I'm back! and I have news! 

For this episode, I go through goals I set for myself in 2022; what worked, what didn't. And then I explain how I fell afowl (hehe!) of the dreaded 'chicken math'. 

Please visit my website for a rundown of everything discussed, photos, and links. 

I'm back! and I have news! 

For this episode, I go through goals I set for myself in 2022; what worked, what didn't. And then I explain how I fell afowl (hehe!) of the dreaded 'chicken math'. 

Please visit my website for a rundown of everything discussed, photos, and links. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello hello! I have returned from my podcast hiatus, and I have lots of news. Most of it depressing (sorry!). 

In this episode, I discuss goals I set for myself in 2021, what worked, what didn't; as well as what has been happening with me since my hiatus. 

Please note: this episode includes frank discussion of chicken death, depression, cancer, and chronic illness.

You can find a list of everything discussed, as well as photos and useful links, over on my blog. 

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Hi folks! I've decided to place the podcast on hiatus until next Spring. We're going full tilt through autumn and into winter now, and things will be slowing down around the homestead. Plus, I'm just completely burned out due to a number of different factors, and I need the time to reset.

I wanted to share some suggestions of episodes and podcasts that might be of interest to you! You can find those over on my website (with direct links to their homepages to make things easy to find). 

Thanks for listening these last two years, and I wish you all a safe and happy winter season! 

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Happy September! Important announcement: I will be taking the rest of September off so there will be no new episodes (or reposts) until October. I'm taking a much needed break to reset. I hope you will bear with me!

This week, I discuss what things look like in my apiary, treating my top bar hive for mites using the oxalic acid dribble method, bringing home new chickens/pullets, and then share some facts about the supremely fluffy English Orpington chicken.

I do discuss some upsetting information related to my broody hen and chick death. This is covered from timestamp 20:57 until 30:26. Please jump ahead if you would prefer. Nature can be cruel but your mental health is important so feel free to just skip that bit. 

As always, you can visit my website for a rundown of everything discussed, a link to sources referenced, and some photos. See you in October! Take care! 

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Hello from rainy Ohio!

This week, I am reposting one of my earliest episodes that covers all things Varroa Mite. I go over what this nasty little parasite is, how it transferred from the Asian honeybee (apis cerana) to our beloved European honeybee (apis mellifera), its method of transmission into the US; testing methods, and available treatments. 

This topic is especially timely since those of us in the West are moving into Autumn, which is when varroa mite levels can start to climb. I hope this will act as a useful refresher on this nasty parasite for seasoned beekeepers, and a good introductory guide for first year beekeepers. 

The original blog post for this episode can be found here.

The paper on oxalic acid effect on bee brood can be found here.

Thank you for listening! 

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Hello hello! I am back from my vacation and right back into the thick of things. I've been so busy catching up on everything at the homestead that I am bringing you just a mini episode this week. I'll be discussing broody hens (or what it means when a hen 'goes broody') as well as what is happening in my bee hives. Then I'll share some highlights from my vacation.

Visit my website for a rundown of everything discussed, as well as photos. 

I'll be back in 2 weeks with a regular, full length episode. Thanks for listening!

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Hello from my vacation! For the first time since I started this podcast, I am taking time off. I didn't want to leave you hanging, though, so I thought now would be a good time to repost Episode 1: A Chicken in a Parking Lot. This is all about how I fell into chicken keeping (and homesteading) when I found a small, beakless hen in an ALDI parking lot. It's a pivotal moment in my life and a fun story to share. The sound quality of this first episode is poor and I apologize for that. I hope you will enjoy the story, regardless!

For those of you who have been listening since the beginning, may the bees never sting you and the honey flow strong and sweet!! You are the best.

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Hello! This week, I'm taking time off from the book reviews and educational topics, and instead talking about everything that has been happening here on the homestead. Topics include: rehoming an aggressive rooster, bringing a new rooster home, vegetable garden progress, and hive news. 

Please visit my website for photos of all things discussed. 

Handy-dandy links/references:

• Farm rescue
• article on wild and mock strawberries
• CDC guide on cleaning raccoon latrines

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Hello hello! This is part 2 of my review of 'The Thinking Beekeeper' by Christy Hemenway. This half of the book goes in depth on how to manage your top bar hive colony during its first year, complete with some very handy-dandy diagrams. 

Please see my website for a rundown of everything discussed plus photos.

Here is the garlic-water varroa treatment study I mention, and here is Christy Hemenway's guide to chemical-free varroa mite treatments. 

Thanks for listening!

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