Washing Eggs

I have to admit that before we got chickens I always assumed that the eggs are cleans no matter what. Well I was wrong. Most of the eggs are pretty clean but sometimes those hens like to lay in weird places or sometimes an eggs cracks and gets yolk on other eggs or sometimes  I don't even know how they get dirty.

Planning Your 2011 Garden

I'm sure most of you have already started planning your garden but I really haven't. I thought about but haven't drawn out a plan yet.  This will be our third year having a garden and we really haven't every drawn out a plan the past two years. This year I want to change that and want to get more out of my garden as far as fitting more plants it in.

What's On Your Plate?

As I made breakfast for my husband and I this Sunday it really dawned on me that I need to be more diligent in eating food that is grown on our own land or bought locally.  I made eggs with onion and peppers, hash browns, bacon, toast and pinto beans. Of all those items only the eggs, peppers and onions were from my land the rest was bought at the grocery store.

New Chicken Run Fence

This weekend we had beautiful weather and it once again reminded my why are we are trying to homestead.    The smell of the fresh air, the plants coming to life and being around the chickens really was beautiful. I admit sometimes I forget in the winter since we can't really do anything outside because of  all the snow, except shovel and snow blow.

Raising Chickens: Part 2- Raising Older Chicks

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Now that you have chicks that have fully feathered the next stage of raising chickens begins.  This next step what me and my husband call the "teenage stage” and at this stage we move our birds outside and in our transition coop. We came up with this when we already had full grown pullets and didn’t feel comfortable putting the chicks in with them.