No matter what sort of livestock you keep on your homestead, preparing for the end of their lives is important, and even in the case of dairy animals or pets that typically enjoy a long lifespan, being ready for the inevitable so that you can replenish your flock or herd is just a part of […]
Goats’ Lifespan: How Long Do They Live? Read More »
Ducks lately have been gaining popularity over chickens as the preferred poultry for homesteaders. Compared to their cousins, ducks tend to live longer, stay healthier, and are just as versatile as chickens are, capable of cranking out hundreds of rich, indulgent eggs every year and also supplying you with succulent and truly delicious meat. And
19 Things to Feed Your Mallard Ducks Read More »
If you’re a homesteader, you’ve got to have a generator. Whether you need power somewhere out on the property for doing repairs, for countless other jobs, or you are just coping with the loss of electricity from a storm, disaster, or accident, you can’t be without one. But generators are just freaking loud! It’s enough
13 Clever Tips to Make Your Generator Quiet as a Cricket Read More »
If you own chickens, or buy chicken eggs fresh from a farm and especially from a smaller vendor, the concern is always there that you might get a fertilized egg. Anytime a rooster is around hens, unless he’s been caponized, you can assume that those girls are going to lay fertilized eggs. The obvious implication
Can You Safely Eat a Fertilized Chicken Egg? Read More »
Chickens rule the roost when it comes to domestic poultry, especially for backyard keepers and homesteaders like us. But lately, ducks have been making a major comeback. Lots of homesteaders are becoming enamored with the overall good health, self-sufficiency and hardiness of ducks compared to chickens, and more and more are getting turned on to
The Swedish Blue Duck Breed for Homesteaders Read More »
Owning ducks presents several unique challenges compared to owning chickens. Probably the single biggest challenge is that more domestic duck breeds can fly, and fly pretty well. Although they rarely keep up with their wild cousins, backyard ducks may be able to take flight for more than a mile at a time, and some of
9 Tips to Keep Your Ducks from Flying Away Read More »
If you’re keeping chickens for eggs, naturally you want them to keep right on laying them so you have a steady supply. Whether you and your family are eating them, you are selling them, or using them for a breeding program, maintaining output is important. But, as productive as chickens are, there are plenty of
10 Good Reasons Why Hens Stop Laying Eggs Read More »
Chickens have a reputation as being the smallest of the common poultry species kept around the world, though they are certainly the most numerous. With that being said, even though they are the smallest compared to ducks, geese, and turkeys there is still a considerable amount of variation in how big chickens are… Excluding exceptional
From Bantams to Giants: How Tall Are Chickens? Read More »
If you own birds or are thinking about getting some, be they poultry or just pets, you need to know about mealworms. Mealworms are one of the most important nutrient-rich and energy-dense food sources for many bird species, both wild and domesticated. With tons of protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and more that birds need,
18 Birds That Will Eat and Enjoy Mealworms Read More »
If you want chickens, or you’ve been thinking about getting them, you likely already know that chickens are omnivores. This means that they eat both plant and animal matter. Naturally, chickens, like so many other birds, lovebugs and some of their very favorite bugs of all are mealworms. Mealworms are actually insects, not true worms,
Mealworms for Chickens, Pros, Cons and Legality Read More »
