Hidden Acres MC Poultry

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Akeley, MN
Hidden Acres MC Poultry

Poultry enthusiast and strong 4-H supporter, raising and offering QUALITY LF Cochins (Black & Buff), Bantam New Hamshires, and LF Brown Leghorns.
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Still offering rainbow egg layers for the backyard chicken tenders! Feel free to send a message to chat! Memberships/Certifications:
American Poultry Association
Cochins International
The Marans Club
Marans Chicken Club USA
NPIP Certified Testing Agent
NPIP Certified Breeding Flock

09/02/2026

☕️ Reflective Mornings… ☀️

Looking Back to See How Far You've Come

Sometimes we become so focused on learning what's next that we forget how much we've already learned.

Think back to your first flock.

Remember the questions you had?

The things that seemed confusing?

Now think about the things that have become second nature.

That's progress.

Not perfection.

Progress.

I used to have to look at the big picture and see the light at the end of the tunnel; today I’m able to look at and pick apart the little things - like uneven wattles, ticking where it shouldn’t be, clear eye color, 5 points in a comb etc.

Sometimes it’s not where you’re going, but rather how far you’ve come that you have to sit back and reflect on. Same thought applies to life.

09/01/2026

☀️ 🥚 What a beautiful day…..

….. to think about hatching some bantams 😉

This is a record collection for awhile now! Let’s hope they keep it up! 🙌🏻 🐣

08/31/2026

🫶🏼 Sharing is caring!! 🤗

I may have done a crazy thing today….
Without looking 21 days ahead nonetheless. Hopefully I won’t regret that….

After meeting a new 4-H family yesterday for hatching eggs, (and such a wonderful grandma she is!!) I decided to fire up my own incubator. 🤭

This will be the earliest I have ever set a fall hatch! 🐣

Any takers on some September/October Bantams or Leghorns?? 😉

Speak now or forever hold your peace.

08/29/2026

🛑 ✋🏻 ☢️ ⚠️ BIOSECURITY ⚠️ ☢️ ✋🏻 🛑

💚 THIS GOES FOR ALL LIVESTOCK! Not just chickens! 🍀

The season is over…. It’s time to head home…. Now what?? ⬇️

⭐️ If you were at the State Fair (or any show/fair for that matter), please, please, please PLEASE have some sort of biosecurity and quarantine protocol in place. Especially if you bring ANY animals home.

🛑 It doesn’t matter if you went without birds, didn’t bring birds home, showed birds, purchased birds etc. These are some things you can do to protect your flock.

⭐️ LYSOL/sanitize your shoes, clothes, car, pedals, etc.

⭐️ Strip and sanitize EVERYTHING before it even comes into close contact with anything that might go into your coop! Anything that can get washed should go straight into the washing machine. Anything that can’t should be wiped down or sprayed.

⭐️ Quarantine ALL new birds SEPARATELY for a minimum of 30 days AT LEAST 30 feet away from your flock!!!

⭐️ Monitor quarantined birds for illnesses and CULL if symptoms arise. Treating will only resolve the symptoms but it will not rid the disease/infection/illness that bird will continue to be a carrier of FOR LIFE, which puts your birds at risk (should you still choose integrate them into your flock).

⭐️ Be safe, be smart, and always put your flock first!!!

💭 This was THE biggest Fair of the year in MN, and there were THOUSANDS of animals exhibited, and spectators bringing in who knows what on their own clothes/shoes. Don’t forget that chicken dust alone can be harboring debilitating and sometimes deadly diseases.

Mareks and Micoplasma are common examples of what you could bring home.

Some common symptoms to watch for:
⭐️ Respratory illness
⭐️ Bubbly/foamy eyes
⭐️ Parasites (internal OR external)
⭐️ Lathargic
⭐️ Changes in stool color and consistency

I know additional chores are the last thing any of you want after a long week at the fair, but this is the best way to protect your animals.

Minnesota 4-H
4-H
National FFA Organization

08/28/2026

🍀 💚 THATS A WRAP ✌🏻

ALL of the kiddos exhibiting during the 2026 fair season deserve a round of applause. It takes hard work, dedication and commitment to raise ANY livestock project. You are responsible for another life and you do not get a day off when you raise, condition, train, feed, etc. your project. Kiddos to all of you! 👏

Another round of applause for these 5 kids exhibiting from Hidden Acres MC Poultry at the State Fair yesterday! We appreciate your commitment to your poultry project and the hard work you have invested to get you to the State Fair! 🙌🏻 👏

😴 Yesterday was a long hard days work! A full days work! I can imagine how tired you are, but I hope you are equally proud of yourselves. Take some time to enjoy the State Fair in all its glory while the everyone else admires your projects!

Although I was unable to be there to support you in person, I was there in spirit, messaging everyone throughout the day. I received a ton of pictures and updates! I even got my “State Fair Steps” in while I watched the show 😉 It certainly wasn’t the same, and I will be back next year and cannot wait to see you there.

🥰 Yesterday we received some of the BEST feedback from the judge on our bantams and as a breeder one of the highest compliments I have gotten in my years raising poultry. Let’s just say; our bantams are being noticed, in a big way! 😉

⭐️ Last year we had 6 poultry projects at the State Fair, and this year we had 5. Many more made it to the State Fair lineup at their County fair but chose to take alternate livestock projects to State. Can we get it to 10 next year?! There may be an incentive on the line if we do! 🤔 🫣

⭐️ Now that the fair season has officially wrapped up, it’s time to start thinking about 2027s projects. I’m already putting together breeding pens and doing what I can to make 2027 the best year yet.

Are you ready for it?!

Minnesota 4-H
4-H

National FFA Organization

08/25/2026

💚 📣 🗞️ BREAKING NEWS 📰 ⭐️ 🍀

Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond my control, I had to cancel my State Fair trip this year. It was a REALLY hard decision. You all know how much this trip means to me, but my family comes first, and right now I need to be home. I was really looking forward to seeing each and every one of you, as well as meeting some new families.

I will still be cheering for all of you from my couch, and if you need ANY help or just want to chat, please feel free to reach out and I will make the time. 🫶🏼

📸 Please send me pictures, and we will be with you in spirit! Best of luck to all ✋🏻 projects representing Hidden Acres MC Poultry at the fair this week!

🍀 Elizabeth - Bantams
🍀 Lewis - Bantams
🍀 Christopher - Bantams
🍀 Karl - Bantams
🍀 Carter - Cochins

To those of you awarded a State Fair trip, taking another livestock project- we wish you the best and all the success with your State Fair project as well!

⭐️ This weekend one of our kiddos met me in a Kwik Trip parking lot to talk about his State Fair pen on my way home from a hockey tournament! I also handed off hatching eggs in the parking lot at Maynard’s on Lake Minnetonka on Saturday during a team lunch. Where there is a will, there is a way. 😉

💚 I have and will continue to go to the extra mile for you guys. I appreciate your understanding and look forward to working with you again next year! ✌🏻

Minnesota 4-H
4-H

08/20/2026

🍀 ⭐️ 4-H Spotlight 📣 💚

I cannot believe we are down to the final weeks of summer. It’s been a good ride but I’m not ready for it to end quite yet.

Today we showcase 4 more 4-Hers that have worked so hard, and we are proud of each and every one of them. Please help me congratulate them for their dedication and success with their poultry projects. Feel free to share as well!

🍀 Carter has been a part of our 4-H program from the very beginning and it has been such an honor and privilege to watch him grow! He has MANY purple ribbons from a variety of poultry projects this week, but the one nearest to his heart (and ours) was Champion LF Breeding Pen and Overall Champion Breeding Pen. LF Cochins have been his breeding pen of choice since the beginning. First whites and then consistently blacks. This was the first year Carter was sure of his selection on his own, and he should be so proud of the eye he has developed for the Standard as well as all of the hard work he has put into his projects. We cannot wait to see you at the State Fair!

🍀 Christopher found quality poultry last year after many years of hatchery birds and has now shown both LF and Bantams from us as his 4-H projects. This kid (family included) is dedicated! He drives over 6 hours one way for his project each year! 😮 This year he took Reserve Champion with his Bantam New Hampshires with 4th place overall in the State Fair lineup (which is HUGE with a big barn of over 70 poultry projects!) We can’t wait to see if he takes the Bantams to the State Fair.

🍀 Kaylee has been working hard on her poultry project and loving on her bantams! She was awarded a blue ribbon at the Beltrami County Fair with her Bantam New Hampshires. Congrats Kaylee!

🍀 Karl hatched his own project from the birds he got from his last year. He set 22 eggs and had 12 hatch. It was a great number for a good selection to pick from and his hard work paid off by winning Champion Breeding Pen and he was also awarded the first spot overall in the State Fair Lineup! We will be seeing lots of our bantams at the State Fair next week and I cannot wait to see this project there.

⭐️ With county fairs wrapping up, and updates still coming through, the State Fair is just a week away!! One of my favorite days of the year. Some of my favorite people in the same space on the same day and a whole lot of chickens 😉 I’ll have a final count soon! - any guesses? Last year 6 of the projects at the State Fair were from us. Many more were awarded trips, but chose to take other projects. It’s too bad they can’t showcase them all 😊

4-H
Minnesota 4-H
National FFA Organization

08/18/2026

‼️ 🐣 FALL HATCH ALERT 🚨 🥚

It’s that time again, well time to start planning anyway.

I obviously hatch in both fall and spring, but my preference is fall. Spring is just for the leftovers that didn’t cooperate during their fall molt. In my experience the fall hatch is where it’s at when it comes to health, vigor and size. Being in the Midwest (Minnesota specifically) we have the advantage of growing out birds in early spring and late fall. With cooler temps the chicks eat more, grow bigger and feather out faster. They feather out faster and acclimate better. I had 4 months old growouts off heat in 30 degree temps in the middle of a MN winter. My Cochins hatched in October are also already starting to lay by May/June. Spring hatched Cochins take a year + to lay!

Spring is when most others are accustomed to hatching, but I thought I’d offer a fall hatch to see if there was any interest. I will offer this for our Black Cochins (if I have extras), Bantam New Hampshires, Brown Leghorns and colored egg layers.

Msg with any questions or to get on the list for chicks or hatching eggs between September - November.

📸 Fun fact: The breeds pictured will also be the breeds we offer again for 4-H projects in 2027 🍀 💚 That list is also filling up quickly!!

Minnesota 4-H
4-H

08/12/2026

🍀 💚 4-H Spotlight 🤩

☀️ 🌖 🛌 It’s getting to be that time of year. The days are getting shorter and the lights are going on earlier. I’m not ready for summer to be over. Another hatching season is sneaking up on me right around the corner. Life is continuously busy; from one season right into the next. Sometimes I wonder what we would do with more than one day “off” in a row 😂 We don’t sit around well in this family. We are always bouncing from one adventure to another.

I have another 4-H and youth exhibitor spotlight update for you today. I’ve been waiting to post to see if I could get a few more pics, but don’t want to leave you wondering for too long so here it goes. ⬇️

⭐️ More big success coming out of WI with one of our new friends, Aubree, taking home a pretty cool trophy with Reserve Champion Best in Show in the open show at their fair!! Congrats Aubree!

⭐️ Our first couple projects of Bantam New Hampshires have been shown as well, and they sure made a grand debut - as in GRAND Champion overall Bantam breeding pen! 👏 Way to go Lou! Her sister Elizabeth was right behind with honorable mention with another pen! These girls also took overall Champion Hen in the bantam class in their open show. Looking forward to seeing these beautiful birds at the Minnesota State Fair in just a few weeks! Edgar Mongold would be so proud to see his birds represented so well. ❤️‍🩹

⭐️ Lewis also rocked another year with our bantams receiving Champion Intermediate Showmanship and a State Fair trip with his Bantam New Hampshires from the Sibley County Fair.

⭐️ Last but not least, another update from WI came through to me yesterday from Trevor. He took both Champion and Reserve Champion with his projects. Reserve Champion being with a black Cochin cockerel from the project he got from us this spring. Love the pics!! Congrats again Trevor.

Fairs get a bit crazy in the coming weeks. August is when the majority of our projects will shine this year, and we are so excited to share more updates with you as the messages and pictures roll in! Keep them coming! I certainly don’t do what I do for the money! I do what I do to share in the joy and success with these kids. 💚

If you have any questions prepping for the fair as you work through your projects please reach out. I always make time for you!

Minnesota 4-H
4-H
National FFA Organization

08/08/2026

📝 Selection - Culls - Keepers ⬇️

Your program is only as good as your weakest link! 💪🏻

Yesterday I did the big job of going through all of our 05/2026 grow outs. This was a late hatch for us but a necessary one. Sometimes the birds just don’t cooperate when you want them to. The thing about Cochins is this: you don’t hatch on your schedule. You hatch on theirs! You have to strike while the iron is hot.

One thing that I learned about myself early on, is I am EXTREMELY selective about my birds. More so than most. I am not afraid to cull or unalive a bird if it doesn’t meet my standards.

Whether that is good or bad has yet to be determined. I could have let some go too soon, and I could have let a few freeload too long. It’s never a perfect science.

I admit I do cull hard; and I cull early and often. I’ve learned that your program is only as good as your weakest link. (Read that last part again). I want mine line to be strong and unwavering in uniformity and consistency. This is why I am confident in selling hatching eggs, and also chicks in our youth program. Birds that get to stay here have to give me a reason to keep them, rather than a reason to cull them. 👌🏻

I have a large flock compared to some, but a small flock compared to many others. Because of this, I cannot keep anything questionable. My breeding choices may not be your breeding choices and my culls might be your keepers. That’s what makes this hobby interesting!

Moral of the story. Don’t let yourself go coop blind. Be sure of the breeding choices you make. If it’s questionable, just let it go unless you have a very specific reason for holding it back. If you’re writing “watch” more than you are writing “nice” or “keep”, in your bird bible, then cull and save yourself the heartache and reserve that space and feed for your keepers. ✌🏻

Address

Akeley, MN
56433

Website

https://www.hiddenacresmcpoultry.com/

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