When you think of a chicken, you probably envision a lovely rooster with a large single comb atop his head, and you hear the faint familiar crow that most people believe only happens in the morning—sorry to burst your bubble folks but rooster will crow all day long. With that being said, the image you […]

Many people that would otherwise raise chickens are put off by the idea of a smelly, messy chicken coop.  Here are tips from Shelby DeVore on how to keep the coop clean and sanitary. Keeping a chicken coop clean and odor free is more manageable than you might think.  With a little bit of planning […]

While we often think of herbs in terms of cooking, they’re also an excellent tool for keeping your flock healthy. Amy Fewell shares tips and specific herb information to help you heal wounds and protect your chickens. Holistic Living We started our homesteading adventure in 2010 when our son was diagnosed with childhood asthma. Herbalism […]

Blogger Elle Pugsley works with rescued chickens, giving them a safe home and loving attention.  She shares a story about the sadness of losing a hen, and unexpectedly gaining another. Loss I’m sorry to say I lost one of my rescue hens. It’s never easy to lose an animal, even if you haven’t had them […]

Permaculture writer Jonathon Engels shares the Ins, Outs, and Whys of keeping chickens in your greenhouse. Why Put Chickens in the Greenhouse? In temperate climates, winter prevents us from growing fresh vegetables outside, but a greenhouse—even one that’s solely heated by solar power—allows us to foster some greens and cold-hardy treats to enjoy. Lettuce, spinach, […]

A crossed beak chicken? Sadly it happens! Last year I received a dozen or so Easter Egger peeps from a mail-order company, they all seemed perfect at first. As the peeps grew over the first few weeks I noticed we had one small chick that grew at a much slower rate. However, after a closer […]

This year we are downsizing certain areas of our farm and really taking some intentional/mindful  looks at where we want to go in the future. I feel like, at this point, we’ve tried a lot of things. We’ve raised a lot of different animals and over the years I’ve realized I have favorites and preferences […]

Sandy Cryder — When I got my first small backyard flock, my choices for how to keep them were few. I had a small coop given to me by my neighbors and a fenced in backyard. I was ready! Starting Small The gift coop was a good size for 4 hens. It was portable and […]

Chickens are voracious diggers and eaters. Yes, they will destroy your garden unless you take some precautions. Liz Fulghum shares practical tips for letting your chickens work in your gardens and protecting your vegetables. If you’re a vegetable gardener contemplating getting a few chickens, chances are you’ve done a little bit of research on what’s […]

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 […]