Egg Facts

A Very Special Day
We’ve been waiting for this day with great anticipation. Today is our birthday and we are one year old! We started the day with a birthday kiss. And Mom’s been in the kitchen baking our birthday cak

Pumpkin Seed Chicken Dewormer
If you’ve spent any time at all on the Backyard Chickens forums, or any other number of chicken forums, you’ve undoubtedly heard that pumpkin seeds are a natural dewormer. I’ve done a lot of reading on this subject, and although I’ve never found anything that proves this conclusively, I will tell you that I’ve learned pumpkin seeds have been used for hundreds of years a natural dewormer for all types of pets and livestock. From dogs to horses, and even for humans. And with interest in natural products rising, there are even research grants available concerning the use of pumpkin seeds as a dewor

Acknowledging Limitations
When we decided to get back to basic living and move to our homestead, it came with an agreement that we would work toward becoming self-sufficient and self-reliant. We knew this was a big order, and we were willing to take baby steps and be happy for the progress we made, even if it was slower than we wished. We knew and had practiced some of the skills required before we got here. We had been growing gardens and canning for over 20 years. And, although I had become a little lazy at it, I had been cooking from scratch for at least that long. Bernie knew how to work on vehicles, do home repairs, and work with wood. Within short order, Bernie learned to saw lumber, build she

It’s That Time of Year
Bernie and I have been busy in the yard, preparing for the colder weather that is quickly moving in. We cleaned up the garden and added some mulch from the straw, pine shavings, and chicken poop pile that’s been cooking all year. We covered the outdoor plants in leaves and pine straw. I brought in tender plants that have lived in the greenhouse all summer. And, for the few plants still in the greenhouse? Well, I’ve been saving milk jugs all year. So I painted them all black.

Molting and That’ll Teach ‘em
We’ve been going through some serious molt around here. My chickens have looked just awful, and the coop and yard have been filled with feathers. It’s a natural occurrence, and it takes a lot of energy to grow new feathers. So nature designed it that chickens will molt when there is a slow down in egg laying, hatching, and making new babies. Their bodies focus on growing new feathers. Hens stop laying and going broody, and roosters aren’t quite as amorous as in the spring. Chickens need their reserves to replace all those feathers, and that makes sense to me. Unfortunately, the typical timing of a molt just so happens to be as the colder weather starts to come in. And