7 Things to Train Chickens to Doby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | June 3, 2025This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. My chicken is smarter than your dog! Did you know that cognitive research has actually proven that chickens can be smarter than...

The Secret to Training Chickensby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | May 6, 2025This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. The phrase ‘bird brain’ may be more of a compliment than you might realize. I dare say that chickens are smart, mostly in an...

8 Reasons Why Chickens Should Free-Rangeby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | April 22, 2025This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Free-ranging your homestead flock gives them the chance to engage in the instinctual behavior of foraging for food. However, free-ranging does more than...

How to Breed Chickens: Breeding Basicsby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | April 1, 2025This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Breeding chickens on the homestead is a great way to increase the self-sufficiency of your flock. You won’t need to purchase new chickens...

Chicken First Aid Kit Supplies Guideby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | Mar. 4, 2025This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Having a basic chicken first aid kit on hand can help you address issues in your homestead flock quickly and effectively. A well-stocked...

A Guide to Abormal Chicken Eggsby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | Feb. 4, 2025This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Chances are if you have raised chickens for any amount of time… you’ve quickly realized that eggs can take on many shapes, sizes,...

Natural Chicken First Aid Kit Supplies Guideby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | Jan. 21, 2025This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. The natural homesteader’s chicken first aid kit will look different than the average poultry first aid kit. Instead of synthetic antibiotics, chemical...

Do Chickens Need Heat During the Winter?by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | Jan. 7, 2025This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. I know… it’s that winter chicken keeping question… again. Do chickens need heat during the winter? The answer to that question is...

How to Care for Chickens During the Holidaysby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | Dec. 19, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Our homestead livestock need care all year round, there is no ‘Christmas break’ from homestead chores. But, your homestead flock chores...

10 Reasons Why Hens Stop Laying Eggsby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | Nov. 25, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. I expect most of my homestead animals to pay for their keep (although, there are certainly some exceptions!). Is it natural for...

Chicken Red Mites: Diagnosis, Treatment, & Preventionby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | October 1, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. External parasites are never fun to deal with in the homestead flock. However, red mites are especially annoying since they can live...

How to Treat Northern Fowl Mites on Chickensby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | Oct. 1, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Northern fowl mites are the dreaded chicken parasite of northern homesteaders. They live on a chicken’s warm body and don’t seem...

How to Choose the Right Chicken Coop Litterby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | Sept. 17, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. One of the most important decisions you will make when building your homestead chicken coop is deciding what coop litter to...

How to Prevent Disease & Death in Chickensby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | Sept. 3, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Preventing disease & death in the homestead flock is my number one priority every year! It seems like everything I do...

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...

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...

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...

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...