By Tasha Greer Cochin chickens aren’t a typical choice for hardcore homesteaders. But perhaps they should be! Most chickens are too destructive to let in a vegetable garden to do pest control. Cochins, though, can be kept out of beds … Read More
By Tasha Greer If you’re looking for the Golden Retriever of chickens, think Orpingtons! The original Orpingtons were bred with black feathers that wouldn’t show soot during the industrial coal era in England. That made them an excellent urban meat … Read More
by Tammy Gallagher Who Doesn’t Love A Fluffy Purple Chicken That Lays Blue Eggs? That’s my favorite question to ask when talking about my frizzled Lavender Ameraucanas. I think they are just splendid!!! And they have quickly become a close … Read More
When we got our first 27 chickens in 2002, they were half buff Orpington and half silver-laced Wyandotte, so naming them was a bit of a challenge since so many of them looked alike. However, a few favorites soon emerged … Read More
by Tammy Gallagher The Incredible Silkie Chicken! Just one glance and the average person is smitten with the Silkie chicken’s beautiful and unique appearance. There really is nothing quite as mesmerizing as a flock of snow white fuzzy Silkie chickens … Read More
One of the biggest concerns of future chicken keepers, as well as novice chicken keepers from Florida to Alaska is how their birds will survive the winter. The short answer is that they’ll survive just fine! You don’t have to … Read More
If you want to add one or more solid black chickens to your flock you have a great variety from which to choose. Since many breeds have black feathers — and some even have black skin and meat — there … Read More
Episode 4Sustainability Book Chat As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Having backyard chickens, like having your own garden, is a small but significant way to take control of your food and decrease its carbon footprint. While backyard … Read More
It is always a bit of a shock when someone asks me if something — apples, pigs, turkeys, you-name-it — can be grown organically. I’ve heard the questions so many times over the years that it really should not be … Read More
Chickens are fascinating creatures that are beautiful and entertaining, and they give us eggs! But did you know all of these fun facts about chickens? Chickens come in different sizes When most people think about chickens, the image in their … Read More
Thrifty Homesteader was created in 2012 after the publication of my second book, Ecothrifty. The name was coined by one of my followers because I said that I didn’t want anyone to think that they had to be rich to homestead or live a greener life....
