We were naively ecstatic when our first chicks were hatched in 2003. Not only were the chicks adorable, but it also meant that we were self-sufficient when it came to providing eggs for ourselves. Our hens were providing us with eggs, and they were providing us with their replacements so that when they slowed down and eventually stopped laying, there would be younger hens to … [Read more...]
The confusing world of meat labels
If you don't grow 100% of your own meat like we do, then how do you know what meat is the best? What does grass-fed beef mean? What about pastured pork? What is free-range chicken? What do meat labels mean? The first thing you need to know about labels is that anyone can put almost anything on a label. "Organic" is about the only word that has governmental … [Read more...]
Poultry processing options
Raising chickens, turkey, and other poultry to sell as meat is a little more complicated that just finding out what you can legally do in terms of slaughter. Liability is also an important consideration. Meat sold across state lines falls within the jurisdiction of the USDA, so should be processed in a USDA-inspected facility. If you are selling meat within your state, you … [Read more...]
Book review: Pastured Poultry Profit$
“I think few things would be as gratifying as seeing neighborhoods all over the country run a chicken pen in their yard to mow it, fertilize it, and produce their own chickens. How exciting.” – Joel Salatin Pastured Poultry Profit$ provides the perfect companion to Harvey Ussery's The Small-Scale Poultry Flock, which I reviewed last week here. I purchased both books for a … [Read more...]
Book review: The Small-Scale Poultry Flock
Whether you are just getting started with chickens or have had them for awhile, Harvey Ussery's The Small-Scale Poultry Flock provides an informative and entertaining read. I originally purchased the book when taking a Pastured Poultry class through UMass Amherst Stockbridge School of Agriculture, and I know it will be invaluable to me as I start raising my own chickens. The … [Read more...]
Farm animal psychology
The children chased the chickens. They couldn't understand why the chickens didn't want to cuddle. Last week was the first week of Nature's Farm Camp on our homestead, and I had to explain farm animal psychology to the children. I often find myself playing the role of psychologist when people are first introduced to chickens, turkeys, goats, sheep, cows, and other farm … [Read more...]
Feeding chickens without “chicken feed”
Urban homesteader Todd Allen of Chicago explains how they feed their chickens without any purchased feeds. My wife and I are urban chicken keepers. For the past four years we have not fed commercial feed and our flock of nine hens is healthy and productive. We hardly buy them any food at all. It was not our plan when we started keeping chickens. We … [Read more...]
Hens on holiday: 3 strategies for eggless living
A few years ago, a family friend asked one of our daughters, "So, where do you buy eggs when your hens stop laying?" My daughter replied that we never buy eggs. He responded with disbelief, and my daughter told him that we had not bought eggs since our first hens started laying in 2002. The friend had a hard time understanding how we lived without eggs during the winter months, … [Read more...]
Keeping City Chickens: 7 things to consider
by Bethany Staswick "Is that a CHICKEN in your yard?" We get the question all the time as people walk by on the city sidewalk. Yes, it is a chicken. And, in fact, we have ten of them. When we bought our house in the city with the extra side lot attached (take the yard tour here), we didn't intend to raise any animals. But less than a year into living there, we met … [Read more...]
7 tips for success with a farm dog
Many people think a dog is a dog, but when it comes to working dogs on farms, nothing could be further from the truth. Just as you would never hire an unqualified person to do a job in an office, you should not get an unqualified dog to do a job on your farm. While you might laugh at the idea that a chihuahua could herd sheep, plenty of people have gone to the local animal … [Read more...]