Self-Reliance: Guineas have been companions to human beings since the ancient Greeks, yet they can never be called more than “semi-domesticated.” Guinea fowl will be less dependent on you for care than perhaps any other type of animal you raise. They are able to search out their own food—except in winter—and as a result they […]

A chicken moat is not a waterway, but it does provide a protective enclosure for the garden. Weeds, insects, rabbits, groundhogs and even deer are barred from entry by the double wall of fencing and the ever-diligent patrol flock. All in all, it’s a clever solution to the fowl raiser’s dilemma of whether to fence […]

Guest post by Marion C. of Victor Pest As many chicken keepers are well aware, dangers to poultry are not just limited to disease and the occasional fox. Pests and predators can wreak havoc to your hen house, causing damage to your valuable hens as well as to the house itself. Fortunately, these risks are […]

by Melissa Caughey of Tilly’s Nest Regularly cleaning and inspecting the coop and nesting boxes is key. There are three types of fleas that can affect chickens including the European Chicken Flea, the Western Chicken Flea and the Sticktight Flea. European Chicken fleas can affect humans, pets and other birds if their population grow large […]

Jennifer Burcke Photos by author Imagine that you live in a small one room apartment without indoor plumbing.  Living with you are your closest friends.  You dine together in this space.  You sleep in this space.  You go to the bathroom, when necessary, in this space. It’s not the prettiest of mental pictures, is it?  […]

by Jennifer Burcke Photos by author If you read the Community Chickens e-newsletter on a weekly basis, you’ve probably seen the great collection of posts that discuss gardening with your chickens. Fellow contributor Rebecca Nickols wrote a four-part series that includes a wealth of information regarding the subject. I have enjoyed reading the other contributors’ […]

Photos and story by Cherie Langlois Thinking about getting some Muscovy ducks around your place? Well, then, what could be more adorable than a flock of fuzzy little Muscovy ducklings? If this is your first foray into raising ducks, you can buy your first baby ducks from a local breeder, feed store, hatchery or animal […]

by Amy Grisak — Title photograph by Mark Vogel Ducks can be helpful, colorful little characters in your garden patch, providing a measure of truly natural garden pest control – and the eggs they lay taste delicious! Here are some fun facts about a few heirloom breeds. Indian Runners are comical-looking ducks that stand tall and […]

by Nancy Smith – Photograph by Martina Berg Guineas are indigenous to grasslands and woodlands of southern Africa, and large, wild flocks continue to roam with semi-domesticated birds kept by farmers. Guineas are hunted in the wild along with ducks and geese as game birds; a commercial safari-type shoot can set a hunting enthusiast back […]

By Eric Guel Photos by author My family has been homesteading for three years. Like most Western homesteaders, we’re hobby farmers … We don’t do this to stay alive, though we feel most alive when we’re doing it. Through each passing season we’ve learned about gardening and animal husbandry through reading, asking our neighbors, […]