Broody Hen 101: Troubleshooting a Broody Henby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | June 13, 2023This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. A broody hen can be a great asset to the homestead flock! When a hen goes broody, she wants to set on...

How to Use Herbs for Chickens on the Homesteadby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | May 23, 2023This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. There are right ways and wrong ways to use herbs for chickens on the homestead, but don’t let that scare...

How to Treat Crooked Toes in Chicksby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | May 16, 2023This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. So, the chicks have hatched and are now running around the brooder like wild things… all except one, who seems to hop,...

Homestead Chick Growth Guide (with pictures)by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | May 9, 2023This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Your homestead brood’s needs will change rapidly as they grow. In order for chicks to mature into healthy, productive adults, each crucial milestone...

Splay leg is a condition that will cause a chick to not be able to stand and walk properly. It is an unhealthy condition that can even lead to death if the splay leg is not addressed quickly. However, splay leg can be fixed in young chicks, and chicks who...

I feel like spring is the both the most exciting time and the most frustrating time for raising chickens on the homestead. Spring means it’s time to hatch chicks, and it’s hard not to have a good day when you have chicks on the homestead! However, spring can also be...

The three main elements needed for incubating chicken eggs are heat, humidity, and turning. All incubators should have an automatic method of controlling the temperature. And you can often choose incubators that have an automatic turning system as well. However, humidity features in different incubators vary and can range from...

Deciphering between fact and fiction when it comes to using holistic remedies or natural supplements for your homestead flock can be difficult. Cayenne pepper is often touted as a supplement that will help your chickens lay better during the winter and will help prevent frostbite. However, are those benefits true?...

An external heat source is critical for raising young chicks since they can’t control their own body temperature for the first few days of their life. Their fluffy down feathers do not help trap body heat which makes it difficult for chicks to maintain a stable body temperature on their...

Hot weather is dangerous for chickens. Unlike us who can take layers on and off, chickens are stuck with their feathers during hot weather. Chickens naturally have a high body temperature and thrive in temperate to slightly cool weather conditions. If you live in a region that regularly experiences hot...

Cold hardy chicken breeds are the way to go for northern homesteads! While chickens can naturally handle cooler weather better than hot weather, when it comes to brutal and severe winter weather… having a few extra features to help conserve body heat can help. This guide to cold hardy chicken...

Chickens are often considered the gateway animal to homesteading. However, just because they are one of the smallest livestock animals to start raising doesn’t mean they are the easiest! Your modern pioneer journey can start even without any livestock animals, but maybe this year you are considering adding a flock...

Cold stress is an often overlooked condition that is nearly unavoidable for most northern homestead flocks. Learning how to help chickens deal with cold stress will keep them healthier and productive through the winter months. Cold stress can cause illness and even death, so it is important to make sure...

Natural supplements are a great way to keep your homestead flock healthy using holistic methods that both heal and nourish your chickens. However, many natural supplements do not come with specific dosages for chickens since little study has been done using natural supplements for small scale-poultry raising. Natural supplements are...

What’s your biggest on-going chicken keeping expense? If I could hazard a guess, I would say it’s buying feed for your homestead flock. Many homesteaders grab at the chance to feed their flock free food. In fact, there are now many suggestions and ideas for how you can feed your...

Ever get tired of a muddy, dirty, and stinky chicken coop enclosure on the homestead? I know I sure did! Then I figured out these secrets to chicken coop enclosure maintenance and it has made all the difference for my flock! I don’t need to be a clean freak, I...

Pumpkins are a fall staple on the homestead. Not only for cooking, baking, decorating, and carving… but also for the homestead flock! I love pumpkins, and my homestead flock does too! While I like cooking and baking with pumpkins, the chickens prefer to just chow down into a raw pumpkin....

Egg eating can become a real bahviour problem once a hen aquires a taste for her own eggs. While egg eating shouldn’t be too big of a problem in the homestead flock, you should know about some management practices you can use to prevent egg eating in your flock. It...

I love diving into a new poultry book and seeing what helpful nuggets I can dig out to apply to my homestead flock. Reading about other chicken keepers’ experiences and learning the general facts about poultry will help you raise your homestead flock better. I have acquired many different chicken...

Learn how to make a DIY chicken saddle so you can protect the hens in your homestead flock who receive the most attention from the homestead rooster! The natural process of mating can be rough on a hen’s neck and back feathers. I have made many chicken saddles for my...