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Category: Chickens

House Chickens: Unexpected Guests

House Chickens: Unexpected Guests

Winter was a crazy season here at The Way Homestead! I took a writing break over the holidays, intending to get back at it after Christmas… but everything got so busy here, I haven’t had the chance. With temperatures below zero, house chickens living in my basement, a case of bumblefoot in one of my hens, and two new chickens joining the flock… it was just one thing after another! Trauma and Drama It started the day after Christmas, when…

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Impacted Crop in Chickens

Impacted Crop in Chickens

A couple months ago something happened here at The Way Homestead that I haven’t written about until now. Life with animals can be unpredictable, and even more so with livestock. Sometimes something happens that’s out of your control, and you lose an animal – or think you might. The day Bijou had an impacted crop was one of those times. Earlier Scare I’ve had chickens for about eight months now, and in that time we’ve had two big scares with…

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Broody or Egg Bound Hen?

Broody or Egg Bound Hen?

Life with chickens is never dull – there is always some new behavior to entertain you and keep you guessing! Unfortunately that isn’t always a good thing. Yesterday I noticed that my Barred Rock hen, Pepper, was acting unusually. After a while I started to wonder… did I have a broody or egg bound hen on my hands? Signs of Trouble Pepper was in the nest box when I checked on the chickens yesterday morning, which isn’t unusual. I left…

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Chicken Breeds: Which One Is Right For You?

Chicken Breeds: Which One Is Right For You?

When you get serious about wanting chickens, one of the first questions you ask yourself is, “Which breed should I get?” There are hundreds of different chicken breeds, and each one has its pros and cons. As I was researching the different options, I actually made myself a handy breed reference chart! (No I’m not overly Type A, why do you ask?) I decided I’d share the chart with you here, and go over some of the most common chicken…

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Weird Eggs

Weird Eggs

My chickens have only been laying for 2 months, and already I’ve had my share of weird eggs! Odds are you’ve had some weird eggs too, and if not, you most certainly will. Here are some of the most common egg oddities, as well as what they mean and what you may be able to do about them. Fairy Eggs/Fart Eggs/Yolk-less Eggs All three of these terms for weird eggs mean the same thing – generally a very small egg,…

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Keeping Chickens Safe From Predators

Keeping Chickens Safe From Predators

A few nights ago we had a visitor here at The Way Homestead… a whiskered, beady-eyed, egg-stealing visitor! In all reality he was kind of cute, and probably harmless, but I’m not taking the chance. My chickens are too important to me! I know your chickens are important to you too, so let’s tackle a vital subject: keeping your chickens safe from predators. An Early Encounter You might remember that on the very first night we moved our chicks into…

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Egg Storage: Your Questions Answered!

Egg Storage: Your Questions Answered!

We have reached an exciting (I didn’t put egg-citing, you’re welcome) point in our little urban homestead. We actually have enough fresh eggs around here to stop buying them from the store!! You may have noticed in some of my egg posts (When Will My Chickens Lay Their First Eggs, Easter Eggs in August) that I keep my eggs in a cute little basket on the counter. I’ve gotten a ton of questions about this lately – why aren’t they…

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How To Build A Chicken Coop, Part 3

How To Build A Chicken Coop, Part 3

Welcome to the final post in my “How To Build A Chicken Coop” series! In Part 1 we went over the supplies you’ll need, how much money we spent building our coop, and how to build the base and walls. In Part 2 we talked about building the nest box, putting in windows and doors, and how to build and finish your roof. At the end of part 2 we already had a pretty good-looking chicken coop, with walls, doors, and…

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Easter Eggs in August

Easter Eggs in August

Today has been a day of defeat, and a day of victory. It has been a day of tears and of laughter, a day of beauty found in unexpected places. Like Easter eggs in August. Mon Petit Chou (My Little Cabbage) I went out to water this afternoon (this is how all my good garden stories start), and at first I didn’t notice anything amiss. My acorn squash has gotten huge, and after struggling to support it well, I found…

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How To Build A Chicken Coop, Part 2

How To Build A Chicken Coop, Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of my 3-part series detailing how we built our own chicken coop – and how you can, too! In Part 1 of the series, I went over the instructions for building the base and walls of your chicken coop. You can find that post here. In this post I will cover framing the nest box, putting on doors and windows, and probably the hardest part of building any structure: the roof. When we were searching for…

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