Hatching Chicken Eggs: Incubator Vs. Hen. Who Will Win??

We’ve got a broody hen! And Blue’s got eggs in the incubator. THE RACE IS ON! Tune in to see which one will win, in which we finally answer once and for all, the greatest question known to mankind… which comes first, the chicken (Mrs. Broody) or the egg (incubator)??? Don’t miss this one. It is very funny.

Gardening with DUCKS!

It’s FINALLY time to PLANT! I didn’t get to garden last year because we were moving and I couldn’t wait to get my fingers back in the DIRT. My best duck buddy, Peepers, and his duck sidekick, Blondie, helped me with the weeding. Here’s a little shortie with fun music to celebrate planting season!

Hugelkultur (Natural Permaculture) Gardening for ZERO DOLLARS!

We are so excited to get our first garden going on the new homestead. This year we are trying Hugelkultur Gardening in raised garden beds. Our goal is to fill up all our beds for $0! Can we do it? We demonstrate the Hugelkultur Gardening method and of course add in some awesome music, lots of fun, and even a garden dance!

Morning Chores on the Homestead

Our lives sure have changed since we left the city and moved out to the country to set up our homestead. Our mornings are very different now!

Cute Little Hatchlings 2 Red Knobby Fat Things: WE LOVE OUR MUSCOVY DUCKS!!

It all started when a farmer friend told me he was incubating some eggs from his muscovy ducks and asked if I wanted the babies. Well of course I said YES! One of them still hadn’t hatched when he brought them to us so he threw the incubator in his car and headed to Blue Eye. “Peepers” hatched in my hand!! And so began our Muscovy Duck adventure. We had no idea how big and fat they would get, or how much they could eat, or how messy they would be, or how funny and awkward and waddly they were… or how much we would fall madly in love with them! Please follow along as we raise our babies from cute little hatchlings to red knobby fat things. WE LOVE OUR MUSCOVY DUCKS!

Wintertime at Hermit’s Way Homestead: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful

Our first winter at the new homestead property has been full of trials, rewards, lessons, and wonder. Join us for one winter morning after a freak snowfall creates surprise headaches but also joy and so much beauty! This video is dedicated to our sweet Satchie dog who slipped into doggie heaven on January 20, 2022. We miss you, Satchers.

Our Chicken Story: How We Nursed Our Adopted Chickens Back To Health & Redomesticated Wild Chickens

We became instant chicken parents when we bought our new homestead. Our new property came with 8 penned chickens and 13 wild chickens. We had no idea how to take care of chickens; we had to learn FAST. So we dove into our new role, researching how to care for our new “kids.” First we had to nurse the penned chickens to good health and improve their living conditions. Then we turned our attention to befriending the wild chickens. When predators began picking them off one at a time in the cold of winter, we knew we needed to “hatch” a plan to protect them. You’ll have to watch to find out what we did… This is our chicken story!

There’s A Snake in the Chicken Coop!!!

It’s another adventure every day at the chicken farm. Today I went out to check for eggs and there was a humongous black rat snake in the nesting box!

I wondered why our egg production had dropped lately. Now I know why!

I had seen this guy around so I had the brilliant idea of ordering a long snake grabber pole from Amazon JUST IN CASE! Got the snake grabber two days ago and today we had dire need of it… Happy to say it performed beautifully and said snake is now safely 3 acres away in the neighboring woods.

Unfortunately this crazy adventure happened too fast to take any video. So enjoy this dramatic reenactment of “There’s A Snake in the Chicken Coop!!!”

(No people, chickens or snakes were harmed during this event. A few eggs may not have been so lucky.)

Moving Days! We Sold Our Off-Grid Cabin & Found Our New Homestead Property!

IT IS SOLD!!!! Thank you to all the many people who contacted us about our off-grid property for sale. It has now been sold to a couple who plan to homestead there as well. Join us as we say our final goodbyes to our beloved off-grid cabin and move into our new homestead property in Blue Eye, Missouri. Meet our new CHICKENS!