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50 Do-It-Yourself Projects for Keeping Chickens – Chicken Coops and More

August 11, 2018 by Laurie Neverman 2 Comments

“50 Do-It-Yourself Projects for Keeping Chickens – Chicken Coops, Brooders, Runs, Swings, Dust Baths, and More!” by Janet Garman of Timber Creek Farm is a pleasure to read. You might think that with so many chicken care books already on the market, there would be limited need for another, but Janet will prove you wrong. This book is chock full of practical tips and projects, photos and step-by-step instructions. It's a great addition to the library of any chicken keeper, large or small.

I had the honor of checking out a review copy before it went to publication. (You can spot my endorsement on the back cover.) Now the book is in print and I can share it with all of you! [Read more…]

7 Best Chicken Tips for First Time Chicken Owners

February 14, 2017 by Guest 30 Comments

Chickens are all the rage these days, and while I'm usually not big fan of “trends,” I happen to think this is a good one! There is a lot of chicken raising information out there and it can definitely be overwhelming at first. While I don't claim to be the final authority of all things chicken, I've kept a flock for several years now and want to share my seven best chicken tips for simplifying your chicken keeping. [Read more…]

How to Raise Chickens Cheaply – Small Budget? No Problem.

December 29, 2015 by Laurie Neverman 67 Comments

How to raise chickens cheaply?

That's what I needed to figure out. I got the idea to raise chickens while unemployed for several months. Times got a little tight (to say the least!) and I thought that if I had a coop and a garden at least my family and I would have just a little more in the pantry. So I set out to learn as much as I could before spending any little cash. Here are a few lessons learned…..

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Homestead Chicken Resources – Everything You Need for Your Backyard Flock

May 13, 2015 by Laurie Neverman 5 Comments

Homestead chickens are a great small scale protein option for meat or eggs, and don't require a huge investment in time or materials to get started. I've teamed up with a number of my blogging friends to pull together this awesome list of homestead chicken resources to help you with everything from hatching your own eggs to predator patrol and chicken diapers (yes, they exist). There's information on coops and runs, feeds and foraging, roosters and broody hens. We also include plenty of posts about the “why” as well as the “how” of raising chickens, as well as the tough stuff like dealing with sick chickens and harvesting chickens for meat. If you have a topic that's not covered, please ask, as I'm sure someone in the group has a post that can help. Enjoy! [Read more…]