Free-ranging is all the rage. You see it advertised in the grocery store for both meat and eggs and it something people who buy my eggs ask me about a lot. No one wants their food coming from a chicken who has been locked up all of their life, but free-ranging your flock comes […]

When winter comes around, both new and experienced homesteaders wonder how they can keep their livestock and fowl warm. This issue is primarily a concern for those who have smaller animals, like chickens. There are several ways to protect these animals from the cold, but many owners ask if they should provide a direct heat […]

To heat or not, predator protection, managing molting, and other alliterative ways to prep your poultry for winter from Elizabeth Mack. Winter is here—if an arctic blast hasn’t surprised you already! While chickens are quite hardy, they do need some special cold-weather management, depending on your location and breed of chicken. Taking a few steps […]

Chicken combs come in many different shapes and sizes from rose combs to buttercup combs. Kaylee Vaughn writes here about eight distinctive comb types. A chicken’s comb is the fleshy red appendage on the top of its head. Combs come in all shapes and sizes and vary greatly depending upon the breed. While combs certainly […]

Former GRIT Managing Editor, Kellsey Trimble, sat down with Patricia Foreman and Joe Putnam to discuss the best ways of preventing and treating common flock problems. From pests and predators to illnesses, dietary considerations, and the effectiveness of electric fences, listen as these three converse about the various issues they’ve experienced when raising poultry and […]

In this episode of the Community Chickens Podcasts, Bill Sadler talks chicken nutrition and why pastured poultry are best raised in mobile coops and/or fencing.   Thank you Brinsea for Sponsoring this episode! Our Podcast Guest: Bill Sadler has both technical and personal experience with a broad range of animals and birds. He grew up on a small […]

Need versatility in your broiler or heritage pen set up? Anne Gordon recommends using snap together wire pet exercise pen panels. You can read more about Anne’s whole Broiler Set-up here. Wire Pet Pens I’m a huge fan of 42-inch wire pet exercise pens because they are versatile, easy to use and can be quickly […]

In this episode, Joel Salatin  discusses how he manages the land on his multifaceted, Polyface Farm. Through Joel’s knowledge learn about stewardship of the land and how sometimes the best way to use your land, is to acknowledge that it already has systems in place. Our Podcast Guest:   Joel Salatin’s family owns and operates Polyface […]

In this episode of the Community Chickens Podcasts, Amy Woodhouse, Jessi Bloom, and Patricia Foreman discuss the practice of keeping chickens as part of your permaculture plan. Our Podcast Guests Include: Amy Woodhouse, owner and farmer of Sow Edible Farm and Nursery in Warrenton NC, has a passion for leading and teaching others sustainable agricultural practices.  While […]

In this episode of the Community Chickens podcasts, we discuss the role that keeping poultry can play in our educational systems. School Check-Ins   Our Podcast Guests Include: Jeannette Beranger is the Senior Program Manager for The Livestock Conservancy. She uses her knowledge to plan and implement conservation programs, conduct field research, and advise farmers in their […]