Off The Grid News Better Ideas For Off The Grid Living

Defense Of The Homestead As I sit down to write the article” Defense of the homestead”, it is a shade after midnight. Not such an odd hour for a freelance writer. The day job has been put behind me, the farm chores have been done. Also, the kids’ needs have been attended. This is the ...

The standard advice for feeding laying hens is simple: Just buy corn and layer mash. And if you’re primarily concerned with saving time and trouble, this is probably the right approach for you. But if you’re concerned with health and ...

So you’ve decided that backyard chickens would be a good addition to your self-sufficient lifestyle. Now comes the more difficult part. What exactly are you going to do with those chickens you see scratching and nesting in your mind’s eye? ...

When you get a new puppy, you know you will have to train it to follow directions — and not to “use the bathroom” on the carpet. But what about your chicks? Do you train them, too? Owning trained chickens ...

Foxes, coyotes, weasels, raccoons, rats and hawks. Predators abound in and around a homestead, and they’re all after your chickens. Possums, skunks and snakes wouldn’t mind stealing some eggs and chicks, too. And even if you live in the city ...

There’s nothing that hints of spring quite like newly hatched chicks. If you haven’t ordered yet, now is the time to do so, either through a nearby breeder, the local feed store or a mail order hatchery. You’ll also want ...

Winter is a scary time for new chicken owners. We want our flock to be warm, healthy and happy — which can be challenging with freezing temperatures and snow coating the ground. Fortunately, once you figure it out, raising chickens ...

Frostbite can take place within minutes of flesh being exposed to wet, cold temperatures – and it can impact your chickens, too. Chickens do have a covering of feathers to keep them warm, but their legs, feet, comb and wattles ...

This time of year it is important to begin preparing your chickens and your coop for colder weather.  In the Midwest, the popularity of winter-hardy breeds, is quite high. If you don’t keep them warm enough and well-fed, however, there’s ...

When I first started looking into getting chickens for my small backyard garden, I couldn’t believe how many breeds there were! It was dizzying trying to decide among hundreds of chicken breeds in all shapes, sizes, colors, and temperaments. Choosing ...