We’re excited to have you with us at Hilltop Farm Forum. Whether you’re here for gardening, homesteading, cooking, crafts, or just friendly conversation, you’re part of our community!

Please take a moment to say hello and introduce yourself.
Share as much or as little as you’re comfortable with—some ideas to help you get started:

• Where are you from? (Region, state, or just “the countryside” is fine!)
• What are your interests or hobbies?
• How did you find Hilltop Forum?
• What are you hoping to learn or share here?
• Any fun facts or stories about yourself?
• A favorite photo or memory, you’d like to share?

Everyone is welcome—whether you’re a regular on forums or brand new, we can’t wait to get to know you!
Feel free to ask questions, join in the discussions, or just say hello.

Thanks for joining us at Hilltop Farm Forum. We’re glad you’re here!

We’ve added a new avatar for Regular Members.
Each member can now change the default Regular Member avatar to their own personal avatar if they’d like. If you’d like help customizing your avatar or have any questions, just click the envelope (“Contact us”) icon at the bottom of the page and we’ll be happy to assist.

We have added some social media buttons for those who use social media platforms.

Hi everyone, and welcome!
I thought I’d start off our member introductions with my own story and some history of the Hilltop Farm Forum.

Our original community began nearly 20 years ago. My own journey with chickens actually started much earlier—back in 1970 in Michigan! My first flock didn’t last long because I moved to Florida, where I couldn’t keep chickens. But I never lost my passion for birds. Eventually, I moved to a more rural area in Florida, and dove back into raising chickens, around 25 years ago now.

Determined to learn everything I could, I researched chickens, went to poultry shows, and connected with other enthusiasts online. Heritage breeds especially caught my eye. At a show, I met a breeder of a heritage breed I fell in love with (Rhode Island Reds), and got my first quad for my heritage flock. I’d already collected other breeds—Production Reds, Red Sex Links, Buff Orpingtons primarily—and started some breeding experiments with a loaned Styrofoam incubator. There was a lot of trial and error!

The online chicken communities were a huge help, providing knowledge and friendship. I eventually started my own forum—with lots of support from wonderful contacts I’d made over the years. After a while, I turned my focus to showing birds at poultry shows, another rewarding adventure, and my online community went quiet for a time.

This New Hilltop Farm Forum is a revival of that original spirit—a welcoming spot for learning, sharing, and supporting one another. Much of our valuable information and friendly attitude remains the same.


While we couldn’t transfer every bit of original data from the old platform, I was able to recover and manually restore a lot from a backup. It was a true labor of love, organizing and reformatting everything so it’s useful and accessible for everyone today.

Whether you’re a longtime chicken keeper or just getting started, you’re most welcome here! Please take a moment to say hello and introduce yourself. Let’s keep the spirit of learning and sharing alive as we grow together!

Hi everyone!
I’m Jayne, a new member here. I’ve been browsing the website for a little while and finally decided to join.

I recently moved from the city to the country, and I’m excited to learn everything I can about country living. My big goal is to start a hobby farm, so I’m eager to pick up tips, ideas, and inspiration from you all.

I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone and becoming part of the community.

Hi Jayne,

Welcome to the community—we’re so glad you decided to join us! Moving from the city to the country is a big (and exciting) step, and you’ll find plenty of support and inspiration here.

Starting a hobby farm is a wonderful adventure. Feel free to ask any questions along the way—there are lots of friendly folks here who’ve been in your shoes and are happy to share tips or stories about their own journeys. Whether you’re thinking about chickens, gardens, or something else entirely, you’re in good company.

Looking forward to hearing more about your plans and seeing you around the forum. Don’t hesitate to jump into any conversation or reach out if you need advice!

Welcome again,
The Hilltop Farm Forum Team

Hi everyone,
Just wanted to introduce myself. My name’s Will and I’m local to the area. I’ve got a small place and keep busy with a few animals, a garden, and the usual projects. Looking forward to joining in here and seeing what everyone’s up to.

Hi Will,
Welcome to the forum! We’re glad to have you here. Sounds like you’ll fit right in—there are plenty of folks here who also juggle animals, gardens, and more. Don’t hesitate to jump into any of the discussions.