It’s not quite November yet, but here at The Way Homestead, we have Christmas on the brain! We’ve decided to have a rustic “Country Christmas” this year. I want lots of burlap, plaid, and natural elements. I prefer to save money when I can by making my own decorations, and the main thing I wanted to create was a rustic burlap tree skirt. My in-laws bought us an awesome spinning tree stand years ago, but it’s huge. I’ve never been…
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…
Have you ever wanted to make spaghetti sauce from scratch? Maybe you have a garden overflowing with tomatoes, a friend gifted you a barrel of them, or you got ambitious and bought a box from your food co-op. Now what?! While processing tomatoes is fairly easy, like most things it can be very daunting if you’re just starting out! I’ve been making my own spaghetti sauce for years now. When I was 27, I quite suddenly developed a severe allergy to…
If you’ve ever wondered if you should get chickens, let me help push you over the edge! 😉 There are many benefits to keeping a backyard flock, but here are my top 10 reasons why YOU should get chickens: 10. They’re hilarious to watch If you’ve ever seen a flock of chickens fight over spaghetti or chase after a grasshopper, you know what I mean. They love to play, too. You can buy treat balls, xylophones, and even swings for…
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…
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,…
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…
I had spent an hour at the grocery store, carefully keeping track of each item I placed in my cart and watching every dollar. We’re working diligently to become debt-free, and the budget is squeaky tight right now. I didn’t begrudge it, but in the middle of birthday season in our family, I was stressed. I walked out with only two small bags of carefully chosen items. That’s when I saw him, at the edge of the parking lot. His…
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…
I’m excited to announce that I have been nominated for the Liebster Award! The Liebster Award is an award given to and by new bloggers. It can only be awarded to those bloggers who have less than 200 followers. Blogging takes more time and work than many people realize (I know I was surprised by how much effort it requires!), and it’s an honor to be recognized. The Liebster Award is a way for bloggers to celebrate and encourage each…