Are Ducks the Answer to Avian Flu? With continuing outbreaks of avian flu wiping out massive numbers of chickens and turkeys in the United States, many poultry enthusiasts are worried… ‘Will I lose my entire flock of laying hens?’ or ‘Is my turkey flock at risk?’ Small farmers suffer a setback when losing their…
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Saving Milkweed for the Monarchs
Leaving Milkweed for Monarch Butterflies I decided to start saving milkweed for the Monarchs. I like foraging for wild edibles, but I also like Monarch butterflies. And these beautiful creatures are in trouble. Habitat destruction and herbicide use are destroying the milkweed plants that Monarchs must lay their eggs on…
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Avian Flu, The Price of Eggs, & Raising Your Own Hens
Will Avian Flu Lead to the End of Cheap Eggs? I stopped looking at the price of eggs at the grocery store after I brought home my first laying hens. Frankly, I found it rather depressing to see eggs for sale at less than a dollar a dozen. My homegrown,…
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Is There Such a Thing as Too Many Chickens?
Do You Have Too Many Chickens? Almost anyone who keeps chickens will tell you that they can be addicting. You start off with a half dozen hens for fresh eggs and before you know it, you’ve got 50+ chickens, ducks, turkeys, and guinea fowl roaming your backyard. Do you have…
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The Case of the Mystery Ducks
Wait a Minute…These Aren’t Khaki Campbells! I ordered 5 Khaki Campbell ducklings through our local farm supply store and they arrived in early March. Well, at least four of them did…one was missing and could not be located. One died shortly after I picked them up. Things were not going…
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Rhubarb Custard Pie Recipe
Rhubarb Custard Pie with Fresh Rhubarb Spring is such a wonderful time of year, with fresh foods starting to come in and the weather warming up! Rhubarb is a wonderful perenial vegetable that I love to harvest each spring for some delicious treats. This rhubarb custard pie is a yummy…
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Garden Grunge
You might be interested in reading my post How to Care for Newly Planted Beds. Spring Gardening & Grungy Fingernails No, I’m not talking about a new band out of Seattle. It’s officially that time of year when my fingernails look like I’ve been digging through garbage. And they…