Farm and Soap Updates — farming

Raising pastured laying hens in Vermont means that at some point in the year, your pastures will inevitably be blanketed in snow and temperatures will drop. So, during the coldest part of the year, my chickens, ducks and geese retire to the "poultry palace".  The set-up is oriented to best block winter winds. (The black fabric is a windbreak) I don't use heat lamps on the birds in the winter, so I rely on making their area snug but well-ventilated. Damp air is what leads to frostbite in chickens. Probably the biggest downside to winter, in the chickens' point of...

Growing up, I was only familiar with the ubiquitous Canada Goose. They lounged on golf courses and the stubble of harvested corn fields, they chased unsuspecting children away from their nests with a surprising lack of fear for a wild animal. I really didn't think much about them at all. Then I decided to get a few geese with my order of layer ducks from a hatchery. I like duck antics, I like duck eggs and meat, I figured I would like geese too. But no. I LOVE geese. Our geese are not imprinted on humans, which means they have...