There is always a citrus tree somewhere close by laden with fruit, especially in Spring. Turning those excess citrus into a delicious cordial is a favourite with the kids and fantastic served with ice on hot summer day. This post simply goes through the steps needed for you to have bottles of the stuff waiting […]
How to sex Sussex Chickens
Working out how many hens and how many roosters you have can be very tricky when the chicks are little. With Sussex chickens there is a way to tell from about four weeks old. This post shows you how to tell this difference an also whether your chickens are pure-bred or have been crossed.
Setting up a Blacksmithing Workshop
I have always wanted to learn how to make beautiful objects from lumps of metal. So when I heard about a workshop which offered advice on ‘How to set up a blacksmithing workshop’ I jumped at the chance. This post describes what I found out and what happened on the course.
Raising an Orphaned Lamb
In Spring there are always orphaned lambs that need raising. If you don’t need to parent your own lambs this can be an excellent way to increase your flock or give your kids that responsibility for a living creature. Many farmers are very keen to pass on their orphans to a caring homesteader so it […]
Clipping the wings of chickens
Unless you want your chickens to fly off into danger or into your freshly planted garden, then you are going to need to clip their wings. This post shows you how to do this simple task successfully without hurting the chicken.
How to hatch out a small number of chicks in your kitchen
My young children watched a chick hatch while eating their corn flakes. Experiences like that are worth the small effort of incubating your own eggs. It may be nerve wracking the first time but once a few basics are mastered the excitement of creating life from your own or someone else eggs can happen before […]