What I Learned From Our 1/4 ACRE HOMESTEAD in 2023

Hey Friend, the 2023 Homestead Garden has come to an end so lets see all that we accomplished on our tiny 1/4 acre plot. The goal was to grow enough of these foods for a year, did it happen? I'm sharing all the successes and failures and what we are doing differently next garden season.
Thanks for watching!
Kelsey
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#homesteading #homestead #2023garden #gardening #garden #gardenharvest #homesteadtour
#gardentour

[@deannamares7863]

I had a egg eater as well. I broke her of it by putting about six or so plastic easter eggs in each nest and gathering the real eggs as quick as possible. She would peck on the fake eggs with no yummy reward and after a week or so gave up. She is six years old now never had a problem again. I enjoy your channel. I am trying to grow more food and would love to raise meat birds but I am intimidated by the processing. I just got a freeze dryer and am learning about that. I REALLY like the recap of what went right or wrong that is so helpful to learn from your experience. Thank you!

[@marybradley168]

Hi Kelsey, Love your channel. Learning so much from you. Your "F.A.I.L" are not failures they are "First Attempts In Learning." Keep up the great work you do, it is appreciated. Blessings from Canada, Mary.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

I hold heartedly agree with that! Thank you so much ☺️

[@duaneschultz9230]

I agree with Mary. You’re doing a fantastic job. We all have to try things and live in learn. It’s not a fail if you learn something from it. God bless you all. Duane.

[@sleepinglabradors]

That’s really beautiful Mary, I love it!

[@poodlegirl55]

Tell your daughter this Grandma winked back at her.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

LOL, she is something else, thank you!

[@barbjarvi6543]

Stale beer in shallow pans helps get rid of cabbage worms

[@lynsmith2698]

It’s amazing what you can produce on your little homestead. You have done a great job. I love your videos and you should be proud. 🇨🇦🌷

[@Cass6]

Your homestead size is perfect! This is what most of us have, and your garden gives me inspiration for mine ☺️

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

I’m so glad! Thank you for watching ❤️

[@christinacostello8529]

Thank you for sharing your journey. We don’t do KZbin, but my husband and I both work full time outside our home, and sometimes it feels like a lot. Every year we get better, and it’s so refreshing to hear someone share the reality of this life. My projects for next year are soft cheese and yogurt 😊 Blessings to you and your family!

[@SauerPatchGardening]

This was a beautiful video. Your little baby in the background, listening to you, and wanting to be there is just the sweetest. You have a beautiful family and home. You work hard and are very thoughtful in all you do. You are wise beyond your years. I can't wait to see what you have planned for us to watch and for your homestead.

[@SauerPatchGardening]

Your handy dandy notebook! Yes! Love that you said this. I keep a handy dandy notebook too! 😂

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Lol, I will forever have a handy dandy notebook :)

[@karenpage9383]

I'm glad you are not being too hard on yourself for trying to juggle so much! You have gotten a crazy amount done this year, and while we would all like to be 100% self sufficient with our gardens and meat production, its also wise to recognize that its not realistic. For years now I have dedicated 60% of my garden space to tomatoes and enjoyed the process of growing them. But this year I decided to cut that back to maybe 40% and I offset the difference by purchasing in bulk from a local organic farmer. I loved that I could small batch more canning projects with my own tomatoes and use his tomatoes for sauce making. I've decided while I can find those opportunities, I'm going to take advantage of them. I have less garden space than you do, so I'm really looking hard at what we should use it for. Oh, and girl I've given up on brussel sprouts too. In theory I have a long enough season, but I don't get 8 full hours of sun, so they never produce. Maybe I'll try again on another property, but not here. My advice to you, is don't let producing content for YT influence what you grow or how you grow it. Do what works for you and your family, because if the world keeps falling apart and you are reliant on that garden, you are going to be happier that you grew what you actually use vs what you hoped would improve your analytics. Btw, so jealous of your access to pasture raised pork! I have yet to find it near me and industry pork is so tainted!!!

[@lynettemunson7953]

I love the up front. I'm trying to do what i can do in a suburban back yard. So.. in my world a rooster or an egg eater earns a place in the instant pot as stock!

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Thank you ☺️ LOL, yes, that’s most likely where they will end up! Blessings ❤️

[@makylaata4123]

This was so insightful Kelsey! Thank you for sharing all of this info. I started KZbin for my business about four years ago and it was a lot of work so I pivoted into blogging more which is also a lot of work. I don’t have kids yet but I still work full time and try to do all the homesteading things. It’s refreshing hearing others talk about the struggles. You’re not alone! Loving your channel, you should be so proud of what you are accomplishing ❤

[@iartistdotme]

Honest and in depth self-examination! You certainly are a wealth of experiences laid out for me to learn from. I do learn and truly appreciate your honest approach to filming - love the kids included. You are a true gardener as you look at the past, take note of the lessons learned and take some down time to rethink everything. You are dreaming again but with a few more limitations and restrictions, sharpening your expectations and energy allowances. BRAVO! A true gardener grows with the garden each year better and better while harvesting set backs to enhance future successes and loving the time set aside for those dreams. Keep doing what your doing and I will continue enjoying all you present. Thank you so much for being willing to work through the 'joys' of recording everything.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Oh my, thank you friend! I so appreciate your kind words of encouragement. My aim has always been to grow along with my garden. It’s my pleasure to share it all and hope to encourage, teach and inspire others through all I’ve learned. Blessings ❤️

[@Junkinsally]

I found that dedicating a small area in my garden as “experimental” has helped me with “fomo”! There I grow one of each of the things that we don’t typically eat or have never eaten as way to always be learning and expanding our palate. A few “experiments” have become staples and I’m not wasting valuable resources on rows of vegetables we might not eat. We have chickens that can eat them….but I would always prefer that the main garden provide its bulk to be usable for us. Corn is finicky. Got to process it the day you harvest. Pick early in the day or late in evening to store overnight. If you pick during the day and want to store it, it will loose flavor faster because it’s at its peak sugar content during the day, thanks to the sun. If you’re ready to go on processing then pick and immediately start processing. You’ll notice a difference. Though some varieties store better than others, all corn looses flavor fast.

[@1bbbewitched]

Maybe try growing the peppers and trading them to someone who grows something you can’t grow?

[@nicolesobol936]

I have a black Holland flop❤ He is totally free in our home! Love his fertilizer! We have a little box that he uses. It gets dumped right into the garden!

[@kathleenritter4532]

I love really enjoy and look forward to your videos. Appreciate that you are real but too hard on yourself. Hope your health is improving. Many blessings to you & yours. Keep up the great job you do. No fails just practice successes right? God bless.

[@ElaineAustin-xl3wy]

Thank you for the content! LOVE the precious little girl🥰

[@loraineleuschke4186]

You are doing well. Keep up the good work. Your family will benefit big time and so will you. I love that you are doing so much on your quarter acre. May God bless you And your’s always. I subbed and I work my finger every time I see your notice to give the thumbs up.

[@SiriusScientist]

We had one chicken out of our 14 that showed interest in eating eggs. That’s not a behavior we wanted to spread though. We put several fake ceramic eggs in the boxes and after enthusiastically pecking them all, she lost interest and stopped. We made sure to collect eggs several times a day to make sure she only had fake ones to peck. No issues at all now. Ours are all 1 year as of mid-April and we are getting 4-10 eggs a day still. Toward the low end right now, as the weather has been so cold in northern Massachusetts the last week. Great video!

[@ecocentrichomestead6783]

WRT potatoes, my modified Ruth stout method is to plant them 4" deep in a square foot gardening spacing. Just like planting flower bulbs. When they come up, I mulch them with meadow (grass) clippings.

[@An-G1006]

Talk all you want we enjoy it and learn so much from you. You had great success this year dont be down on yourself. We all are our own worst critics in life. Im the same way. 😂

[@duaneschultz9230]

I think that you’re doing a fantastic job of being a mom, wife and good provider. God bless you and your family. Duane.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Thank you so much ☺️ ❤️

[@user-vd2xe5kn9c]

So amazing to grow your own food❤👍

[@KristinaBakerSmith]

Dont get rid of your chickens! I can help🤓 Put a fake plastic egg in each nesting box. Try to remove your good eggs as soon as you see them. They will learn really fast that they cant break them and they will stop. This worked for us in three days!

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Unfortunately we tried this with no improvement! I so wish it would have worked! We are going to try another suggestion about filled eggs with mustard as a last ditch effort! We shall see!

[@bearzhere]

After raising chickens for eggs as well as meat for many years. First with the bigger birds, it could well be those 8 and 9 pounders were roos. In springtime they tend to eat more with the cornish cross as well. Later in the year when its hot, they tend to eat less and Im sure you had mostly hens? The more corn in their feed the hotter they get and eat less. I hope your chickens do better for you in the future. I wanted to try the American Bress to grow for eggs as well as meat. As for now we have no chickens due to our hopeful move back east. I love watching how you do things and your information to others. I will be glued to your channel this coming grow season since I wont be having a garden as of now. Thanks so much! Blessings

[@canadiannavywife434]

Whoot whoot I am number 7 to like this video! Super happy. All success as you either had a fantastic harvest, or you had a great learning experience! Hugs from Esquimalt

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Hi friend! Thank you so much ☺️

[@stephencameron1709]

Great job! Val C ❤🙏🏻

[@wildpatchhomestead]

Loved this! Thanks for breaking it down. It also makes me feel so normal, it's been very hit and miss the last few months for me 😊

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Absolutely! Glad it was helpful. You've got this!

[@barbjarvi6543]

For you egg eating chicken’s just keep in separate pens or turn them it chicken dinner

[@joannak4640]

Hi, Kelsey 😊 I have a question...you don't eat Broccoli, Cauliflower, green beans...what veggies do you like? Do you cover your soil in the winter? How about cover crops? That might help 👍 I'm sorry about your garlic and onions 😩 I highly recommend you check out a KZbinr called The Seasonal homestead!! Becky has amazing information on growing and taking care of your soil. Especially growing sweet potatoes 😋 All in all, I think you did FANTASTIC!! And I hope you are very proud of yourself ❤ 45:23

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Hey! Lol, we aren't huge veggie eaters over here. We do LOVE root veggies like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets and parsnips. I'll add spinach and kale to soups and we sometimes eat cabbage :) I do mulch my soil with leaves from out maple tree but have not tried cover crops! Every once in a while I'll get over to the seasonal homestead but honestly don't have the time I'd like to indulge in some youtube videos! Thank you so much!

[@janetgrooms]

You do a wonderful job ❤

[@theresas709]

I have learned that some things just don't do well in my garden and it is not worth it to keep planting them. Corn is one. I have limited space and I know a farmer who has plenty of great sweet corn that I can buy or he just gives me. Sweet potatoes do better for me in pots but our soil is so hard.

[@cindyparker9920]

Give your self some grace. I think the “failures” are just lessons on how to do things differently.

[@MamaCinnamon]

Oh we love home canned green beans. We eat tons of them.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

They just aren’t our favorite, perhaps I need prepare them differently but I usually have to force my husband and kids to eat them 😂

[@09echols]

Try snow sowing your spinach

[@carolsmith2603]

M tomatoes were a big fail this year. Blossom end rot on all 6 plants, so they came out and went away.

[@lindakrieger6667]

You are so funny. 1/4 acre and WOW! Look at what you produced! No failure in my opinion. ❤️

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Thank you friend ❤️☺️

[@BarndoVilla]

Thanks for sharing the good and the bad. Lots to look forward to as times get harder in 2024.

[@MaryBornforHealth]

I enjoy your videos so much, Kelsey. I am so thankful that you make time to share your busy life. I love how the children are a priority and you involve them whenever you can. Even at 80 years old I'm still learning. I wish you and your family a wonderful and Happy Thanksgiving!

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Thank you so much! It’s my pleasure, I’m so glad they are enjoyed. Wishing you the same, friend ❤️

[@cherylpresleigh6403]

Elenor’s sweet appearance with a wink made me smile! Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this years garden. It is a lot of work and like you when I got to the end of summer I was ready for a break. But, isn’t it funny how quickly we start planning for the next season. Garden fails are normal and to be expected. It’s taken me a couple years to understand that I should expect some failure. It discouraged me so much for a number of reasons but I’m learning to evaluate the cause of the failure and make decisions that will move me in the direction of success or take the crop out of the garden all together. You have done an amazing job with all you have on your plate. I had several takeaways today but the funnest one is about having a rabbit! I have to admit that it didn’t occur to me that having one is really like having a garden tool. I’ll see how far that gets me when I suggest we should get a rabbit! 😊 Thank you for the encouragement and inspiration. I’m dreaming along with you about next years garden! God Bless You Kelsey!

[@Salutaris13074]

You did great Kelsey, and you work very hard.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Thank you friend ❤️

[@christineeckhold6341]

Enjoy your down to earth, simple approach to life... very pleasing videos 👍☺️

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Thank you so much ☺️ ❤️

[@karenfisher7753]

My deepest sympathy with the alium leaf miner. I lost all of my leeks 80. To this horrible bug.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Such a bummer!

[@BB-ni9zj]

Sounds like a successful outcome, very good for 1/4 acre!!! By the way I have picked celery through the snow. We love your videos!! Blessings

[@languagelynnie]

Thank you for sharing. You are amazing. I have learned a lot from you! I will never try to grow sweet potatoes in my area - it's too cold. But at least you tried!

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Thank you so much! Im gonna keep trying, I’m determined lol.

[@cbass2755]

Im not planting any tomatoes next year except two for fresh eating. I was overwhelmed with tomatoes last season. I have enough.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

I love that we can adjust to our needs! Good plan ☺️

[@1marya.]

I love your videos so much, they are so helpful! One thing I discovered this year is to not dispose of those strawberry leaves when cleaning up the berry patch... they make an absolutely delicious tea! I dried strawberry, blackberry, and raspberry leaves this year and they all make such wonderful teas.

[@susanbackes4651]

ugh, good to know about the allium leaf miner (Im in Chester County). I didnt grow any this year but I'll be on the lookout in the future

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Hey neighbor! Glad to help ☺️ Blessings ❤️

[@preppingmama]

We have the opposite results spring vs fall batches. We’ve decided to only do early August and harvest early October. Much larger birds for us and we get them on pasture earlier. We have a Rosie bunny, too!

[@amymaldonado7278]

Dont give up on corn ! We grow in 10 " x10" pots with holes in the bottom. Heirloom popping corn , many short varieties that grow fast & give up space quickly.

[@cajunthibs]

*Would it just be great if you make fall your preservation time and not garden, in the spirit of fomo? Thank you for all of your inspirational gardening shares.

[@59kuphoff]

None of our pumpkins/gourds produced. Cucumbers did really well though. Central IL

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

❤️❤️❤️ thankful for 2nd, 3rd and 4th chances in the garden and so on. Perhaps next year we’ll both see some squash success!

[@dorisspecial3619]

I vote don't worry about anything that's too challenging to grow during this health crisis. Give yourself grace!

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Oh I am! I’m feeling sooo much better and truly enjoying life. ❤️

[@rootsanddirt]

Our experience is always that our birds always size up much slower when grown out August through September, butchering the beginning of October and we believe it is due to it getting colder. We have much larger birds, 7-8lbs at 8 weeks when we butcher in June.

[@bettyadkisson1681]

Last year the groundhogs,rabbits , volos ,chipmunks,and mice ate most of my onion sets. And other plants the groundhogs even took all the plums this year too and peaches.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Ah man! What a bummer! Thankfully I haven’t dealt much with those pest but birds, what buggers they are!

[@Jaynes-Path]

I think you did great with the space and time you have to donate to your garden and animals! Be proud of all you have accomplished, it was a lot of work! Having a 5 lb bird at 8 weeks is pretty average. Having a 8 to 9 lb bird at 8 weeks is incredible. I've seen a few 7 lb birds but never a whole batch at 8 lbs and larger. If you said you let them grow for 10 weeks, risking that they could die from their size, I wouldn't be shocked. Heat does seem to play a role in size as they expend calories trying to stay warm or cool along with how many different bugs and wild seeds they find in the yard even if they are fed a equal amount of food per day. The variety makes them happy too.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Thank you so much! The first round that was bigger we harvested at 8 weeks 3 days, the smaller batch we let go a week longer in hopes they would gain a bit more! It’s wild there was such a difference. This was our 2nd and 3rd round for meat birds, last year we had 20 that averaged 7.5 lbs so 4lb birds just seemed really small for how much they consumed 🤔

[@jenniferbelch964]

Hello, thank you for your video How did you freeze potatoes?

[@StonerSmurfin]

Eggluuz Chicken Nesting Boxes or other such boxes are good for chickens that like to eat eggs. My neighbor uses them for his chickens. After they lay the eggs they roll into a little box that the chickens can't get to.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Hmm I’ll have to look into these, I’m not sure they would work because our chickens lay wherever they please, but I’ll check out the details! Thank you ☺️

[@patrice1966]

You’ve managed to grow a good amount of food for your family even with the various setbacks. Things will get easier as the children get older. They will become more helpful for a time (before the teenage years). If possible try to squeeze in another fruit tree or two because they will continue to produce with less work as the appetites of the kids grow. I’m in a different season of life now where I’m slowing down on my gardening and preservation. I’m widowed and my son is out on his own so I’m growing for myself. I do grow and preserve for my son and my siblings but in limited quantities. However my focus now is mainly on providing food for myself. As for your egg eating chicken situation unless you plan to keep those two Copper Marans separated there is absolutely no way to break them from eating the other eggs.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Thank you so much! I’m already coming up with a plan to fit in more trees, that’s high on the priority list! I appreciate your encouragement, and think it’s wonderful you are still growing for yourself. My garden has gone through many seasons with me and has been a faithful friend. Blessings ❤️

[@VmcB2]

How do you house and feed the bunny? She's adorable!

[@nancyrasmussen2016]

Do you know Deep South homestead? He grows little marvel English peas they get very tall and give an abundance. I think you got a great harvest. You did a good job,, weather is a big factor. Nancy from nebraska

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

I do watch them when I get a chance! I’ll look into that variety! Thank you so much ☺️ ❤

[@silviamagda]

Hello! ❤

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Hello friend ❤️

[@eyvonneking4618]

Could you plant your heat intolerant crops like brassicas in the shade of your front garden?

[@baderi1747]

😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

❤️❤️❤️

[@JohnWilliams-md3cg]

Try Danny at Deep South Homestead, he wrote the book on sweet-potatos ...

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

I will do that! Thank you!

[@JohnWilliams-md3cg]

You might drop in occasionally, Danny and Wanda have much knowledge and wisdom to share..

[@S.Mos72]

Don't forget to blanch the peanuts before roasting.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Good to know! Thank you ❤️

[@martinagass3214]

❤

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

❤️❤️❤️

[@shannonhudson8625]

Expensive l know but roll away boxes. 🍀

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

I’ll check them out! Thank you ☺️❤️

[@cbass2755]

My potato crop was dismal year but i know what i did wrong. Next year...

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Always learning! ❤️❤️❤️

[@S.Mos72]

I tried peppers this year (my first year in MO) complete and utter fail. I got a tiny pepper off of 6 plants. Oh well better luck next year.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Oh no! We keep growing with the garden and learning, there is always next season and I love that about the garden, always more chances ❤️

[@laurielyon1892]

I totally get what you are saying about your brain lol. Mine doesn't stop either. This past year was the first year I grew celery. I bought some plants and also grew some from seed. I've had frosts here but they are still producing as well. I've covered them with straw, but they keep popping up because they won't quit. I'm experimenting with them to see what they will do after the winter and once we start getting snow. Curious to see if they will start growing again in the Spring.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

How fun! I’m so interested to see if mine will over winter as well, good idea about covering, I’ll try that too! ❤️

[@laurielyon1892]

I know it doesn't want to quit lol. We will have to compare after our winter is over. I'm sure the severity of the season will play a part in that. @@seedandsparrowhomestead

[@melissajeannefoster9381]

Awesome video thanks for sharing the good and bad with us but don’t beat yourself up over corn I planted corn for 4 years the first 2 were horrible last year(yr3) better and this year was really good I only grow 4 20ft rows and I bought my seed from Hoss Tools my “TEMPTRESS” variety gave me 1-2 ears per stalk and my “OBSESSION” gave me 3 ears per stalk both very sweet delicious corn I actually had enough time to plant a second round and it did just as good I plant them 4 rows across 12-18 apart and each seed is 6” 20ft down but I’m in California and in my area I don’t have the kind of farmers markets and access you guys have in PA, Iowa, Missouri, parts of Michigan or the South I am not even able to find a place for raw milk and I don’t have the space on my 1.36 acres to have a dairy cow but don’t give up on your corn I didn’t and my freezer is is bursting with corn on one of my shelves….carrots and beets are another story it will be season 5(2024) and I still haven’t figured it out but I actually got 1 jar of beets pickled this year and about 20 carrots to eat fresh so I’m claiming a success and next year will be even better so again don’t give up and if you need to run drip line put it on timers and it does the watering for you complete game changer for me this year it freed up 2-4 hours just spent watering so don’t give up where there’s a Will there’s a way….sorry for the length I’m a talker and have a hard time summarizing my words into just a few sentences💜😉🙏🏼

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Aw thank you! No worries about lengthy responses, I so appreciate it! This was actually year 4 for corn, I should’ve mentioned that LOL. Each year has been an utter failure and I’m thinking I’d rather use the space for something that does grow really well for me! Perhaps one year if the Lord has some land in the plan for us I’ll try again, but like you said, here in PA I have good access to lots of farmers and corn at a cheap price ☺️That’s awesome that you kept learning and growing! Great job ❤️

[@renecasteel]

What a great year for your garden. Where do you order your roses from? I am planning on having a cottage garden next year.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Thank you! I order direct from David Austin Roses. They usually restock in the new year!

[@renecasteel]

@@seedandsparrowhomestead Thank you. I know you feel overwhelmed at times, but you are doing an amazing job with your homestead and your sweet kids.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

@@renecasteel Thank you so much ❤

[@baderi1747]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

❤️❤️❤️

[@juliedayton8754]

Hi sister ☺️ I may have missed this information on previous videos so I apologize if that is so. I'm curious about the type/name of the raspberries you planted along with the strawberries. I'm thinking of adding raspberries to our little garden next year and we have a similar planting environment. Thank you for such rich content!

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Hello my friend! No worries, happy to help! My red raspberries are Joan J, thornless and prolific. The gold are called Anne and the coral ones are called Double Gold. I got the first two from Nourse Farms and the double gold from MIgardener. The strawberries are Evie2 from nourse farms!

[@juliedayton8754]

@@seedandsparrowhomestead Thank you so much! I've noted them in my garden journal this time 😘 Blessings & grace to you & your precious family on this Thanksgiving Day eve!

[@transplanted.homestead]

Regarding the egg eaters - I haven't tried this myself, but two methods I have heard of: Get fake ceramic eggs and put them in with the egg-eaters. In your case, I'd say be sure to get fake eggs that are the same colors as the eggs your chickens are eating. Supposedly they will peck at the hard eggs and learn that they can't peck them open and shouldn't bother. The other one is to empty out some eggs (the ones from your other layers, in this case), and fill with yellow mustard. Apparently they hate mustard. But again, I haven't tried either of these, but maybe they will work. Sorry this is happening!

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Thank you! We’ve tried the first but not the second! I’ll give that a shot. Appreciate it ❤️☺️

[@KristinaBakerSmith]

I just saw this comment and wrote the same thing😁 the plastic worked for us, the mustard did not. They actually liked the mustard.😂

[@mandiejohnson2802]

Egg eating is a frustrating vice chickens can develop, in which they peck open and eat their own eggs. It often starts when an egg accidentally breaks and a curious chicken explores the tasty fluid oozing out. Thereafter she decides to deliberately break and eat other eggs. Flockmates watch and learn. Eventually the chicken keeper gets no eggs, but has a mess of sticky nests to clean up. Once started, egg eating spreads fast and is difficult to stop. Prevention is easier than cure. Here are 16 ways to prevent chickens from eating their own eggs: 1: Collect eggs often Depending on how many hens you have, collecting eggs only once in the morning may not be enough. If you think you didn’t gather as many eggs as you should have for the size of your flock, collect eggs again at noon in case any were laid later in the morning. Check again during evening chores. 2: Darken nest boxes Nest boxes placed in a dimly lighted area of the coop encourage hens to lay in them. Dim lighting also discourages hens from lingering in the boxes, or entering them to scratch around in the nesting material. An easy way to darken nests is to drape curtains over the nest fronts. 3: Furnish enough nests Given a sufficient number of nests, hens are less tempted to lay on the floor or to crowd into too-few nests, breaking previously laid eggs. Minimizing breakage is an essential way to prevent chickens from eating their own eggs. Furnish at least one nest box for every four to five hens. In a small flock with five or fewer hens, furnish at least two nests. 4: Mind nest size Some chicken keepers prefer community nests, and indeed some laying hens seem to enjoy company. But most hens prefer privacy. Plus multiple hens using a single nest can lead to broken eggs. Nest boxes that are just big enough for a single hen would be about 12 by 14 inches and 12 inches deep for Leghorn-size layers, 14 by 14 inches and 12 inches deep for larger breeds, and 10 by 12 inches by 10 inches deep for bantams. 5: Position nests off the floor Nest boxes sitting directly on the floor invite activities such as scratching and pecking, causing shells to crack. You can easily raise nests off the floor by setting them on a platform or securely fastening them to a wall. For nest boxes that are more than 18 inches high, install a series of perches, positioned so hens can hop from one to the other to access the nests. 6: Provide soft nesting material A hen stands up just before laying an egg, so the egg drops into the nest. The shell is less likely to crack if the egg encounters something soft. Excelsior nesting pads are a popular option. Personally I prefer well dried shavings. Either way, check nesting material often and replace as need to keep it clean and fluffy. 7: Add a sill Chicken keepers often complain that their hens scratch nesting material out of the nest. Sometimes eggs roll out of the nest and break when they hit the floor. A 4-inch sill along the front bottom edge of each nest solves both problems. 8: Use fake eggs A ceramic egg left in a nest box tells a hen the nest is a safe place to lay her own eggs. It also discourages egg eating when a hen finds that after a few pecks the egg won’t crack. So ceramic eggs may be used both to preventing the start of egg eating and to try to stop it if it does start. 9: Install roll-away nest boxes Roll-out or roll-away nest boxes have a gently sloped bottom. A freshly laid egg rolls into a covered container, where hens can’t see, step on, or peck at it. This type of nest completely eliminates egg eating. If the problem starts with other types of nests, replacing those nests with roll-aways is a sure way to prevent chickens from eating their own eggs. 10: Supply plenty of water The average chicken normally drinks one to two cups of water each day. As temperatures rise, hens need more to drink. In cold weather, the drinking water may freeze. A hen that runs out of water gets thirsty, and a thirsty hen looks for ways to hydrate. An egg is 65% water, making it a potential source of moisture. Keeping drinkers full eliminates a chicken’s need to seek alternatives. 11: Provide good nutrition Make sure your hens are getting a proper layer ration with sufficient protein to satisfy their bodily needs. A layer ration should contain at least 16% protein. Eggs are rich in protein and other nutrients, making them a temptation for chickens fed a deficient diet. Excessive feeding of treats can dilute the overall protein in a hen’s diet. Treats should always include a high-protein option such as dried mealworms. 12: Feed oyster shells Strong shells are less likely to break than thin shells resulting from too little dietary calcium. Hens don’t always get enough calcium from layer ration to keep eggshells strong. An oyster shell calcium supplement allows them to consume as much as they need from a separate hopper. You can also dry and crush eggshells for some of the supplemental calcium, but they won’t provide all the calcium your hens need. Never feed large pieces of fresh shells, to avoid their association with eggs. 13: Never feed raw eggs Feeding eggs back to your chickens is okay, as long as they aren’t raw. Presenting raw eggs to your chickens is a really good way to entice potential egg eaters. Instead, cook the eggs either scrambled or boiled and mashed. I cook whole eggs, shell and all, making sure to smash the shells small enough to make them unrecognizable. 14: Avoid overcrowding In an overcrowded coop, timid flock members looking for places to hide may seek refuge in nest boxes. They not only trample eggs that have been laid, but also occupy space hens need for laying eggs. Stress induced by crowded conditions also can cause a hen to prematurely lay an egg with a soft or missing shell, which then easily gets broken and eaten. Avoid acquiring too many chickens for your facility, and provide lots of environmental variety where timid flock members to get away from others. 15: Prevent boredom Make sure your chickens have plenty of opportunities to explore things to peck, relieving the temptation to peck at eggs. Free ranging both prevents boredom and provides good nutrition in the form of fresh greens and protein-rich bugs. Chicken swings make good boredom busters. Treat balls keep chickens entertained and busy while giving them something to peck at. 16. Trim beaks If all else fails, a beak trim can prevent chickens from eating their own eggs. No, a temporary beak trim is not the same as debeaking, which is a traditional industry practice of removing the end of a beak so it permanently remains short. Beak trimming involves removing no more than one-fifth of the upper beak only. The hen can eat, but has trouble poking holes in eggshells. A properly trimmed beak should grow back in about six weeks, by which time the hen hopefully will have forgotten about eating freshly laid eggs.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

I appreciate all these tips! I’m gonna look through and see if there are any we haven’t tried!! ❤️

[@barbjarvi6543]

Hi

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Hi friend ❤️

[@karenfaber7049]

Chicken soup is amazing for chickens that don't work.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Unfortunately, this is what will most likely happen 😕❤️

[@KristinaBakerSmith]

Ahhh, corn...yup.😂

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

LOL 😂

[@user-wl1zl9hy4i]

I also live in Pennsylvania. I saved my onions by once a week putting cayenne pepper in my watering can about one forth cup pepper to a full watering can I did this early on while they were growing.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Ohhh interesting! Haven’t heard of this before but I’ll for sure be looking into it! Thank you ☺️ ❤️

[@taneriapollins9225]

I would take the egg eaters and make them into chicken stock

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Seems to be the general consensus!

[@lorranelovill8216]

You should concentrate on the things your family love to eat.😊

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

That’s the plan ☺️❤️

[@cydney3283]

Eat the ones that eat the eggs

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

Seems to be the general consensus!

[@kellygreen8255]

I’m thinking that the peas might do better for you on those arches that tend to be too shady for other things… just saying.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

I’m thinking the same! ❤️❤️❤️

[@kellygreen8255]

Maybe the spinach would do better in that area as well.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

@@kellygreen8255 oh yes! I'm so excited to try new things in that space!

[@joannfraser22]

I actually find it interesting that so many people in the homesteading community start suffering from severe sensitivity to everyday foods.

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

I think the reason you may find that is because we are all trying to heal and are actually on to something. A big reason we started homesteading and eating the way we do is for healing. My health issues didn't happen because of this lifestyle, they started long before, rather because of the toxins, chemicals, fillers and preservatives we come in contact with on a daily basis. I only recently figured out what was going on despite years of conventional medicine and tests. Only since entering the homesteading community and learning about natural remedies and a holistic approach did I start to find answers.

[@stephencameron1709]

Exactly! And you are on YT being transparent with us. We all are learning about our broken food chain and doing what we can. Val C ❤🙏🏻

[@hollyu48]

Can you butcher the copper Marian’s?

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

We could, they are a bit older and not the most meaty so it wouldn’t be for much but they could at least be used for soup and broth. It’s hard when you’ve gotten to know the bird and their personality though ☹️

[@zevab3178]

I understand it might be a hard thing to do but i think you have some dutch blood in you and we dutch are very practical. if something doesnt work you change it. So just make chicken broth out of them. It feeds your family.@@seedandsparrowhomestead

[@seedandsparrowhomestead]

@@zevab3178 You got that right! Thats what will happen, I'm just procrastinating!

[@zevab3178]

😄@@seedandsparrowhomestead

[@foorlife632]

Your failure would be my success. All I got this year was a couple cucumber and a handful of strawberries.

[@bernicevanover726]

You can place fake eggs in there when they peck them and they get no reward they will stop

[@user-vd2xe5kn9c]

So amazing to grow your own food❤👍