Chickens are often considered the gateway animal to homesteading. However, just because they are one of the smallest livestock animals to start raising doesn’t mean they are the easiest! Your modern pioneer journey can start even without any livestock animals, but maybe this year you are considering adding a flock...

For northern homesteaders, the winter months can often bring that fluffy white stuff that you either love or you hate. As for your homestead flock, they probably have a low tolerance for snow. Snow not only brings a new element to caring for your flock during the winter, but it...

Cold stress is an often overlooked condition that is nearly unavoidable for most northern homestead flocks. Learning how to help chickens deal with cold stress will keep them healthier and productive through the winter months. Cold stress can cause illness and even death, so it is important to make sure...

Many foods that we raise and grow on the homestead are considered seasonal crops, meaning they can only be grown during a certain season of the year. A lot of times we forget that eggs are actually a seasonal food too. Birds of any species naturally don’t lay eggs every...

Ever get tired of a muddy, dirty, and stinky chicken coop enclosure on the homestead? I know I sure did! Then I figured out these secrets to chicken coop enclosure maintenance and it has made all the difference for my flock! I don’t need to be a clean freak, I...

Egg eating can become a real bahviour problem once a hen aquires a taste for her own eggs. While egg eating shouldn’t be too big of a problem in the homestead flock, you should know about some management practices you can use to prevent egg eating in your flock. It...

Learn how to make a DIY chicken saddle so you can protect the hens in your homestead flock who receive the most attention from the homestead rooster! The natural process of mating can be rough on a hen’s neck and back feathers. I have made many chicken saddles for my...

Bullying is a behavior issue in the homestead flock. Sometimes bullying can be the result of the dominant personality characteristic of certain breeds. However, more often than not bullying is usually a sign of boredom, stress, a pecking order change, or overcrowding of the flock. The good news is that...

Chickens and dust bathing go together like peanut butter and jelly. If you don’t provide a dust bath spot, your flock will make their own. Even if you do make a DIY dust bath for your chickens, they may still choose their own location! Whether you make your flock a...

Why do chickens dust bathe? Chickens dust bathe for several reasons. The primary ones being because it seems to be enjoyable for them and it provides natural health benefits that would be important for a flock’s survival in the wild. It seems contradictory, but dust bathing is one way that...

Living sustainably is one of the goals on the homestead, and one way to do that is to be wise with your money. However, I have also learned that the two go hand-in-hand. Living sustainably is one way to save money. Now this is not a lesson on how to...

Whether you have one rooster on the homestead or multiple roosters in the homestead flock, knowing how to care for a rooster is important for the health and happiness of your homestead flock! Roosters have different dietary needs than hens. They exhibit different behaviors and play specific roles within the...

Chicks need supplemental heat to stay warm, healthy, and to mature into strong adults. Supplemental heat is most crucial for the first 4 weeks of a chick’s life. However, the supplemental heat will need to be weaned off starting at 1 week of age. Once the chicks are old enough,...

Any kind of poultry parasite is annoying, but I have found that northern fowl mites are terribly persistent little buggers that require patience and time to treat. While they may seem like any other external poultry parasite, northern fowl mites are one of the hardest mites to treat since they...

There is nothing I like better than seeing my homestead flock happily pecking around in the yard, garden, and surrounding woods with the warm sun on their backs and the lush grass (or dried leaves) under their feet. I know they are doing what instinctually comes natural for them, and...

The crop is the gateway to a chicken’s stomach. Ensuring that the crop is functioning properly is essential for keeping your flock healthy and productive! There are two common ailments that affect the crop: sour crop and impacted crop. Learning to tell the difference between sour crop vs impacted crop...

Let’s face it, chicken is on the menu for a lot of animals! Chicken is a favorite meal option for just about every predator out there, big or small. It may seem discouraging to raise a homestead animal that so many predators have on their meal list, but with some...

Chores are a never-ending task on the homestead, but that’s not always a bad thing! I actually enjoy the different chores associated with each month of raising chickens on the homestead. Seasonal chores will vary depending on what region you live in and what your seasonal weather patterns are for...

There are literally hundreds of chicken breeds to choose from! When it comes to choosing the best chicken breeds for the homestead, there are a few factors to consider in order for your flock to be productive and fulfill the role as a homestead flock. While many of these breeds...

One question that many northern homesteaders may find themselves asking is: how can I help my homestead flock stay warm when the temperatures never get above freezing? First, let me tell you that it is a legitimate question to ask. Chickens can handle cold weather better then warm weather, and...