Why is Feeding Oyster Shells to Chickens so Important? For an adult hen who is laying eggs, calcium is pulled from the hen’s body to...

If you’re new to raising chickens, one of the most common questions is: “What is the best feed for chickens?” Many people look for ways...

The summer is coming to a close and we’re getting geared back up for schedules, school, football and all things pumpkin spice around...

Most backyard chicken keepers keep just enough chickens to supply eggs for their families. However, there are a good number of us who fell victim to chicken math and have a much larger flock than we first planned. With 40 chickens, I have more than enough eggs to feed our family and then some! So, what do we do with our extra eggs? We sometimes gift them and sometimes sell them. It’s an easy way to make a couple extra bucks and is a fun little business activity on the side. “

When I started back up with raising my current flock (I took a couple years off), I was pretty set on only having 6 chickens. Now, fast forward almost 3 years and my flock is up to 40! Hahaha! If you know what chicken math is, that’s why! Why Adding Adult Chickens Can Be Risky I am part of a number of backyard chicken groups on social media and it seems there are always people selling or giving away chickens or looking to add adult birds into their flock. As tempting as some

While I hope that you haven’t had to deal with too many traumatic issues in your coop, chicken injuries and illness are bound to happen...

“Sweetie” was my second Silkie to hatch and is still as sweet as ever. Silkies are some of the most delightful little birds you can add...

I love going to restaurants and being so excited to see any dish that includes hollandaise! I remember thinking that it has to be such an art to mix up a beautiful, velvety sauce like that. While I’d love for you to all think I’m an excellent and highly skilled chef (ahem...I’m not), I’m convinced anyone can whip up this creamy goodness! Easy and Delicious Hollandaise Sauce Recipe Ingredients 4 egg yolks 1 stick butter melted and hot 3 tsp lemon juice Pinch of salt Dash of pe

After indulging in a lot of delicious food over the 4th of July, I’ve had a tough time getting back on track with healthy eating. So, here I am, enjoying a salad out of a mason jar and thought I’d share some of my favorite easy salad recipes with you! Why Use Mason Jars for Salads? Mason jars are perfect for meal prep! They’re easy to fill, grab on the go and clean (just pop them in the dishwasher!). As a canner, I have plenty of mason jars on hand, but if you don’t, you can

Today, we’re going to discuss somewhat of a hot topic in the chicken world. It’s one of those topics that most chicken keepers have a...

Can you believe we’re heading into the 4th of July weekend? Summer seems to fly by, and before we know it, those long, sunny days are behind us. Whatever your plans are this weekend, I’ve got a fun, easy cookie recipe that’s perfect for any gathering! While I usually make these no-bake cookies at Christmas, I thought it would be simple to transform them into festive 4th of July firecracker cookies! With the perfect mix of salty and sweet, these cookies are always a crowd favo

Growing up, I loved coming home from school. My mom always did an incredible job of making our house feel like a home. We felt safe, significant and it seemed like there were many days when a home baked treat was waiting for us after school. I could smell the fresh baked cookies before I walked in the door and I would follow the scent right into the kitchen. It’s there I found mom and a plate of warm, fresh cookies. Our senses have a funny way of bringing all sorts of memorie

Chickens do a fairly excellent job of taking care of their hygiene. They take dust baths and preen themselves with their beaks to keep free of bugs and to stay healthy. However, have you ever heard of trimming your chickens’ nails? For the most part, chickens are able to scratch around the yard and keep their nails naturally filed. However, I’ve noticed that after a long winter of not being able to scratch around as much (aka in MinneSNOWta), a couple of the girls’ nails need

Welcome to June, everyone! Summer is here and we couldn’t be more excited! I’ve said this before that one of the best things about living in Minnesota is being able to experience all four seasons. I get asked fairly often if it ever gets warm in Minnesota. The answer is yes! In fact, the temperature forecast for this week is the 80’s and 90’s! And, due to the fact that we’re the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”, it’s often very humid. However, if you’ve lived through a Minnesota winter

It’s almost that time of year when we can taste summer! School is winding down, the weather is heating up and backyard BBQs are right around the corner. As an egg lover (which is a good thing considering I have 40 laying hens!), I love bringing egg-themed dishes to summer gatherings. Whether it’s deviled eggs, egg salad, or even an egg bake, eggs are always a crowd-pleaser. Today, I’m sharing a quick and easy appetizer—avocado egg salad! It’s not only delicious but also adds

I think one of the biggest shocks of raising backyard chickens for me was how messy these little birds are! I remember wondering, how much poop could possibly come out of a little chicken? It’s a lot! Chickens are beautiful, fun, wonderful egg producers, but SO messy! They love to scratch around, kick up dust and poop everywhere but I wouldn’t trade it for the world! Today we’re going to talk about keeping our bedding healthy for our flocks. Chickens have a very sensitive res

When I first started raising backyard chickens, I was all about the eggs—didn't care about the breeds or egg colors, as long as I had fresh eggs daily. That quickly changed once I got my hens! I fell in love with the diversity of chicken breeds and the range of beautiful egg colors they produce. What started as a simple hobby quickly turned into a full-blown passion, and now I have a large flock of my own. Honestly, I might need to thin the flock soon—30 eggs a day is a bit m

In Minnesota, most gardeners start planning and dreaming about their gardens as early as the day they close up their garden in the fall....

I remember spending time out in the coop one day. Well, this is most days for me. I love to sit and watch my girls scratch around and see who can find the best snacks. They are silly little birds, and there’s never a dull moment. It also gives me a good opportunity to check them all over to ensure they’re healthy and happy. As I was sitting back, thinking how wonderful it was to have these chickens... I saw it. One of my Barred Rocks had what almost looked like a blind eye. I

It started out like any other morning. After I got my husband and kids out the door for work and school, I went out to check on my flock and collect any eggs that may be out there. I was on my daily egg hunt (not all of my girls have taken a liking to nesting boxes). I walked through the coop with a train of chickens behind me waiting for their morning treat. And there, next to a few other regular-sized eggs, was this cute little, tiny egg. I had read about “fairy” eggs. Othe