Our story began in the summer and fall of 2020, when Steven and I had what seemed like a crazy idea: What if we raised our own chickens for meat and eggs? Naturally, I said, “Let’s do this!”
From the beginning, I knew I wanted a colorful flock and colorful eggs would be an added bonus. So, I did what I always do when I become interested in something: I started reading everything I could find about chickens. After learning about all the different breeds, sizes, personalities, and egg colors, I knew exactly what I wanted: large, standard-sized chickens that would lay medium to extra-large eggs. We began with meat birds, raising several batches for ourselves, our friends, and our family. Then, in April 2021, I welcomed my first group of laying hens. By August, our flock had already grown to more than 30 chickens. I added even more in April 2022, and by that summer, we had 53! Now, in 2026, we are pushing nearly 80 laying hens, along with a couple of roosters who help watch over and protect the flock. At that point, there was no denying it - I was hooked. Steven was hooked, too, although he really just likes the food, haha. But our girls have never been just “producers” to us. They are our pets with a purpose, and we give them the absolute best of everything we can. We believe happy hens lay the best eggs and that truly happy hens are healthy hens. That belief guides the way we care for our flock. We do not force our hens to lay, and we do not force them into molting. Instead, we let nature take its course. Their egg production naturally slows down or stops from late fall through winter and into early spring. During the spring and summer months, they generally lay every day, every other day, or sometimes every two days. Excessive summer heat can also cause egg production to slow down - and that’s okay! When their bodies need a break, we let them rest. We will never force them to continue laying simply to produce more eggs. While we are **NOT CERTIFIED** organic or humanely raised and handled, we do our absolute best to raise our flock using an all-natural, organic, humane and holistic approach. Our chickens are not “disposable.” If one of them can be saved, we will do everything we reasonably can to save her. So, how can you get our eggs? You won’t find them in stores, and we do not sell to restaurants. Instead, unless we post otherwise on our social media page, you can find us at the YLNI Farmers Market in downtown Fort Wayne on Saturdays from 9:00am - 1:00pm in downtown Fort Wayne. On weekends when we are not attending a market, we will place our self-serve table and cooler at the end of the driveway (unless we have sold out at the market). We also offer limited delivery options when we will already be in the general area of the delivery address. Although caring for our flock is a big part of our lives, Steven and I both work regular jobs in Fort Wayne, Monday through Friday, often putting in 8-12 hour days. We kindly ask for your courtesy and understanding when scheduling a pickup or delivery. In-person pickups may be scheduled Monday through Friday between 6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. We generally have more availability on weekends, and porch pickups may also be arranged. If those times do not work for you, please ask. We are always happy to see if we can work something out!
