Book Review This is not a paid book review. I received a free copy of All Hands On Pet! in return for sharing an honest review. All opinions are my own. All Hands On Pet! Your How-To Guide on Home Physical Therapy Methods for Pets By Susan E. Davis, PT…
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Hatching Plans on the Homestead
Hatching Plans The only thing hatching on my homestead right now are plans for the future! However, I have had experience hatching baby poultry in the past, and I’m always happy to share that with other homesteaders. I’ve posted instructions here on my blog, and Homestead.org published my article Hatching Plans for Baby…
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Too Many Duck Eggs!
Too Many Duck Eggs! It’s either feast or famine around here. Until recently I had NO duck eggs. However my four young duck hens are in full production now and I’m getting a lovely egg from each of them, every day now. I hatched two Pekin ducklings at the…
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A Fox in the Barnyard
A Fox in the Barnyard Over the years I’ve lost quite a few poultry to predators. This summer a fox has found our chicken pen and has been picking off chickens (I believe 8, so far) in the early morning. To prevent further problems, I started letting the flock out…
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Hatching Heritage Turkey Poults
You might also like my posts How to Hatch Chicken Eggs in an Incubator and Top 5 Reasons for a Poor Hatch Rate. Hatching Baby Turkeys My heritage turkey hens have provided me with quite a few eggs over the last month or so. I put some eggs in the incubator in…
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Alpaca Shearing Day
Alpaca Shearing Day My friend Brandi asked if I could help out on shearing day at her Mom’s alpaca farm. Well, how could I possibly say no to such a cool experience?! I pulled into the driveway and wandered down to the barn. The alpacas are so stinking cute! I…
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A Gang of Wild Turkeys
A ‘Gang’ of Wild Turkeys Maybe 3 doesn’t really consitute a gang. We have a lot of wild turkeys in the area, and I often hear them calling to my little flock. The turkey hens have shown great interest in the calls, especially since they didn’t have a tom.…
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Bottle Feeding Baby Goats
But Not My Baby Goats… I don’t have goats anymore. But my friends from Trogg’s Hollow CSA have goats. They have the cutest little baby goats! My photos don’t do them justice, seriously. But I was a little preoccupied trying to give them bottles or to latch…
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Scruffy Chicks, Sprouting Seeds, & Turkey Troubles
Scruffy Chicks Our 23 mixed breed chicks hatched 3 weeks ago and they’re at that in-between stage…past being cute fluffballs but their feathers aren’t completely grown in. So they look pretty scruffy and comical now. They’ve been happily exploring their brooder room, along with our 6 ducklings. I’m keeping my fingers…
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My Redneck Brooder Box
My Redneck Brooder Box It feels a lot like spring on my homestead today. The sun is shining, temps in the 50s, and a whole bunch of chicks are peeping in the incubator in my dining room. Two incubators are humming away on my Grandma’s buffet. One has ducklings due…
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Apparently, I’m a big fat turkey…
If Turkeys Could Talk… I’m guessing it wouldn’t very a very exciting conversation. Perhaps you’ve had enough turkey talk to last you until next Thanksgiving. To be honest, I fully expected that I would have all of my turkeys in the freezer or my tummy by now. But my plans have…
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The Best Way to Cook Stewing Hens
What’s The Best Way To Prepare Stewing Hens? Old stewing hens are pretty tough birds. I have found that the following methods are the best ways to prepare them: pressure cooking pressure canning in broth boning and grinding the meat (raw or cooked) These methods work very well for making old chickens…
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Why Do Chickens Molt?
Why Do Chickens Molt & What Can I Do About It? Chickens molt to replace their worn out feathers with new ones. Old feathers don’t insulate and protect a bird from cold, wet weather as well as a set of glossy new ones. All birds go through this process, just as other…
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How Many Eggs do Chickens Lay and other Common Chicken Questions
Common Chicken Questions People from all over the world contact me with comments and questions about homesteading. Chicken questions top the list! Here are some of the common questions I am asked about raising chickens…I hope that this post will answer some of your questions too! How Many Eggs do…
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Hatching Ducklings in Autumn
Coming Soon – Autumn Ducklings! You might think I’m a bit crazy for hatching ducklings (or chicks) in the fall. Why would anyone think of incubating eggs at this time of year? You can read more about my reasons for Hatching Chicks in Autumn, if you like. The short answer?…
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Black Cayuga Duck Egg
My First Black Cayuga Duck Egg! I’ve been waiting, rather impatiently, for our Black Cayuga duck hen to lay her first egg. Today I was pleasantly surprised by this beauty. 🙂 I was expecting a darker-colored shell, but it is still a rather interesting shade. I think the dark color…