It's not surprising that many people get the itch (or should I say the twitch?) to own a pet rabbit at some point. Bunnies are quiet, gentle and relatively easy to train, making them ideal indoor pets. They are also insatiably cute and plush. If you've decided to welcome a rabbit into the house this spring, here's a handy shopping list of the basics: A Spacious Cage Rabbits need to move freely about and stretch fully, whether that's in their cage, or during playtime. Our cage is very Continue Reading
Free Range Chickens: Yes or No?
Is it better to free range your backyard chickens, or keep them secure in a coop or cage? When we first started raising our poultry twelve years ago, it was free range all the way. We discovered there are both benefits and drawbacks to that, so here's the rundown in case you are on the fence about your birds. Free Range Chickens - The Advantages Less Feed: One of the most obvious advantages to letting your birds range is a free supply of bugs. That means you'll spend less on poultry food. The Continue Reading
5 Things No One Told Me About Backyard Chickens
Fuzzy chicks, free range beauties and dozens of fresh eggs. These are the pleasant dreams of many a family that longs to have a little flock of backyard birds. Don't misunderstand me. You'll have those things. But there are some other surprises that await you. Here are 5 things no one told me about chickens when we first got started nine years ago. They stink. The first batch of chicks we received in the mail was SO adorable! You could fit all twenty of their fuzzy little bodies on a paper Continue Reading
Chickens 101: Building a Coop from Scratch
You'll notice I did not put the words "how to" in the title of my post. I didn't build our fantastic chicken coop, and I certainly don't know how my husband did! All I can say is, he wasn't pleased with the online plans he found and decided to start from scratch (that's a chicken pun, by the way). We decided on a non-portable coop because the wind here can be ferocious and the heavier something is, the longer it will last. The coop, which was made to accommodate a flock of 20 birds, measures Continue Reading
5 Reasons to Have a Rooster in Your Flock
Should you have a rooster in your backyard flock? Some families worry about aggression, or being woken up every day at the crack of dawn. But my family LOVES having a rooster. Assuming there's no ordinance or law against it in your area, here are five reasons you might consider adding a cockerel to the mix: Roosters are beautiful. As with many other species on Earth, the males are more showy. Roosters don't just stand a head above the hens; their feathers are often more colorful or unusual. Continue Reading