Our First Meat Chickens
Over the weekend, Mike and I were talking and realized we have: (1) an extra semi-portable chicken coop, and (2) an already-fenced garden area we’re hoping to plant next year that needs to be tilled and fertilized. Inspired by my friend…
Getting Started with Chickens: BEFORE You Bring Home Chicks
It’s important to prepare for your chicks well before you bring them home or they arrive in the mail. Chicks are fairly delicate, so you’ll want your brooder, heat source, and feed and water all set up so you can make…
Getting Started with Chickens: Picking Your Chicks
Spring is in the air and it’s finally time to start your backyard chicken flock! So how do you get started? This month I’m doing a 5-part series on picking your chicks and how to care for them once you…
Weekly Farmstead Photos (November 1-7)
Autumn Begins on the Farm
It’s hard to believe it’s really, officially autumn. I like it, though. The temperature here has dropped into the 60s and lower-70s, which is PERFECT in my book. The leaves on our tulip poplars are starting to fall, but the…
Happy First Egg Day!
That’s the face of a happy [crazy] chicken lady right there!
Top 5 Questions About Backyard Chickens
Since getting chickens four months ago, I’ve been surprised how many people ask the same questions over and over. I love talking about my chickens, but I’m by no means a chicken-expert. I can only share what I’ve read and experienced…
Homestead Update: June 2015
I struggle with what to call our little home and hobby farm; I’ve settled on “homestead” because it seems more appropriate than “farm”, and while I do have an interest in being more self-sufficient, I certainly don’t consider myself a…
Chick Update: Almost 2 Weeks
I knew chicks grow fast, but until witnessing it in person, I really had no idea HOW FAST it really goes. There have been days that I feed and water them in the morning, and when I come home after work I swear…
Meet Our Six Chicks
For the past three weeks, I’ve been pretty much driving the employees at the feed store crazy. Nearly every day, I called to ask if the buff orpington chicks had arrived. Every time, they’d say no. I debated several times…
Easy DIY Heat Lamp Stand for your Chicken Brooder
Once I got my chicken brooder box all set up, the first thing I did was test the lighting. One week old baby chicks need to have their heat lamps set at about 95ºF, then have the temperature decreased by…
Easy DIY Chicken Brooder Box
We’re getting our first chickens this spring (!!) and over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing our experiences along the way. Be sure to subscribe via RSS or email to keep up with our latest posts! Chicken brooder boxes…
