Tag Archives: backyard homestead

“Prepping” for the election: It’s a thing!

image of chickens

Whether inspired by Thoreau or the current state of affairs, there’s no denying that there’s a movement afoot in Maine and across the United States toward self-sufficiency. But, for some, self-sufficiency feels more urgent now than ever. My husband and I began a few years ago moving toward a more self-sufficient lifestyle. We’re making progress […]

Backyard chickens: Preparing your flock for the cooler temperatures ahead

chickens in snow

It’s that time of year. Tonight is our first freeze in the Bangor area, and last week, our chicky girls laid fewer eggs than they ever have. There’s some molting going on, and the days are getting shorter. I saw a post on a chicken Facebook site (yes, we have those) that read “Let the […]

Rejecting the food industry: Processing chickens and finding truths

image of chickens at fence

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about my anxiety surrounding our first “one bad day” as farmers. We had 14 chickens to process, and I had never experienced anything like it before. For me, it was a tough day. A long day. A draining day—and my husband did most of the work. Still, that […]

One bad day: Preparing to process chickens for the first time

I’ve tried three times in my life to be a vegetarian. The longest I ever made it without eating meat was about 9 months. One day, I just couldn’t take it anymore. I went to a local burger joint and scarfed a giant cheeseburger. It was so good, and though I felt quite guilty, I […]

Fine. I’ll stop kissing chickens.

baby chicks

Just this week, a new report was released from the CDC stating that salmonella cases from chicken kissing and snuggling, as well as from chickens living in our homes, is on the rise. It’s a reality that people love chickens, and I know why. I love our girls. They’re funny, ornery, sweet, full of personality, […]