Off The Grid News Better Ideas For Off The Grid Living

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? Are you raising them for eggs only? Maybe you are remembering those expensive, fancy breeds ...

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 ...

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 ...

The standard advice about raising chicks is to keep them under heat lamps, feed them chick starter, and give them coccidiostats. The first time my family bought hatchery chicks we followed this advice and ended up with healthy birds. But ...

  The ancient Egyptians and Chinese are credited with inventing the first egg incubators, but it wasn’t until the late 1800s that the first commercial incubators were used. Thus began the earnest attempt by poultry breeders to reduce the hen’s ...

I don’t know many farmers who don’t have at least a few chickens. Even dairy farmers I personally know keep a half dozen or more of our feathered friends. The chicken is to a farm what denim jeans are to ...

Chances are if you have considered keeping a backyard flock that you also have thought about hatching your own chicks. Being able to maintain a controlled breeding program can mean a great deal to a homestead birding operation. Commercial incubators ...

So you’ve decided you want to get chickens? You may be wondering what exactly you are getting yourself into and what you need to have before you bring them home. Never fear, for here is a list of things to ...

We love our little flock of backyard chickens like they were our own children. That’s why I get a little nervous when wintertime comes – I want to make sure they are healthy and happy, despite the colder temperatures outdoors. ...

Raising chicks into healthy, productive adult chickens can be both fun and rewarding. The process is mostly an easy one, but you should be aware of what can go wrong. If you know what problems can arise, you can prevent ...