It was our second date…
We were at Applebees, and I sat there chewing my cheeseburger as the future Prairie Husband told me of his dreams to own land and cattle someday.
They were pretty audacious statements from a guy who had lived in town his entire life with little to no agricultural background. Interestingly enough, I just-so-happened to share those same audacious dreams, and I had only ever lived in town my whole life too. We were quite the pair. I hardly knew the guy at that point, but he earned some serious brownie points that night.
As our relationship grew more serious, we talked in length of our desires to raise our future children in the country– we wanted to give them the childhood we never had. City living was never even discussed as an option.
Fast forward 11 years and here we are: 67 acres in the middle-of-nowhere-Wyoming, several dozen farm animals, and three wild, dirt-covered prairie children. Whew. We made it, I guess?
It’s been everything I thought it’d be… and more. Our kids are learning to be gritty, determined, and resilient, although I’m not necessarily teaching them those things– the homestead is. As I watch them grow right alongside the calves and veggies, I’m continually struck by the lessons they are learning. Here are a few of the most notable ones:
7 Lessons Homestead Kids Learn
1. Working hard is a gift.
So many adults treat work like a four-letter word and that makes me sad. Working towards something you love is beautiful and the process of creating and building is intoxicating once you push past the blocks. Yes, work can be hard, dirty, and sweaty, but that moment where you step back to admire the fruits of your labor is one of the best natural “highs” I know. I do everything I can to make sure the Prairie Kids get to experience that feeling, and the homestead provides ample opportunities.
2. You don’t need to be entertained.
I continually scratch my head when I read the complaints from folks in our local newspaper and social media channels declaring there is “nothing to do” in our nearby town. I don’t get it. What can you create, dream up, build, or improve? Do you need to be entertained all the time? Homestead kids learn quickly it’s not the iPad or TV’s job to keep them busy. You will get out of something what you put into it, and if you want something, it’s your job to create it.
3. Care for helpless things.
There’s nothing that puts a lump in my throat faster than watching my kids nurture a sick animal. Even wild-and-rambunctious Prairie Boy instinctively knows when to be quiet and soft when something is helpless or injured. They care for and fiercely guard even the smallest of creatures. Not to mention, the animals do an outstanding job of teaching them exactly when to be firm and assertive, and when to be gentle and nurturing. That happens to be an important skill for human interactions, too. Ahem.
4. If you’re a girl, it’s fine to be feminine and girly, and also know how to build fence, drive a stick shift, wrestle calves, and make a mean pie crust.
Lord help my daughters’ future boyfriends… Prairie Girl resembles Elsa from Frozen with her long, blonde braid, but she’s one of the grittiest 7-year olds I know. She can hold her own with a pushy 1200-pound horse, and isn’t afraid to put a rude turkey in his place if the need arises. I love the confidence homestead living has instilled in my children– especially my girls.
5. If you’re a boy, it’s OK to be loud and rough and tumble. (Although it’s generally best to do it outside.)
It seems like there’s a lot of pressure for little boys to be meek and mild. While I whole-heartedly agree children need to understand appropriate times to be rowdy, I also firmly believe little boys were made to be loud, dirt-covered balls of energy. Nothing encourages this more than country life, and Prairie Boy generally has the biggest smile when he’s completely covered in dirt from head-to-toe.
6. You can do hard things.
The pony will be stubborn and attempt to drag you over to the hay bales, the barbed wire gates will never shut without some grunting and stretching, and coercing the escapee chickens back to their pen is indeed harder than herding cats. Don’t quit, embrace the failure, and keep trying.
7. Producing food is hard work– appreciate it.
When you play a part in growing and nurturing the food you eat, you tend to appreciate it more. The Prairie Kids know food doesn’t come from the grocery store, and they are right in the middle of everything food-related on the homestead, from growing veggies to butchering meat animals. I frequently get questions about how our kids handling butchering time, and honestly, they take it all in stride. They know meat comes with a sacrifice and they instinctively honor that.
Although not without bumps and struggles, homestead living has been one of the best choices we’ve ever made for our family. And just in case you’re reading this and don’t have a homestead yet, take heart. These life lessons aren’t exclusive to country-dwelling folks; you can facilitate them with your own kiddos as well, even if you live smack-dab in the middle of suburbia. With a bit of awareness and creativity on the parent’s part, a child from any walk of life can grow with these lessons as a part of their childhood.
Your turn: What are your favorite aspects of homesteading with kids?
Failure happens. I think that’s #1. The way I choose to do things means a lot of failure. It also means I look at any percentage of success as mind blowingly amazing. So the kids go do the rounds with me. They mark the dead trees. Rejoice in the surviving ones. I think teaching perseverance in the face of failure is the most important lesson a person can get.
My 4 yo is learning all about reproduction. Having only bred birds before this she’s adorably confused about what the pigs are up to. She asks when the sow is going to lay her eggs. She sees the teets and exclaims over her having so many penises. Ah the amusing teaching going on there.
Humane animal handling is also a lesson. A lesson I think more people need to learn, at least if the number of abandoned animals we get is any indication. “Oh, I can’t kill this rooster it’s too mean. I’ll just drop him off in the middle of nowhere and let him live free.” aka I’m going to let something else kill it so my conscious can be free. You are not doing it right if you do not cry while you kill something. An injured or sick bird you couldn’t cure. Your food birds. Whatever it might be. It is part of proper animal management. My kids hear this rant a lot. We’ve been getting a lot of Cheyenne roosters lately. Drives me batty.
I love this article!!! I’m the oldest of six and with my parents support have headed up our homestead. A few years ago my dad (finally) got me to wake up all my younger siblings and give them chores for an hour every morning. (The few years before that I was doing almost everything and it took about two hours every morning, not to mention other odd jobs.) I knew it would be hard taking on all five younger siblings and finding jobs for them an hour’s worth each day. Looking back, it was the BEST thing I ever did!!
The biggest thing I think I like about it is the relationships with my siblings have gotten way better! We now (not so much at first 🙂 ) have fun working together.
One last note, homesteading makes you take the word “can’t” out of your vocabulary. My siblings always know if I catch them saying “can’t” I’ll be right there to help and encourage them to do it (by themselves) and prove themselves wrong. 🙂 It’s kinda become an inside joke now. They all know that if I hear them say “can’t” they’re going to end up doing it. 🙂
Julia,
What a blessing. As a parent I have seen my share of parents who allow the older children to bare the burden of the responsibilities. I am happy your parents encouraged you to assign chores to your siblings. They are better for it and so are you and your parents. ??
Julia,
What a blessing. As a parent I have seen my share of parents who allow the older children to bare the burden of the responsibilities. I am happy your parents encouraged you to assign chores to your siblings. They are better for it and so are you and your parents. ??
Me, 62, Geophysicist; wife, 60, Title Searcher; both raised in suburbia (me in Rochester, NY, her iñ Baton Rouge, LA). Now living in suburbs of Sacramento. Kids grown, 5 grandbabies with #6 in the oven. Thinking about retiring soon. Had distant relatives in Lusk, WY who ran the Raw Hide Ranch oñ Raw Hide Creek, just SW of Lusk. Visited them around 1970 and saw the ranch, cattle brands, etc. Thinking the area might be a nice place to retire to. Looking at ancestor’s house, for sale in downtown Lusk, and another 3-acre property in Jay Em (pop. 16). Hardest part will be convincing my Southern Belle to move to cold country. Advice?
Hi, Jim. As a citified Texas girl who married the love of her life, a Wyoming man, I had never seen snow. Thought I could never leave Texas…BUT…I love all of the natural beauty of Wyoming and most especially, the four, real seasons. Tell your bride that she will learn to love it here and that Wyoming needs another Title Searcher. And Wyoming people are some of the greatest!
Awesome! I’m born in the suburbs, live in the city, am getting ready to break free.
Matt,
Moving will change your life forever. I highly recommend it. My husband and I moved to middle TN 4 years ago from Jacksonville, FL with our 3 children. We stayed there for 3 yrs raised all manner of animals, learned many homestead skills. It was very different from the life we lead in the city. So many new skills to be learned and heart attitudes needing to be changed. We have since, begun homesteading in Ixiamas, Bolivia South America. We have been here one year. For my husband and the children we quickly put to use our TN skills and went from what seemed like practice to very necessary survival skills. It is a challenging way but extremely satisfying. We even built our home with a chainsaw. Now our house is finished. And we live with our chickens, cattle and pets on a 62 acre plot. It cost us $15,500 for the land plus lots of sweat equity.
We left TN because we were quickly going through our money and found our nation doesn’t support the little farmer. Most locals think Walmart is where you get your meat, veggies and milk. Few people were interested in butchering an animal they bought from you. Many of our homesteading friends started non farm businesses. Had we stayed we would have been required to find work off of the farm, in order to stay on the farm.
My advice to you is. Save every nickel, go the used route. Learn and apply all your homesteading skills. Weigh out the wants and the true needs. And I am sure you will find your “niche”.
Hi, Andrea! Thank you for your words of motivation and sharing your experience. You are an inspiration!
I love this! I was raised in the country. If we did anything wrong, my mom knew before I made it home. We spent every daylight hour outside, and I cant express how many life lessons I learned. Being a child in the country gave me character, something I am afraid cannot be easily obtained raising children in the city.
My husband has two children from a previous marriage. They were 5 and 8 when we married and moved onto 8 acres. They are timid and anxious when faced with anything new. They did not know how to play outside for the first two months. I am so thankful to give them that opportunity. 5 years later, they will play outside until i call them in. They are still anxious about everything, but are also adventurous and curious. They love chickens and reading a book in the fig tree.
We now have two children of our own, 1 and 2. They are fearless! I cant keep them out of the dirt, the pastures, the water puddles… They are nurturing, creative, and hard working. They have common sense! We cannot imagine raising our children any other way, and feel so blessed that our “big kids” have the opportunity too, even later in childhood.
This is my hearts desire for my kids. I grew up a beach bum in Florida but when I moved out west I married my amazing husband who grew up on 117 acre horse ranch. The sad thing is he doesn’t seem to want to continue that lifestyle with our kids. Or, at least, it’s not as big of a priority for him as his current career. I’ve been working tirelessly since our first was born to convince him to switch departments to a more rural area where we can have at least a couple acres, but so far it’s a no go. Hopefully I can convince him soon!
I agree with everyone of these. And if I’m being honest, Raising my kids in the country has taught me all these lessons as well! Go WYO 😉
Amen! Good stuff for mamas, too 🙂
This is a tough one for me as a mom. We moved out of the city just over a year ago. My kids are 10, 8 and 7. As much as I LOVE to be outside, am satisfied by hard work, and love to learn – they are not, yet anyways. Not having been a mom before(ha!) and not having grown up in the country myself, I was hoping they’d naturally be drawn outside. I was looking forward to ringing the bell for them to come in. Instead, I’ve found that it’s almost drawn us apart because they don’t want to be outside doing things. I have hopes that they’ll discover things they enjoy and learn to love it, but part of me wonders if they’re just destined to be inside people and I need to be ok with that too. I’m having to find a balance b’n all the projects and chores and family time. It’s not at all what I expected. All the while, it’s an adventure I’m thankful for and I hope they will be one day too!
I had friends that moved to the country with children roughly the same age as yours. They found getting their kids horses and joining the 4H light horse club gave them a real reason to enjoy the outdoors and country life.
If they have ANY access to a phone, ipad, video games,TV during the day time, or other electronic device, end it; you will be surprized at their desire to be outside (after the withdrawal wears off.
Why not use the electronics for good? I grew up incredibly techy, indoorsy, and booky and had NO interest in the outdoors… until I was able to go out, find strange things, and see if I could figure out what it was with my very poor cell connection and flip-phone-quality-Google. There are apps and things now for identifying bugs, plants, animals, etc. Why not send them searching for things?
Or on the flip side, save the electronics for the evenings and join them in it. My parents were no good at video games, but as a child I didn’t even want to touch the N64 unless my mom or dad was going to give it a try with me. It turned it into family time, and it’s a little easier to go outside and watch bugs or play if you know you’ll still get to do that thing you love, later, when the mosquitoes are out anyway.
I moved to the country when I was 11. It was my Dad’s dream to have a ranch. My Mom was raised on a ranch. She taught him everything there was about ranching. She also taught us. We weren’t given a choice. We were told what our chores were. We grew a garden that was 1/2 acre, and never bought veggies from the store. We milked cows. We cut, raked, baled hay, and stacked it. We were never ask to do it. We did it. Todays kids –including some of my grandkids, don’t do anything but play with electronic’s. Sad. I thought I had it rough growing up–and I did! I did the work of a man from the time I was 12 years old. I threw 100 pound bales of hay. I built fences. A small 700 acre ranch in NW Colorado will never pay for itself, so Dad worked construction too. Did I hate it? Sometimes! But, it made a better person out of me! It made me appreciate life. It gave me a love of the outdoors that I will never lose! It showed me what a strong woman is capable of doing!
There are five kids in my family. Until last year we lived in the city our whole lives. I’m the second oldest at 15. Just over a year ago, we moved out on 42 acres in the mountains. So many changes! We are all homeschooled. Within a month, I had 14 chickens. Next month I had 100. I now have 240+ different fowl. I manage all of them. It’s been a tremendous adjust but I love it. From raising meat, to eggs. We got a milk cow within 4 months. We milked her for months before we realized she had chronic mastitis. Bought a different milk cow, she went crazy, almost killed my parents. Traded her back for a heifer that was “a few weeks from giving birth”. She’s still pregnant 5 months later. The first gave birth when we had no idea she was pregnant. None of us, including my parents, had done any of this before. Big learning curve, but growing our family closeness. My family just had our first broken bone, my arm. I just can’t imagine life any other way at this point!
I love your blog, it’s been such a help with various things!
I love this Katherine! What an awesome adventure for you and your family– and I was homeschooled, too 🙂
there’s a sense of calmness, pride and confidence all rolled up together that comes from learning to take care of yourself and others. I, too, grew up in town. I always thought it would be so much “easier” to live in the country, have a farm and just take life as it comes. That was a dream. It was naive at best. I did the hectic life of a Mom, daughter, wife and friend all while building and maintaining a thriving career. I learned to can and freeze fresh produce that I bought at a local farmstand so I could feed my family when money was tight. I have always liked to cook and am a decent baker of pies, breads and desserts. My kids are grown, my folks have passed and I found that I no longer enjoyed the hectic life of my successful career and the business I had built. So I got a few chickens. I fenced my acre+ lot in here in a quiet small town in MA. The dog, the chickens (now there are close to 60 – I think) and my vegetable garden provide not only for my own needs but for those of my older relatives, my children and my friends and neighbors. I have learned to use power tools, how to make do with what I have, how to sit and just look at the sun rising or setting, how to enjoy a storm or a beautiful day regardless of the season. This year I planted fruit trees, put in a stawberry patch, bartered pies for some blackberry roots with a neighbor and sell as many eggs as I give away. I am grateful that I had the good sense to take advantage of this time and opportunity. My door is always open although my house isn’t always tidy. Most people look for me in the yard or the coop or the garden before they look in the house. I have found a place to belong. I have gained a purpose. And now I have a couple of the younger people coming by to learn how to can or freeze or bake or cook — I feel like the luckiest woman in the world. Some days go really well and some days go sideways from beginning to end but each day is a gift that I am grateful to have. Never say never. Never say can’t. If I think about saying no I just hold my tongue for a bit and generally end up saying yes. I am 60. I have been at this new lifestyle for about 5 years now. I’m not sure I would have appreciated this way as much if I hadn’t lived another first. My family went through a period of time where they thought I had lost my mind. What they saw, in time, was that I am visibly relaxed – even when things don’t go quite right. I have lots of good things to give them. And if I’m lucky they are also realizing that if a woman my age can find a way to take care of my needs they will be able to also. I hope that the time doesn’t come when it is an absolute necessity but I am confident in my abilities and my relationships with those close to me. Living is important — living well and happily is a blessing.
What a beautiful story! You are a strong woman.
Love this!
I am in the mist of making some changes like that . I am 65 and not as strong as I used to be. Joining a fitness club to build back body strength. I want to enroll in a community college shop class this Fall if they reopen to l arm how to use power tools.
I love my life .
Biggest lesson for my grandkids: patience. You’ll get your snack AFTER grammy finishes this tomato, and washes her hands; the bean seeds you planted turn into beans you eat LATER, to have eggs for breakfast you have to go get them, wash them, crack them, cook them, THEN eat them.
Excellent web site you have here.. It’s hard to find quality writing
like yours nowadays. I truly appreciate people like you!
Take care!!
We’ve been a homesteading/homeschooling family for eight years now and I agree how wonderful it has been for our two boys. The tough part we’re facing now is that they are teenagers and don’t want to have anything to do with the work involved. They used to love it! Now getting them to do normal “homesteading stuff” is like a punishment for them. I hope it’s just a teenager phase that they will outgrow. They just don’t know how lucky they are! Funny thing is, as a teenager, I probably would have felt the same way they do. I just pray they change back into the wonderful homesteaders they once were and they realize how much they have to be thankful for.
Hi, I really do enjoy perusing your blog, but I have a little bit of constructive criticism… you should run it through a spell check, for one, and the other one that irks me consistently: “Without further ADO”, not “further adieu”. Because it means “without further fuss”, not “without further goodbye”.
sorry to be a nitpicker.
Love this, Jill.
I am just starting to see the ways our lifestyle influences Willow. She’s two, and the first lesson I have noticed is her being mindful of waste.
We recently went out with a group of other moms and kids for a meal. When everyone was done eating and the server came to clear our plates from the table Willow said “The food goes in the pigs bucket” and kept asking if we were going to bring everyone’s leftovers home to the pigs. It gave the other moms at the table (none of which share our lifestyle) a good laugh but I was so proud!
Love this SO much!! Willow is one smart cookie! 🙂
These are wonderful things to have learned. I am trying to build a small homestead on my little place, and teach my children the importance of raising our own food, and not relying on the ‘store” as much.
these are great lessons I can additionally point out to them along the way as well.
Living in the country is wonderful for the whole family!
I grew up in a country. Then moved to a city. Then back to country. I am reliving my childhood with all its bliss!
I love this post! We don’t have children but we have a herd of nieces and nephews and it amazes me how scared of dirt and sweat they can be. I was very lucky in my upbringing. My parents made sure I was on my own to discover and explore, also to trouble shot and problem solve.
We are slowly working on the younger ones getting them in the dirt and working and they are loving it more and more.
I just have to laugh sometimes when the kids come over and their mom yells about their cloths. FYI… Don’t bring kids to a farm in their Sunday’s best!!
I think honestly my generation is the start of what you get not being raised so that you can learn these things and we are seeing the product once you hit the world without this prep.
xoxo
Love this post Jill,
We are just starting out on our journey with a homestead, although we don’t have any children yet I find it important that no time just my kids but ALL kids should be outside and feel the dirt in their finger nails,, most kids in cities don’t even know where milk comes from, let alone how to grow a vegetable
I have learned some of these homesteading lessons as an adult. I got 4 chickens 5 years ago to keep me company as I stay at home because of chronic illness. Within a year I had 30 chickens. Over the years my flock has decreased due to death by natural causes. The chickens are my pets and I don’t eat them. I have learned that putting a sick chicken down is often the kindest thing to do even though it hurts your heart. I lost my two snuggliest chickens last week. They were both 4 years old. I cried and mourned but I am also thankful that they lived happy fulfilled lives. They never wanted for anything. I look forward to raising meat chickens one day as I hate the chicken industry. My heart just isn’t quite there yet, though. Each year I grow stronger in the way I handle my flock and learn the hard lessons. What a gift from God to be the keeper of these precious animals.
I agree with and love your article. We have 8 littles at home, we home school and our kiddos are with us every day, all day. They all have true grit, they all know how to work. They all know where food comes from. They all know that some times you fail due to mistakes, but you learn from those and do better next time. And they know not every one every time are winners. And they learn to depend on each other, often. And we all work together so we can all play together. I could go on and on, homesteading teaches so much, wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Hello from rainy Wales, UK! My boys have grown up on a farm and are exactly as you describe your son! They understand that we have to work when other parents dont, they have learnt about life and death on a farm especially when lambing times comes around. They camp, make dens, climb trees and go shooting. In summer they often go camping on the farm and shoot and cook their own food, along with raiding the cupboards first. Here in UK people are so far from the source of their food they often pull faces and show horror that my mini Bear Grylls have air rifles, pocket knives, are allowed to camp on their own and shoot fluffy animals! LOL
Jill, thanks for treating your son like a man growing up: no bleached and styled hair, no low-slung pants, no stylin’ fashionable clothes, and no tattoos. Nice to see a woman raising her son to be a man, and not a woman. You and your husband are doing great with your children and homesteading. It’s the life!!
Hi Jill
Thanks for such an inspiring and heart-felt post. I was living on my own smallholding when the kids were young, and really feel like the life lessons we all learned were invaluable.
I remember so many wonderful things, my daughter Emily milking colostrum for a sheep as the lamb was too weak to feed. And also my son RIDING a sheep, that was a hoot!
We saw life and death close up, worked hard and slept well. At the time, things can be frustrating, but hindsight soothes the sweat and blisters from your memory, and it all becomes a beautiful dream 🙂
We’re back in England, urban homesteading more these days (albeit in a quaint English village) but the feelings of self-reliance are still there.
It’s a great life isn’t it? Good luck with your wonderful project
All of this. Every word. My goodness, we have 4 boys and 4 girls (yes, 8 kids lol) and I wouldn’t trade this farm life for anything. It’s amazing to watch them grow, learn, and mature. Now that our oldest kids are becoming teenagers, I see how much this way of life has formed them as a person and it’s pretty incredible! Keep up the good work, mama. ?
Thanks Jenna!
I love your philosophy and your grit! So nice to see your children experiencing the best life can offer! Good on ya!! Love your posts!!
love this post 🙂 Keep sharing 🙂 http://homestead.org/
Great post! Many of us spend a lot of each day in front of a computer. Homesteading hooks us into the natural world and the passing of the seasons, and reminds us of our place within the greater cycle of life.
This is just so incredibly sweet. I’m so excited to raise our children within the life I’ve always loved & more. We didn’t get the chance to raise our own meat or dairy, and I’m so happy our son will be that fortunate. Too many rely on grocery stores and convenience foods… Some people can’t cook to save their lives either. I just want him to have the best head start… and, COME ON, is there ANYTHING sweeter than a child caring for a helpless critter? Because I’m pretty sure there isn’t haha.
I just can’t believe that almost everything we get bothered about
in life matters. On a regular basis invested in taking into consideration the assorted things that people experience every day has
become undoubtedly necessary, as no other person will face life for any of
us. I feel that men and women ought to be more mentally stable.
Research is amazing, however, so much of what we might know about is so abstract.
Having a cup of tea is a zen activity that
takes one back again to the present minute.
We need to be more in the here and today, without being overwhelmed by our lifestyle and the
episodes we confront every day. http://health-topic.com/
I thoroughly enjoy your blog and have for a while. We have an old farmhouse and just 4 acres but just started to embark on doing what we can for our own food. kids have already shed a few tears when we got our steer knowing we’ll butcher it. I’m excited to see how they take it all in stride. Thank you for sharing your reasons you’ve enjoyed it as now I have so much to look forward to!
I love this post!
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences in this post, Jill! My girls were raised by a predominately single mom sandwiched between ‘city-life’ obligations and alternative-lifestyle dreams. While I tried to remain focused on raising well-loved, independent, ‘can-do’ spirits in the city, the value of a ‘Homestead’ partner teaching life lessons would have been absolutely priceless. In my humble opinion, great food and excellent human principles are such amazing benefits to adopt a slower, more meaningful lifestyle also known as modern homesteading! Thank you for sharing your experiences. I’ll never regret the choices I made, but pray that others, in the stuck place I was, see light shine on alternatives through your posts. Much love and gratefulness.
Can I have a do-over raising my 7 kids? We have sometimes lived on the edge of the country with horses over the back fence in the neighboring pasture. But hubs has always had a time consuming office job and whenever we have moved to a new home the kids always wanted to live in a neighborhood with friends next door. Wanting our kids to be happy we always obliged them. So now with only two teen girls left at home the best we can do is require them to mow the lawn in the summer or do indoor chores in the school year. Those chores rarely get done because their school/sports/church and social lives are so demanding. I’ve mourned over this often! What’s done is done. But oh how I long for a hobby farm (at least) in our upcoming retirement years where our grandchildren might be able to experience this now and then. Problem is that we probably won’t be able to afford it in retirement. ? And our kids now are spread from coast to coast.
But I’m enjoying living it vicariously through you and other blogs, books and movies like The Biggest Little Farm.
You are amazing!
There’s a time and a season for everything! My family, too, had a time where we didn’t live in the country, and there were benefits to that at certain points in our life. Enjoy the process of where you’re at now! 🙂
Hi Jill,
Love watching your videos and reading your blog. Just a heads up, when I submitted the info for the chicken coop offer there was an error that popped up. I thought you might need to double check the link. Thank you!