The Coop with Meyer Hatchery

Latest Episodes:

Meyer Moment: Will You Leave The Lights On? Sep 14, 2021

Show notes

Let’s take a Meyer Moment to talk about leaving the lights on. As daylight slowly fades away this time of year, do you leave the lights on in your coop? The question often begins with electricity in the coop building stage. Often people associate electricity with heat, but a well-insulated coop does not need to be heated. You may, however, want to consider electricity for lights.
Important Links:

EP13: Coop Considerations
Omlet Coop Light
How To Ensure A Year-Round Supply Of Eggs - blog
Why Is My Hen Not Laying? - blog
Egg Production Tracker - Free Download!

Fall Chicks Sep 10, 2021

Show notes

When it comes to getting chicks, most keepers think of the Spring season. But in my opinion, any time of year is a good time for chickens! Ok, maybe not the dead of winter but as we face the beginning of fall don’t hesitate to get that brooder ready. There are plenty of reasons to raise chicks in the fall from breed selection to egg production.
In this episode you'll:

Discover Why Fall Is A Great Time To Raise Chicks
Catch A Listener Review Who Knows All About Chicken Math
Learn The Best Reasons To Add To Your Flock This Fall

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Kendra's 2021 Favorites Sep 07, 2021

Show notes

Let’s take a Meyer Moment to celebrate my birthday month, with some of my personal Meyer favorites. While I’d like to tell you this month is all about me, I do have something special in store for YOU! So keep listening.

The Best Of Free-Ranging Sep 03, 2021

Show notes

Today we’re talking about free-range breeds, as part of our Best Of Series. We dedicate one episode per month to this series, covering the very best of each month's topic. For the month of September, we’re going to dive into the best breeds for free-ranging. Whether you’re jumping on the pastured poultry bandwagon or just looking for some good breeds for your backyard, there are a few things to consider.

In this episode you'll:

Discover What Free-Ranging Means
Learn The Benefits and Risks of Free-Ranging Your Flock
Get Our Top Free-Ranging Breed Picks for Each Poultry Type

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Meyer Moment: Urban Meat Birds Aug 31, 2021

Show notes

Let’s take a Meyer Moment to talk about raising meat birds in an urban setting. Many Meyer Hatchery customers raise their birds on a small scale, usually starting with egg layer breeds. But meat birds can also be raised on a small scale!
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Crossing Creeks Farm Aug 27, 2021

Show notes

From Meyer Hatchery it’s The Coop - where we talk all things poultry in hopes of inspiring crazy chicken keepers and educating future flock owners.

I’m your host Kendra and on the show today you’ll hear how the desire to feed their family the best possible food grew into a passion for sharing that food with their community. Crossing Creeks farm out of Shelbyville Tennessee began in 2012 raising grass-fed beef and has now evolved to sell pastured pork and poultry as well as eggs!

Elizabeth, from Crossing Creeks shares about their poultry journey, how they’ve evolved from raising 50 broilers to 800 rainbow rangers in mobile coops, her advice for those just starting out, and most importantly how her farm continues to be a family operation as her two young son’s help in the day-to-day chores.

But to really understand Crossing Creeks' experience, we’ll begin when they made the decision to simply start...

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Meyer Moment: Top 3 Chicken Butchering Books Aug 24, 2021

Show notes

Let’s take a Meyer Moment to talk about butchering books. There are numerous resources out there to learn about processing chickens. From the processing setup, butchering, and even the kitchen skills for cooking; today we’re reviewing 3 of our favorite books on the topic.
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Game Birds Aug 20, 2021

Show notes

Hey everyone! Welcome back to The Coop with Meyer Hatchery - where we talk all things poultry in hopes of educating crazy chicken keepers and inspiring future flock owners. I’m Kendra. And I’m Jeff. And today we’re talking about game birds.

When it comes to poultry types often raised on homesteads and farms most people stick to the tried and true domesticated chickens and ducks. For those feeling adventurous you may try geese and turkeys, and if you’re really wild, maybe even guineas. But have you considered game birds?

Game birds can be raised for eggs and meat, or even used in training for hunting dogs. Today we’re going to cover the Ringneck Pheasants and Chukar Partridges offered here at Meyer Hatchery, as well as Quail and Grouse.

The first thing you need to know about raising game birds is they are vastly different from the common poultry types you’re used to.
In this episode you'll:

Discover Various Game Bird Breeds
Learn About Their Feed, Brooding, and Housing Requirements
Get A Taste of Game Bird Flavors

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Meyer Moment: Chicken Stock Aug 17, 2021

Show notes

Let’s take a Meyer Moment to talk about chicken stock. Chicken stock has been used for centuries and is still commonly used today in all sorts of recipes. Chicken stock, also known as bone broth, is revered for its health benefits. When you had a cold or flu growing up, many of us have memories of our mom or grandma making a big pot of chicken soup. This feel-good meal is rooted in the amazing benefits of bone broth.
Important Links:

Blog: Chicken Soup Recipe

Stacie Billis Aug 13, 2021

Show notes

From Meyer Hatchery it’s The Coop - where we talk all things poultry in hopes of inspiring crazy chicken keepers and educating future flock owners.

I’m your host Kendra and on the show today you’ll hear how an education in child development and love of food came together to drive Stacie Billis to become a food editor, cookbook author, and host to one of the top 20 food podcasts on Apple.

But her food journey didn’t start in the traditional sense of culinary school, after Stacie’s father urged her to receive an education she went to graduate school for child development. With her passion for food still burning, she decided if she wasn’t going to be in the kitchen cooking professionally she could at least engage with parents and families around food content. After having kids herself she realized it was time to be in the kitchen, but not as a chef, as a mom with the purpose of feeding her family. Making a career pivot from education and research in children’s media she found her place in food media, writing cookbooks and launching the podcast Didn’t I Just Feed You, with her co-Host Meghan Splawn.

Their podcast exudes the fact that food truly is a connector, whether you’re making it, enjoying it, or talking about it. And it’s quick to see in this episode too as Stacie is truly one of the most authentic food professionals I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with. To really understand what led Stacie to create the cookbook, Winner Winner Chicken Dinner and earning her “chicken lady” title, it starts with her first cookbook…

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