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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Second in a three part series. Dr. Jacquie Jacob shares her research on how to effectively use heritage breeds for small-scale meat production operations.  As discussed in Part 1 of this three part series, we ran a study at the University of Kentucky poultry research farm comparing three heritage breeds (Black Australorp, Barred Plymouth Rock […]

Quail are small, but delicious mouthfuls. Here are two recipes for Roasted Quail from “Culinary Birds” by John Ash.     COFFEE-SPICE ROASTED QUAIL WITH A VANILLA SAUCE MAKES 6 SERVINGS Ingredients 12 bone-in quail 5 tablespoons (75mL) olive oil, divided Coffee-spice Rub 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds 12 black peppercorns 20 coriander seeds 3 whole […]

While we often think of herbs in terms of cooking, they’re also an excellent tool for keeping your flock healthy. Amy Fewell shares tips and specific herb information to help you heal wounds and protect your chickens. Holistic Living We started our homesteading adventure in 2010 when our son was diagnosed with childhood asthma. Herbalism […]

Permaculture writer Jonathon Engels shares the Ins, Outs, and Whys of keeping chickens in your greenhouse. Why Put Chickens in the Greenhouse? In temperate climates, winter prevents us from growing fresh vegetables outside, but a greenhouse—even one that’s solely heated by solar power—allows us to foster some greens and cold-hardy treats to enjoy. Lettuce, spinach, […]

Marissa Buchanan raises and breeds these rare, solid black chickens. She shares her experiences of owning a flock and the need to conserve this breed. Modern History of the Breed The rare and unique Ayam cemani is revered by poultry enthusiasts. With its black feathers, skin, and flesh, this breed is quite distinctive and certainly […]

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 […]