About the Author

Christine Heinrichs

I write from my home on California’s Central Coast. I keep a backyard flock of a dozen hens, eight large fowl of various breeds and four bantams. My book, How to Raise Chickens, was first published in 2007, just as the local food movement was starting to focus attention on the industrial food system. Backyard chickens became the mascot of local food. The third edition of How to Raise Chickens was published in January 2019. The Backyard Field Guide to Chickens was published in 2016. Look for them in Tractor Supply stores and online. I have a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Oregon and belongs to several professional journalism and poultry organizations.
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Articles by Christine Heinrichs

The Old is New Again
August 1, 2022 · · Chickens 101

The Livestock Conservancy and poultry breeders are working to nurture breeds that in some cases had slipped down to a meager few flocks.

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USDA Announces Grants to Expand Poultry Processing
April 13, 2022 · · Eggs & Meat

Processing has always been the bottleneck to successful small poultry producers. Awareness of the frailties in the system gives us a chance to remedy them, so we don’t go through this again.

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12 Days of Christmas — Meaning Behind the Birds
December 13, 2021 · · Poultry 101

Understanding the 12 Days of Christmas meaning adds something special to this favorite traditional carol.

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Six Sustainable Hens
September 14, 2021 · · Chickens 101

American Plymouth Rocks, Asiatic Cochins, English Cornish, Mediterranean Leghorns, Continental Polish, and the Games are still leaders in small flocks, exhibition, and the hearts of all who keep them.

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APA Confers Certificate on McMurray Hatchery Flocks
August 4, 2021 · · Chickens 101

Chicken keepers can purchase chicks from flocks certified as meeting American Poultry Association Standards from Murray McMurray Hatchery in 2022.

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USPS Honors Heritage Breeds
May 13, 2021 · · Poultry 101

The next time you mail a letter, you can support heritage breeds by stamping it with one of the Heritage Breed Stamps on sale at the post office and through the website starting May 17th.

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Silkie Chickens in Chinese Medicine
February 20, 2021 · · Eggs & Meat

Silkies have been venerated in Chinese traditional medicine for more than 1,000 years. Scientific researchers are looking for a basis for their nutritional value.

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Small is the Next Big Thing
February 10, 2021 · · Eggs & Meat

The coronavirus pandemic showed how important small flocks are to production as well as breed conservation. Small flocks, like vegetable gardens, give their keepers a measure of self-sufficiency. You’ll always have eggs!

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Youth Poultry Organizations
June 16, 2020 · · Poultry 101

Kids are naturally drawn to chickens. Poultry organizations can help them build those attractions into solid life paths.

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Crèvecœur Chicken: Conserving a Historic Breed

After success with the Buckeye, Jeannette Beranger of The Livestock Conservancy is now working with the Crèvecœur chicken.

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