Birds are probably the very first things any new homesteader thinks about raising… and for good reason: they’re small and so easy to care for!
Chickens are of course, an all-time favorite, since they lay eggs almost all year round, and they’re a good source of meat, but guineas, ducks, geese and quail are also very good options.
Which ones are right for you? Read our articles to find out, not to mention everything about raising them, incubating eggs, butchering and more.
It is no secret that chickens love all kinds of produce, fruits and vegetables alike. One type of treat that most chickens enjoy is a juicy, perfect piece of fruit. However, certain fruits and in particular berries can be harmful to chickens. How about strawberries? Can chickens eat strawberries? Yes, chickens may eat strawberries, but … Read more
If you have chickens, there is no doubt that you have noticed them picking through and picking at the grass when you let them free range. Lots of folks already know that chickens forage for bugs and seeds in the grass, but they might not know that they regularly take a bite of the grass … Read more
Bread is a staple food item, enjoyed by many people in all sorts of regional and cultural variations around the world. It is also known by most that birds tend to love bread and breadcrumbs. Most of us have fed ducks at a lake or seen a cagey crow making off with a hotdog or … Read more
Corn is one of the “veggies” (actually a grain) that pops up everywhere. It is in every snack and is a fixture at every meal. It is also a regular ingredient in all kinds of animal feed. This begs the question, can chickens eat corn? Yes, chickens can eat corn. Chickens are able to digest … Read more
If you’re looking for a way to give your flock an easy and nutritious diet, then the chicken tractors are just what we’ve been waiting for! These lightweight trailers can be moved around every day or every few days so that they always have fresh pasture to feed upon. Not only that, but chicken tractors … Read more
If you’re wondering how to get rid of flies around your chicken coop, you probably aren’t alone. Although the flies may not seem to bother your chickens all that much, they are bound to irritate and aggravate you to no end as you go about your daily chicken keeping chores. Not only that, but flies … Read more
Chicken tractors are a great tool for providing your chickens with constant access to fresh grass, fresh air, and fresh soil. However, like any type of coop, they have their limitations – you can’t fit an endless number of chickens in a chicken tractor. So how many chickens can fit in a tractor? If you’re … Read more
The chicken tractor is a mobile coop that you can move around in your yard to cultivate the earth and weed it out. The scratching motions from chickens will loosen up to an inch or so of soil, helping remove pesky weeds while also fertilizing your soil. It can be tough to picture exactly what … Read more
Have you noticed that your nesting boxes look a little more barren than they did last week? If so, you might be asking yourself, “why have my chickens stopped laying?” There are a few reasons why you might be coming up empty-handed in the coop. Fortunately, most are easy to address. From a lack of … Read more
Chickens are at the mercy of a number of common pests and parasites. The impact these unwanted tiny critters have on chickens ranges broadly from mildly irritating to a severe and painful death. The good news is, preventing or treating chicken parasites can be accomplished naturally and incredibly inexpensively – as soon as you learn … Read more
The New Hampshire chicken was the first chicken my husband and I decided to raise on our small farm – back when we thought we would “just have a few chickens” for the eggs. Today, we raise a flock of 75 laying hens along with more than 300 meat birds each summer, as our farm … Read more
If you are new to raising chickens, the thought may have crossed your mind – is breeding chickens possible? It sure is! You can easily breed your own hens and roosters so that you have hatching eggs for adorable chicks. No doubt, you’re filled with questions. Before you can get started with hatching your own … Read more
If you’ve ever wanted to figure out how to get your chickens to lay more eggs, you aren’t alone. I’ve had this problem many times myself – often, due to a change in the seasons – and have more than once found myself researching how to boost production. There are a lot of factors that … Read more
Anyone who keeps animals will understand that the biggest, and often most expensive task is feeding them. Buying commercially produced animal feed is convenient. This type of feed has the nutrients required to supply a balanced diet for your animals. However, we often have a surplus of homegrown products. Any surplus is great, we can … Read more
Herbs are awesome to have on the homestead, They make food taste better and also give us natural medicines that can be used to prevent and alleviate certain conditions. Most of us grow plenty of herbs on the homestead, but far too few of us are putting these herbs to work to ensure our flock … Read more
Raising chickens is a great introduction to homesteading. My husband and I jokingly refer to chickens as “the gateway drug.” We started with a flock of two dozen birds, and since then, have grown to raising several hundred chickens (including meat birds and dedicated layers) each year. When you think about popular chicken breeds, there … Read more