A couple of years after I started gardening, a friend and mentor finally got me turned on to the idea of using raised beds instead of traditional in-ground methods. Boy, what a revolution that was! Suddenly, it became easier for me to get up close and personal with my plants, my back wasn’t aching, and … Read more
Goats are turning into a really big business in the United States. With consumption of goat meat and milk on the rise this year compared to just the past couple of decades and a steady demand for other products like goat-sourced fiber, it’s a good time to put your herd to work for you… Believe … Read more
It has to be the ultimate question asked when it comes to raising chickens. No, not which one came first. I’m being serious. The question is, of course, whether or not a keeper should add a rooster to their flock. This is a surprisingly nuanced topic, and if you ask 10 chicken keepers, you’ll probably … Read more
Chicken swings are all the rage right now. Hanging in the coop, in the run, or elsewhere on your property, it’s just too funny to watch your birds perch on them and rock back and forth in the breeze. You can buy complete and, frankly, overpriced kits online, but I think this is the very … Read more
A good chicken coop will be elevated off the ground slightly; this helps it stay dry, warmer, and also helps to deter predators. But even though your chickens are pretty adventurous and nimble, you don’t want them jumping up and down to get in and out of the coop. That can easily result in injury … Read more
Gardeners know that one of the best possible resources you can use to improve the health of your plants is compost. This rich, all-natural mixture of decomposed organic matter provides tons of nutrition to help plants grow and produce, but it also improves soil structure. Best of all, you can usually make it for free … Read more
You’re smart to preserve as much food as you can, however you can. Preventing waste is an ethical consideration and also saves you money, and homesteaders are always wise to keep plenty of food on hand — just in case! Freezing and canning are great, of course, but you want to know something? I’ve become … Read more
When most folks think of raising livestock, they imagine big acreages, rolling pastures, and wide-open spaces. The simple necessity of adequate land for raising cows, horses, and other animals is a huge expense and what keeps most homesteaders from doing so. Happily, that isn’t a problem with chickens: it doesn’t get any more space-efficient than … Read more
When most people think of housing chickens, they immediately think of a chicken coop. And that’s with good reason, but the chicken coop is only part of the equation unless you are letting your birds free range. If you want to give your flock maximum protection from predators while still letting them get sunshine and … Read more
Chickens are, without question, the most well-known birds on Earth. Everyone, and I mean everyone, knows what a chicken is and what it looks like. No surprise then that chickens also happen to be the most popular poultry species out there, a title they’ve held for a long time. Despite this, there are plenty of … Read more
I wouldn’t trade living on a homestead for anything. Being more connected to my property and living to live instead of living to work is rewarding in ways that go beyond mere money or simple pleasure. But there’s no escaping the fact that living on a homestead is often hard, hard work, and there’s a … Read more
When the time comes to expand your flock of chickens, you’ve only got a couple of choices, assuming you don’t want to buy live babies. You can incubate eggs yourself using an incubator and then raise the chicks in a brooder, or you can let Mother Nature take care of it the way she always … Read more
If there’s one appliance that we all tend to take for granted, it’s got to be the freezer. It’s difficult to overstate just how important freezing is when it comes to food preservation. Compared to any room-temperature method, freezing food offers an excellent shelf life with very little effort, and frozen foods typically maintain a … Read more
Part of living on a homestead is learning to get along with nature. Let’s face it, we homesteaders have to see and deal with things that our suburban neighbors likely never will! Much of the time, this includes local wildlife. For some of us, that’s just part of the charm. But you know what’s not … Read more
What’s better than farm-fresh eggs? Almost nothing! The difference in flavor, quality, and nutrition compared to grocery store eggs really stands out and makes chickens worth owning. It’s why I got into keeping chickens in the first place, and I know that’s the same sentiment held by lots of would-be keepers. But something that newbies … Read more
Chickens eat a lot of bugs, but did you know they can become victims of bugs themselves? It’s true. Our yardbirds can fall victim to various ticks, fleas, and the ever-dreaded lice. Poultry lice can be a huge issue in particular because a minor and annoying infestation can exponentially multiply into a life-threatening problem seemingly … Read more