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Cast Iron Care: Using & Seasoning Cookware

January 31, 2024
Articles, Food & Recipes
0 comments
by Amy Fewell

Cast iron cookware is a staple in many homestead kitchens. They are known for being versatile pans that can be used on the stove top, in the oven, and even over an open fire. When properly cared for, these pans can last a lifetime and beyond! In fact, my best cast iron skillet is over 130 years old! In this post, you will learn proper cast iron care from washing, drying, and seasoning your pans to get a lifetime of use out of them.

I believe my mom cooked more with cast iron than my grandma ever did. At least, in my lifetime. Growing up, I didn’t really understand that cast iron needed tender, loving care. It’s like a living and breathing extension of your kitchen. One that I now thoroughly enjoy as an adult in my very own kitchen.

But keeping cast iron seasoned and non-stick can be challenging for some. It was challenging for me at first, and sometimes, when I’m lazy (oh yes, I can be!), it still kicks me in the teeth and says “Ha ha, you’ll have to season me again!”

Most of the time, however, when I bring my cast iron skillets and pans out, I am greeted with a deep, rich, black blanket of color that could put a smile on any homesteader’s face.

Need a quick menu idea? Try making Spicy Eggs Bacon & Kale in your well-seasoned cast iron skillet!

Cast Iron Care: Using & Seasoning Cookware

There are some things you should consider before using cast iron.

For starters, when you use a cast iron skillet or pan, please keep in mind that the iron does leach into your food. It’s the same with copper pans, etc. This normally isn’t a bad thing, especially for many of those needing extra iron in their blood.

However, if you already have too much iron in your body, or you have a health condition that could be affected by additional iron, then I would ask your health professional for their opinion on using it. Otherwise, you should be perfectly fine. I use my cast iron skillets for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even desserts!

What Makes Cast Iron Non-Stick?

The surface on a cast iron skillet is not made of synthetic materials (specifically Polytetrafluoroethylene) like most non-stick cookware. Instead, cast iron pans have a thin layer of oil that is polymerized onto the surface. This means that the oil or fat has undergone a chemical change during a period of high heat that bonds it to the iron. The polymerization process (known as seasoning) creates a smooth surface that allows you to cook food without it sticking horribly. It also helps to keep the pan from rusting.

How To Season A Cast Iron Pan

Seasoning is absolutely vital in cast iron care. Before you do anything else with that pan when you purchase it (or find it for a steal at Goodwill), you must wash and season it properly.

STEP ONE: Wash

Start by washing the pan out well with a mild dish soap and sponge. Concentrate on any heavily soiled spots with a chain mail scrubber. These scrubbers are great for restoring cast iron, and they can help scrape off any stuck-on bits of food during your regular wash routine. Once your skillet is properly seasoned and used correctly, you won’t need this tool often. However, it’s great to keep on hand for those tough, grimy exceptions. Coarse salt is also a good option to scrub cast iron pans that need a little extra work.

If your pan has a rust build-up, you can use a piece of steel wool to knock the rust off before seasoning.

STEP TWO: Dry & Apply Initial Seasoning

Next, dry your pan on the stovetop on low or medium heat. Once your pan is dry, coat your entire pan (inside, outside, and handle) with a fat such as coconut oil, avocado oil, or lard. These three fats can reach and withstand higher temperatures for longer amounts of time, versus the everyday olive oil.

STEP THREE: Heat

Preheat oven to 450 and place your pan upside down, directly on the oven rack. Bake for 1 hour, or until the fat is no longer visibly wet. Your pan will most likely smoke—this is completely normal. Be sure to keep the door closed until the pan has cooled. You can practice this step as many times in a row as necessary until your pan is a deep rich black.

How To Keep a Good Seasoning on Your Pan

More so than actually seasoning the pan itself, I would say keeping it seasoned well, as to maintain its non-stick surface, is probably the most challenging part of cast iron care. Here’s what I have discovered to make my cast iron pans remain non-stick and seasoned.

Tip # 1: Use Fat When Cooking

Always start with a pat of fat in your cast iron pan before placing your food in it. I feel like this is something we all do, but apparently, many people don’t add butter or fat to their pan before cooking in a non-stick skillet. This is probably one of the more essential ways to keep your cast iron seasoned properly. The fat in the pan creates an extra barrier before food is placed directly on the surface. And in all honesty, it’s just being culinarily proper! I bet culinarily isn’t a word….

Tip # 2: Clean Immediately After Cooking

Clean your cast iron pan as soon as it can be easily handled without burning yourself. It is much easier to clean a cast iron pan when it is still warm than once it has cooled. Unless you are cooking something extra greasy in it (like fried chicken), you should just be able to wipe the pan clean with a damp rag, or you can run it under the faucet and give it a quick rinse and wipe with a sponge (soft side).

Don’t be afraid to use a little dish soap if you think you need it. Soap may remove extra layers of oil that you have on your skillet, but it will not removed the initial seasoning of polymerized oil.

If you notice that food has stuck to your pan, keep it on the heat and add a bit of cool water. It will “deglaze” the pan and you can scrape the burned bits off easily. You can also use coarse salt or a chain mail scrubber to clean the pans if needed.

Tip # 3: Dry and Re-Oil Immediately After Washing

Dry your cast iron pan completely after being washed. If you leave a cast iron pan to air dry, the water can seep into the pan’s pores, causing the breaking down of the seasoning. Or worse, the breaking down of the iron pan. Place your pan on a burner on your stovetop and let it dry out through that direct heat for about 5 minutes or so.

Once it is dry, use a clean paper towel to rub a thin layer of oil or lard on the inside of the skillet and wipe out the excess oil. This will increase the time between seasonings. I have only fully seasoned my pans once and I have had them for a couple of years!

Tip # 4: Don’t Use Cast Iron for Food Storage

Never leave food in a cast iron pan for storage. I learned this the hard way. I had made a lasagna skillet dish one evening, and instead of placing it in storage containers, I just left it in the pan and refrigerated the entire pan. No no, don’t do that. I regretted it the next day! The food will begin to break down the pans seasoning and could even start the rusting process.

What to Avoid When Using Cast Iron

It is a popular belief that you must avoid using hot water and dish soap, cooking acidic foods (like tomato sauce) and eggs, and using cast iron on a glass-top stove. With a properly seasoned pan, however, all of these are perfectly fine! Let’s talk about each of these plus a couple of things that you do really need to watch out for.

Dish Soap & Hot Water

You shouldn’t need to use dish soap every time you clean a cast iron pan because a properly seasoned pan won’t need it. There are certainly exceptions, however. If a dirty pan has been sitting overnight or longer, you may want to use soap to clean it. You may also choose to use dish soap if a pan has gotten extra greasy or has food stuck to it (although there are other ways to remove stuck on food).

The idea that dish soap cannot be used on cast iron comes from the idea that the soap will remove the seasoning. Dish soap, after all, is intended to remove oil. The seasoning on a cast iron skillet is made from polymerized oil that is bonded to the iron so soap does not remove this.

Older generations have also passed down the idea that lye in the soap can harm pans, but we no longer use soap that has lye leftover after saponification so this isn’t a concern either.

Acidic Foods & Eggs

Foods heavy in acidic ingredients like tomato sauce can potentially react with the metal in the pan. This can cause molecules from the metal to leech into foods causing an unpleasant metallic taste. Having a well-seasoned pan can help to reduce this because the food will come into contact with the polymerized oil instead of the metal.. If you notice bare spots of metal without seasoning, you may need to simply reseason before cooking acidic foods again.

Many people complain when cooking eggs on cast iron because they stick. This issue can also be mitigated with proper seasoning. I cook eggs on a vintage pan every morning and they never stick. Newer pans do tend to have a rougher texture so they can have more of an issue with eggs sticking, but not to the extent that you should totally avoid cooking eggs.

Make this Farm Fresh Frittata in your cast iron skillet!

Glasstop Stoves

Many people believe that cast iron cannot be used on glasstop stoves. This is simply not true. You can absolutely cook on electrice/glasstop stoves with cast iron, but you need to take a couple of things into consideration.

Cooking may take a few minutes longer than the recipe calls for.
Be careful when moving the heavy pans so you don’t break the glass.

That’s it. Just cook the food a bit longer (than you would cook on a gas range) if needed and move the pans gently.

Soaking

This is the one that you SHOULD actually avoid. Soaking cast iron cookware in water can speed up the rusting process so try not to let it sit in the sink for too long.

—

Ultimately, while caring for cast iron may be slightly different than your normal kitchen routine, you’ll come to love the dance. It becomes an extension of who you are, and eventually, you’ll just tend to it without even realizing it.

When you finally reach the expert level of seasoning, you’ll think to yourself, so this is what a properly seasoned cast iron skillet looks like. And you’ll grin with joy. And you’ll wonder what took you so long to get to this point. You’ll have breakdowns. You’ll forget every now and then. But once you’ve been successful, you’ll never want an improperly seasoned skillet again. And you will realize that there is very little scrubbing involved…ever.

Cast iron, in the long run, makes our homestead run smoother. It’s one less dish to have to put into the sink (we don’t have a dishwasher). And it’s one more way to make our food taste even better!

Pin “Cast Iron Care” for Later!

How to care for cast iron | washing, seasoning, and more

How To Treat Common Chicken Illnesses

June 10, 2021
Articles, Chickens, Livestock
18 Comments
by Amy K. Fewell

The reality is that sick or hurt chickens can happen to just about anyone. Of course, there are certainly things you can do to prevent illness and mishaps. Let’s take a look at some of the common chicken illnesses and ailments, and also, how to treat them effectively.

It happens to everyone at some point or another. You go and start your chicken flock with a few chickens—everything in life is happy and grand. And then one day, you walk outside to a dead bird, a sick bird, or a “what the heck is wrong with it” bird. That’s when the death emotion sinks in, and you think you’re a failure at chicken keeping.

First thing’s first—you need to understand that chickens are prey animals. Meaning, they can be sick and hurt long before ever showing symptoms of being so. This is why monthly (and even weekly) animal checks are important. Look over each and every chicken as often as possible for you on your homestead. For us, at one point, we had a lot of chickens. It wasn’t possible to check them all over in one week. So we did monthly checks.

Next, you’ll need to figure out how you want to treat animals on your homestead—chemically or holistically? Or both, when it comes right down to it.

We are not strictly “holistic” here. If holistic methods don’t work, I certainly go for the chemical method, or cull. However, all of the methods in today’s blog are about holistic treatment.

We are a working homestead. Therefore, sometimes it’s better to cut our losses than throw $50+ into a $10-$25 chicken. It just doesn’t add up for us to do that. We certainly keep things on hand if something goes wrong, but for a single incident? Absolutely not. Culling is our choice when all else fails within reason.

How To Treat Common Chicken Illnesses

Preventing Chicken Illnesses Is Key

If you take nothing else away from this article, please take away this. Prevention on your homestead is essential. The bulk of things that go wrong with your chickens could have been prevented or at least counteracted.

So, how do you prevent chicken illnesses?

Feed Chickens A Healthy Diet

Make sure they have all the nutrients they need. Skip the GMO feed if you can. Organic is certainly best, but not possible for some incomes.

Add Supplements to Their Feed

This is a really ideal way to help prevent disease and chicken illnesses in your flock. I highly suggest adding things such as dried/powdered garlic, Diatomaceous Earth (DE), Black Oil Sunflower Seeds (BOSS), Oregano, and Turmeric into their feed and diet as much as possible. Oregano is a natural antibiotic. Garlic aids in immune health and is antibacterial. DE is a natural wormer. BOSS adds extra protein to your chickens diet, and also aids in digestion. Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory and also aids in aches and pains, purifies blood, aids respiratory health, and strengthens the immune system. I would say out of everything, garlic, turmeric, and oregano are my top picks to put into their feed on a regular basis for preventing chicken illnesses.

Add Apple Cider Vinegar to their Water

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) helps alkalize the body in any living being. It’s also great for gut and crop health in chickens because it’s filled with wonderful probiotics and has anti-fungal properties. I do not suggest adding ACV to water during the hot months, as it can actually cause them to over heat more in the summer time.

Fresh Herbs and Snacks

Growing your own chicken garden isn’t always the easiest, but when you can set aside time to dry herbs (or order them online), and add it into their feed, you’ll see your chickens health improve dramatically. Herbs and snacks such as garlic, oregano, thyme, marigolds, dandelions, violets, chickweed, red raspberry leaf, elderberry (dried), and autumn olive berry are great, wild grown options for your flock. Some of these things you can find right in your own backyard. Others you can forage for. And still, others, you can grow yourself or order large bags of online here.
Pumpkin seeds and DE in their feed are also great options, and help prevent worms in your chickens digestive tract.

Make Sure Their Forage Area and Coop is Safe

Ultimately, some things happen because of unsafe living areas. Whether it’s a predator attack, or a hen getting her leg caught in some contraption—do a check on your barn, coop, and foraging areas often. Rid these areas of any potential safety hazards for your flock and yourself.

Chicken Illnesses and Treatment

Now that we have the prevention part of this equation down, let’s get right down to the nitty gritty. You’re probably reading this article because you need help right here and now. You now know how to help prevent chicken illnesses, but that doesn’t help you right in this moment if your chicken is ill or in pain. Here are some common ailments and the the treatments for them.

Lice and Mites

We had our first run in with lice about 6 months into our chicken journey when we bought lice infested chickens from someone we thought we knew well, but in fact, were stuck with sick chickens. I made the mistake of treating them chemically, and almost ended up in the hospital myself. After their first treatment, I learned of a much better way to continue treating them (as they need to be treated for an entire month).

Lice and mites transmit from other birds. However, if left long enough, can become an epidemic and kill your chickens by feeding on their blood supply. It takes awhile to get to that point, which is how we knew the chickens had lice before they arrived here (and none of my other flock had them, but had to be treated still). Should you find yourself with an anemic chicken, raw red meat in his/her diet is essential to get their iron levels back up.

The safest and best treatment: Dusting your chickens (very carefully) with wood ash and/or DE will rid them of any parasites that are currently on them. You’ll need to make sure you are dusting them right down to the skin, where these parasites live. You can add DE and wood ash to a special dust bathing area for the remainder of the month, so that they can dust themselves after the first initial dusting. Or you can continue dusting them individually once a week. In fact, you should do this as a preventative at all times (the regular dust bath). Treating for one month ensures that you catch all of the eggs that have hatched since the first initial treatment. You’ll also need to clean out the entire coop and dust with DE.

Scaly Leg Mites

Scaly leg mites are very similar in transmittal as lice and mites for chickens. However, I have read some pretty crazy “treatments” online for it. Someone even suggested you douse the legs in gasoline or kerosene. Please, do not do that.

The safest and best treatment: Soak your chickens legs in a warm water bath with dish liquid. Scrub their legs with a toothbrush to help loosen any dying scales. Dry and slather both legs and feet with a thick oil such as coconut oil, neem oil, or olive oil. This will help smoother the mites and allow for quicker growth of new scales. Add this oil to the legs of the chickens for at least 4 weeks, once or twice a week. Offering the same DE and wood ash dust bath to your chickens is also essential. You’ll also need to clean out the entire coop, dust with DE (without the chickens inside the coop) and make sure you’ve gotten all of the old bedding out. Don’t forget to dust the roosts as well!

Coccidiosis

Cocci can be a vicious parasite in your flock’s digestive tract. While it mostly attacks younger digestive tracts, such as with chicks, it can also attack your adult flock as well, causing diarrhea, unusual feces, blood in feces, and even death if left long enough.

The safest and best treatment: Kocci free is a very effective treatment. We use many of the Vibactra plus products on our homestead. They are an incredible source for herbal remedies. In fact, you can use Kocci free as a preventative as well once a month. Simply add it to their water.

Respiratory Irritation

Many new chicken owners freak out when they notice their chickens sneezing or wheezing. But it’s not always the “worst”. No, “colds” are not one of the chicken illnesses they can get, however, their respiratory tracts are extremely sensitive. A little more dust than normal in the coop can cause sneezing and wheezing.

The safest and best treatment: Clean the coop out and lay down a less dusty bedding, especially in the summer months. We prefer cardboard bedding in the summer months. Make sure you air out your coop before putting in new bedding, and make sure your coop has good ventilation so that dust can escape easily. Many times, respiratory issues arise because of dust, too much ammonia in the coop, or pollen.

Mycoplasma Gallisepticum and Mycoplasma Synoviae Infection (MG/MS)

Mycoplasma is a completely different issue that we really need to talk about in the chicken world. We experienced what I believe was a case of MG here the very first month we started with chickens. The chicken, thank goodness, was on our property for less than 48 hours and was quarantined (and immediately culled), but it was scary, to say the least.

Number one — ALWAYS QUARANTINE NEW CHICKENS. We learned our lesson and are thankful we did.

MG and MS are respiratory bacteria that can seriously sicken and kill your entire flock. It is extremely contagious, and can even be spread by clothing and shoes. Many chicken experts will tell you that MG and MS are not curable, but I have to respectfully disagree. If preventatives are used, and if caught in time at the first symptoms, I absolutely believe that MG and MS can be cured. It is, after all, simply a bacteria.

Symptoms of MG/MS: Wheezing, gasping for air, puffy face and swollen eyes, sneezing, sinus drainage, swollen joints, lethargy.

The safest and best treatment: You’ll need to be aggressive with this one. Oregano(antibiotic) in their feed and water at all times during treatment until symptoms have completely passed for ALL chickens. Add turmeric (immune support and anti-inflammatory) and garlic (antibacterial) to their feed as well. Separate any infected birds as much as possible, but treat ALL birds the same. Chickens can have MG/MS and not show symptoms until stressed or weak, which is what happened to us when we brought in a new chicken. Within 24 hours, she was literally on her death bed when she was fine the day we bought her.

Your chickens will need to be treated until ALL symptoms are gone. You should also not visit other farms unless you plan to change your clothing when you get there. And do NOT sell chickens or hatching eggs from your property for at least 4 weeks after symptoms are gone.

Infectious Coryza

I don’t have any experience with IC, but I’ve read enough, and experienced enough through others, to know that IC is extremely detrimental to any flock. Once contracted, it is extremely hard to get rid of. And can live in your soil for awhile. The fatality rate is extremely high and depressing even with treatment. I have no advice to offer you on IC except that you can treat the same way you would treat MG/MS, however, if it spreads to your entire flock viciously, you may very well consider culling and starting all over again after a 4 week waiting period.

Sour Crop

Sour Crop is probably one of the most common issues on a homestead when it comes to chickens. At least, it seems to be. We’ve actually never had the issue here, but have had friends with sour crop. Sour crop happens when chickens ingest something that is too big for them to pass through the crop. It can also be fungal, as things can begin to ferment in the crop and cause more issues if not passed properly.

The safest and best treatment: Giving your chicken ACV and olive oil in the crop will help tremendously. ACV has anti-fungal properties, and therefore can help tone down that yeastiness in the crop. You can add oil to your chickens crop and massage her crop, holding her upside down, to help expel anything that may be lodged or compacted.

Bumble Foot

Bumble foot is another one of the very common chicken illnesses on the homestead. This happens when your chicken has stepped on something, such as a thorn or has gotten a cut on their foot. The thorn or cut then becomes infected, causing a sore type lesion to pop up on the bottom of their foot or in between toes. It can affect their walking, and if left long enough, the infection can spread to their entire body.

The safest and best treatment: You can pick the scab off of the bottom of the foot and expel any infection that way, and also release the core of the issue (if it’s something lodged inside the foot). Or you can wrap the foot with a bandage soaked in tea tree and oregano essential oils. This has proven to be extremely successful for us, as the tea tree oil is antiseptic, and the oregano oil is a natural fighter of infection. You’ll need to do this, daily (direct skin contact with a swab soak in the oil under the bandage) for at least a week or until symptoms begin to subside. This also allows your chicken to walk better with the bandage and extra padding so that it can heal quicker.

When all else fails, you may choose to take a chemical route. However, we have not had to do that in over two years with preventative methods and herbal treatments. Go with your gut, because most of the time it never steers you wrong. And remember that if you lose a chicken, you’re not a bad chicken keeper or homesteader. Sometimes, these things just happen and they are out of our control. But remember, prevention is key!

More About Raising Chickens

Whether you’ll be free-ranging them or not, keep reading for more information about raising the healthiest and happiest backyard chickens on your homestead!

Growing Herbs for Bees

January 5, 2021
Articles, Bees, Gardening, Herbs
3 Comments
by Amy Fewell

Herbs are very beneficial for honey bees in the homestead apiary! Learn which flowering and medicinal herbs for bees you should grow in your garden.

The buzzing of pollinators in a garden—it’s a sound every gardener loves to hear in the spring. It means healthy plants and vegetables will soon arrive, and our little bee friends are helping us along the way.

Bees are essential to any homestead. In fact, they are like tiny herbalists that create natural concoctions that benefit us. They give us honey, which is antiseptic, antibacterial, and has healing properties. They give us beeswax to make our own salves and ointments. They give us propolis to help with colds and allergies. And more than anything, they pollinate our plants, gardens, and orchards. We couldn’t do what we do without bees.

And it’s not just honeybees. There are other pollinators like carpenter bees and bumblebees.

If you’re on the herbalism journey on your homestead, you may be wondering how in the world we can help pollinators herbally. From planting herbs that attract pollinators and enhance honey flavor, to using herbal cleaners in our bee hives, we can absolutely utilize herbs for bees in our homestead apiaries. Here’s how…

Herbs for Honey Bees

We can start by attracting pollinators and offering attractant herbs to our bee hives. Planting herbs is one of the many easy ways we can protect fragile bee populations on our homesteads.

There are a lot of different herbs that will attract pollinators to your homestead. And if you already have beehives, planting these herbs will help ensure that your bees have enough to forage during the warm months.

The great news is many of these herbs would make a wonderful addition to your medicinal herb garden!

Herbs That Attract Pollinators

Lemon Balm
Chives
Rosemary
Borage
Lavender
Sage
Comfrey
Thyme
Echinacea
Feverfew
Yarrow
Dandelion
Oregano
Savory
Mint
Rosemary
Chamomile
Red Clover
Motherwort
Marjoram
Catnip
Hyssop
Bee Balm

Preparing and Cleaning Your Hive Boxes

When preparing to take on a new hive, or just generally cleaning out your boxes from an old hive, there are a few herbs for bees you can use to promote general health and keep pests, like ants, away from the hive.

Wash down the hive with the herbal solution recipe below, then rub down the inside of the hive with sprigs of rosemary, thyme, catnip, and mint. You can even lay these herbs on the inside top cover of your hive to deter insect pests.

Clean Your Bee Hive With Herbs

Use this cleaner to clean out a new bee hive before adding your bees.

5 from 1 vote

New Bee Hive Cleaner

Use this cleaner to clean out a new bee hive before adding your bees.

Prep Time 5

Infusion Time 6

Equipment

16-oz glass spray bottle

Ingredients

Thyme
Rosemary
Catnip
Sage
Peppermint
Distilled water
Witch hazel

Instructions

Add handfuls of fresh herbs (or a tablespoon each of dried herbs) to a 16-oz glass spray bottle.
Fill bottle three-quarters of the way with distilled water, and fill the remainder with witch hazel.
Allow bottle to set for six hours before using.
Shake well, then spray inside of hive thoroughly while cleaning. Wipe well.

Using Herbs for Bees in New or Weak Hives

When taking on a new hive that could be stressed, or when dealing with a weak bee hive, offering your bees an herbal tea will help boost energy and general health. This is also a great tea to give during harsh weather (drought or excessive rain), or before the winter months set in.

Herbal Bee Tea

The herbs in this bee tea solution offer so many benefits and good food for your bees. It’s a mixture that can be kept on hand (dried) and made up quickly when needed to stimulate the bees’ immune systems and metabolism. To strengthen a weak, new, or swarm hive, offer it to your bees every day for 1–2 weeks. If the bees don’t take the tea, stop offering it. It means they have enough to forage or simply aren’t interested or in need.

5 from 1 vote

Herbal Bee Tea

Ingredients

1 tbsp Echinacea
1 tbsp Peppermint
1 tbsp Chamomile
1 tbsp Yarrow
1 tbsp Stinging Nettle
1 tbsp Lemon Balm
1 tbsp Thyme
1 1/2 tbsp Sage
4 cups Distilled Water
1/2 cup Raw Honey

Instructions

Make your dried tea mixture by mixing all of the herbs in a large mason jar or storage jar. Cap tightly, label, and store in your pantry until ready to use.
When ready to use, bring 4 cups of distilled water to a boil.
Remove from heat and add 3–4 tsp of dried tea to hot water. Allow to steep for 5–7 minutes.
Add honey once mixture is lukewarm. Mix well.
Pour tea into a glass jar and add to the feeder area of your hive (entrance feeders work well).
Remove the tea after 24 hours, as your tea will lose its medicinal potency after sitting for 12–24 hours.
Offer for general bee health every 1–2 months.

Encouraging Herbal Foraging

It’s hard to think that we could spend time and money on our bee hives, only to have them killed off because a neighbor or local industrial farm has sprayed chemicals on their property. For this reason, we need to encourage our bees to forage on our homestead. This is accomplished by planting various herbs, vegetables, and flowers right around the hives themselves. This is why many homesteaders and farmers place their hives directly in their gardens—not only because it helps the homesteader pollinate their garden, but because it helps the bees stay close to home.

Choose herbs for bees from the list mentioned in this section to encourage them to stay close by. If given enough plants, they will forage around home first. This also helps to ensure a healthy hive by offering plenty of plants during the spring and summer. Plant perennials (like echinacea, lemon balm, yarrow, and sage) that come back bigger and stronger each year so that your pollinators can get started as soon as possible each spring.

Herbal Honey Enhancers

Try planting these herbs nearby to enhance honey color and flavor:

Anise-hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)—Bees feast on hyssop and it can be one of the top nectar producers for bees.

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)—Produces a white to amber honey, enhances overall bee health.

Marjoram (Origanum vulgare)—Gives honey an aromatic scent and flavor.

Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)—Gives honey a minty fresh flavor.

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)—Offers a slight herbal taste and honey of a dark amber color.

All in all, bees and herbs go hand in hand. Herbs are so aromatic and delicious, and bees think so too! Not only can they help you, the homesteader, but they can also help the original homestead herbalists—the bees!

You can learn more about herbalism in my book, The Homesteader’s Herbal Companion, where I talk about growing, harvesting, preserving, and using herbs on your homestead, in your home, and for your family and livestock.

photo credits:
photo 1, 3 4, & 6— Kaylee Richardson of The Farm on Quail Hollow
photo 5— Carina Richard-Wheat of The Rustic Mod

Homestead Honeybees

Keep reading for even more information that you may find useful as a beginner beekeeper!

Nebraska Floods: How It Affects Everyone

April 1, 2019
Articles, Homesteading
9 Comments
by Amy K. Fewell

A million cattle dead. Over $800 million in crop loss. How will the Nebraska floods affect America? Find out at Homesteaders of America. — Source: Farm Credit Services of America

If you aren’t aware, the state of Nebraska is under water. Millions of dollars have been lost in livestock and crop loss due to Nebraska floods on farms and homesteads. It seems odd that the media isn’t talking about it more than they are, but at the same time, if America really truly knew how this could impact the entire nation, there might be an outcry.

That’s where we try to bring you knowledge at Homesteaders of America. And the cold hard fact is this . . .

Our agricultural system is fragile, and it took a major hit this past month to an already deteriorating infrastructure in our country.

Let’s break this down a little more, and then talk about how it can affect you, and why it’s so important to learn more and more about homesteading, and how you need to prepare for more flooding to come.

Nebraska Floods: How It Affects Everyone

Millions of Livestock Killed

I think one of the worst things about the Nebraska floods are the amount of deaths in livestock. Over 1-million cows have been lost in the floods. That’s not a small number, by any means. Farmers had to move quickly when levies broke and flood waters rushed in. Because of that, so many of their herds were lost in devastating flood waters.

Over a million head of livestock have been killed in the Nebraska floods. One of the country’s biggest sources of beef and pork, the midwest, could lose 50% of its farms this year due to flooding. This means we’ll see meat prices increase at the grocery stores, and meat shortages as well (depending on your location). While it may not happen immediately, it will happen.

One farmer lost 700 hogs in the March 2019 Nebraska floods. Can you imagine losing your entire livelihood in less than 30 minutes? He did.

Over $800 million in livestock and crop loss is expected, and probably even more than that.

Farmers Already Losing Money Before Flooding

As if the $800 million loss isn’t bad enough, farmers were already stashing away grains and crops due to the U.S.-China trade war. Almost all of these storage units have been destroyed or contaminated in the recent Nebraska floods. Which means no real income for the farmer, and an extremely large hit to their livestock feed source. Soybeans were the single most valuable U.S. agricultural export crop. China bought $12 billion worth a year from American farmers. But Chinese tariffs have almost halted the trade, leaving farmers with crops they are struggling to sell for a profit. (Source)

Besides that fact, farm bankruptcy in 2018 was already up 19% from the previous year. It’s no secret that the American farm is dying. I wrote about that recently in my article, How Homesteaders Can Save the American Farm. I encourage you to read it after this article.

Now, the farms that were on the brink of bankruptcy, but still holding on, have every reason to file for it due to the substantial loss they were already taking, and have taken from the recent flooding.

The Soil is Ruined From Flooding

In 2018, Virginia saw multiple 100-year floods in several months. It was absolutely unheard of. A neighboring farm of mine had acres and acres of pasture flooded. The pasture is now completely desolate and covered in silt and feet of sand. Yes, feet of sand. This is something we don’t think about when it comes to flooding.

Even if the flood waters recede and the land dries out, the amount of top soil that will have been eroded or changed will be a killer to so many of these farmers. They have worked years, if not generations, creating top soil and good ground for their crops and livestock. Now, pastures will have to be amended. And with the looming threat of more rain and flooding, many farmers are wondering if it’s even worth it.

An estimated 50% of farmers in the mid-west will not try to rebuild or restore their farmland.

Grains and Crops Are Gone

As of Dec. 1, producers in states with flooding – including South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin and Illinois – had 6.75 billion bushels of corn, soybeans and wheat stored on their farms – 38 percent of the total U.S. supplies available at that time, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
Reuters.com |Midwest Farmers Face Devastation Following Midwest Flood

This is where we really start seeing effects on just about everyone in our country. A large percentage of the grains that come from the midwest are now gone. These grains produce the breads and products that the average everyday person consumes from the grocery store. If you’re a homesteader, it may not affect you as much, but ultimately, it will.

The grains that your livestock eat on a regular basis, unless harvested locally, more than likely come from the midwest. This is why it’s so important to find a local supplier for your livestock feed, wheat, and oat necessities. Of course, if you’re in the midwest, having a local source isn’t an option right now. And that is extremely unfortunate.

More than anything, farmers in the mid-west are struggling with having to feed the livestock they could save, because all of their grains and hay are gone. This dreadful impact will be felt for years to come.

So How Does the Nebraska Floods Affect You?

If you’re already growing your own food in your backyard or on your farm, you might be wondering how this affects you. In many cases, it may not even touch you. But it’s best to be aware of what could happen in the coming year, especially if it continues to rain and flood like NOAA is suggesting it will. It’s also good to know what’s coming in your area in regard to weather this year, which we’ll also go over. It’s best to be prepared!

For starters—as mentioned before—grains such as corn, soybeans, and wheat have seen at least a large loss (for our entire country) in March from the losses of mid-west farmland. These grains are used extensively for livestock feed, and some is even sold to big companies to produce products that you purchase in the stores. More than likely, if you’re eating an organic diet, you may not see much of a difference in your grocery shopping, as many of these farms are not organic farms (that I’m aware of). However, the loss of grains does have the potential to send stock prices into disarray, and cripple the agricultural system even more.

Loss of these grains also have the potential to make livestock feed scarce or send feed prices soaring. My suggestion? Stock up now if your feed sources aren’t sourced locally or from an area that’s not in the mid-west. Yes, even chicken feed.

If you purchase beef or pork from the store, you’re more than likely going to see a decrease in grocery store meat production (specifically beef) and a soar in pricing, depending on your location and where your grocer sources these meat products. If at all possible, consider purchasing a cow or pig share if you can’t grow your own. Or start sourcing out from local homesteaders and farmers. It’s healthier for you anyway!

More and more farmers going into bankruptcy or not saving their farms means an economic drop. It also means that large organizations (not necessarily good ones) will gain more and more control of our food system because they can produce the supply for the demand with farms outside of the United States. We are no longer supporting the American farmer, we are simply trying to feed the American people who think it’s the grocery store’s job to feed them. And unfortunately, it will cripple our agriculture system even more. In the end, this has a major impact on our economy and our food source. And this is were sloppy farming runs rampant with recalls, filthy living conditions for livestock, and lack of integrity.

How Should You Prepare?

Let’s get real here, this isn’t over yet. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) released a report in March with a map showing the expected flooding and moisture for the rest of Spring 2019. And folks, it’s not good.

From someone who lost an entire garden last year on the East Coast due to constant rains and flooding, let me be the first to tell you that even if you know how to grow your own food, you might not be able to. We’re learning to put things in place on our homestead that will help with the rain, like drains, water diverts through the garden, and utilizing a greenhouse. But sometimes no matter what you do, you’ll still lose crops. This is why it’s so important to dive into your local homesteading community and network with others. What you might not be able to grow, someone else one county over might grow in abundance. And the opposite is true as well.

Homesteading takes a village—don’t be afraid of that village. Love on it, grow it, utilize it. And in return, let others utilize your talents and abundance as well. This is how homesteading always has been, and should continue to be.

Last year we bought bushels of tomatoes and apples from a local orchard to restock our pantry for the coming year. Find out now who those homesteaders and farms are so that you can help one another in the future. If you’re not interested in reaching out to others, then start packing your pantry with food now that’s easy—like home canned beans.

The map above shows areas that are expected to receive major, moderate, or minor flooding this year. Unfortunately last year, Virginia (where I live) wasn’t even in a minor zone, and yet we saw flood after flood after flood in 2018. It makes me wonder what we can truly expect in 2019.

Besides the garden, you need to prepare your livestock and take good inventory of your escape routes. When possible, move livestock to higher ground when you know a large storm is coming. If not possible, consider keeping sandbags on hand and offering an escape should the flood waters start rising quicker than you can get to your livestock.

More importantly, know your own escape routes. Livestock are replaceable, you are not. Where I live, we have rivers on every single side of us. Thankfully we live on a hillside that wouldn’t flood. But what about if the flooding happens while we’re not home and we can’t get home? Consider keeping a go-bag (water and snacks) in your vehicles, along with mud boots, blankets, and ponchos. You never want to get stranded, especially with children, during flooding. And as always, please practice the “turn around don’t drown” rule.

How Can You Help?

If you’d like to donate to help farms, ranches, and communities areas affected by the Nebraska floods, consider donating to the Nebraska Farm Bureau disaster assistance fund. All of the proceeds received go towards rebuilding these farms and communities that have been devastated by the flooding that has happened, and that has yet to happen.

Please consider sharing this article with others. Unfortunately the media is not giving nearly enough attention to the devastation that is occurring, and will continue to occur, for these precious farmers and farms in the mid-west. The impact that it not only has on them and their families, but also the rest of the country, is extremely important to talk about right now. Knowledge is power!

Cardboard Coop Bedding for the Chicken Coop

February 14, 2019
Blog, Chickens
8 Comments
by Amy Fewell

Cardboard coop bedding is an excellent alternative to using straw or sand in the coop. Additionally, it is biodegradable and can easily be added to the compost pile for future gardening needs.

Cardboard Bedding

Cardboard bedding is a completely natural option for your coop floor, and honestly, it’s even much cleaner and easier to tend to than the deep litter and sand methods.

Chickens cannot ingest the large pieces of cardboard. They will try to peck at it but lose interest after the first hour. Since the bedding is so light, many times the chickens will stir the bedding for you through out the day, which is a nice bonus.

However, my biggest love about this bedding is that my chickens love it! We saw quite the health improvement versus straw and other dusty beddings. Whenever we put down new straw or wood shavings, the chickens often have irritated sinuses. But not with cardboard bedding. There is no dust or pollen in the cardboard bedding, which is also a wonderful option for me since it allows me to put down bedding without wearing a mask and while also taking unnecessary allergy medicines.

Overall, it is the healthiest option for our chickens, and we will now be using it all year long rather than just the summer months. I wanted to share this option with you, as it is not widely spoken about. I certainly am so thrilled that someone introduced me to cardboard bedding — because I’ll never go back to the other!

Keep reading to learn more about how to use cardboard bedding in the chicken coop!

Raising Chickens on the Homestead

Chickens are the gateway livestock on any homestead! Learn more about how to care for backyard chickens!

How Homesteaders Can Save the American Farm

January 3, 2019
Articles, Homestead Stories, Homesteading
5 Comments
by Amy Fewell

Driving down a back country road, headed home from my grandparent’s farm, my nine year old son excitedly pronounced “Mom! I got to meet Charlie today!” I chuckled, because he thought this was such a big deal to meet one of his great granddad’s farming friends on one of their weekly adventures. He visited his farm, and sat in his house while the two old friends chatted for awhile. It was the highlight of the day (well, second to the junk yard trip where they found treasures).

While my son continued to talk about his day with granddad, my mind wandered to a time when I was his age and I, too, knew Charlie. A not so old, Charlie. He’s well into his nineties now—a well known dairy farmer here in Virginia. One of the few that are left.

Earlier this year I documented the closing of a family dairy farm—friends of ours—located right beside my grandfather’s farm. The heartbreak of watching this family farm shut down because of the changing industry was absolutely awful. But it’s happening all across the country. (more…)

The Woman HomesteadHER and FarmHER

February 6, 2018
Articles, Homesteading
1 Comment
by Amy Fewell

Why are women stepping up and becoming the farmHer and homestead “hers”, instead of their male counterparts?

Over the past 10 years, and more so in recent years, the face of farming has changed drastically. While it has changed in ways of GMO vs. non-GMO, it has also changed in relational, age, and “gender” ways. The average Virginia farmer is now 68 years old, and unfortunately his grand-children aren’t necessarily trying to fill his shoes quickly. But there is an increasing amount of farmers rising up, and not the kind you’d expect.

Today’s farmers are small families or couples trying to make ends meet, but maybe even more-so, trying to leave a better world their children. It’s not just that, though. The new face of farming is no longer men, but women—pioneers leading the way to a new and improved farming history and industry.

Through out history, the woman’s “place” was inside the home—helping her farming husband by preparing meals, taking care of livestock, tending the garden, doing some farm chores, and tending to the household. It was, by no means, an easy task. She didn’t have the luxuries that we have now, such as a washing machine and dryer. But she did her job and did it well. Certainly, she would help him around the farm if he needed her, but her ultimate goal was to raise a family, food preservation, and to tend her house.

The woman’s place on the farm has changed dramatically since then. In fact, sometimes, there’s only the woman running the farm, without a man involved at all. She is, what we like to call in the homesteading world, a modern day farm”her”. I am honored to know some of these women, and while they will all tell you that it presents its challenges, for the most part, they wouldn’t change it for anything.

There are 564 million women working in agriculture all across the world — 8% of women are farmers, and 11% of men are farmers. We’ve almost caught up to them! In the more desolate and third world countries, 43% of agricultural labor force in developing countries is female.

I have been asked the question, “why do you always post homestead things when your husband is the one who does the work?” And I laugh. My husband actually doesn’t do a single thing with our animals unless I specifically ask him to. He is a blessing in the way that he will most certainly build hutches or coops, but the up-keep is completely up to me. And if he weren’t around, the building of things would be up to me too.

And I enjoy it….immensely! And for some reason, that can be extremely hard to believe for some people in the modern world.

These silly remarks come from people thinking women are “feminists”. I am far from a feminist. A woman wanting to be a farmHer doesn’t stem from rebellion or wanting to act better than anyone (especially not men), in fact, it’s the complete opposite.

And so the question arises,

Why are women stepping up and becoming the farmHer and homestead “hers”, instead of their male counterparts?

The Woman HomesteadHER and FarmHER

Here are a few reasons why you are seeing modern day women rising up all across the world.

• Women are typically more passionate about it.

Yes, we are, in some ways, more passionate about it than men. Men think logically, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But they are thinking “business”. They are still, essentially, the “bread winners” in the U.S.A. They don’t want to take the risk of dropping their paying job for a job that might not make half of what they are making each year at their secure job. But for women, it’s not always about the money, it’s about the passion. Darn those emotions, taking over our logic once again.

Often times, women see a need and we want to fix it. There is a longing in our hearts for a more simple time, and this is just one more way for us to make that time a reality in our lives. Not just that, however. We want to leave a better world for our children. We want our children to know what work is, where food comes from, and how to properly farm and raise animals. It’s not just about money to us, because Lord knows, there’s not much of that in small farming.

In a recent article, it said the same,

“The differences between men and women extend definitively to their opinions on farm animals. Polls across the United States and Europe show that women are more concerned about farm animals than men, and are more likely to favor better treatment for them and to support increased protective legislation.” —The Atlantic; Agriculture Needs More Women.

• Women embrace their womanhood and the pull to nurture life.

I don’t even have to explain this one. With so many commercial farms popping up, it just makes us want to nurture and care for things all the more!

• Women may feel they are just as capable as men, in many ways.

I know I’m not as strong as my husband, which is why he builds things when I need them and lifts the extremely heavy things (or helps me with them). But there is always one thing my husband has told me. He has always said, “I want you to learn from me, or learn how to do things on your own, so that if I’m not here one day, you won’t have to depend on another man to do things for you.”

Some women might scoff at that and call him selfish, but my goodness, how unselfish could he be. It couldn’t be a more caring statement. He has taught me to do things I would have never imagined I would do. And my body is capable of doing things I wasn’t once capable of doing. In many ways, women can still be inferior to men with their physical capabilities, it’s just how we were created. But when given the proper tools and strength training, we can get the job done. Even if it’s the “woman” way of doing things!

• Women sometimes have a drive to be more self-sufficient.

I don’t know where the drive comes from, but in many cases, women farmHer’s say they feel more motivated to live a self-sufficient lifestyle than men do. This drive causes women to take on farming or homesteading. We seem to care more about our food and land than some men do in today’s society. Not all men, though. We are finding that many couples have the same mindset, and it’s extremely exciting to see families taking control of their self-sufficiency!

• Men are no longer expected to be farmers.

In the United States, men are no longer expected to provide for their families. And if they are, they are forced to believe that they should be Doctors and Lawyers, or big office money makers. The unfortunate part of that is that many men (and society, in general) aren’t supportive of the women farmHer. Whether it’s a sexist issue or simply a logical issue of “we don’t need farmers”, they simply just don’t support it. It is seen as being “feminist” or “trying to do the mans job”. And that’s just not true. Equality in the U.S. is skyrocketing—why shouldn’t women be a farmHer? Is it crazy to think that we actually enjoy what we do?!

• Women may make “more time” to farm and homestead—but it can be a necessity as well.

It’s true, and yet it’s not. For me, as a work at home mom, it only makes sense for me to be the one farming and homesteading. Not that I have more time on my hands, but I’m here all day long and can get chores done through out the day. It is also true that women would make more time for farming, because, as point #1 says, we are most often the ones who are more passionate about it.

In more deprived countries, women are farming because it’s a necessity. Their men are either working constantly to make ends meet (because let’s face it, they don’t make enough on farming to make ends meet), or they are no where to be found, and it’s up to the woman to provide food for her family while selling what is leftover. A woman farmer is a necessity, not just a passion, as we have in the United States.

In the U.S., women might farm and homestead to make ends meet in their household. Meat rabbits, gardening and canning, and raising livestock for your family might not bring in money, but it might save you money, if you are raising for your own consumption of grass-fed, all natural, organic meat and produce.

• Women are supported by their partners, and work alongside them.

I feel like I’ve already said this, but it is a point in and of itself. Many women farmers have become a farmHer because their husbands or partners are farmers. They help. They don’t just sit back and let him do all of the work. Their passion and love for the skill, and for their significant other, drive them to be just as good of a farmer as anyone else. Husbands and wives share their love together. Women plow fields and mow hay. We clean coops and process livestock. We sit up at night while new babies are being born and our husbands rest from a long day at work. Women farm. Not by ourselves, but alongside our husbands. We are a farmHer with our spouses, not just by ourselves.

Whatever it may be, the reality is that women farmHer and homesteaders are becoming more and more prevalent in our world. It is not something to be shamed or slandered. It is something to be embraced. In ten years, our world population will have increased significantly. Who’s going to feed all of those people? It doesn’t matter whether a man farmed it or a woman harvested it—as long as the job gets done.

I encourage you to support your local farmer, whether male or female, or both. They encounter the same obstacles throughout their passion, and need encouragement to get the job done.

If you’re a small-scale farmHer” or homestead”her”, then I encourage you to keep doing what you’re doing. Whether you realize it or not, your pioneering has broken through that stereotype that women can’t provide for their families. But I assure you, she can!

The Woman Farmher & Homesteader: Why are Women Getting into Farming?

6 Reasons Why Homesteads Need a Rooster

November 2, 2017
Articles, Chickens, Homesteading, Livestock
2 Comments
by Amy Fewell

Do you need really need a rooster on the homestead? Roosters constantly get a bad rep, and typically it comes from people who have either been attacked by a rooster, or who are simply uneducated about the way roosters work within a working homestead or farm. Either way, there are a lot of great reasons to own a rooster, especially if you’re a working farm or homesteader.

We keep two roosters on our homestead at all times. We learned this important tip from a seasoned Virginia chicken keeper, Harvey Ussery. The importance of keeping two roosters at once is so that if one rooster somehow loses his battle while protecting his flock, or simply dies of old age, there is a younger rooster that has learned from him and can easily take his place in the flock. If you were to introduce a new and very random rooster, it would take him quite awhile to establish himself high enough in pecking order.

Important Note:
if you have a backyard hobby flock in suburbia, you might want to check your local laws first, including any Homeowner Association laws. Many areas don’t allow roosters because of their crow.

6 Reasons Why Homesteads Need a Rooster

So do you need a rooster? And why should every homesteader have a rooster (or two!) with their flock? Let’s find out….

Ultimate Sustainability

Homesteading is ultimately about sustainability, and there’s nothing more common in sustainability than the chicken. They can very much take care of themselves in many ways, however, what about chicks?

Reproduction on the homestead is vital, and you can’t have chicks without a rooster. Whether you have a bantam hen hatch eggs, or you hatch your own in an incubator, the rooster will be your deciding factor as to whether you have chicks or not. Without a rooster, you’ll constantly purchase eggs or chicks from outside sources, and this is absolutely not sustainable, nor is it cost efficient.

Over the past 4 years, almost every egg we’ve hatched on our homestead has been from our own flock. Not only has it been a way to replenish our flock at zero cost, it has also been a way for us to decrease the risk of embryo-borne disease or bacteria.

In an end of the world scenario, sustainability with roosters is extremely important. But, we’re not too doom and gloom here.

The Crow

Ah yes, the infamous crow. I vote that roosters are more commonly known for their crow than for their ability to be aggressive. In fact, many roosters (depending on the breed), aren’t aggressive.

But that crow though, that crow is just golden.

Each morning the rooster crows. Sometimes it begins at 4 am, other times it doesn’t begin until the sunlight is visible to the human eye. However, most roosters begin as the sun begins, and often times, it still looks pitch black outside to humans.

The crow is multi-functional. While many farmers and homesteaders get up with the rooster crow and start their inside chores, the rooster crow is so much more than that. It’s an alert system, a way to communicate, and a way to let others know who’s boss.

A loud crow can many times be enough to scare off smaller predators. It can deter other birds, and it can also alert hens to incoming predators. The crow is often preceded or followed by the flapping of both wings. This makes the rooster look more aggressive and assertive.

The Rooster Alert

While a rooster crow is beautiful and effective, roosters have an alert call separate from the crow. This call is immediately heeded by the hens, as they know he is the protector of the flock. The rooster alert is vital in the protection of a flock as it’s the chicken’s first defense against an attack.

Often times a rooster will scan the sky for predators, or he’ll hear a twig break in the woods. These things instantaneously alert him that something could be afoot. Even if it’s just a passing mouse, the rooster is always on alert, and rightfully so.

His alert system will save plenty of hens who are typically too busy eating and replenishing their calorie intake than worrying about a nearby predator.

Predator Protection

Rooster-man is the ultimate protector of the flock. I have personally watched our roosters fight off falcons and hawks larger than they are. Guess who won? Yep, the rooster.

Many roosters, especially experienced ones, are relentless in their pursuit to protect their ladies. They know when they’ve met their match, but they will go down swinging if that means the rest of the flock is protected.

With predators constantly lurking around a homestead, a rooster is so necessary to protect the flock that produces you and your family’s eggs!

They’re Pretty

Let’s face it, one of the best reasons to have a rooster on your homestead is simply because they are beautiful to look at. Now, I’ve seen a few straggly roosters in my life, but for the most part, every rooster I’ve seen is gorgeous.

With long flowing saddle (back) feathers and beautiful shiny hackle (neck) feathers, the rooster is one of the most beautiful of creatures in the entire world. Not only does he have a glorious crow and beautiful feathers, but he struts around with a protruding chest that makes him even more handsome and assertive. His stride is one of pride and beauty, and who’s to argue with that?

They Care for Their Hens

Last, and finally not least, roosters care well for their hens. Not only are they protective, but most roosters are extremely kind and sweet to their flock—bringing their hens food, calling their hens over when they’ve found a treat, and even snuggling up to his favorites at night. When a rooster knows a hen has been ousted in the flock, you’ll most often see her right beside him on the roost at night, so that he can protect her even more. Or he’ll take a quick rest beside her during the day before getting back up to do his flock duty.

There certainly are a lot of reasons why a rooster might not be a good fit for you, but generally speaking, a rooster is something that every self-sustaining homesteader should consider owning. From caring and protecting his flock, to just being beautiful and amazing to look at, the rooster earns his keep on the farm.

And if in the end you can’t keep him, or he doesn’t work out for you, well friends, I’ve never met a rooster that hasn’t tasted good in a fresh bowl of chicken noodle soup on my family’s dinner table. Oh, look, there’s just one more reason you should keep roosters on your homestead…

More About Raising Chickens

Whether you’ll be free-ranging them or not, keep reading for more information about raising the healthiest and happiest backyard chickens on your homestead!