There are lots of possibilities for using wine corks creatively! Making a holiday, wine cork wreath for a favorite friend or family member is particularly fun during the Christmas season. Of course, you can create one for any occasion simply by changing the type of floral accent and bow that you use. They make nice decorations […] The post Create A Wine Cork Wreath appeared first on Better Hens & Gardens ..read more

Winterizing the vegetable garden is an important fall activity that will help ensure success in your garden next year. A few hours of work now will make a huge difference in making your future garden a success. If you have chickens, they can be surprisingly helpful when it’s time to prepare your garden for winter. Chickens […] The post Winterizing The Vegetable Garden (+ let chickens do the work!) appeared first on Better Hens & Gardens ..read more

It’s easy to make your own homemade vanilla extract rather than buying the expensive little bottles of (typically fake) extract at the store. All it takes are a few vanilla beans, a tall bottle, and some vodka. Once it’s made, you can keep the recipe going for years by adding more vodka and vanilla beans. Plus, […] The post Homemade Vanilla Extract appeared first on Better Hens & Gardens ..read more

Many chicken keepers are disappointed when winter rolls around because their supply of fresh, delicious eggs from the homestead flock suddenly slows down or stops altogether. This happens because most chickens naturally decrease egg production during the colder months. However, with a little knowledge and preplanning, a flock can be controlled to produce eggs year-round. […] The post Control Chicken Winter Egg Production appeared first on Better Hens & Gardens ..read more

Ultimate “Cheater” Pulled Pork is the easiest, but greatest-tasting pulled pork recipe we’ve ever found. It’s always a hit and is awesome for parties! I first heard about this recipe on The Splendid Table where it was reprinted from Cheater BBQ: Barbecue Anytime, Anywhere, In Any Weather by Mindy Merrell and R. B. Quinn. It’s unbelievable how good it […] The post Ultimate Cheater Pulled Pork (slow cooker) appeared first on Better Hens & Gardens ..read more

Wanting to dip your toe in the country living lifestyle but don’t know where to get started? Join the Farming Fall Family Giveaway (Sept 19th-22rd) to get access to free resources to get started on your journey. As a small farmer or homesteader, you know that finding the answers to all your questions can be tough.  […] The post Farming Fall Family Giveaway! appeared first on Better Hens & Gardens. The post Farming Fall Family Giveaway! appeared first on Better Hens & Gardens ..read more

Did you know that you can get totally free 2023 chicken calendar(s) from the USDA? To help educate backyard poultry keepers about infectious poultry diseases and protect their birds, the United States Department of Agriculture is again offering FREE yearly calendars for 2023, called: DEFEND THE FLOCK (click on the title to see what the calendar looks like […] The post How To Get A Free 2023 Chicken Calendar appeared first on Better Hens & Gardens. The post How To Get A Free 2023 Chicken Calendar appeared first on Better Hens & Gardens ..read more

Fall is the time of year when chickens molt and egg production declines dramatically. This makes it a good time to make decisions on which hens (if any) should be culled. How Chickens Molt Molting is a natural occurrence for chickens triggered by shortening day length in the fall. It can take from 2 to 6 […] The post How & How Fast Chickens Molt (with illustrations) appeared first on Better Hens & Gardens. The post How & How Fast Chickens Molt (with illustrations) appeared first on Better Hens & Gardens ..read more

A barn is one of the most important structures and largest investments on a homestead, so it’s essential to think through all of the key features before building one. The perfect barn for each farm will vary depending on the type of operation, livestock housed, location, size, and personal preferences. But the better you are […] The post The Homestead Barn (Important Questions Before Building) appeared first on Better Hens & Gardens. The post The Homestead Barn (Important Questions Before Building) appeared first on Better Hens & Gardens ..read more

Infectious bronchitis in chickens is one reason that it’s important to practice biosecurity and quarantine new birds before introducing them into your flock. When we introduced new chickens into our first small flock, I missed that important step, and we learned a painful lesson as a result. It wasn’t enough to ask if the new […] The post Infectious Bronchitis in Chickens appeared first on Better Hens & Gardens. The post Infectious Bronchitis in Chickens appeared first on Better Hens & Gardens ..read more