Hatching eggs in an incubator at home is one of the most addictive parts of the backyard farming hobby. There are few things more satisfying than watching new life spring forth from the eggs you’ve been carefully incubating for weeks. One of my favorite types of poultry to hatch and raise myself are turkeys. Turkeys...

The Pekin duck, sometimes called the American Pekin duck or the Long Island duck is a large breed of duck popular among duck raisers. They’re a reliable breed, docile and productive, and very easy to keep. They’re known for their large, white eggs, stunning bright white feathers, and loud quacks. I’ve kept Pekin ducks for...

Around the world, more and more people are raising guinea fowl in their backyards. The bird’s increasing popularity has lead to increased interest and availability. If you’ve raised chickens or ducks before, you may find yourself interested in taking on a new type of poultry. Before we go track down some guinea fowl chicks, we...

Wyandotte chickens are arguably the most beautiful variety of chicken and quite possibly the most beautiful chicken in existence. Maybe I’m a little biased, I’ve kept wyandottes for over a decade now. Their interesting and unique plumage makes them prized birds for hobbyists and show chicken breeders. They are excellent egg layers and can be...

Using ducks instead for pest control might be coming into vogue for farmers everywhere. Two of the biggest issues farmers face on a daily basis are pests and weeds. Pests, like bugs and mites, destroy crops. Weeds take over fields and use up valuable resources that crops need to grow.  Farmers are constantly trying to...

In another article, we talked about how to incubate coturnix quail eggs and some of the advantages of choosing that breed of quail, but they aren’t the only type of domesticated quail commonly kept by quail breeders. Bobwhite quail are another breed commonly kept, but most quail breeders find that they aren’t an optimized bird...

Raising backyard animals is, in my view, and important part of any garden. Of course, not every gardener will be able to, and that’s fine. Animals like ducks produce delicious eggs and manure that can be composted and used in your garden. The duck breed that I keep are the Campbell variety of ducks. In...

Horse manure is one of those amendments to a garden that really kicks it off and charges it up. Horse manure, like rabbit manure, is something I apply to my garden and compost heap pretty much every single year. For rabbit manure, I have my own source. This is another story though. Rabbit manure is...

Raising my own chickens has been one of the true joys in my life. I find them to be really interesting, amazing creatures. I can’t tell you how many chickens I’ve hatched from egg. I think my all-time favorite chicken breed is the buff orpington. They have a great personality, lay a bountiful number of...

There are a few types of quail that people commonly keep, but coturnix quail are far and away the easiest to raise. We will be focusing on how to incubate coturnix quail eggs for this particular breed. Coturnix quail eggs are one of the easiest to incubate and hatch successfully. 9 weeks after you set eggs...

Have you ever bought tomatoes from the store and found that, just a few short days later, they’ve begun to rot and turn soggy? Preserving tomatoes is a tricky business, especially when you’ve grown or purchased more than you really needed. But one Burundi farmer has discovered an ingenious way to preserve tomatoes. Vital Nduwimana,...

Imagine taking a walk, minding your own beeswax, and out of nowhere you’re suddenly surrounded by bees. TV specials about swarming killer bees might suddenly fill your head, but how dangerous is this situation? In this article, we’ll break down what a bee swarm is, why bees swarm, when you’re likely to experience these swarms,...