In 2020 we grew our farm with the addition of two super sweet, super fluffy alpacas. Anytime you add a new type of animal to the farm, there is a ton of new information to learn. Alpacas are no exception. They were our first foray into larger livestock so there was even more to learn. …
Colony Raised Rabbits
When raising animals – either livestock or pets – it’s always going to be easiest to work with the animal’s natural instincts. You are not going to win a fight against nature, and it will make for happier animals! When it comes to raising rabbits, many people keep them in separate cages where they live …
Vaccines for your Chicken Flock
Disclaimer: I am NOT a veterinarian, just an animal owner & lover sharing my opinions and experiences. Any advice on caring for animals or diagnosing & treating medical conditions for animals should be evaluated by a trained veterinarian. Whenever possible, you should always have your sick or injured bird evaluated & treated by a trained …
7 Tips to Keep Your Chickens Happy This Winter
If you live in an area with harsh winters, keeping your chickens happy year round can be a challenge. Being prepared for winter weather will help your flock stay healthy & warm all winter long. Check out my top 7 tips for keeping your chickens happy this winter! Winterize your coop & run Right around …
Peachy Pear Jam
This is one of my favorite recipes from childhood, and the very first thing I canned once I learned how! It’s still the one thing I have to can every year. The bright summery taste of fresh peaches and fresh pears is amazing on toast, bagels, or biscuits on a snowy January morning (and all …
Making a Bunny Barn – Rabbit Enclosure in Barn Stall
When we bought our house, one of the things that we loved was the beautiful antique New England barn. The 13 modular stalls over the years have housed a large variety of animals from horses to pigs to chickens to llamas and goats. But you don’t need a massive barn to build your own bunny …
15 Best Organic Gardening Tips
Anytime you can practice gardening without harmful chemicals and synthetic fertilizers your garden will thank you for it. The most successful gardens are the ones that follow the cues of nature rather than trying to fight against it. Once you start to introduce non-natural elements you often times end up struggling in other areas (like …
Keeping Drakes in your Duck Flock
I get a lot of questions every day about raising ducks. One of the most frequent duck topics I hear about has to do with dealing with drakes and their behavior. Many of those questions concern mating issues – so I’ll try to keep this post as PG as possible, but fair warning – ducks …
How do I keep rodents out of my coop?
It is an unfortunate fact of life that if you keep animals in your backyard you are going to attract rodents. It doesn’t mean your farm is dirty or that you are messy, rodents are just everywhere and if you provide things like shelter, food, & water they are going to gratefully accept your hospitality. …
Building Chicken & Duck Nest Boxes
You got your first fluffy chicks or ducklings – congratulations! While those fuzzy little ones are busy growing and you are daydreaming about all the fresh eggs that will be coming your way soon, it’s the perfect time to build some cozy nests for all those eggs. Your birds will instinctively seek out a comfortable, …