Search results for: chickens

One of my biggest complaints since evolving from growing a garden to homesteading is not having the land to grow more food for my family. While I can grow a …

Southern gardeners in Zones 8 to 11 often wonder what, exactly, is winter? We get no (or rare) freezing weather. A light snowfall can make news headlines. For the most …

As fall moves into winter, chicken keepers face a seasonal shift — their hens are molting, and egg production slows or stops. Our chickens are molting so hard it looks …

Bears on the homestead is a unique problem to have, but a challenging one too. These predators are big, strong, scary, and can be incredibly persistent. If you have bears …

I winced a bit as I watched my partner lower the spinning tines into the soil in our garden. Dark, brown earth immediately turned up behind him as he walked …

Getting a clutch of chicks is always fun. I don’t care how old you are; those sweet little peeping balls of fuzz melt even the hardest of hearts. But most …

Tomato gardeners, I’d like to paint an all-too-familiar scene for you. You’re out in the garden, happily picking ripe tomatoes from your plants, when you notice a twiggy, leafless branch. …

If you are lucky enough to have a productive plum tree in your garden producing buckets full of plums, then you may be familiar with the overwhelming task of harvesting …

Self-reliance is a very beautiful and practical way of living to strive for, which offers many rewards, mostly beyond the monetary realm. Yet, there are a few intrepid homesteaders out …

The imported cabbageworm (Pieris rapae) is a notorious pest, known by gardeners all over North America. As lovely as they are, seeing the small white butterflies flit about your brassicas …

If you’ve got chickens, you already know they’re curious little buggers. You’ll often find them where you don’t want them, like in your flower bed or under the neighbor’s bird …

Terracotta pots have a way of multiplying when you turn your back on them. With each passing season, our towers of stacked pots grow taller. And why not? They’re a …

We’ve talked a lot about the deep litter method with fellow backyard flock owners, but so many are confused about the process and concerned about the well-being of their flock.  …

If this is your first year of no-dig gardening, congratulations! You are well on your way to less work and more abundant harvests. While this page you are currently on …

Every winter, there comes a point where you bundle up tightly, head outdoors, and it hits you, right in the face – that little whiff of spring. Instead of bitter …

It is officially spring when little yellow flowers begin to pop up in the thousands, turning every lawn into a star-studded carpet worthy of applause. Not everyone thinks the same …

If you have a backyard flock, two words can make your heart skip a beat – avian influenza. HPAI has been splashed all over the news for quite some time, …

As a new poultry owner, there’s nothing quite as exciting as looking into the nest box and seeing your first egg. Here we go, the reason we decided to get …

There’s something uniquely special about trees. Trees give us cool shade in summertime and spectacular color in fall. They help take the dullness out of the winter landscape and are …

Earthworms are among the most beloved residents in the home garden. Tireless in their quest to tunnel, feed, and poop, worms are amazing for aerating the soil, breaking down organic …

If you want a bounty of juicy ripe fruit every year, then annual pruning and maintenance of your fruit trees is a must – especially in winter. But once the …

Ready, set, wait. Just because you are ready to close your garden down for winter doesn’t mean that nature is willing and ready. And so it happened that in early …

Bone broth is the new chicken soup. It restores and nourishes your entire body, helps you fight colds and the flu, it even gifts you with incredible long-lasting energy throughout …

Halloween has come and gone. All the ‘good’ candy is gone; it’s nothing but pink pieces of cement (also known as Hubba Bubba) and those weird peanut butter taffy things …