Feeding Cornish Cross chickens the right way is so important. If you overfeed them, you will end up with leg issues, heart attacks, and early death. So how much food should they eat? What does it cost to raise a Cornish Cross from day old …
Chicken butchering day is quite an event here at Clucky Dickens Farm. When we butcher, it’s usually no less than 50 birds at a time. I’d like to share with you the open air chicken butchering set up that we’ve come to use after several …
We keep both ducks and chickens here on our homestead and I’m often asked which I like better. If you’re looking to decide between ducks and chickens, here are a few similarities and differences between the two that may help you make your choice. (Don’t …
Folks who are interested in homesteading often ask me what animal(s) they should start with on their homestead. Should they get chickens? Ducks? Goats? Quail? Rabbits? A milk cow? What are the best animals for a new homesteader? Help me, Amy! I don’t know what …
It’s one of those controversial chicken raising topics: should you help a chick hatch? Some say yes, it’s your duty, while others say you should let nature take its course. It’s hard to know what to do. If you’re looking at a chick who has …
Chickens are often called the gateway animal. And while many of us won’t (and maybe shouldn’t) admit to how many chickens we have, there’s one thing for certain: we always think we need more. There is always the option of buying chicks, but today we …
As soon as the temps start to dip, the most common question I am asked is this: Amy, how do you keep chickens water from freezing in the winter? How do you keep their water open so they can drink it when the daytime high …
Back when I was brand new to chicken keeping, my flock was the most entertaining and inspiring thing I’d ever invested in. I devoted way more time than I should probably admit to watching them, discussing them, researching them, sitting with them, talking to them, …
While it was easy for me to write a post on how to butcher a pig and how to separate the many different cuts of pork, I slacked for awhile on writing a post about how to butcher a chicken. A chicken is significantly smaller than …
Because I’m a gal who writes and talks about butchering, I’m often asked, “Doesn’t butchering animals bother you?” The conversation usually goes something like this. Someone: You seem to really love and care for your animals. Me: I do. Someone: And you can still…butcher them? …