A blog post from new blogger Sandra Cryder Why am I obsessed with poultry? I’ve been thinking about this lately as I watch my flock gamble across the yard. My grandparents were farmers, but they raised hogs. My parents and I lived in town and our pets were dogs. The only time I encountered a […]

When you have given time, effort, sweat, and love to your urban homestead, how do you leave it? Rachel Cunning shares her story of building up her homestead, having to leave what she created, and planning for the next home. I am standing in the driveway of our suburban homestead. The wind blows lightly through 20 […]

Elle Pugsley is a new blogger for Community Chickens, and comes to us from southern England. Getting Started with Chickens My love of chickens started last year when I met my neighbour’s flock. Growing my own food was going so well, chickens seemed like the next obvious step.  I started with four bantams in an […]

Wild populations of quail have been shrinking in the U.S. for decades, to the concern of bird conservationists. However, in recent years, several different species of quail have become popular birds with homesteaders and backyard bird enthusiasts. They are small, easy to maintain, and in most states they aren’t considered livestock. This means that you […]

Making the most of your farm or homestead doesn’t always mean growing more plants or raising more animals.  Here are some ideas about adding value to your place through agritourism.  Enjoy this excerpt from Farms with a Future: Creating and Growing a Sustainable Farm Business by Rebecca Thistlethwaite. Permission from Chelsea Green publishers. It’s not easy […]

Join us for our first #photocontest of the year! You can log onto the Community Chickens Facebook page and post photos.  Every month we’ll be picking a theme and asking you to share your flock with us. Winners will be selected at the end of each month and the top three will be featured on the […]

This is a companion piece to Liz Fulghum’s article Low-Maintenance Backyard Chickens. Here Liz provides detailed equipment lists and instructions for building a low-maintenance food and water system for your backyard chickens. This DIY food and water system is ideal for a backyard flock of 3 to 6 chickens and for busy urban homesteaders with […]

Dave Holderread has raised and studies ducks for 50 years.  He taught applied poultry science in Puerto Rico before he and his wife Millie established one of the largest genetic stocks of domestic waterfowl in the world on their farm in Oregon. This excerpt about the need to preserve rare breeds is from Storey’s Guide […]

Chickens provide free compost, fresh eggs, and are extremely helpful garden assistants by turning up soil, eating insects, and keeping weeds at bay. They’re part of the perfect garden trifecta: fruit and vegetables, chickens, and bees. They’re also wonderful on their own, without bees or dedicated vegetable gardens. So if you have some extra space in […]

Eggs, eggs everywhere but not a customer in sight. If this describes your egg business, it’s time to think about Marketing 101. This includes both what is in your ads and where you are putting them. If you don’t have ads yet, this is the perfect time to start. Marketing isn’t as scary as most […]