Chickens are said to be the gateway animal into the farming/homesteading lifestyle. We started with ducks, but chickens weren't far behind. Once you have them, it's hard to imagine life without them. Momma is definitely the matriarch of our flock, she's the boss and everyone knows it. I wanted to shine the spotlight on Momma because of her age, … [Read more...]
Keeping Livestock Cool During A Heatwave
During the months of July and August when temperatures here can reach the low to mid 30's, without the humidity. It is important to keep an eye on livestock to make sure they are staying cool. Follow these quick and easy steps to help keep your animals cool and comfortable during the heat waves, without breaking the bank. Chickens: Chickens … [Read more...]
Getting Ready for Winter
While it is hard to believe that it is nearing the end of November it is time to get ready for the cold and snow. We have had unusually mild temperatures here, normally we would have seen snow by now. While we wait for the snow I'm busy getting ready for Christmas, trying to make sure that all of our projects are done. I have gotten behind on … [Read more...]
Busy Season
If you have been following along on our journey to self-sufficiency you may have noticed a decrease in the amount of posts recently. I can assure you that we are all well and good, but we are entering into our 'busy season' and it is getting harder and harder for me to find the time to write. We have a lot of projects on the go, and I'm getting … [Read more...]
Saving Money on Chicken Feed
Along with sprouting grain for our chickens and ducks, Leighton quickly assembled this simple setup to grow our own feed in the chicken and duck pen. We are always looking for ways to reduce our feed bill, especially when organic feed is so pricey. With this simple feeding setup we are creating a 'salad' bar for our flock that they love. I had … [Read more...]
First Cochin Chick
Our first Cochin chick has hatched in the incubator, so far only one out of the five eggs have hatched, not a great hatch rate again. Since there is only one so far I decided to try to have one of the Dorking hens adopt the chick, this is the first time that I am trying this. The timing is right since the Dorking had been sitting on duck eggs … [Read more...]
Best DIY Poultry Watering System
This month Leighton has been working on the watering system in our chicken and duck run. We are trying to make our system more self-sufficient and wanted to include rain water as the main source of water for this setup. I am impressed with how it has turned out and how quickly the birds found it and started using it, it is the best … [Read more...]
The Missing Hen & Simplifying
A few weeks ago I mentioned that we were missing one of our Dorking hens, and how I thought she was sitting on a nest somewhere. Well this morning I was moving some extra lumber around at the back of the coop, and I saw some tail feathers sticking out. There she is sitting on a nest. We should have chicks in the next few weeks, not exactly … [Read more...]
More Ducklings on the Way
After waiting a few months, my ducks showed no signs of going broody. We ended up hatching ducklings using the incubator because I had given up on my Momma ducks. I went out the other morning and found three of my ducks had made nests and were sitting. They get very upset if I get close. This duck is all puffed up and she will … [Read more...]
Ducks in the Bathtub
This week has been busy and I haven't had a chance to write as much as I'd like, but life has been happening. We have been busy with commitments off the homestead, so our garden is in desperate need of some weeding, I hope to get to it this week. Everything is coming up well and we have spinach, chard, radishes and herbs ready to eat. The … [Read more...]