How to Farm Sit & Make Some Cash If you’ve never lived on a farm, this term may sound weird. But for those of us with livestock, having a reliable farm sitter can help preserve our sanity. Homesteaders wouldn’t be able to vacation and keep animals if no one can…
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My 25 Pound Turkey
Butchering a 25 Pound Turkey I’m almost done butchering the 10 Broad Breasted White turkeys I ordered this spring and raised on our homestead. There’s one left to butcher when I get a nice cool day, but the rest are in the freezer or I pressure canned the meat for…
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Processing My First Turkey of the Season
Butchering Broad-Breasted Turkeys This spring I ordered 10 Broad Breasted White turkeys from Dale (The Chicken Guy) in Wisconsin. Actually, I think I ordered 6, but Dale always orders extra and somehow a few of them end up in my basket. I picked them up on March 13th. They were…
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Keeping Ducks on the Homestead
Homestead Ducks Ducks are a great addition to the small homestead. They provide eggs and meat, and pest control too! Their meat is delicious and the eggs are great for baking and fresh eating. Ducks are less prone to disease than chickens and they lay eggs well during the winter.…
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Can You Avoid Avian Flu Losses by Raising Ducks?
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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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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Candling Turkey Eggs ~ Day 7
Candling Turkey Eggs On Day 7 Candling eggs from your incubator gives you an opportunity to see the development of the embryos. In the old days they actually used candles to check for embryos in incubating eggs. I’ve used a flashlight in the past but found it difficult to use.…
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How to Care for a Sick Baby Chick
Knowing how to care for a sick chick could mean the difference between life and death. Prepare in advance for potential illness.
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Top 5 Reasons for a Poor Hatch Rate
For more information about hatching eggs at home read my articles How to Hatch Chicken Eggs in an Incubator and 15 Helpful Hints for a Successful Hatch. Reasons for a Poor Hatch Rate Although hatching baby poultry in an incubator can be a fun and educational experience, sometimes we have a…
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15 Helpful Hints for a Successful Hatch Using an Incubator
15 Helpful Tips for Hatching Eggs Successfully Getting ready to hatch baby poultry? Check out this list of 15 tips for hatching eggs successfully in an incubator! For complete instructions, see How to Hatch Chicken Eggs in an Incubator. You may also be interested in reading How to Care for…
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Keeping A Mixed Flock: Can You Keep Chickens & Turkeys Together?
Can You Keep A Mixed Flock With Chickens & Turkeys? When I first started keeping chickens I knew I eventually wanted to raise heritage turkeys and ducks too (and maybe some Guinea fowl…and geese). Keeping breeding stock of heritage turkeys was high on my to-do list because buying poults…
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DIY Incubator Upgrade with the Incukit Mini
Installing The Incukit Mini for Desktop Incubators This post shares the step-by-step process I used to convert a still-air desktop incubator with a wafer thermostat to a forced-air incubator with an automatic digital thermostat. The kit I used, the Incukit Mini, can also be used to turn a styrofoam cooler…
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How to Tell If a Hen Is Laying Eggs
Are My Hens Laying Eggs? One of the most common questions from chicken newbies is ‘How can I tell if my hens are laying eggs?’ You might have noticed that there are fewer eggs in the nest boxes and, naturally, you’d like to know who is slacking off! Before you…
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How to Feed Your Hens for Best Egg Production
How to Feed Your Laying Hens for Best Egg Production Your backyard hens need the proper nutrition to fuel egg production! I’ve experimented with different feeding regimens and supplements. In the process, I’ve learned a lot about feeding my flock to get the most eggs. Back in Great Grandma’s day,…