When I saw the huge amount of Purple Dead Nettle covering our property last spring, I wondered if I could create a purple dead nettle dye for our wool. Purple Dead Nettle ( Lamium purpureum ) is an invasive plant, commonly called a weed. We had a huge crop of this plant. Would this plant yield a Purple Dead Nettle Dye? I love to forage for natural plant material that can be used for dyeing our wool yarn, I gathered up a large basket full of purple dead nettle. Research showed that stinging nettle could provide a yellow dye that could be modified to green. Digging even deeper, I found that any ..read more

Garden planning tips to help non-gardeners. This concept may be a foreign term to you. Are you a non- gardener? Is your idea of gardening throwing some radish and lettuce seeds on top of some dirt? I will confess that I consider myself a non-gardener. You might be thinking, but, you have a farm and grow vegetables and herbs every year. I want to be a gardener, really, I do. But, the truth is I am haphazard at it at best. Garden planning eludes me year after year,  I read about gardeners planning all winter. Some even plan years ahead. I “plan” in  the spring when I see the ..read more

What are these three things chickens don’t need? When raising chickens naturally, in winter, there are things chickens don’t need. I know its hard to believe that chickens can and do make it through the winter months, even in very cold climates, without our interfering. How can a chicken possibly survive the cold and reach the warmer spring months healthy and happy? Because this happens over and over. Chickens all over the world weather the winter without these three things chickens don’t need for winter.  Here are the three things chickens don’t need for winter; heated coops, extra ..read more

Why would you keep the rooster? The general feeling from most chicken keepers seems to be just the opposite. Rightly so in the case of neighborhood rules, or possibly having small children around. But in many cases, if you keep the rooster, your flock will benefit from a good leader. When you picked up your chicks this year, the little fluffy balls of fun were so cute! No doubt one was your favorite. Now that the chicks are reaching 10 to 12 weeks of age, you have begun to notice something a little different about your favorite chick. It may be slightly bigger, stand a little taller, have big ..read more

Properly treating foot injuries in chickens is very important. Cleaning wounds and a bumble foot treatment plan should be started promptly. The chicken may not eat or drink enough if it has a foot injury. This will weaken the bird and could lead to infection and death A good habit to get into is looking at each one of your animals every day. Learning on the homestead never stops. Every day there is a new issue to resolve or roadblock to scale. Knowing all of your animals, and what is normal behavior for each one, is important and can make a difference in their health or even survival. Keeping ..read more

Are you ready to build a garden box and add a new dimension to your food growing plan. Often, a raised garden bed is just what is needed to change your not so great garden harvest into a bountiful return. Raised bed gardens are beneficial on many levels. Not only are they compact and convenient, they look nice too. It’s easier on your back since you don’t have to bend over as far. You can even build a garden box up higher to accommodate any physical requirements you may have. Keep in mind that the higher you raise the garden, the more lumber you will need. Some folks build a garden bed at tab ..read more

We are heading into the prime season for a chicken coop fire. Cool weather leading into actual cold weather begins and soft hearted chicken keepers try to keep the coop warm. There are methods to keeping the coop comfortable for chickens and still avoid causing a chicken coop fire. The same prevention strategies will also help avoid barn fires. Understanding the Chicken and Cold Weather We might be tempted to view chickens as fragile, helpless birds that need us to dress them and supply a heater in the coop. Nothing could be further from the truth. While there are some less cold hardy breeds ..read more

Can goats eat Christmas trees? This is a popular question during the later part of December. Many of us will have spent hard earned dollars, purchasing a fresh cut tree from a local tree lot. After the tinsel and ornaments have been removed, using the tree as a food option in the barnyard can add value to the money spent on a fresh cut tree. So can goats eat Christmas trees? What about sheep, cattle, and even the chickens? The genus Pine contains a lot of plants, some not even true pines. Yew is not in the genus of Pinus, (its actually a member of the Taxus genus). Yew is often confused with ..read more

Are there homemade chicken feed options available for the homesteader? I scoured the internet looking for the best simple, possibly inexpensive, layer chicken feed. Many options for organic, corn-free and soy-free recipes and formulas were found in the process and I’m happy to share them with you! But first, let’s take a look at what is needed in a chicken diet. Chickens need carbohydrates, protein, fat, as well as vitamins and minerals as shown below. Vitamins A D E K B1 (Thiamin) B2 (Riboflavin) B12 (folate) Folic acid Biotin Choline Niacin Minerals Calcium Phosphorus Magnesium Manganese ..read more

Getting ready for fall starts in the late summer. Fall chicken care thoughts begin to run through my head. Chilly weather will require some changes to routine, and buildings need to be checked for repairs. Using the days with pleasant weather to get these things done keeps us from repairing and scrambling during a storm. Are you preparing now? Here are some of the things we begin to do. Health Check – Beak to Tail Chicken Checkup Making sure that your individual flock members are ready to weather the upcoming changes is important. Some minor ailments can be treated successfully when found ear ..read more