Chicks require heat starting at 95 degrees Fahrenheit when first born so a heat source is required unless you have a broody hen. When I started reading about heat plates vs. brooder heat lamps, I wondered why I used a heat lamp for so many years. There are pros and cons to each type of…
Raising chicks for the first time can be an intimidating thing to do as a beginning homesteader. I remember the first time we received ducks and chicks for our farm. My feelings were excitement and panic at the same time. What if I killed these sweet baby animals? What if they get sick and I…
I’ve been raising Dixie Rainbow Chickens for almost 3 years now and my experience has been pretty great! Here’s the rundown on everything you need to know about this hybrid, rainbow breed chicken, including Dixie Rainbow Chicken pictures. Pin it for later or to show you chicken lovin’ friends! The beginner’s guide to dixie rainbow…
Chicken owners wonder every year how to keep chickens warm in winter weather. Always keep an eye on the forecast to be as ready as possible for extreme winter weather on your homestead. You’ll need to check the projected high and low temperatures, but more importantly, the wind chill. Cold winters can also bring strong…
What is fermented chicken feed? According to Linda of Garden Betty, “In a nutshell, fermented chicken feed is probiotics for your chicken. It’s a wet mash (the chicken keeper’s term for moistened food) created by lactic acid fermentation (the same type of fermentation that occurs naturally in sauerkraut). Just like kraut, it contains all the…
I’m going to tell you how to butcher a duck for the first time alone on the farm because taking a life is not easy. When we decided to embark on this wild journey, we both knew that there would be life and death, we just didn’t know how much. Eventually, we found it was…
The unfortunate part of looking for a flea and tick spray for your yard is they’re often loaded with chemicals. I’m going to tell you about a plant-based, chemical-free flea and tick yard spray that is safe for you, your children and your pets (and smells wonderful!). *Disclaimer: I am not nor have I have…
If you’re anything like me, and I bet you are, you like to save a buck when you can and want to know how to cut feed costs with fodder. I’m here to tell you how I cut my feed costs by sprouting barley fodder and how to do it! How to save money on…
When I started homesteading I always wondered what my duties on the homestead should be. I knew there were daily, weekly, and monthly chores to do, But I still wondered what they were exactly. What did other homesteaders do every day? I had a feeling that I was forgetting something and the result would be…
There was a moment of clarity a few days before retrieving our friend, and butcher, from the airport. I’d spent the morning sitting with our pig, Carnitas, crying whilst my body lay against hers. As I embraced her, reaching my arms around her 59-inch girth, I apologized for what I knew would come. You see,…
Raising meat chickens is a lot like raising regular chickens. In fact, it’s almost exactly the same AND super easy! You’re actually just raising a regular backyard chicken with the purpose of eating it one day instead of the chicken being a layer their whole life. There are a few differences you should know about…
Setting up realistic short-term and long-term goals on the homestead is one of the most important steps you’ll take in all your years. When Emerson and I bought our homestead, we failed to set up realistic goals. I’ll go over gardening, animal husbandry, fruit trees and more in this guide. Are you ready to set…
Raising meat rabbits is such a fun endeavor, although it was one I had no interest in in the beginning. The most important part of raising rabbits is providing them with the proper housing. Raising meat rabbits in colonies vs. raising rabbits in a hutch or cage setting. Raising meat rabbits was something I wanted…
Disclosure: I received a copy of The Beginner’s Guide to Backyard Homesteading for free in exchange for my honest review of its contents. Receiving this book free of charge has not influenced my ability to provide my honest opinion on the contents of this book. Additionally, this post contains affiliate links. By utilizing these links,…
Disclaimer: Grow Where You Sow may earn a commission of your purchase after utilizing the links on this page at no extra cost to you. I am reviewing this product on my own volition and have not to be persuaded in any way to do so from any outside entity. When I started culling animals,…
I was outside one day and noticed stick tight fleas on my chickens. Growing up with cats and dogs a flea, in general, was nothing new. These were different though. Stick tight fleas, or Echidnophaga gallinacea, burrow underneath the chickens’ skin, and are not easily removable. But I’m going to tell you exactly what I…
Dealing with rodents on my homestead wasn’t easy and, honestly, it got a little out of hand. It forced me to make some really hard decisions and start looking at ways to repel rodents on my homestead. Here are a few “farm hacks” to avoid inviting rodents to your home and farm. How to repel…
Starting a homestead can be daunting. Here are the best farm animals to raise as a beginner.
When you have so much going on, you just have to do whatever works. I’m going to explain to you how to stay organized even when you have so much going on! 4 different ways I use planners to organize my everyday life for optimum efficiency. I work a job 32 hours a week, run…
I’ve had a few people ask me over this last year to write about mental health and homesteading. I’ve been interested in writing on this subject but never did. I don’t have any proper medical training so it honestly would’ve all been guesswork and research. I try my best to write about things I’ve experienced…
I think it’s a common misconception that in order to homestead you must “have it all” – the goats, chickens, ducks, pigs, rabbits, etc. I thought if I didn’t have animals, gardens, things fermenting (or molding) in the kitchen then I just wasn’t doing it the right way. I’m downsizing my homestead and I’m not…
Many of my days on the homestead are chock full reading books and online literature, trying to fix a problem. This week I want to share a story with you about a down-home educational spark that was lit on the art of laying an egg. How hens lay eggs and why it truly is an…
I’m constantly trying to think of ways to get closer to self-sustainability through our homesteading lifestyle. The next step is to actually do those things! If you’re homesteading and need guidance towards self-sustainability, here are 19 ways to achieve your goal. I’ve done a lot of the things on the list below. Some others are…
All homesteaders have to prepare for the spring season. From gardens to picking up debris, it all has to be done in a timely manner in order to get through the spring season and transition into the summer. Here are the things to do to prepare for the spring season on your homestead. How to…
I’ve decided there’s really no absolutely perfect time to add more livestock to your homestead. There are a few things you can do to become more comfortable with the choice you make. These are in no particular order! When’s the right time for new livestock on your farm? Space for your livestock One of the…
If you’re new to raising chickens, a decrease in egg production could be something frustrating or even scary! Especially if you have chickens specifically for their egg production. I can’t tell you how to keep it from being frustrating, but it doesn’t have to be scary. There are reasons why your 12 hen flock might…
Today I’m going to tell you about actually getting the pig in your car and onto your homestead. Just last week I wrote about Getting a Pig on the Homestead: The Emotional Roller Coaster. Well, Y’all, I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT WAS ONLY LAST WEEK! A week ago exactly, actually. So last Thursday (Sep 6,…
Dealing with rodents on the homestead. Yep, I said it. Plump, brown, smarter-than-you rodents. Nobody really wants to talk about this. Why? Because it’s kind of gross. There’s this taboo with rodents, and I totally get it. My feelings towards rodents were neutral until we moved on the homestead. I debated writing this because I…
It’s September and our homestead is in full bloom right now. A small hen house is being fixed up for our growing 18 bird meat flock, the rabbits are being bred as the weather gets cooler, and the ducks are quacking around the yard foraging. I love the Spring, but this year I may love…
I do understand that a lot of people know many things when they beginning homesteading, and that’s so great. If you’re buying a homestead and know nothing like I did, here are the first five things I think you should learn first. Before you start homesteading, you should know these things. Me? I knew nothing…
When I first started homesteading I always wondered what everyone else’s daily chores were. Who did they feed first? How much feed did they give to their animals? Were there any night chores I needed to take on? I figured since it was something I always wondered, you might be too. Here is what my…
I always thought it’d be so great to have my animals love me. Here are three great reasons to train your animals to love you…or at least like you a little more than not. I’m in the process now, myself! 3 reasons you should train your animals to love you for an easier time raising…
Although we’re halfway into our third year now, I want to tell you all a little bit about what happened here on on our homestead in 2017. What I experienced the second year on our homestead can what our goals are moving forward. Our failures, our achievements, our goals, etc. I hope, if you’re beginning,…
You’ll always have to find what works best for your land, but some things are great to know starting out. Here are the things you have to have in a henhouse, and then some that are just nice to have. 6 things a henhouse needs along with some extra “nice to haves”. I didn’t have…
These books are perfect for every homesteader. The very first “house warming gift” we got was a book. Although I was hoping for a goat or a zebu, the book proved equally as useful. Four books every homesteader should have and read. There are so many books to read, right?! Not to mention all the…
Tropical Storms and First Years on a Homestead The first year on a homestead has been kind of wild. We’re officially experiencing our first storm, Tropical Storm Colin, as homeowners and homestead owners! What we accomplished the first year on our homestead and our future goals. Although we’re calmly watching countless episodes of Netflix we’re…