When seven-year-old Sam Graham, eager for some spending money, volunteers to look after a neighbor's chickens, the experience inspires him to get his own chicken - a special bird named Helga.
The three hens Midge, Pip, and Dot live on Loopy Coop Farm. One day apples fall out of a tree and hit them, and they wonder who could be so mean that they would throw apples at them. The only thing to do is climb the tree themselves and find out.
While traveling west with her family in 1850, a young girl makes a patchwork quilt chronicling the experiences of the journey and reserves a special patch for her pet hen Josefina.
Determined to prove that she is capable of doing things on her own, Fiona promises to watch over the chickens at the local county fair and gets a lesson in being responsible.