Celebrate Chicken Month - Hens And Roosters

September is Chicken Month! Hens, roosters and baby chicks -- a chicken family

Yes, Chicken Month is a special designation by chicken producers, of more than 20 years standing. Yet we know our favorite poultry deserves the recognition. You can eat chicken, or find other ways to celebrate an animal that has been important to humans for centuries.

We keep chickens at our house for their eggs. It's enjoyable to watch their interactions, and how they expect "something" whenever they see a human. One of their special requests is some greens, such as turnip greens or clover.

Our chickens are standard breeds, but we have a family history with bantam breeds, which are small. Just read on...

Photo by kimbesa

There are so many ways to celebrate September as Chicken Month! Here are only a few:

• Visit a farm to see the chickens, and be sure to take the kids so they can see where their eggs come from
• Get started on your own backyard chicken project, if you've always wanted some poultry
• Find some free-range eggs at a farm market and experience the difference
• Learn some new egg or chicken dishes, and expand your recipe repertoire
• Create your own collection of chicken motif items

My grandfather raised and showed bantam chickens. This photo shows him with one of them, along with a wall through of ribbons from various fairs and expositions.

I remember all the chicken coops at their house. There was a long row of them along one side of the orchard.

This photo would have been taken in the late 1940s or mid-1950s.

Besides the chickens who live in the coop out back, we have a lot of chicken "stuff" at our house. Art prints, plates, figurines, cross stitch pictures, and all kinds of things to celebrate the chicken.

Grandpa raised and showed bantam chickens for 50+ years, so there is a lot of happy association with chickens in our family.

I remember the rows of chicken coops as a kid. They were large -- so big you could walk in -- and had chicken wire on all sides, to keep out unwanted visitors. And I remember the earthy smell of their clean straw bedding and corn feed.

My grandparent's place was on the edge of town back then, and they had a lot of room for chickens.

Photo and stitching by kimbesa. Cross stitch sampler, Hen by Bent Creek.

This is another one of grandpa's chickens. My question...how they they get him to stand still long enough for the picture?