Why are Roosters Needed on the Homestead?by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | August 6, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Roosters are not needed for hens to lay eggs, they are often thought of as being rough on the hens, and they...

What is Avian Influenza & How to Prevent Itby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | July 23, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. The bird flu…. the news makes it sound rather scary, but a better understanding of this avian virus will help...

Why the Poultry Pecking Order is Importantby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | July 9, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. A chicken’s social life is quite complex and ever changing. Chickens are smart and can remember many different individuals as well as...

4-H Steps for Showing Chickens in Showmanshipby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | June 25, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Showing chickens in 4-H was my life for 8 years. Being homeschooled, 4-H was my extra-curricular activity that I devoted all my...

8 Tips for Shipping Hatching Eggs Successfullyby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | June 11, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. From folks who are not familiar with shipping and selling hatching eggs, I get lots of questions in regards to how I...

How To Do A Chicken Health Checkby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | May 28, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Chickens have a way of getting sick very suddenly. However, it’s probably not that they get sick very suddenly, it’s often they...

Svart Hona Chicken Breed Profileby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | May 14, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. What’s so special about the Svart Hona? Well, aside from its stunning looks, there is so much more to love about this breed! In...

10 Tips for Hatching Svart Hona Chicksby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | April 30, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. I specialize in breeding, hatching, developing, and selling the rare Svart Hona chicken breed on my homestead. Over the years, this breed...

How to Make a Plan for Incubating & Hatching Chicksby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | April 16, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. There’s no better way to add chicks naturally to your homestead than through hatching them right on the homestead!...

Benefits of Cinnamon for Chickensby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | April 2, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Cinnamon may seem like an ordinary spice since it is so widely used in baking, cooking, and flavoring foods. However, this ordinary spice has...

10 Helpful Facts for Raising Chicks on the Homesteadby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | March 12, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Whether it’s your first time brooding chicks on the homestead or not… there’s always new tips and tricks to learn...

10 Chicken Keeping Myths to Ignoreby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | March 5, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. With a rise in chicken keeping and homesteading also comes an increase in information about keeping chickens on the homestead. And, as with...

How to Choose the Best Type of Chicken Feedby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | February 20, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Picking out a homestead poultry feed is probably one of the first things you should consider when you plan on...

SPECIAL POST: Elder Farms Products for Chickensby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | February 6, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Elderberries are a powerful holistic berry that has been used in ancient medicine for centuries. Elderberry supplements should certainly be a staple...

Benefits of Elderberries for Chickensby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | January 30, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Elderberries are an ancient holistic remedy that were used by the Native Americans to help treat both internal and external health issues. But… did...

8 Most Cold Hardy Chicken Breedsby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | May 2, 2023This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. You know the saying, “gotta’ have the right tool for the job”. Well it’s the same logic when it comes to choosing chicken...

What is Cold Stress in Poultry?by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | January 2, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. What is cold stress in poultry? Cold stress is the response a chicken’s body has to staying warm in cold weather. It is...

Should I Insulate the Chicken Coop?by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | December 19, 2023This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. When it comes to winter chicken keeping, questions like, ‘should I heat the chicken coop?’, ‘does the coop need to be insulated?’, and...

The Deep Litter Method for the Chicken Coopby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | December 5, 2023This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. If you’ve been a northern homesteader for any length of time, you’re probably pretty familiar with the term ‘deep litter method’....

How to Prevent Marek’s Disease in Chickensby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | November 21, 2023This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Marek’s disease is a prevalent virus that commonly infects young and growing chicks but can also infect mature birds as well. This...