Boredom can become an issue for homestead flock’s that have to be cooped up due to inclement weather. The winter months are an especially hard time to keep your flock entertained and active. Preventing boredom not only makes for a happy flock, but it also prevents issues like feather pulling,...

Biosecurity is extremely important for homestead chicken keepers. Biosecurity is the measures you take to prevent disease, parasites, and pathogens from affecting your flock. Understanding how biosecurity works and all that it entails will help you keep your flock healthy and free from disease and parasites. I use these 8...

Knowing how to treat worms in chickens naturally is essential for raising a homestead flock. Especially if you live in regions that provide optimal worm habitat. However, knowing how to prevent worms in chickens naturally is even more important. Preventing internal parasites is the key to keeping them from becoming...

Providing supplemental lighting in the coop can be somewhat of a debate in the chicken world. Supplemental lighting can be provided during the winter to trigger a hen’s laying cycle. But, do hens need supplemental light? Does making them lay more often shorten their lifespan? How do I go about...

It seems like every predator is willing to put chicken on its menu, which is very unfortunate for homestead chicken keepers. It doesn’t matter if you live in a densely wooded area or an urban suburb, poultry predators are everywhere! Having poultry predator awareness and knowing of the common poultry...

Internal parasites, specifically worms, are one of those ever present but rarely seen menaces that can wreak havoc if not managed properly. If one or more of your flock members starts ailing, you may want to ask, does my chicken have worms? Worms are a fairly common internal parasite that...

Supposably the annual fall molt should go smoothly and without issue, but if you have raised chickens for any length of time, you will know that they love to keep life interesting! Knowing when to step in and administer emergency care to molting chickens is essential for when your flock...

What does raising a homestead flock entail? Find out what skills and knowledge you need to have in order to succesfully raise homestead chickens! Welcome to the chicken keeper’s survival list! The Chicken Keeper’s Survival List is a compilation of tasks that you will need to know how to do...

I often get caught up in the what, whys, and how’s of raising homestead chickens, but then I remind myself, don’t let raising a homestead flock become overwhelming, confusing, or daunting. When you stick to the basics, learning how to raise homestead chickens becomes fun, enjoyable, and rewarding! There are...

Cleaning the chicken coop is emphasized a lot for raising a happy, healthy flock of backyard chickens, but cleaning the chicken coop enclosure is just as important. No matter how big or small your chicken coop enclosure is, giving it a brief touch up every once in a while can...

Whether you’ve hatched out your own chicks using a broody hen or an incubator, or bought straight-run chicks, or even ordered ‘pullets’ from a hatchery, at some point in your chicken raising experience you may find you have one too many roosters than you were planning on keeping. Of course,...

Chickens form a dynamic flock that is run by their own set of rules and codes. Each bird has a place in the flock and knows its limits. When a flock’s dynamics are interrupted, havoc can break out! Knowing how to properly introduce new birds into your flock can prevent...

You may have a good start on knowing how to raise baby chicks, and you probably already have a plan for when those chicks are mature, but what about while they are growing? Learning how to manage growing chickens is important for the health and well being of your future...