Astragalus Supplement Reviews

Use a dimmer with a timer if possible. Here are five ways to provide extra light safely and respectfully: 1. Here are two reasons I believe we should eschew light supplementation in our coops : For some chicken keepers, light bulbs serve a dual purpose—lighting...

Chickens don't have teeth so they need continuous access to insoluble grit so they can grind their food into digestible sizes and avoid an impacted crop. When feeding grasses or garden plants, avoid fibrous stalks and chop grasses into fine pieces to...

In the warmer months, forage can be sown directly in the run for in-coop enrichment all year-round. The once-offbeat hobby of chicken keeping continues to evolve against the grain.

Mushrooms are nutritious, life giving and health preserving. Because this mushroom grows when many other mushrooms have stopped fruiting and it tastes a bit like chicken, one can understand why many people soldier on against the stories of upset stomach.

My chickens definitely give these wholesome combinations their wholehearted approval: They come running when they hear me shake the pouch. Absolutely not. I have a family of finicky eaters with dietary restrictions, which means that our fridge is usually...

Chickens that are offered charred wood as part of their diet are overall healthier, produce better fertilizer for your gardens, live in a cleaner environment and might even suffer less from certain diseases.

Drying roots is a skill that takes a bit of practice, and you're likely to fail at least once. You'll want to get them before they start to develop their flower buds. These roots can be diced and sauteed or cubed and added to soups.

But be sure to put the shells in a mesh bag — an old pair of pantyhose, tied off above the shells could work—to keep them from clogging your machine or pipes. Seed-Starting Pots Use eggshells as starter pots for seedlings, too.

These two Kentucky farmers are supplementing their farmers market income with geodes and agate they forage for on their property. Aliza Sollins Wilson, of Hoot Owl Holler, sells his geodes as he find them on the hills alongside his creekbed, with crystals...

Chickens tend to love the plants from this family (both the tops and roots), and the vegetable and herb varieties are good for them. It's no coincidence that the egg yolks from free-ranging backyard flocks are richer in color and tastier than supermarket...

Supplemental concerns such as water and oyster shell also play roles. Hens have become so popular because they're small, low-maintenance, fun, beautiful—and they lay eggs. They don't require as much protein, but they need much higher levels of calcium,...

Geese are particularly fond of them and they love gnawing the fruit down to the leathery exterior. Dandelions are great and healthy snack for your birds, and most people won't mind their geese helping keep a lawn free of dandelions.

In this column, we'll discuss home remedies. You can substitute cayenne pepper powder; cayenne stings but not as much as you'd think. White vinegar applied to minor injuries causes blood vessels to constrict and stanch bleeding.

Here's a closer look how we meet our chickens' other dietary requirements. Because organic mills are fewer and farther between, a lot of what chicken keepers pay for is shipping costs.

She lives on a micro hobby farm in northern California and can be found online at www.journeywithhonor.blogspot.com and www.lesliejwyatt.com . Mangels tolerate various soils, but prefer full sun.

State funding equaling $4 million will be used to improve technology for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program at farmers' markets. In addition to the federal funds being provided now to state agencies, USDA's Food and Nutrition Service will soon...

Get involved with a gleaning association such as Not Far From the Tree in Toronto, Neighborhood Fruit in San Francisco, and Concrete Jungle in Atlanta. “Being a chef, I know how easy it is to get stale, so it's great to introduce new things to my chefs...

Mealworms simply provide a protein boost when chickens need it most. I decided to buy the ones available to me just this once. With egg-laying season ramping up, provide your backyard flock with a protein boost by supplementing their diet with mealworms.

Of the excellent free-rangers on this list, my top pick would be the Welsummer—this breed has many of the same characteristics as other heritage chickens (e.g., cold hardiness and great laying abilities), plus exceptional foraging skills.

Label the pump for essential oil use only, and use it only for this purpose. They are long, hollow, underground cylinders with a flat screw top that can be mowed over safely. Recycle such cardboard regularly.

But recently my family farm got a few heritage piglets, and, as heritage pigs are wont to do, they're growing mighty slow while our bacon reserves dwindle to dangerously low numbers.

As stated, the primary function of the rumen is to break down grasses and other plants, so it follows that your goats need to eat grass and other plants. Usually some combination of the above will get an impaired rumen going again, but if not, our last...

Using chemical fertilizer to add nitrogen to soil is faster; however, it is more prone toBuilding up levels of organic matter in the soil is another way of raising soil nitrogen. Always check the nitrogento determine the percentage amount of nitrogen...

Because corn stimulates metabolism, it can cause heat-related stress for birds. Scratch provides mental and physical stimulation for a small flock. Robert Litt, owner of the Urban Farm Store in Portland, Oregon, says chickens eat for energy, and if you...

Here are seven tasty treats you can feed your hens throughout the year that are also packed with nutrition to support healthier eggs. These things come to hens in their food sources, including through treats.

Their farm memoirs freely confessed rookie mistakes while championing the importance of a hard life well lived. We taught ourselves how to castrate piglets by reading message boards.

A little known fact: Participants in the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, aka SNAP, can use their dollars to purchase seed for growing their own food. “I see nothing terribly controversial about gardening, having some level of self-sufficiency,...