Farming a Legacy: Raising a Family and a Flock
Out in Kenesaw, Nebraska, sits a 5-acre homestead with chickens, ducks, turkeys, alpacas, emus, sheep, goats, vegetable gardens and plant nurseries. Noah Young and his wife are first-generation homesteaders on Shiloh Farm, building their legacy with their four children and a menagerie of animals.
For them, the farm is about building something to pass on to their kids and sharing the experience with others. The real inspiration for starting it all, however, was his kids, to teach them responsibility through the care of animals, especially chickens.
“As a father of four, I learned that raising children is very similar to raising chickens in a lot of ways,” Noah stated. “ The lessons, you know, they start small, so things like remembering to fill the waterers or make sure their feed is fresh, you've got to do the same thing with your kids.”
Small lessons can build into something bigger for Noah and his family. Beyond building connection and responsibility, he also aims to pass down the importance of keeping a consistent schedule for animals.
The biggest part of Noah’s day, however, is sitting. This allows Noah to spot issues before they grow into larger problems. He looks for signs of illness and stress. Particularly in the summer, he watches for signs of heat stress and dehydration. By spending time with them, he learns the patterns and behaviors of his flock, just as he learns more about his kids and the people they are becoming.
In the fast pace of modern culture, Noah promotes the idea of slowing down. Some people may even keep chickens to have that slower-paced life. Yet, caring for a flock means adding more chores to an already long list of things to do. Observing the flock, however, shouldn’t be seen as a hefty task.
“Flip a bucket,” Noah advises. “Sit on the bucket and just observe your flock for a while. And don't look at that as a chore. Look at that as a blessing. That's why you're doing this. It's fun.”
With the consistency and labor, however, it’s easy to get burned out. Lightening the load may be as easy as choosing the right equipment and products.
Healthy, active hens are laying strong, beautiful eggs. In an effort to give the chickens the best care and diet, Noah uses Purina® Farm to Flock™ 18% Layer Hen Food and the Flock Strong System™ from Purina.
“I really appreciate that the ingredients are visible. I like being able to see the wholesomeness in the whole grains, the seeds, the vegetables,” Noah said.
By using Purina® Farm to Flock™ 18% Layer Hen Food, he feels that his chickens get the complete nutrition they need without having to include any added supplements. It includes protein, vitamins and minerals while giving his chickens digestive and immune support.
“I like to do my research, but I’m also not gonna get my Ph.D. in animal nutrition. So knowing that Purina has done all of that hard work, all the time and effort into researching these things, that's a huge peace of mind for me with the Flock Strong™ System,” he said.
With this particular feed, he’s mostly noticed a change in the flock’s liveliness and feather condition. The feathers are clean and vibrant, and the 6- to 7-year-old birds have great energy. The eggs his flock produces are still the strong-shelled, beautiful, golden yolked eggs Noah has come to rely on.
The simple acts of the right diet, plenty of water and automated doors can give time back to make caring for chickens fun again. Noah advises to “start with something that you're passionate about. For most people, that is chickens. For most people … they're gonna love it. And then once you have those birds, now it becomes a matter of making things as easy as possible on the labor side.”A Life of Legacy
Even though he has the time, Noah doesn’t watch much TV anymore. Most of his day is spent looking after the animals, watching his kids or gazing at the wind blowing through the sweet corn.
“The joy that I get isn’t just from collecting the eggs. It’s about the life of meaning, the life of purpose that I’ve been able to accomplish for myself and also try to instill in my kids and the joy that I get from stewarding the land and the livestock,” he said.
“When our kids help feed the hens and they're gathering eggs, they're learning what it means to care for something that's beyond themselves. That's the legacy that I hope to leave behind.”
Follow Noah’s journey on his social media at instagram.com/theshilohfarm/, youtube.com/@ TheShilohFarm and tiktok.com/@shilohfarm. You can also learn more about Purina® Farm to Flock™ 18% Layer Hen Food here.
MacHale, M. Farming a Legacy: Raising a Family and a Flock. AcreageLife Presents Chicken Whisperer Magazine, Fall 2025, 33-34. https://publication.chickenwhisperermagazine.com/chicken-whisperer-fall-2025/0945784001755716841/p17
For them, the farm is about building something to pass on to their kids and sharing the experience with others. The real inspiration for starting it all, however, was his kids, to teach them responsibility through the care of animals, especially chickens.
Rooted in Purpose
Every day, Noah and his kids care for the chickens on Shiloh Farm. They check the water, fill the feeders and collect the eggs, creating little moments each day to form and build a connection, not just between father and child but also between themselves and the flock they care for. There’s also a surprising number of things in common between the two.“As a father of four, I learned that raising children is very similar to raising chickens in a lot of ways,” Noah stated. “ The lessons, you know, they start small, so things like remembering to fill the waterers or make sure their feed is fresh, you've got to do the same thing with your kids.”
Small lessons can build into something bigger for Noah and his family. Beyond building connection and responsibility, he also aims to pass down the importance of keeping a consistent schedule for animals.
Consistency Wins the Race
Noah starts most days eating breakfast with his kids. Then, they go out and check the coops, refresh the water, feed the hens, water the vegetables and usually harvest whatever is ready. Eggs get collected around lunchtime, and in the evening, he checks for any stragglers outside the coop and that the sprinklers in the garden are off. By passing on consistency, his kids learn that even the small things make a difference and that just one day without water, or one day without food, can have weeks of lasting consequences.The biggest part of Noah’s day, however, is sitting. This allows Noah to spot issues before they grow into larger problems. He looks for signs of illness and stress. Particularly in the summer, he watches for signs of heat stress and dehydration. By spending time with them, he learns the patterns and behaviors of his flock, just as he learns more about his kids and the people they are becoming.
In the fast pace of modern culture, Noah promotes the idea of slowing down. Some people may even keep chickens to have that slower-paced life. Yet, caring for a flock means adding more chores to an already long list of things to do. Observing the flock, however, shouldn’t be seen as a hefty task.
“Flip a bucket,” Noah advises. “Sit on the bucket and just observe your flock for a while. And don't look at that as a chore. Look at that as a blessing. That's why you're doing this. It's fun.”
With the consistency and labor, however, it’s easy to get burned out. Lightening the load may be as easy as choosing the right equipment and products.
Simplicity is Key
One of the easiest ways to uncomplicate the routine was the feed he provided his flock. The diet of a chicken is directly reflected in the animal itself.Healthy, active hens are laying strong, beautiful eggs. In an effort to give the chickens the best care and diet, Noah uses Purina® Farm to Flock™ 18% Layer Hen Food and the Flock Strong System™ from Purina.
“I really appreciate that the ingredients are visible. I like being able to see the wholesomeness in the whole grains, the seeds, the vegetables,” Noah said.
By using Purina® Farm to Flock™ 18% Layer Hen Food, he feels that his chickens get the complete nutrition they need without having to include any added supplements. It includes protein, vitamins and minerals while giving his chickens digestive and immune support.
“I like to do my research, but I’m also not gonna get my Ph.D. in animal nutrition. So knowing that Purina has done all of that hard work, all the time and effort into researching these things, that's a huge peace of mind for me with the Flock Strong™ System,” he said.
With this particular feed, he’s mostly noticed a change in the flock’s liveliness and feather condition. The feathers are clean and vibrant, and the 6- to 7-year-old birds have great energy. The eggs his flock produces are still the strong-shelled, beautiful, golden yolked eggs Noah has come to rely on.
The simple acts of the right diet, plenty of water and automated doors can give time back to make caring for chickens fun again. Noah advises to “start with something that you're passionate about. For most people, that is chickens. For most people … they're gonna love it. And then once you have those birds, now it becomes a matter of making things as easy as possible on the labor side.”
A Life of Legacy
Even though he has the time, Noah doesn’t watch much TV anymore. Most of his day is spent looking after the animals, watching his kids or gazing at the wind blowing through the sweet corn.“The joy that I get isn’t just from collecting the eggs. It’s about the life of meaning, the life of purpose that I’ve been able to accomplish for myself and also try to instill in my kids and the joy that I get from stewarding the land and the livestock,” he said.
“When our kids help feed the hens and they're gathering eggs, they're learning what it means to care for something that's beyond themselves. That's the legacy that I hope to leave behind.”
Follow Noah’s journey on his social media at instagram.com/theshilohfarm/, youtube.com/@ TheShilohFarm and tiktok.com/@shilohfarm. You can also learn more about Purina® Farm to Flock™ 18% Layer Hen Food here.
MacHale, M. Farming a Legacy: Raising a Family and a Flock. AcreageLife Presents Chicken Whisperer Magazine, Fall 2025, 33-34. https://publication.chickenwhisperermagazine.com/chicken-whisperer-fall-2025/0945784001755716841/p17
