Raising chickens is a great first addition to your homestead. It doesn’t matter if you are living in the suburbs or have a ton of acreage. Chickens cost less, and can provide fresh eggs and meat. My husband and I live a debt free life and love raising animals and enjoying a simpler life. By …
Since moving our chicks to a new coop after our 100-year-old barn fell down, I did a little research for a better way to keep the coop clean. When we started with six chickens in a small coop, it was easy to keep up with pine bedding and wasn’t a big budget breaker. Adding 20+ …
Cleaning the chicken coop was really exiting when we started with only six chickens. We have a nice easy to reach coop. But, as many of us realize, chickens are kind of addicting. If you haven’t started with chickens yet, I warned you. 🙂 Cleaning a chicken coop is pretty simple and if you keep …
If you’re anything like me, you love your backyard chickens and would do anything to keep them happy and healthy. And with winter around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about ensuring your feathered friends stay warm and comfortable during the chilly months ahead. But keeping your chickens warm doesn’t have to break the …
Having backyard chickens is a lot different than raising meat chickens. For starters you bring home the girls all cute and fluffy excited they are going to provide pretty fresh eggs. Since it takes awhile for your girls to start laying eggs you do your best to care and nurture them. Overall this is probably …
If you are a chicken lover you will want at least one of these T-shirts! If you need ideas for the chicken lover in your life we have rounded up some of our favorite chicken T-shirts from Amazon. Since the trendiest outfits I get are over on my BJs blog, I’m way more comfortable most …
Keeping chickens during the cold winter months can be challenging. Do you start to wonder how cold it is too cold for chickens? What to feed chickens in winter? All valid questions that cause more stress than needs to be. We live in Upstate New York, smack in the middle of two great lakes if …
It happens. You buy new chicks, and you buy MORE new chicks every spring. With all the new animals coming to your homestead, it takes a little time. Everyone has their routine and space they call their own, and when a newcomer shows up, things can get a little crazy. When we were new chicken …
The beauty of a 100 year old barn comes with a sadness, one day it will fall down. Our Chickens couldn’t stay in this coop for long. It was only a matter of time before the flock needed a new home. The thing about old barns is they shift and sway and can tip a …
Free-ranging your chickens may be a concern when you think about any type of garden area you have. Or better yet keeping chickens off the porch is a whole new idea. They love to scratch up dirt! Especially if you are just planting seeds they will destroy them. For us, I always loved the idea …
There’s nothing more enjoyable than heading out to the chicken coop and bringing back some fresh eggs. Sizzling them up on the frying pan with bacon and toast. What about when you grab those chicken eggs bring them in and realize you can’t just crack it open without, well what exactly is all over the …
You walk into the coop, and your sweet hen is sitting in the nesting box. So you walk away and let her do her thing in private- since the ladies love their privacy. You come back, and she’s still sitting there. You come back to tuck them into bed for the night, and she’s still …
Are cute hens at Tractor Supply begging you to bring them home? Are you wondering if you should keep a Rooster with your hens? If you don’t realize the power of a rooster’s job you won’t understand the scenario of when you need one. Let’s go over when you need a Rooster and if your …
Are you starting to build your own chicken coop? Wondering how to prepare the ground for the chickens? We have built a couple of chicken coops with different layering. You can keep chickens on gravel with minimal prep. Raising chickens is an easy choice for first-time homesteaders. If you plan on keeping your chickens in …
Spring and or fall is a great time to add chicks to your homestead. If you are thinking about chicks and not wanting to spend a fortune, you are in the right place. My husband and I are frugal to the bone. We are even borderline cheapskates. We started raising chickens when we lived across …
Today I wanted to share a quick video with you and show you what we are up to on this frugal homestead! We decided to build a chicken coop in our new barn for our next batch of chicks. Every spring the itch for new birds takes over doesn’t it? I will update this post …
Can backyard chickens stay in a coop all day? What if you need to leave for a day or two? How long can chickens go without water? The tips below will help you plan your vacation while caring for your chickens. I started with six Rhode Island Red chickens when we lived across from Walmart. …
“Did you get the eggs today?” My husband asked. I was a little nervous to tell him yes, even though our egg basket looked bare. It was up to me to figure out what was going on with the ladies. Winter time seems to be the most common season our hens slow down egg production. …
Are you ready to raise and butcher your own chickens? Wondering how do you go about gutting a chicken? Today my husband and I are sharing a step-by-step guide to help you butcher your bird. When you process your own chickens, you will save money. Growing your own chickens isn’t any cheaper than buying store-bought, …
It feels like in an instant; I went from living across the street from Walmart out into the country with over 30 chickens and wildlife all around. Two years ago, I was scared to hold a chick. A chick! Because of their beaks. For the past week, I have been beside myself with letting go …
For two years, my husband nudged that we should get chickens. I had a 10-month-old I was still nursing, and the thought of raising chickens, something I had never done, seemed too much at the time while I was still chasing a 2-year-old. Another year passed, and my husband brought up chickens again. As my …
Did you get the chicken itch? You know, when you start out with just six chicks, they grow, and all of a sudden, you have the urge to add variety to your flock? I know we’ve been there. We got that chicken itch when we moved to our farmhouse just over a year ago. We …
