Frank Hyman humorously shows us how to make two different types of DIY poultry feeders that are inexpensive and efficient. I enjoy having chickens as long as I don’t feel like I’m working for them. I especially like chickens when I can go on vacation for two weeks without worrying about them. But there are […]

A well-designed landscape can transform your garden into an extension of your home, offering an attractive and productive outdoor living space. For our feathered friends, a well-designed garden can offer protection and safe shelter as well as food for them to forage. While landscape design is probably not the first thing you think of when […]

Poultry conservationist Marissa Buchanan knows that Chinese geese are excellent guard animals, weed eaters, and all-around useful homestead birds. When looking for a goose breed for your farm, consider the Chinese goose. One of the most popular breeds, it has an amazing and culture-rich history, and makes an excellent addition to the homestead. This popular […]

Christine Heinrichs, veteran chicken writer, walks you through how to successfully show your poultry to judges at shows and fairs. The idea of keeping chickens may have occurred to you while you were walking the aisles at a local poultry show. “All these beautiful birds! I could do this.” People like to participate in shows […]

Everyone agrees that geese are loud and make good homestead guardians.  Learn more about some of the different breeds of geese and their intriguing characteristics. Breeds of Geese Like cats, dogs, horses, and chickens, geese come in many different shapes, sizes, and temperaments. While a goose’s behavior can be greatly shaped by how it is raised, […]

So you want your chickens and ducks to come home every night from their free-range adventures? Fala Burnett has excellent advice for using clickers to train your birds. Consider using the clicker training method with your flock for effective training, whether it is for a practical purpose or just for fun. Socializing your animals can […]

From circumventing coyotes to outsmarting opposums, Maat van Uitert has 7 practical suggestions to protect ducks from predators. We used to think we just had a couple of predators on our farm, until I put out a game camera one night. Boy, were we wrong! Even if you think your flock is safe, you might […]

Sandy Cryder lets us in on her adventures with acquiring and learning about beautiful Ameraucana hens, their history, looks, and moods. New Chicks Choosing the chicks for my new flock was great fun and a big challenge. In addition to looking for hardy layers that could tolerate both heat and cold, would rarely go broody, […]

Matthew Wilkinson shares the early lessons he learned about raising and processing chickens. That Initial Excitement As soon as my daughter had blown out her fifth year birthday candles, I saw my opportunity. I approached my wife, knowing she was in a weakened state from this joyous celebration. I did not hesitate however, blurting out […]

When you think of a chicken, you probably envision a lovely rooster with a large single comb atop his head, and you hear the faint familiar crow that most people believe only happens in the morning—sorry to burst your bubble folks but rooster will crow all day long. With that being said, the image you […]