How to Treat Northern Fowl Mites on Chickensby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | Oct. 1, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Northern fowl mites are the dreaded chicken parasite of northern homesteaders. They live on a chicken’s warm body and don’t seem...

How to Prevent Disease & Death in Chickensby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | Sept. 3, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Preventing disease & death in the homestead flock is my number one priority every year! It seems like everything I do...

Why the Poultry Pecking Order is Importantby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | July 9, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. A chicken’s social life is quite complex and ever changing. Chickens are smart and can remember many different individuals as well as...

4-H Steps for Showing Chickens in Showmanshipby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | June 25, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Showing chickens in 4-H was my life for 8 years. Being homeschooled, 4-H was my extra-curricular activity that I devoted all my...

8 Tips for Shipping Hatching Eggs Successfullyby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | June 11, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. From folks who are not familiar with shipping and selling hatching eggs, I get lots of questions in regards to how I...

Svart Hona Chicken Breed Profileby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | May 14, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. What’s so special about the Svart Hona? Well, aside from its stunning looks, there is so much more to love about this breed! In...

10 Chicken Keeping Myths to Ignoreby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | March 5, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. With a rise in chicken keeping and homesteading also comes an increase in information about keeping chickens on the homestead. And, as with...

How to Choose the Best Type of Chicken Feedby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | February 20, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Picking out a homestead poultry feed is probably one of the first things you should consider when you plan on...

Benefits of Elderberries for Chickensby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | January 30, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Elderberries are an ancient holistic remedy that were used by the Native Americans to help treat both internal and external health issues. But… did...

8 Most Cold Hardy Chicken Breedsby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | May 2, 2023This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. You know the saying, “gotta’ have the right tool for the job”. Well it’s the same logic when it comes to choosing chicken...

The Deep Litter Method for the Chicken Coopby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | December 5, 2023This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. If you’ve been a northern homesteader for any length of time, you’re probably pretty familiar with the term ‘deep litter method’....

What is Grit for Chickens?by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | September 26, 2023This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Did you know that chickens eat stones? That’s essentially what chicken grit it. Chicken’s need grit in their diet to aid digestion of other...

The Importance of Calcium for Laying Hensby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | September 12, 2023This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. The homestead flock needs to have a balanced and nutritious diet in order to stay healthy and productive. One of the most...

When Do Chickens Start Laying Eggs?by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | July 25, 2023This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. While there are many reasons why you may choose to raise chickens on the homestead, one of the most beneficial additions chickens add...

8 Ways to Get Rid of Roosters on the Homesteadby Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | June 6, 2023This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information. Roosters… do you find them cute? Annoying? Beautiful? A problem? Chickens have a 50/50 gender ratio, meaning that in...

Coccidiosis is a very common chicken disease that is most prevalent in young chicks and chickens. It is a protozoal disease that destroys the intestinal lining in a chicken’s gut. Acute coccidiosis can lead to death. The coccidia protozoa are found nearly everywhere there are chickens present. It naturally exists...

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...

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...

Many foods that we raise and grow on the homestead are considered seasonal crops, meaning they can only be grown during a certain season of the year. A lot of times we forget that eggs are actually a seasonal food too. Birds of any species naturally don’t lay eggs every...