In my previous life before being a farmer full time, I was a website developer and ecommerce business manager for over 20 years. I designed and managed million dollar websites for other people and helped them make money from those sites. It seems when some people look at Koops Coops website they think this must be a massive farm with lots of employees that paid for an expensive site. But nope, its just me, the site costs almost nothing. I often think I should make it look cheaper so people don’t get the wrong idea but I also really like the compliment that they think its so fancy.
During those same years, I always enjoyed hatching and raising a couple breeds of chickens and selling them to the community. Soon I realized I always sold all the chickens I had and started hatching more and more. Then Covid came and I entered my current farmer life. I saw a need where I would buy chickens from Craigslist and Facebook and auctions and even poultry shows and would come home to find new mites, respiratory diseases, sneezing, coughing, limping, lethargy or the bird would just die in a few days.
All I wanted was to buy chickens from somewhere that had awesome selection of breeds that are healthy and young and if it did turn into a rooster, take the rooster back and give me a new bird. I understand accidents happen, roosters magically happen, I just wanted someplace that would stand behind it.
I always try to provide the best care to my birds with fresh local feeds and homemade scratches. My birds are vaccinated for various diseases and I am always considering improvements or changes as life changes. Many breeds are still hatched here today. In springtime I do have some local breeders that help with hatching because I just can’t do it all here. These are not show birds. Most of my original breeder birds do come from hatchery stock. A few breeds do come from hatcheries today for example the Prairie Bluebells, Starlight Green Eggers, Polish, Silkies, Welsummers and Barnevelders.
People always say to own a small business you can’t take things personally. Well, I raise all these birds from baby chicks and see and watch them grow everyday. If any birds die, I pick them up, I deal with the issues, I am their caretaker and if there is a problem its always my fault. I review and have a hand in every order that is placed. If you come to the farm you will speak to me. Every policy or guarantee is based on what I feel is right or what I would want from a farm. I offer a lot of things that other farms do not and it might not be economical but its what I feel is right. I take everything personally. Please be kind.
– Brooke