surprise was arriving to a clients place to find a rooster outside a coop full of 23 excited hens.

It was my first day, and I started scratching my head, reviewing my notes, trying to recall a rooster being part of the flock!
Sure enough he was a rogue rooster from a few houses away, and apparently a regular.

Having another pair of eyes in the sky watching for hawks as the hens free ranged really helped when one eventually flew by!

I ended up naming him Chester. He looks like a Chester, right?

03/27/2026

Every day is a surprise when you work with backyard flocks! Today was full of them. My favorite surprise was arriving to a clients place to find a rooster outside a coop full of 23 excited hens! It was my first day, and I started scratching my head, reviewing my notes, trying to recall a rooster being part of the flock! Sure enough he was a rogue rooster from a few houses away, but he was friendly enough and having another pair of eyes in the sky watching for hawks really helped when one ended up cruising by! I ended up naming him Chester. He looks like a Chester, right?

03/25/2026

Spring has finally arrived in the Hudson Valley and many flock keepers are adding chicks to existing flocks while others are starting new ones. But many chicks are shipped through the mail and don’t survive while others become unwelcome surprises once they start crowing.

03/23/2026

There is so much talk about caring for the flock, and not nearly enough about caring for the person behind that care.

Feeding, cleaning, observing, worrying, preparing for weather, watching for predators, noticing subtle health changes all adds up.

Flock care can be beautiful, grounding work. But it can also be tiring, lonely, and mentally heavy at times. And the truth is, caring for yourself is part of caring well for them.

A more supported, rested, steady caregiver is better able to notice what matters, respond calmly, and stay present for the birds who depend on them.

hudsonvalleyny

03/16/2026

On foggy days like today, the world feels softer to us. But to a chicken or duck, it’s different. Low visibility means listening more closely, pausing more often, and keeping the flock a little tighter together. Even in the quiet, they’re always watching.

03/14/2026

Last weekend we arrived to meet a new client just minutes after two of her roosters had gotten into a bit of a scuffle.

We went right to work stopping the bleeding using what she had on hand—cornstarch, gauze, and Vetericyn. Fortunately, those simple supplies were enough to get things under control.

Rooster disagreements can happen even in otherwise peaceful flocks, and cuts can look dramatic because birds tend to bleed more than people expect.

One of the best things a flock keeper can do is keep a few basic first-aid supplies near the coop. A simple kit might include:

• Gauze
• Saline or sterile rinse
• Cornstarch or styptic powder
• Triple antibiotic ointment (without pain reliever)

A few simple items can make a big difference in those moments when things get a little… feathery.