Balancing Corporate & Homesteading Lifestyles
đ The Emergency Queen: When the Hive Chooses a New Leader
In the fascinating, organized chaos of a beehive, nothing is left to chance â not even leadership transitions. When a queen bee dies unexpectedly, goes missing, or fails to perform, the hive doesnât fall apart in despair. Instead, it launches into emergency mode to…
What Is Tallow?
Tallow is a form of rendered animal fat, most commonly made from beef suet (the dense fat around a cowâs kidneys). Once rendered, it becomes a stable, shelf-friendly fat with a creamy texture and a long history of use in cooking, skincare, soapmaking, and…
Cluck Kent: The Boot That Brought Trouble
It was a quiet morning in the coopyard. The chicks were practicing their ninja jumps, the hens were gossiping near the compost pile, and Cluck Kentâour ever-watchful feathered reporterâwas pecking for the truth as usual. Thatâs when the boot appeared. Not just any boot.A…
Cluck Kent Reports: The Great Mouse Invasion!
đŚ¸ââď¸ Cluck Kent, your fearless field reporter, here with a breaking story straight from the henhouse â and folks, itâs a squeaker. đ It all started when Mildred the Maran noticed something strange: her scratch grain supply was shrinking faster than usual. And not…
Nest Box Drama & Disease: How One Box Became a Biosecurity Breach
Most days in the coop begin with a bit of cackling, some early morning scratching, and a race to the worm pile. But this week, the big story isnât whatâs happening outsideâit’s whatâs festering inside Nest Box #3. Youâve seen it: five pristine nest…
Behind the Wire with the New Flock on the Block
đľď¸ââď¸ Cluck Kent: The Quarantine Chronicles Somethingâs clucking in the holding pen, and Cluck Kent is on the case. This week, whispers echoed through the coopâword had spread that three new pullets were moving in. âRefugees from a farm upstate,â muttered Goldie, who hasnât…
Why the Little Chick Inn University?
As the backyard chicken movement continues to grow, more and more people are bringing chicks homeâsome for the first time ever. Itâs exciting to see so many new chick tenders joining the community, but with that excitement comes a big responsibility: giving these little…
Cluck Kent Investigates: The Case of the Invisible Invaders
It was a quiet morning at the coop. The sun was rising, the feeder was full, and the hens were already gossiping over scratch grains. Everything seemed fine… until Cluck Kent noticed something suspicious: a muddy bootprint by the gate. âI knew something was…
The Impact of Learning When a Rooster Is Alone vs. With Other Roosters
How Social Setting Shapes Behavior, Intelligence, and Confidence Roosters, like people, learn not just from experience, but also from their environment â and especially from the company they keep. Whether raised alone or in the presence of other roosters, the way a rooster learns,…
Creating a Draft-Free, Enrichment Filled Brooder
đĄ Creating a Draft-Free, Enrichment-Filled Brooder Raising healthy, happy chicks starts with a well-designed brooder. The two most overlooked â but most important â things for long-term success are: Preventing drafts (which can chill or stress chicks) Providing enrichment (to prevent boredom and promote…
