Lisa Steele's Blog, page 3

Chicken Coop Inspiration: Converting a Playhouse

Chicken coops can be expensive to buy, but if you have an old playhouse, you can easily convert it into a chicken coop.

When you get started with a backyard flock of chickens, your largest expense by far will be their coop.

But if you're somewhat handy, you can save a lot of money by converting a playhouse, garden shed or even a barn stall into a chicken coop.

With some elbow grease, scraps, and odds and ends, you can turn almost any small outbuilding into a coop that will keep your chickens safe a...

Caring for an Elderly Chicken Flock

As more and more chickens are being kept as family pets instead of food, caring for them in their twilight years has become an important consideration.

My grandparents raised chickens. They were legit chicken farmers, raising their flock for both eggs and meat that they used in their restaurant, fed their family, and also sold in the community.

Other than one or two favorite hens that my grandmother let roam the yard living their best life, I would guess most of their chickens didn't last much lon...

25+ Tips for Keeping Chickens Warm in the Winter

Here's your ultimate winter chicken care guide!

As a general rule, chickens handle cold far better than heat, but in the winter they still will appreciate being provided a draft-free, dry coop, a sunny area in the yard out of the wind, fresh water and some treats that provide extra energy and warming properties.
Boredom is also a worry in the winter, so keeping them busy can help alleviate pecking and other issues. I've put together my best advice to help your chickens through the winter.
This is...

How to Freeze Fresh Eggs to Use Later

Freeze leftover eggs when you have an excess to use later in the winter when egg production slows down.
When you raise chickens, you know that it's either feast or famine. Too many eggs during the warmer, longer summer days and fewer or no eggs in the winter. 
Just when you need eggs for winter baking, your chickens likely decided to go on their winter break. Leaving you high and dry. 
So when I have extra eggs, I like to freeze them, then defrost them to use them for baking, scrambled eggs or omel...

Honey for Heat Stress in Chickens

Studies have shown that honey can help alleviate heat stress in chickens.

Heat is very hard on poultry, chickens especially, so it's important to do what you can to help alleviate the stress on their bodies when the temperatures rise.

Since chickens don't sweat, and they have rapid metabolism and high body temperatures, heat and humidity can quickly get the best of them. 

Rising temperatures put stress on their bodily functions as they struggle to maintain their body temperature. And since they don...

20+ Ways to (Accidentally) Kill your Chickens

Raising a flock of backyard chickens isn't difficult as long as you avoid these common pitfalls that can kill your chickens.

My grandmother raised chickens almost her entire life and she always used to say that if a chicken could get stuck in it or under it or drown in it, they would. And also, everything wants to eat chicken.

While it's true that it's important to ensure your chicken area is free from hazards, it's not hard to keep your chickens alive as long as you avoid these common ways to acc...

Lemony Egg Salad Sandwiches with Basil Walnut Pesto and Avocado

Egg salad sandwiches are the perfect lunch when you have extra hard-boiled eggs. I love to add avocado and pesto to my lemony egg salad sandwich recipe to make it extra special. 

I love plain hard-boiled eggs as  a quick lunchtime snack, but when I have a little extra time, this is my go-to egg salad recipe. 

You can absolutely eat it right from the bowl, or sandwich it with some homemade basil walnut pesto (recipe below) sliced avocado, and leafy greens between two slices of bread for a more hear...

Deviled Eggs with "Caviar" and Creme Fraiche

These upscale-looking deviled eggs use balsamic pearls as the “caviar” on top that pop with a burst of flavor in each bite. 

My deviled eggs only look expensive. By substituting balsamic pearls for caviar, I've turned them into a more budget-friendly appetizer that still looks so elegant and is sure to wow.

Creme fraiche mixed into the filling and also dolloped on top provides a nice subtle tang on your tongue, but you can absolutely substitute Greek yogurt or sour cream if you don’t have any crem...

How to Build a Chick Brooder Box From One Sheet of Plywood

Everything a mother hen needs in this functional and roomy chick brooder box built from just one sheet of plywood.

Spring is just around the corner, and that means chick season is almost upon us! 

Your new baby chicks will need a nice safe, secure place to spend the first few weeks of their life, and I've got the plans for this super economical Brooder Box designed by Kelsey from Green Willow Homestead.

Sure, you can use a plastic tote as a brooder, and that works just fine if you get your chicks s...

Double Chocolate Chunk Marzipan Cookies with Pecans

Give your basic chocolate chip cookies a "glow up" by adding chunks of white chocolate, pecans, and  marzipan.

If you're tired of your basic chocolate chip cookie recipe, you might just want to give this one a try! 

To my standard recipe, I've added white chocolate chunks, chopped pecans and chunks of marzipan.

You want to very coarsely chop everything, leaving fairly large chunks to give the cookies distinctive flavor in each bite and lots of texture.

These cookies are super easy to make, and they ...