We enjoy feeding wild birds all year long and fortunately, we have a window seat overlooking a protected nook that's perfect for observing them from the inside. It's particularly helpful to feed them during the colder months when there are fewer seeds and berries available for the wild birds. What To Feed Wild Birds Each species (see 15 Most Common Wild Birds) of bird has different seed preferences, so the type of seed offered can be customized to attract specific birds: Cracked ... continue reading...
Nigerian Dwarf Goats 101 Update!
I've updated Nigerian Dwarf Goats 101: Background & Basics! The book is available from this site as a pdf download, or it is available for ebook readers from Amazon. This is the first ebook in a series of four on Nigerian Dwarf goats and it's a short introduction to the breed. My history with these little goats began in 2005, when my partner and I finally left suburbia and moved onto 10 wooded acres. After much research, it seemed that Nigerian Dwarf goats would be ... continue reading...
Why Compost Is Good For Gardens
How I Learned Compost Is Good For Gardens I learned about natural vegetable production early - it was the way my grandfather, who’d grown up farming, raised vegetables every summer to feed us. Annually, grandpa grew a bountiful garden that provided produce all year-long. He started by adding composted horse manure (what he called "garden gold") from the neighbor’s stable to the same sunny patch of land each year. Then he’d plant his favorite varieties, often saved from ... continue reading...
Goat Wethers & Urinary Calculi
We want to do everything we can to prevent our goat wethers from developing urinary calculi, so we wait to wether (neuter) male goats until they are 10 - 12 weeks old. Several readers of Better Hens and Gardens have been surprised and a bit concerned about the fact that we wait to band goat bucklings (see this article for how we do it: Wethering Goats via Banding) until they are that old. However, there is a good reason for waiting and not banding them too soon Why We're Concerned About Goat ... continue reading...
New Chicken Coop Paint Protection
New chicken coop paint protection is one of the first things anyone considering a new wooden chicken coop this spring should consider. It can make a tremendous difference in how well the coop performs through the years. Why Consider Chicken Coop Paint Protection? By painting the interior wood surfaces of a coop before adding chickens, you help protect the wood, make it harder for chicken parasites to hide out, and make the coop easier to clean. It's much easier to accomplish ... continue reading...
Sustainable Closet Cleanout
I don't typically write about things like a sustainable closet cleanout, normally I'm writing about goats, gardens, chickens, and that type of thing (more like my Goat Starter List!). But, times are a little different right now, and one of the ways that I've been keeping busy is by doing what I'm calling my sustainable closet cleanout. You see, when I retired from my corporate career several years ago, I never really cleaned the corporate clothes out of my closet. So, they've just ... continue reading...
Easy Homemade Goat (or Cow) Milk Cheese
This easy homemade goat (or cow) milk cheese recipe is so easy anybody can do it, and it's delicious too. The recipe makes a soft cheese like you typically see in small round or log packages in the store. And, this cheese freezes well so that you can have fresh cheese available just about any time! The recipe is also very forgiving, if you overheat it or underheat it a little, it still turns out fine. Also, the times for sitting and hanging seem to be fairly flexible. The longer it sits ... continue reading...
Don’t Throw Your Easter Lilies Out (How To Keep Easter Lilies After Easter)
Those pretty indoor Easter lily plants that you buy at Easter time are really hardy perennials, so don't throw them out after the Easter holiday has passed. Plant them outdoors to beautify your landscape instead. How To Keep Easter Lilies After Easter Just follow the easy instructions below to keep your Easter lilies each year and establish a nice outdoor lily garden (see Building Beautiful Garden Borders for ideas on where to plant them). First, Prolong Indoor Bloom Time To ... continue reading...