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A Journey into Farming
Hello! Welcome to the farm. Hello, Farmer Rhonda here. If you have not checked out my about me section you should stop by there for a quick introduction into who I am. Then this post will continue the story from there. So exactly how did I become a farmer from a 8 – 4:30 office assistant making $12 an hour? Well just let me tell you that is a story in and of itself! Stepping out of comfort and into peace Finally mustering up the courage to leave my job as an administrative office assistant after almost 6 years was sure no easy task. It was stable employment, had helped…
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Calves on the Farm
Finally! Meet Slim Shady & Joe Diffie; my new calves on the farm! We usually just call them Slim and Joe for short. There is a story behind these names and if you are interested you should check out Farmtastic-Friday with Rhonda F Meadows. I am just so excited to have these boys! I have been waiting a long time for my very own calves. Admittedly I am kind of sad that they are both guys and can’t stay with me until their old age. What I Know About These Boys Honestly, I know very little about these two. They are both bull calves; for the time being that is.…
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Building My Chicken Coop
So you are finally ready to get to building your chicken coop! Since you have your individual needs your building may differ from mine. I do want to share with you what we did when building my chicken coop. You have done your research after reading 5 Things to Consider When Building a Chicken Coop. You have purchased all your materials you needed from that research and was able to do it on a budget because you read Shopping to Build Your Chicken Coop on a Budget! Great work, now lets get down to business. Materials Needed for Building My Chicken Coop I have a LOT of chickens, 63 to…
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Shopping to Build Your Chicken Coop on a Budget
You want to learn how to build your chicken coop on a budget. You are going to love this post! I am going to be teaching you how to comparative shop so that you can build your chicken coop on a budget. Let’s get to comparing, those chickens need a home! Quick Recap of the Things You Should Have in Place You should: Have a budget that you are going to be spending on your coop. Know what size your coop is going to be and have a list of necessary materials to build it. You should have the necessary tools and skills needed to complete construction of your coop…
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5 Things to Consider When Building a Chicken Coop
So you’re thinking about building a chicken coop? You have made up your mind to be a chicken farmer and do this coop thing yourself. Congratulations! Hey wait, hold your feathers there a minute. There is much more needed than an image in your mind, wood and nails. . How Much Space do you Need in Your Coop? One of the first and most important things to consider when building your chicken coop is the space you are going to need. Space will be based on the amount of chickens you have or plan to have. Do not do what we did and build a coop then decide you want…
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The Lakenvelder Chicken
My life has sure become more interesting since encountering the Lakenvelder chicken. Let me tell you these ladies are a handful! If you are new to the breed read on to find out more about the Lakenvelder. As a bonus you will get to meet my very own Lakenvelder, Stalker. The Lakenvelder Chicken History The Lakenvelder was first recorded in 1727. This domestic chicken is from the Nordrhein-Westfalen area of Germany and neighboring areas of the Netherlands. The Lakenvelder is mainly for egg purposes though there are some that are show birds. They are small birds weighing only 4 to 5 pounds. Their light body makes them very athletic and…
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5 Benefits to Backyard Chickens
My farming journey began with sheep then expanded to include chickens. Today I am going to be sharing 5 benefits to backyard chickens that I have learned. Some of these benefits are pretty obvious others you may not be considered. 1 of 5 Benefits to Backyard Chickens: Pest Control Backyard chickens are wonderful at pest control. They can help maintain bug population in your yard and near your garden. Here at my home, we had a tick problem. You literally could not walk outside without picking one of the little blood suckers up. It was awful! My chickens really helped cure this problem. Last year was the first in a…
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Training Your Chickens Where to Lay
So it is time for your chickens to lay and you don’t want every day being an Easter egg hunt. How exactly do you go about training your chickens where to lay? I will be sharing with you a few options for training your chickens where to lay as well as what I did. Options for Training Your Chickens Where to Lay When training chickens where to lay you have a few options. You can choose the traditional method of using fake eggs called ceramic nest eggs, some people buy craft eggs from a hobby store, golf balls are an option, or you can do what I did and use…
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Simple & Easy Nesting Boxes
So when do you need to start considering simple & easy nesting boxes options? Most hens will begin laying around 6 months old. Some will lay earlier and some later depending on the breed. Hens will share egg boxes so you do not have to have a box for every hen. A good number for comfort of the hens is one box to every four to six hens. So now that you have discovered how many and when you will likely be needing egg boxes what are your options? Nesting Box Options Probably the most simple nesting box option is to buy the pre-made boxes. You can get these from…
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The Polish Chicken
Today’s spotlight is on the Polish chicken. Polish are one of my favorite breeds of birds. They have their own unique personality and style. They can often come off as a bit strange and wacky. Aside from being a bit different they are also social and fun, most of the time. Discover more about this breed and my own personal story. The Polish Chickens Sense of Style The Polish chicken is one of the easiest to pick out in a flock because of their hippy like hairstyles. The large crest of feathers and V-shaped comb are the breeds most unique and identifying characteristics. Since the feathers often block the chickens…
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Meet Coco the Calico Cat
Coco the Calico cat is not so much a farm animal as a pet but she also has a job here on the farm. Her job has been to keep mice not only out of the house but also out of my feed for the chickens and sheep. Just because she is not a farm animal doesn’t mean she doesn’t help out on the farm. Coco has been with me longer than any of my farm animals.Coco has been a part of my family for almost 13 years now. I found her on Local Sales Network (LSN) back in 2007. She was just a kitten. Despite her age she was…