Welcome, I’m Lesa (it sounds like Lisa) and I write Better Hens and Gardens to help rural-minded folks transition to more self-sufficient, sustainable, lifestyles.  As an engineer and manager for a large corporation, I was relocated ten times over a span of twenty years. During those years, I became increasingly concerned about our food supply; so with each move, I tried to shift closer to my vision of self-sufficiency, sustainability, and real foods. Then in 2005, I finally made it onto ten acres, and started a true rural journey.

Over the years, my partner (Randy) and I built homes, patios, decks, and barns; grew vegetables, flowers, and fruit trees; and raised chickens all while being employed full time. So, we started Better Hens and Gardens to help others deal with the sometimes overwhelming prospect of pursuing a rural lifestyle, while still being employed and living in suburbia.  It’s meant to share all the “stuff” we learned, and follow our latest journey on Bramblestone Farm.

Bramblestone Farm is located in Northeast Ohio, so we experience a full range of beautiful seasons.  We currently have a large garden, various fruits and brambles, 32 chickens, three goats, and two cats.  The chickens and goats free-range on about four fenced acres, controlling the bugs or weeds, and supplying (hopefully) eggs or milk.  We hope you enjoy Better Hens and Gardens, learn something useful, and share your insights or comments back with us!

About The Hen Coop Cam

The hen coop cam is running, and there are now two Buckeye roosters, fourteen Buckeye hens, and five Red Comet hens in the coop!

For first time users, there are a couple of items to be aware of the first time you use the camera:  

First of all, the chickens can only be seen from approximately 6:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST – otherwise it’s lights out during our night. 

Secondly, the first time you click on the “Live Chicken Cam” link, your web browser may ask you to accept Active-X to view.  This is an Active-X application from Cisco (the camera’s manufacturer) - just follow the instructions to accept Active-X.  To the best of my knowledge, this is harmless and just allows you to access the camera.

Once you’ve got the camera up, you get a picture viewing the interior of the coop.  The area you should see is the feeder, some roosting area, and the chicken door to the outside.  If the door to the outside is open, they tend to pop in and out. So, you may have to wait awhile to see them.

If you have any difficulties with the camera, or suggestions for improvement, please ”Contact” us, and let us know.  We hope to improve our “chicken cam” viewing capabilities over time; but for now, this is as good as it gets!