Self-taught farmers confidently raising chickens, ducks, geese, and pigs. Our focus is on practices that are environmentally harmonious and respectful to our livestock. We appreciate the beauty around us, clean eating, fermenting, and responsibly utilizing the bounty of the land. If you like thinking for yourself, continuous learning, and connecting with the homesteader lifestyle, check us out.
You may already know that I’ve previously written for Mother Earth News, and that I’ve done a podcast with Mother Earth News & Friends. Right, the links are in the “Publications and Podcasts” menu of our website. My latest piece, on raising roosters as a sustainable meat source and a practical means of managing unexpected cockerels, is in the June/July issue that just hit newsstands (and maybe your mailbox already).
Continue reading “In Print: My Newest Article In Mother Earth News”
Ah, the dirty little (not so) secret that farmers and homesteaders often sidestep when discussing the nuts and bolts of raising animals: poop. Poop is important, and I think that anyone who raises animals, whether as livestock or as pets, should be looking at it.
Continue reading “Farm Fowl: Let’s Talk About Poop *Graphic*”
This sassy red hen is Beatrix. While she’s generally a healthy girl, she developed an infection called bumblefoot. I’ve seen it just a couple of times in the many birds we’ve raised and it can range from minor to serious (as in Beatrix’s case). If you raise chickens, it’s important to know what to do when you see the signs of bumblefoot so that you can take action to keep your birds healthy.
Continue reading “Farm Fowl: Beatrix’s Bedeviling Bumble”
Spring is chick season, and there are undoubtedly many people who are new to chickenkeeping acquiring their first chicks. It’s an exciting experience, but those who have gone before – if you will – have tips and “lessons learned” to share. One tip I’d like to share is about the importance of the poop board. Find out why it makes chicken raising so much more manageable!
Continue reading “Farm Fowl: In Praise Of The Poop Board”
After a painful period of absence, eggs are back on the menu – and in the incubator. It’s a pleasure to collect eggs in a range of colors, and gratifying that the fowl are, once again, “earning their keep”!
Continue reading “Farm Fowl: Welcome Winter Eggs”
It snowed recently – just an inch or so – but it was the kind of snow that makes even the ordinary (or poorly-lit and muddy) look, briefly, extraordinary. It also tells stories of real drama and intrigue, of unseen passersby looking for a meal on a cold night.
Continue reading “Haiku: Concealed And Revealed (Snow Series #1)”