Thanksgiving Leftovers Chopped Challenge

After your big Thanksgiving get-together, what do you do with all that extra food? Unless you’re a terrific menu planner, chances are, you will have some leftovers Most people welcome a few leftovers, but after you’ve fed your family the same Thanksgiving meal for 4 days (no judging here!), why not spice it up a bit?

In our family, we love doing the Chopped Challenge! For those unfamiliar with the Food Network show, “Chopped”, chefs use a basket of mystery ingredients to create a three-course meal At the end of each course, a panel of judges “chops” one chef whose

How to Integrate Your Chicken Flocks

When I started this adventure with backyard chickens, I was very direct in the fact that I wanted NO MORE than 6 chickens! I had kept chickens before and both times I ended up with way too many and was overwhelmed Fast forward to now, our kids are older, we have a better set up, and here I am with 26 chickens! I didn’t start out that way, though Originally, I started with 10 chicks with the intent to give 4 away, but I found myself quickly attached to all 10

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And then came spring Our local farm supply store

How to Manage Molting Season

I remember when I watched our first chickens go through their fall molt I was concerned and thought for sure my chickens were dying! They looked like a hot mess! But upon some further research, I learned that it’s a very normal part of raising chickens In fact, chickens go through two smaller molts while they’re growing as chicks before they get to their harder molt around 12-18 months of age

When the lazy days of summer turn into the cooler, shorter days of fall, you may also notice a few (or a lot!) of feathers laying around

Backyard Chickens and Salmonella Prevention

Rosemary and I wrinkling our noses over the thought of salmonella poisoning!

We have all heard horror stories of people getting salmonella poisoning And believe it or not, your feathered flock can be one of the main contributors to this unfortunate bacteria I’m going to do my best to explain this in easy-to-understand words Remember, I’m not an expert, I’m just a backyard chicken keeper who happens to have access to some great people who are experts in the poultry field!

The CDC estimates “Salmonella

What You Need to Know About Flystrike in Chickens

Today we’re going to address the not-so-beautiful side of raising backyard chickens Sound like fun, right? (Insert sarcasm) When I first started researching the different illnesses, diseases, and injuries chickens can receive and how to prepare for them, I remember flystrike as one that I prayed I would never have to deal with! Not only can it be deadly for your chickens, it is absolutely gross!

Fortunately, I have never had to deal with it, but recently my sister, Tamar, has had to treat one of her favorite chickens for flystrike We will be talking with her today on how

Best Egg Salad Recipes

Happy Independence Day! It’s hard to believe the 4th of July is already here! I love this time of year My hometown in Southwest Minnesota always has their big celebration The lake is always hopping and it’s a great time to catch up with anyone who happens to be home for the weekend For my family, heading up to Northern Minnesota is also a favorite of ours Anytime with my family is priceless, but the 4th of July is always special!

In case you need a quick, easy recipe to bring to your 4th of July gathering, large or small,

Dr. Bob Stock Educates on Coccidiosis in Chickens

Raising backyard chickens is a true joy in my life Before we reentered raising our feathered friends, I’d scroll through social media and dream about coops, chicken breeds, how I would decorate their living space, and so on And, for the most part, it really is absolutely everything I’ve dreamed of However, raising chickens isn’t always a Pinterest party It is true that chickens are known to be more susceptible to sickness and disease if not taken care of properly One disease we will discuss today is coccidiosis

Coccidiosis damages the gastrointestinal tract If your chicken is sick with coccidiosis,

My Q & A with Dr. Stock on the Benefits of Oregano Essential Oils for Chickens

People frequently ask me how I’ve kept my flock so healthy this time around Let me tell you it wasn’t always this easy!

In last week’s blog, I mentioned how I’ve tried raising chickens in the past and disease and poor health ravaged my flock both times But this time around, it’s like POOF, healthy chickens! The only thing I did different with this flock was I started using oregano essential oil products

A Little Help from the Experts

I’ve been determined to find out what makes these products so different Now you know that I’m by no means a

Natural Products to Maintain Chicken Health

Can I be perfectly honest with you? I was a little hesitant when we started back up with chickens a year and a half ago I remember our first flocks We’d get chickens, they’d get sick with something and then they’d die here and there Or, they’d get eaten by a predator I really had to sit down and think about it before we jumped back in Since I didn’t know a lot about chicken health then, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to experience all of that again

But please, if you’re on the fence about starting a flock,

No Eggs in the Hen House?

It’s that time of year when we’re all getting anxious to be outside Especially if you live in Minnesota where the winters are super long Believe me when I say, we’re all very ready for spring and warmer days! Haha!

Luckily, this time of the year is also when the days finally get a little longer So, if you haven’t already been supplementing light in your coops, your hens should be starting to lay again!

I remember the day we received our very first egg and how exciting that was To be honest with you, I still get that