This past year has been all about learning new skills and trying new things. I can’t believe it, but I did something I never thought I would ever do. I got chicks! Yes, that’s right, I decided to try my hand at raising backyard chickens.

It’s been interesting, but overall pretty low-key and entertaining. It’s been fun to pick out little baby chicks and watch how quickly they grow. I realized right away, I had no idea what I was doing, so with a little research and some great advice, I was able to feel relatively confident in this new undertaking.

Since becoming the guardian of a little flock of chickens, I have found a few favorite things that I want to share with you!

I love all things British, so it was only natural that when looking for a cute accessory for our coop, this adorable Bockingham Palace was my must-have for my chicken’s abode. Etsy retailer CCRCustomMetals created this amazing chicken coop sign and it is just perfect for what I was looking for. Available in a variety of sayings and finishes, you can order the perfect custom piece for your own backyard coop. I am so impressed with the quality of the sign, I can’t rave about it enough. Be sure to check out this great shop for other great gifts and products like address plaques, garden markers, and more!

I’ve learned quickly that when you have chickens in your yard, in your quest to make an appealing living space for them, you also have created an appealing space for other living creatures. This is not at all what I want! I don’t want mice to get into their food at all (ew, so gross!) but it seems almost inevitable if you are putting food and water in an outdoor space. Revolutionary Chicken has an amazing solution that I was thrilled to get to try out. These outdoor feeders allow for a large amount of food storage to stay dry and fresh, with spouts that are mice-proof that the chickens can easily access. Brilliant idea, Amy! See what I am talking about in this youtube video. Revolutionary Chicken offers a wealth of information to make having your own backyard chickens as low maintenance as possible. Be sure to check out her site for plans, tips, and shopping to make your own set up as great as hers! I especially love her tips for composting in the coop! She has seriously inspired me to get the most out of my own backyard set up!

I know eggs are a little ways down the road, but I love these custom stamps that you can create online from StampByMeStudio to bedeck your eggs once they have been laid. Aren’t they so sweet? You can customize your eggs with food safe ink stamps with cute sayings, your last name, images and more. I love that they are completely unique! I can’t wait to stamp my own eggs to give to friends and neighbors.

Once my crew starts laying some eggs, I’ve been told that I could have quite an abundance of eggs on my hands. To get ready for that, I picked up some of the most adorable plastic personalized egg cartons, that I think everyone should have, from RileyJuneCreations on Etsy. You can create your own customized saying just the way you want it to be or select some of the hysterically clever ones in this fun Etsy shop. It never fails to make me laugh whenever I see these sturdy egg holders. I will be picking up more of these as my chickens get older. I think these make a great gift for anyone with their own backyard chickens!

I’ve observed that my chicks like to spread their wings and jump up on things. They love to peck and eat anything they can find. So this chicken picnic table feeder is awesome for my little chickens. I can put food or treats on the top and they have a field day getting some exercise and pecking their way around the table. It’s so cute and perfect to have out in the yard as they are exploring their surroundings, enjoying the warm sunshine on their backs. Etsy shop SawbladesNSplinters makes incredibly well-crafted items like the picnic table or hanging bird and squirrel feeders. If you love nature in your own backyard, you will want to visit this great shop for your own unique and well-designed feeders.

As my chickens grow, their dietary needs change, too. It’s great to give them treats as they grow, but where do you even start to begin to find the best treats for your flock? I was recently introduced to Exotic Nutrition, let me tell you, they have everything you could ever want to treat your chickens to! Chicken Ecstasy is a consumer favorite to spoil their flocks. Dried mealworms, fresh feeders, toys and so much more can be found at this one-stop shop for all things pet related. I’m thrilled to know about this great retailer,as I know I will be stocking up on their items throughout my journey of chicken raising.

A great resource for both kids and adults are books from Lisa Steele. She has authored Let’s Hatch Chicks! and Fresh Eggs Daily. Both of these books have been a great resource for interesting facts and information to explain to little ones and for my own use to know how to prepare the best surroundings for happy chickens. I particularly love the info about fresh herbs and what I can do to keep the coop and chickens naturally healthy and fresh. You can learn more about her books and purchase them yourself online.

And just for fun because, hey, it’s chicken themed and I have lots of little visitors over all the time. I can’t get over this adorable wooden chicken coop play set from Etsy shop KruftCountry. This handcrafted coop is modeled after a full sized one, but scaled down for little ones. I can tell you from experience that it is a huge hit with kids. I’ve seen it over and over again with my own eyes. The smooth wooden set is sturdy and fun to play with. Little toy baby chicks and hens fit perfectly in here, along with the custom made accessories like ramps, nesting box, and feeder that all fit inside this coop that can open and close. This is the sweetest play set that I highly recommend getting for kids, whether they have their own backyard chickens or not. It’s such a high quality set and I know that kids will be playing with it for years to come. Check out their shop for other great animal themed toys like their stables and barns!

*products were received to facilitate a feature, all opinions are my own*