College Farms are training grounds for students who want to learn about farm management, from small organic operations, to large industrial farms.  C.J. Walke is the manager of Peggy Rockefeller Farms, part of The College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine. He shares with us the history of the farm and specifics of its […]

Guineas may be new to you but they are not to author and researcher Christine Heinrichs. These beautiful birds still exist in the wild in Africa but have also been domesticated for a small flocks. Learn how to get started raising guineas. What are guinea fowl? Guinea fowl are birds from the family Numididae and […]

The first six weeks of your chick’s lives need to be especially safe and warm. For our young chicken keeper’s, here are instructions for creating the perfect brooder for new chicks. After you determine which breeds you would like to raise and know when they will arrive at your home, it’s time to make a […]

In the past 2 years we’ve added 2 kit-style coops to our chicken yard. When I say kit-style I’m referring to the types of coops that you often find in your feed store or that you can order on Amazon. They usually come in a large box and you have to bolt the panels together […]

This year we are downsizing certain areas of our farm and really taking some intentional/mindful  looks at where we want to go in the future. I feel like, at this point, we’ve tried a lot of things. We’ve raised a lot of different animals and over the years I’ve realized I have favorites and preferences […]

Maat van Uitert shares great ideas and practical plans for protecting your ducks from summer heat with an easy-to-wash, self-draining pond. Easing Summer Stress Nothing is worse than watching your beloved ducks pant in the summer heat. A cool, inviting pool is a simple, natural way to keep your feathered friends from feeling the effects […]

Sandy Cryder — When I got my first small backyard flock, my choices for how to keep them were few. I had a small coop given to me by my neighbors and a fenced in backyard. I was ready! Starting Small The gift coop was a good size for 4 hens. It was portable and […]

Chickens are voracious diggers and eaters. Yes, they will destroy your garden unless you take some precautions. Liz Fulghum shares practical tips for letting your chickens work in your gardens and protecting your vegetables. If you’re a vegetable gardener contemplating getting a few chickens, chances are you’ve done a little bit of research on what’s […]

Frank Hyman shares plans and instructions for a practical (and cute) poultry nesting box. Nest Box Necessities A lot of thought went into the design and construction of our coop’s nest box. It’s such an important feature that my wife, Chris – the livestock manager – asked me – the facilities manager – to install […]

First of a three part series. Dr. Jacquie Jacob shares her research on how to effectively use heritage breeds for small-scale meat production operations. Here’s a link to Part 2. Small-Scale Chicken Production Small-scale broiler chicken enterprises are often competing with large commercial companies for a share of the consumer market. But there are ways […]