When we finally decided to relocate from our 1.26-acre suburban parcel to a larger homestead, finding the ideal piece of land was harder than we expected. Here’s how we narrowed down our search, including the spreadsheet we used to track and evaluate potential parcels.
If there’s one thing I wish we’d paid more attention to in our early years of raising chickens, it’s manure management. It may not sound glamorous, but the way you handle chicken manure has a profound influence on your flock’s health, productivity, and the overall sustainability of your homestead. After all, chicken droppings are more than … Read more
Chickens grow faster than most people expect, and if you aren’t prepared, you could find yourself dealing with unnecessary stress and preventable losses.
Cornish Cross chickens are one of the most popular breeds to raise for meat. That’s true for commercial chicken production but also for small homesteads. Considering their apparent advantages — such as rapid growth and incredible feed conversion ratio — I understand how the title of this article may ruffle some feathers (pun intended). But … Read more
While their gentle nature and beauty are appealing, Bielefelders’ relatively poor egg-laying performance and susceptibility to leg injuries are significant downsides.
We spent nearly $5,000 on our first chicken coop, but decided to build our second coop by hand. Here’s everything we’ve learned about picking the right coop for both your current situation and your future goals.