Some absolutely hate having a broody hen. Others (me, me, me!) absolutely love it. When a hen goes broody, she’s ready to hunker down, hatch some eggs, and raise the next generation of flock members. For us, that means we don’t have to: Incubate eggs, Purchase chicks, Maintain a brooder, Or take special care of

It’s cold. It’s dark. It’s dreary. Winter was always my least favorite season, but it becomes more of a bother the older I get. I’m just not a fan, and I’ve grown increasingly bitter about it… I mean, winter just barges in the door, kills all of your plants, and leaves your hands a cracked,

Currently, I want a greenhouse. A big, beautiful, greenhouse. I want to be able to keep a salad garden thriving throughout the winter months without stalled growth, and potentially cool weather tomatoes as well (such as Sub-Arctic Plenty.) I imagine several beds on either side, lining the path to floor-ceiling shelving, which will hold my

Hello again, everyone! What better to receive this holiday season than a bunch of seeds for the veggie, herb, and flower gardens as we head into 2020? Well, our family and Joey’s family over at Burning Hearth Homestead are going to make that happen for two wonderful followers! First, we’re going to go over what’s

Most people are accustomed to purchasing chicks in the spring, usually somewhere around February or March. It makes sense; by the time the chicks reach 5 weeks of age, you’re able to put them outside, as it’s starting to warm up with spring’s arrival. Then, you’re faced with another 4 to 6 months before the

If you’ve been eyeing the world of food dehydration with curiosity, I hope you’ll take action and try your hand at this incredible method of food preservation! Food dehydration may seem controversial to some because it is not heat-treated when packed into jars or bags, which can scare some people away. They’re missing out on

So, I was recently asked a really good question: “What’s your favorite seed company? Why do you use that company for your homestead?” There’s a ton of places to buy seeds out there, a ton of great places, actually! I’ve bought seeds from: Baker Creek Burpee SeedsNow American Seed Co Ferry Morse Various eBay Sellers

Let me start off by saying this is ALMOST DIY. It uses two commercial organic pesticides, among other ingredients that I add. So while this is a do-it-yourself concoction, it’s not 100% homemade. However, the individual ingredients are not enough to provide effective control of and protection from squash bugs and vine borers. It’s also

Homesteading can be pretty expensive; I’m not going to lie. In order to get many of the things we need or want (without spending a fortune, because it’s easy to do here and there!), I had to find a few loopholes. Some of these methods are obvious, others take a bit of experience…. All of

So, you visited the feed store…  And you came home with not only chicks, but ducklings, too. Hey, we’ve all done it! (and some of us will CONTINUE to do it…) Now you’re stuck in a predicament: two species, one brooder. So naturally, here you are. You need to know if the ducklings and chicks

Yay! We crossed 100 posts on the blog! Here’s to 1,000 more! Yesterday, I posted #100; it was so exciting to cross that threshold. I mean, I’ve been eyeballing those numbers for a few months. In celebration, I thought it would be fun to make a compilation post of my 10 favorite posts so far

If you haven’t already purchased one, you need a planner in your life. As a homestead grows, it becomes nearly impossible to figure out what needs to be done when! From worming and hoof trimming to pest control and annual vet visits, it can be hard to keep up. Here’s our method for making your

Growing food is great and all… But, what about growing food that can withstand complete and total neglect? The type of plants that just hang out in the yard all year, yet you forget they even exist (until you eat them)? I’m talking about a truly amazing, plant-it-and-forget-it garden full of the lazy homesteader’s best

As I discussed on our Facebook page (for those who haven’t seen the post or “liked” us, find us here!), I was contemplating a customized, printable series which could be incredibly useful should internet access be lost. You can find nearly anything you need on the internet information-wise. But what if you could no longer

It has been a while since I’ve done an update of any kind, so why not today? As the days become longer, hotter, and more humid, we have babies bouncing, seedlings sprawling, and buildings growing. May is a beautiful month, as it’s when our garden begins to truly explode with life of all kinds! So,

Commercial feed can be expensive and unsustainable, especially for a family that is trying to reduce its dependence on modern conveniences. There are a couple of options for cheap, free, or pre-existing feed that many families could take advantage of to: slash their feed bills, reduce their dependence on outside sources of feed, and raise