A common misconception about raising chickens is that it costs a lot of money. While you can surely buy a luxurious coop and high-end chicken feed, the chickens can still be productive and happy no matter how much you spend. Chickens are successfully raised in some of the poorest countries on Earth, so you can do it too. Coop: First off, you’re going to need a coop. The ones … [Read more...] about How to Raise Chickens on a Budget
Poultry Care: Sometimes You Gotta Change its Diaper
Yes, really. Only it's called a "clearing a clogged vent." One of the most frequent health problems of baby chicks is a clogged vent. The vent is the single hole in the rear of a chicken responsible for waste and laying eggs in adulthood. As a chick, sometimes their feces gets stuck in their baby fuzz, thus clogging the vent and keeping them from defecating. This results in … [Read more...] about Poultry Care: Sometimes You Gotta Change its Diaper
Winter Homestead: How to Save a Frostbitten Chicken
So, you found a frozen chicken on your homestead. What do you do? Set the microwave to defrost? Fire up the fryer? Just kidding. If the chicken is still alive, there are ways to help save her. This happened to us recently. One of our Americuanas didn’t come into the coop at night and was caught outside in a freezing rain storm. We found her the next morning huddled beside a … [Read more...] about Winter Homestead: How to Save a Frostbitten Chicken
Stand by Me: The Body in the Woods
Do you guys wanna go see a dead body? Anyone over 40 years old remembers the movie "Stand By Me," and secretly wanted to find a dead body as a kid. Not like finding grandma dead in bed, but a legitimate stranger in the woods who died from foul play. It would be heroic, a bit morbid, but a story you could share for the rest of your life. For me, it took 46 years to stumble … [Read more...] about Stand by Me: The Body in the Woods
What Do You Do With Your Old Christmas Tree?
Christmas trees have a lot of uses once all the festivities are ended. Personally, I used to feed them to my sheep but now I just burn mine in a big New Year’s Eve bonfire. Whatever you decide to do just be sure to remember RULE NUMBER ONE – Make sure the tree is free from all tinsel, ornaments, fake snow and other artificial decorations. Fish Habitat: Toss the tree into … [Read more...] about What Do You Do With Your Old Christmas Tree?