Frost Creek Farm

02/05/2026

Thats one brave bird!

01/30/2026

6 inches of straw is a great insulation in your coop!

Don’t scrape the floor. Build a mattress. 🐔🐇

The storm is hitting tonight. Your instinct might be to "clean the coop/hutch" to keep it nice. Don't. A bare floor is a heat thief. During a , you need Depth.

Here is the physics of the Deep Bedding Defense:

🛑 1. Stop the Conduction The frozen ground is a "Heat Sink." If your rabbit or chicken sits on a thin layer of shavings, the ground sucks the heat right out of their body. Physics dictates that heat moves to cold. The earth will win. You need a Thermal Break.

🌾 2. Straw is a Tube of Air Straw isn't just grass. It is a hollow tube. It traps air inside. A 6-inch layer of straw acts like a down jacket for the floor. It creates a barrier of "dead air" that insulates their feet from the freezing earth.

🔥 3. The "Deep Litter" Heater If you layer it thick enough (6-12 inches), a magical thing happens. The bottom layer begins to compost slightly. This is an Exothermic Reaction. The microbial activity actually generates heat, turning the floor of your coop into a mild radiant heater.

The Storm Protocol:

Don't remove: Don't clean out the old bedding today.

Add more: Add a fresh, thick layer of clean straw on top.

The Knee Test: Kneel on it. If you can feel the cold of the ground through the straw, it's not deep enough. Double it.

Keep them off the ice, and they will survive the night.



📌 Quick FAQ
Q: Straw vs. Hay? A: STRAW! 🌾 Hay is for eating (it's green and moist). It molds quickly when wet and freezes into a block. Straw is for bedding (it's yellow, dry, and hollow). Straw insulates; Hay rots.

Q: Won't it smell? A: Not if you keep adding fresh layers! 👃 This is the "Lasagna Method." As long as you keep capping the manure with fresh carbon (straw), it won't smell ammonia-heavy. If you smell ammonia, you need more straw, not less.

Q: Can I use blankets? A: Avoid them. 🧣 Blankets hold moisture. A wet blanket freezes and becomes a sheet of ice. Straw breathes and wicks moisture away. Stick to wood shavings or straw.

01/29/2026

01/28/2026

I only got 4 eggs today out of 12 chickens! I should have taken the video yesterday when they had 7. This is because I have new layers that are just starting out and my older girls have not started laying yet. My black copper maran lays almost every day though (that is the dark brown egg)

How many eggs are your chickens laying?

01/26/2026

Why we chose Kune Kune Pigs as our first livestock

The first time you bring livestock home, there’s a brief moment where you think, Wow, I really did it. I’m basically a farmer now.And then the animals look at you—and you realize you are wildly under qualified. That was us when we brought home our first Kune kune pigs. We wanted an animal that wouldn’t overwhelm us, wouldn’t scare our small children, and wouldn’t punish us too harshly for everything we were about to learn the hard way....

The first time you bring livestock home, there’s a brief moment where you think, Wow, I really did it. I’m basically a farmer now.And then the animals look at you—and you realize you are wildly und…

01/23/2026

🔥 The Hidden Dangers of Heat Lamps (and Heat Plates) in Chicken Coops — What You Really Need to Know

As chicken keepers, we all want the best for our birds — especially in winter. When temperatures drop, it’s natural to think, “They need extra heat to stay safe.” But here’s the truth that’s not talked about enough: Using a heat lamp or heat plate in a chicken coop can actually do more harm than good — and sometimes cost you everything....

As chicken keepers, we all want the best for our birds — especially in winter. When temperatures drop, it’s natural to think, “They need extra heat to stay safe.” But here’s the truth that’s not ta…

01/22/2026

Small Acre Homesteading: Your Reality Check

I had 3.3 acres.And I thought I was ready for homesteading. If you’re here, you probably know that feeling—the excitement, the confidence, the “this is finally it” moment. I had done the research (or so I thought). I had the land. From the outside, it looked like the perfect starter homestead. What I didn’t have was the reality. This blog exists because I learned—sometimes expensively—that…...

I had 3.3 acres.And I thought I was ready for homesteading. If you’re here, you probably know that feeling—the excitement, the confidence, the “this is finally it” moment. I had done the research (…

01/21/2026

If I could start my property journey all over again… here’s what I’d do differently 👇

When I moved from a quarter-acre in town to 3 acres out of town and decided to start a little farm, I learned a LOT—mostly the hard way 😅

Biggest lesson? Wait one year before adding animals.
Yes, even though it’s exciting.
Yes, even though baby pigs are cute.
And DEFINITELY don’t keep pigs under your deck 🙃

That first year is crucial for learning your land:
• Where water runs in spring
• What plants grow (and don’t)
• Where fencing and shelters actually make sense

Skipping this step led to some… adventures. Like chasing pigs down the road and constantly repairing pens because of very impulsive animal purchases 🐖🏃‍♀️

If I could rewind, I’d start with the garden first 🌻
It teaches you what’s in your soil, what thrives, and keeps you busy before adding the chaos (and responsibility) of animals.

So learn from my mistakes:
✨ Explore your land
✨ Build proper infrastructure
✨ Be patient (just one year!)

Your future self—and your animals—will thank you 💚

Video from when we did have pigs underneath our deck!

01/11/2026

After not having eggs for so long one of my girls laid this massive egg! One of my easter eggers decided to lay as well as my black copper maran. Looks like we may have some colorful eggs this year!

11/15/2025

An open gate symbolizing no animals left in the field. We are officially down to just a small flock of layer chickens for winter. I have no more pigs, chickens or turkeys left for sale.

08/09/2025

*SOLD*

I have two grey Brahma hens looking for new flocks. They are 1 year old and both laying. They both wanted to go broody this year but my rooster is too old to make chicks anymore.

3️⃣5️⃣ each