Photography by Janel Peyton
If owning your own chickens seems too daunting of a project, consider renting them. That’s the idea behind The Easy Chicken, an Imperial-based business owned by Tracy and David Zahn. Last year, the couple bought the company from its founding owners, Seth and Maria Jansen, and combined it with A+ Builds, David’s chicken coop business, which was already providing design and build services for clients of The Easy Chicken. The company’s Watch Them Grow program is currently on pause, so baby chick rentals are not available. However, clients can still rent chickens. Additionally, custom coops and recommendations for setup are offered. “Some clients have concerns about whether raising and taking care of chickens is complicated,” says Tracy. “We don’t find that to be the case—most [chickens] are pretty self-sufficient. As long as you’re giving them proper food and water with a secure coop and run, they do fine.” New chicken parents should remember one tenet: You’re not going to bond with every chicken; each has a unique personality. “Watching them can be relaxing and rewarding,” Tracy says. “The eggs, to us, are just an added bonus.”
Courtesy of Goat Yoga of MO
Yoga is a challenging practice requiring patience and focus. Goat Yoga ups the ante with the addition of, yep, you guessed it, caprine friends. Imagine stretching into a pose while watching goats—up to 10 at a time—meandering around the mats. That’s the experience at Goat Yoga of MO, located in Columbia, where visitors get the benefits of both animal therapy and yoga. Instructors incorporate purposeful movements close to the ground to give the goats plenty of time to sidle up close to students and sometimes even climb over them. The organization also hosts “barnyard snuggles” events where guests can cozy up to baby goats and lambs. Be prepared to lose focus and experience the fun of exercising with farm animals.
Photography courtesy of St. Louis Audubon Society
If Bill Rowe, vice president of education at St. Louis Audubon Society, catches news of a tufted duck or a gyrfalcon sighting, he’ll immediately jump into his car to go see for himself. Spotting a species that doesn’t typically hang out in Missouri is one of the joys of birding, and over the past year, the society has fielded questions from locals interested in taking up the hobby. Rowe says fledging birders need three basic tools to get started: a set of quality binoculars, a decent field guide, and a smartphone app, such as the Audubon Bird Guide. He also suggests that they join a group like the St. Louis Audubon Society, which will soon start offering bird walks in conjunction with Great Rivers Greenway, Forest Park Forever, and the St. Louis County Library. For those interested in going at it alone, plan a day at any of the region’s city, county, or state parks or conservation areas. People are excited to see their first bald eagle or trumpeter swan, Rowe says, but once they become more invested, the search for lesser-known gems like warblers or the Mississippi kite are top on their list: “You learn about so many things that you didn’t know existed.”
Photography by ROMAOSLO / E+ / via Getty Images
This family-owned equine facility, one of Missouri’s largest, has been in business for more than 80 years. The Kraus family’s property spans 5,000 acres of forest and pasture trails where beginners (7 years and older) and veterans alike can ride from now until November 30, though reservations are required. Kraus Farms also offers group, semi-private, and private lessons year-round for those who have an interest in riding but are new to the sport. (You don’t have to provide the horse.) Lessons cover basic care, too. For interested riders, the facility also hosts birthday parties at which a white miniature horse doubles as a unicorn.
