How to Keep Chickens Warm in Winter Without a Heat Lamp
What extension poultry specialists and fire officials say about keeping a flock warm through winter, with one row each for heat, water, ventilation, frostbite, feed, light and bedding.
Animals
Why Are My Chickens Not Laying Eggs? 10 Causes and Fixes
Ten reasons hens stop laying, from short days and the fall molt to broody hens, hidden nests and illness, each with what you see, the fix and how long until eggs com...
Read the articleAnimals
Everything that walks, flies or grazes on the place. Poultry, livestock and game — housing, feed, health, predators and the seasonal jobs that keep a flock or a herd productive.
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Molting Chickens: How Long It Lasts and What to Feed
Why chickens molt, how long it lasts, the order feathers drop, and what to feed molting hens so the eggs come back.
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New World Screwworm: How to Protect Your Homestead Livestock in 2026
The New World screwworm is back in U.S. livestock in 2026. Learn the warning signs, the daily prevention routine, and what to do if you spot an infestation.
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Bird Flu and Backyard Chickens: How to Protect Your Flock
Bird flu risk for backyard chickens peaks during fall and spring migration. Cover the run, lock down water, quarantine new birds 30 days, and know who to call.
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Backyard Flock Biosecurity: Why the Case Count Is the Wrong Alarm
Backyard flock biosecurity works on the fall migration calendar, not the USDA case count. Here is the September checklist, the warning signs, and who to call.
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Best Egg Incubator: The 2026 Homestead Hatching Guide
Four egg incubators from Brinsea, GQF, and Incubator Warehouse ranked for homestead hatching — automation, capacity, and hatch-rate features compared.
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Best Chicken Coop: The 2026 Homestead Buyer’s Guide
Four chicken coops from OverEZ, Carolina Coops, Nestera, and Omlet ranked for homestead flocks — capacity, predator protection, cleaning, and durability compared.
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Thermal Scope for Coyote Hunting: Protect Your Flock at Night
A thermal scope for coyote hunting stops predators you cannot see. Here is how thermal protects the coop at night, plus our top homestead pick.
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Garden Varmint Control on the Homestead: When a Suppressed .223 Earns Its Keep
Rabbits, groundhogs, coyotes — they cost a homestead more than a fence does. Why a suppressed .223 is the quietest legal answer in 42 states.
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Predator-Proofing Your Chicken Coop: A May Pre-Summer Checklist
12 things to check on your coop before peak summer predator season — hardware cloth specs, latch types, what fails first, and the fixes that hold.
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Spring Tick Prevention on the Homestead: 7 Steps That Actually Work
May is peak tick emergence. The 7 steps that actually move the needle on a working homestead — for kids, livestock, and dogs.
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2026 FDA Raw Milk Enforcement: What Actually Changed for Homesteaders
The 2026 FDA raw milk enforcement push targets interstate sales only. Here’s what actually changed, what didn’t, and the three verifications you need before you sell another jar from your homestead.
