Our Journey to a Self-Sufficient Lifestyle
Like any other animal, chickens need enrichment to live a healthy and happy life. For most backyard chicken keepers, that means coming up with creative ways to keep their flock entertained. In a perfect world, your chickens would be able to forage endless acres of land to keep themselves entertained – But you and I …
Chickens are omnivores and do require a balanced diet of all types of foods. In the wild chickens would forage for greens (grasses or weeds), seeds, fruits, vegetables, and -yes- meat (usually in the form of bugs and small rodents or reptiles). A diverse diet will lead to happier, healthier chickens. Always remember treats should …
This year we ambitiously bought a couple incubators and hatched our own chicks. While we were successful at a 70% hatch rate, there were still challenges and many lessons to be learned. Some of those lessons were learned while the chicks were in the brooder and even when they graduated to the outdoor flock. One …
This is a very popular topic right now in our area as Winter temperatures are fast approaching. It is time to start making preparations to keep your flock comfortable this winter. The truth is, most chickens can adapt and survive just fine in a colder climate (They are covered in layers of insulating feathers, you …
Winter is fast approaching and if you are like me, you do not have electricity in your chicken coop so heated water dishes are out of the question. I have had to find creative ways to stop our chickens water from freezing solid and this method is the most successful so far. You can watch …
We take preparedness very serious on our homestead. When injury or illness strikes, we don’t want to be running back and forth to the feed store or trying to desperately order supplies online. Chickens are usually pretty hardy and easy keepers but there will be accidents and illnesses occasionally. I hope this first aid kit …
It happens to every homesteader or backyard chicken keeper sooner or later – the dreaded predator attack. You will make your daily morning trip to the coop and will discover that a trespassing predator had snuck into your coop overnight, or worse, sometimes it will happen right before your eyes in broad daylight. No matter …