If you’ve ever stood at the coop door on a gray January morning, watching your breath hang in the air and wondering whether your girls made it through another single-digit night, you already know the feeling that pulled me into writing this. Out here in Western New York, “cold” isn’t a season — it’s a …
I have used all three. Not for a weekend, not for a “let me test this for a blog post” week — I mean seasons of Western New York mud, humidity, and deep-freeze winters with a full flock tracking it all around the coop. And if you have been standing in the feed aisle or …
If you are new to breeding and raising goats, you’re going to need to wean those little goaties. This can be a hard transition, depending on your long-term goals. I’ve been raising goats for several years now and have found the easiest way to wean them is to wait until they are 10+ weeks old, …
I remember when I first started getting into raising goats, and I saw some people on Facebook say they only wanted bottle babies. Why? Because bottle babies are the friendliest. I didn’t understand because I wasn’t bottle feeding my babies, and they were friendly. Fast-forward a few years, when the kids are teens, and I’m …
If your chickens are sleeping in the nest boxes, piling up in a corner, then you probably need a better roosting bar setup. It’s an easy fix and something worth considering before you even start building a chicken coop. Roosting bars are where your flock perches overnight, off the ground and safe from drafts and …
If you’ve ever ordered a batch of day-old chicks, you already know the drill: they arrive fluffy, peeping, and in desperate need of a warm, safe place to call home for the first few weeks of their lives. Before your chicks ship, you need a brooder ready and waiting. And if you’re like most of …
When I first started raising chickens, I pictured mornings with a warm cup of coffee, collecting a basket full of fresh eggs while the sun rose over the barn. And for a while, it was exactly that.The hens scratched around pecking the roosters’ beaks, the kids helped gather eggs, and it all felt like the …
If you’ve got a small flock of backyard chickens, you already know how quickly feed can add up — and how messy it can get when your girls kick, scratch, and spill it all over the coop floor. The right chicken feeder isn’t just about keeping the feed tidy; it saves money, keeps pests away, …
Pallets are a frugal homesteader’s best friend! When we first moved to our farmhouse, we used pallets for our pigs for years. Just a year ago, we switched to hog fencing, and it seems like it’s shifting worse than the pallets. I love rotating my sheep and goats in smaller pastures because we have a …
If you own goats or are thinking about adding goats to your homestead, trimming their nails is something you will need to keep up with. The good news is that you can do it easily with a goat stand. If you don’t have a goat stand, there are other options. I’ve been raising Nigerian Dwarf …
Four eggs again—I couldn’t believe this. I knew some of our hens were slowing down as they approached five years old and were not laying as consistently, but FOUR eggs out of 15 chickens didn’t seem right. I do have eight young hens now mixed in with my older hens because I really didn’t want …
Let’s go back to 2018 when I searched for my first goats to bring to the homestead. I’m still in awe that I’m living my dream out in the country and sharing my home with my kids and a baby mini pig at this point. We had 25 chickens, a dog, barn cats, and kittens, …
Breeding season is around the corner, and if you’re a livestock farmer or homesteader, it’s time to get your goats ready. I’ve been breeding my goats for the past five years, and I feel confident sharing with you ways to prepare your goats for breeding season. Maybe you are thinking about getting a buck to …
We’ve raised meat birds on our homestead for six years. Last year, our kids raised meat birds for the first time in their local 4-H program. We were not correctly set up to handle the amount of birds and had to make due. This year, we wanted to keep costs low and use what we …
Oh boy, grab your fans and ice packs, folks, because we’re discussing the hot topic of keeping your chickens cool when the mercury rises. Yes, you guessed it—we’re talking about chickens in the scorching summer heat. Is that even a thing here in Western NY?! Before we get into it, here is a quick word …
It doesn’t take long for your chickens to start digging holes to find themselves the perfect place for a spa day. All chickens need and love a good dust bath. If you aren’t pasture-raising your chickens and have a confined space, you may want to create the perfect chicken dust bath. The Importance of Dust …
A few years ago, Kune Kune pigs were the hottest pig around. As someone who has owned potbellied pigs as pets for almost ten years, I was interested in getting into KuneKunes, making money, and having piglets! Does anyone else look back to COVID-19 times and think, if there is ever a pandemic again, I …
Potbelly pigs, often dubbed as the perfect little porkers and the darlings of homesteads, can be incredibly endearing pets. They are charming and intelligent animals with soulful eyes, making them irresistible to animal lovers. If you’ve been mulling over adding a potbelly pig to your family, you’ve probably wondered about the costs of this unusual …
You’ve probably heard that saying: chicken math, goat math, fill in the blank, any livestock animal math. It’s true. Before you know it, you have a barn full of animals. Maybe it’s only true for us animal lovers. I grew up wanting to have a hobby farm, and at the beginning of my middle school …
Are you tired of the dirt under your nails, early morning rooster calls, and feeling like you will never catch up? Yet, no matter all of the ups and downs with homesteading, you know it’s right where you are meant to be. I’ve been where you are – starry-eyed, full of ambition, and ready to …
I’m relieved I didn’t have TikTok six years ago because the pull to get our homestead would have been so strong. I would have rushed for something I wasn’t ready for because of comparison. It’s so easy to get caught up in social media posts, seeing others’ success, and wondering whether your desire is even …
As a fellow homesteader and goat owner, I know firsthand the importance of finding the right animal feed, especially during the harsh winter months. Not only do you want something that will keep your goats healthy and happy, but you also want to keep your feed costs down without sacrificing quality. I’m excited to share …
Oh, my goodness, writing this post has pulled on my heartstrings! My goats were not only kids, but my kids were so little! It’s all worth it, from the babies to the milk to watching them run and jump around. If you are thinking about goats as your first farm animal, I recommend checking this …
Where are my pig lovers? I’ve loved pigs since I was a girl, when I was in college and the whole teacup pigs ( not a real thing, hence the reason for this post) was taking off, I was hooked. I knew that one of my dreams in life was to have a potbelly pig. …
