Frank Hyman shares plans and instructions for a practical (and cute) poultry nesting box. Nest Box Necessities A lot of thought went into the design and construction of our coop’s nest box. It’s such an important feature that my wife, Chris – the livestock manager – asked me – the facilities manager – to install […]

First of a three part series. Dr. Jacquie Jacob shares her research on how to effectively use heritage breeds for small-scale meat production operations. Small-Scale Chicken Production Small-scale broiler chicken enterprises are often competing with large commercial companies for a share of the consumer market. But there are ways that small producers can differentiate themselves […]

Lots of folks are perfectly happy to incubate their chicken eggs to produce healthy chicks. But some homesteaders really want to work with their broody hens to hatch eggs. Author Amy Fewell shares her experiences and lots of suggestions for efficient hatching with a broody hen. Rocky Beginnings I can still remember thinking that all […]

Joel Salatin (aka Chicken Man) is a familiar name among chicken keepers, small poultry business owners, and homestead rebels. We asked Joel to share with our readers how he got started with broiler chickens and what keeps him going. Beginnings On Sept. 24, 1982, I was a married 25-year-old with a 1-year-old son, doing the town […]

If you are interested in feeding your chickens for free, Jonathan Engels has 9 innovative ways for you to try in this poultry permaculture-focused Feature Article. About 50 million years ago, long before there were sacks of cracked corn or even farmers to distribute the grains, chickens were wild birds that inhabited the jungles of […]

Have you ever wanted to learn about or own Button Quail? Alexandra Douglas helps us understand these delightful birds in this Featured Article. When I was 9 years old, I went to a parrot breeder’s home and saw these cute little birds on the bottom of the finch cages. They were eating the leftover seeds […]

Are Coturnix Quail right for you? Quail owner, Kelly Bohling, shares her knowledge of these small birds and how to keep them in this Featured Article. Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) are increasingly popular meat and egg sources for modern, city-dwelling homesteaders. Quail are especially well-suited for urban settings, as they flourish in small spaces and […]

Maat van Uitert shares her tips on creating an inviting duck habitat that will not only please your ducks, but may also increase their egg production in this Featured Article Ducks make great pets: they’re a joy to watch in their pools, they’re full of personality, and their large eggs are a tasty addition to […]

When I hear “designer eggs,” I immediately picture runway models rolling around in couture egg suits. But that’s not quite what designer eggs are. They aren’t beautifully painted Ukrainian eggs either.  Rather designer eggs have been nutritionally augmented, usually through the chickens’ diet. The eggs are enriched with nutrients already present in eggs, such as […]

Chickens Reimagined Chickens are egg-producing, garden-aerating, composting, fertilizing, little machines, i.e. the natural workhorses within a holistic system. Yet their multiple benefits for the homesteader are often overlooked. When designers plan an all-inclusive or permaculture property, they often “stack functions” by looking at… well… how to kill two birds with one stone.  Or how to […]