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

Almost every backyard keeper starts out with a firm number in mind Six chickens, maybe ten, absolutely no more Then spring arrives, the local farm supply store puts out an irresistible assortment of chicks, and somehow that number keeps climbing It’s one of the friendliest slippery slopes there is The catch is that you can’t simply open the coop door and let everyone sort it out Pecking order is no joke in the chicken world, and it has real consequences if you aren’t careful Here’s a safe, proven method for integrating your chicken flocks that lets birds get acquainted

How to Manage Molting Season

Watching your chickens go through their first fall molt is genuinely alarming if you don’t know what’s happening Feathers everywhere, birds looking like they’ve survived a major brawl, and a sinking feeling that something is badly wrong Here’s the reassuring truth: molting is a completely normal, healthy part of raising chickens As the leaves fall off the trees, so will the feathers fall off your birds This guide breaks down why chickens molt, how long it lasts, how to tell a molt from a real problem, and four simple things you can do to help your flock through it

Backyard Chickens and Salmonella Prevention

We’ve all heard the horror stories about salmonella poisoning, and believe it or not, your feathered flock can be one of the contributors to this unwelcome bacteria That’s an uncomfortable thing to read if you adore your birds, so let’s start with the reassuring part: simple hygiene and careful attention to how you handle your eggs will almost certainly prevent it This isn’t a reason to stop loving on your flock It’s a reason to build a few easy habits Here’s what salmonella prevention actually looks like for backyard chicken keepers

What You Need to Know About Flystrike in Chickens


What You Need to Know About Flystrike in Chickens

Today we’re addressing the not-so-beautiful side of raising backyard chickens When most of us start researching the illnesses and injuries a flock can face, flystrike is the one we quietly hope never to encounter It’s genuinely dangerous, it moves

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,

Coccidiosis in Chickens: Symptoms, Prevention, and Treatment

Raising backyard chickens is one of life’s real joys Before getting a flock, many of us scroll through social media dreaming about coops, breeds, and how we’ll decorate the run, and for the most part it lives up to the fantasy But raising chickens isn’t always a Pinterest party Birds can be susceptible to illness if they aren’t cared for properly, and one disease worth understanding before it ever shows up in your coop is coccidiosis in chickens Here’s what it is, how to spot it, how to protect your flock, and what to do if a bird gets

Oregano Essential Oils for Chickens: My Q&A With Dr. Stock

 

People ask me all the time how I have kept my flock so healthy this time around, and honestly, it has not always been this easy In the past, disease and poor health wiped out my birds twice This time, my chickens are thriving, and the one big change I made was adding oregano essential oils to their routine I was so curious about why it worked that I sat down with a real poultry expert to get the science behind it If you have ever wondered whether these products actually do anything, this conversation is for you

Natural Products to Maintain Chicken Health

Can I be honest with you? Plenty of keepers feel nervous about starting a flock, and often it’s because of a rough first experience Maybe an earlier flock got sick and lost birds here and there, or predators took a toll If that sounds familiar and you’re on the fence about trying again, please don’t give up Chickens honestly aren’t that difficult to care for once you understand the fundamentals of chicken health A little knowledge, a consistent routine, and a few natural products go a very long way Here’s the simple approach that keeps a backyard flock thriving

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