By Karen Krumenacher
It must have been all those episodes of Oprah telling me to “follow my bliss”, “do what makes you happy”; “earn a living by following your passion”. This is clearly what made me start Royal Roost!
I started Royal Roost four years ago because I knew this was something I had years of experience and passion, and that I could provide an easy rewarding consultation for folks to get started raising chickens at home. My passion for chickens developed 18 years ago when my husband and I moved from Milwaukee out to the Lake Country area into an older home with acreage.
At the time we were Fur Parents to a Cocker Spaniel named Bentley, but we were expecting our daughter in just a couple months. With my love of the outdoors and gardening, I felt somewhat lonely and needed something else around besides Bentley. After our first trip to the Merton Feed Mill to pick up dog food and wild birdseed, we added chick starter and four baby chicks to our order.
I am not one to follow directions; rather, I like to learn by experience. So, with that being said, we never did much research on how to raise chickens, other than information we gathered from Greg Serres at the Merton Feed Mill in passing.
As our first flock grew and started to produce fresh eggs, I was amazed at how easy, enjoyable and sustaining it truly is. Thinking about raising chickens and actually raising chickens are two completely different things.
Most times when I have a consultation, and the folks are happy with their flock, they tell me they wish they had started raising chickens years ago! I consider myself a chicken-raising expert, and most of my consultations take place at the client’s home
I help clients decide where to place the coop, suggest what type of coop, what supplies they will need, what breed of chicken to get, and preventative maintenance and overall care to ensure a flock of happy hens. In addition, Royal Roost also provides coop-cleaning services, landscaping suggestions, and Chicken Sitting, a service where I will come and check on your flock while you are away.
My four children are very involved in the care and maintenance of our chickens, turkey, ducks and bunnies. I find my children have a greater sense of compassion thanks to all of their experiences caring for the critters we have.
Care begins with one-day-old chicks. We collect eggs, refresh food and water, and clean the coops when needed. The best part is watching my children interact and spending quality time with them; it’s the perfect family activity.
A cause that is near and dear to my heart is the Key West Wildlife Center in Key West, Florida. Two dollars from each sale of my Royal Roost t-shirts (Pets with Benefits) is donated to the Center. The Center rescues and rehabs Key West chickens that roam freely on the island.
You can purchase Royal Roost t-shirts at Roost at Lynndale Farms, N47W28270 Lynndale Road, Pewaukee, WI 53072. Besides
t-shirts, we sell vintage home décor and artwork. In the Hen House, a country-living retail bazaar with over 100 vendors, you can find my homemade Egg Nests, Egg Bakes, Quiche, Fresh Eggs and my delightfully savory Bacon Jam.
During the summer season, you can catch me at a number of local venues giving presentations, workshops or “Chicken Chats”. I will be at the Tosa Farmers Market, Friends of Nature, Merton Feed Mill, Piala’s Nursery and Roost at Lynndale Farms.
For more information about Royal Roost, visit www.myroyalroost.com. Like my page on Facebook – Royal Roost.
