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Tips for Raising Market Chicks

  • By - DiyGarden
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Thinking about raising market chicks? Great choice! They grow fast, they’re fun to watch, and if you set them up right from day one, you’ll save yourself a whole lot of headaches later. Let’s walk through what you’ll need before those little fluff balls arrive.

Ron shows you on his latest video how he prepared for our 55 market chicks in this video.

Start with a Brooder


Your chicks need a warm, safe place to call home for the first few weeks. A big stock tank, wooden box, or even a sturdy plastic tote works just fine. Toss in some pine shavings (skip the cedar—it’s too strong) to soak up messes and give them something soft to scratch around in.

Keep ‘Em Toasty

Baby chicks can’t keep warm on their own. A heat lamp or a chick brooder plate will do the trick. Shoot for around 95°F that first week, then drop the temp by about 5 degrees each week. They’ll let you know if they’re comfy—spread out and happy? Perfect. Piled up under the lamp? Too cold. Huddled away from it? Too hot.

Food and Water


A high-protein chick starter feed (20–24%) is the way to go for market birds—they need the fuel to grow fast. Get yourself a small feeder so they’re not wasting half of it scratching around. And for water? Use chick waterers, not bowls. Trust me, they’ll manage to spill or fall into anything else.

Room to Grow

Chicks don’t stay tiny for long. Make sure they’ve got enough elbow room, or wing room in this case, and keep the setup safe from curious pets or predators.

Extras You’ll Be Glad You Have

A thermometer, extra bedding, backup bulbs or heaters, and bigger feeders and waterers for when they hit their growth spurt.

Get the basics ready before they arrive, and your chicks will thrive—and you’ll enjoy the ride a whole lot more.

Prepping The Raised Beds For Winter

  • By - DiyGarden
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As the garden season wraps up and the air turns crisp, it’s time to tuck those raised beds in for a long winter’s nap. Prepping now makes life so much easier when spring rolls around—you’ll thank yourself later! Ron shows you how we do it in this Youtube video.

First things first, clear out any spent plants. It can be tough pulling up the last tomato vines or bean stalks, but leaving them behind can invite pests and diseases to hang around. If the plants look healthy, toss them in the compost pile. If not, go ahead and dispose of them elsewhere.

Once the beds are cleared, give the soil a little fluff with a garden fork. This helps loosen things up and makes sure no stubborn weeds or roots are hanging around. Then, it’s the perfect time to feed your soil. Add in some compost, aged manure, or even shredded leaves. Think of it as giving your garden a hearty winter stew—it’ll break down over the cold months and be ready to nourish your spring crops.

Don’t forget about mulch! A cozy blanket of straw, leaves, or even wood chips keeps the soil protected from harsh winter weather. Or, if you’re up for it, try planting a cover crop like rye or clover. These “green blankets” protect the soil and add nutrients once you turn them under in spring.

Lastly, give your raised bed frames a quick check. Tighten up any loose boards or add a little protection if needed. A simple cover—like burlap or cardboard—can also help keep the soil in good shape through snow and ice.

With just a bit of effort now, your raised beds will be snug and ready for rest. Come spring, they’ll reward you with healthy, thriving soil—no extra stress required!

Pigs: The Newest Addition to Our Homestead

  • By - DiyGarden
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Every homestead has its milestones — planting the first garden, building a coop, or harvesting the first homegrown vegetables. For us, the latest exciting chapter is welcoming pigs to the farm. These curious, intelligent animals are quickly proving to be more than just livestock; they’re an integral part of creating a more sustainable, self-sufficient life.

One of the first things you notice about pigs is their personality. Contrary to the old saying, pigs aren’t lazy or dirty creatures. They’re playful, social, and surprisingly clever. They love rooting in the soil, exploring their space, and of course, enjoying a good mud bath to keep cool. Watching them interact has already brought so much energy and joy to our homestead.

Beyond companionship, pigs bring real value to the farm. They’re efficient foragers, turning food scraps, garden extras, and pasture into nourishment. This not only reduces waste but also makes them relatively inexpensive to feed compared to other livestock. With proper care, pigs can also help prepare new areas of land by naturally rooting and tilling the soil — a homesteader’s dream helper.

Raising pigs does come with responsibility. They need strong fencing, plenty of space to roam, and consistent access to fresh water. Their intelligence means they’ll quickly find weak spots in a pen, so sturdy enclosures are a must. But the reward of raising your own pork, knowing exactly how the animals were treated and fed, makes the effort worthwhile.

For us, pigs represent more than just food security. They embody the values of stewardship, resourcefulness, and connection to the land. Adding them to our homestead feels like a step closer to a truly full-circle lifestyle.

Here is a video on how Ron created the pasture and shelter for them. He also shows how to make a pig water barrel.

Welcome home, piggies — the adventure has just begun!

Taking the Herbal Teas to the Farmer’s Market

  • By - DiyGarden
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This past week-end Ron and I took the herbal teas to the farmer’s market. I am always looking for different ways to market the teas. I do a lot of online marketing such as Youtube, blogging, and social media. So, I wondered if some old fashion face to face marketing would be beneficial. Would my local community respond well toward medicinal herbal teas? First, let me set the stage for you. This is the oldest farmer’s market in the DFW area, called Cowtown Farmer’s Market. This is a true farmer’s market with fruits, veggies, dairy, and meats. They allow 40% of the vendors to be artisans, such as breads, coffee, honey and me with herbal teas.

The Tea Table

So I set my table up and sat there wondering about the reaction I was going to receive as a first time vendor and also with the teas. In case you have never been to my tea shop, here is the link for that. I sell mostly medicinal, herbal loose leaf teas. People either really like the teas or they don’t. There usually isn’t a middle ground with tea drinkers. I was excited to learn that tea drinking, especially herbal tea drinking is on the rise! Shoppers seemed excited to know that we plan on bringing the herbal teas to the farmer’s market most every week-end.

Lessons From the Farmer’s Market

Another thing I learned is that stepping away from my computer and trying new ways of marketing my teas was a great decision. I found people who were excited about my product. I’m making friends with the other vendors who want me to succeed as well. The overhead for a farmer’s market is very affordable. We actually moved product and made some money. It was a sunny Saturday morning, I got to visit with people and got the word out in my community about herbal tea.

Hey, if you are ever in the DFW area come and visit us!

Shawn

2025 Garden Advice

  • By - DiyGarden
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Yes, it’s true! The 2025 garden kickoff has begun. Being in North Texas we are still experiencing some cooler weather but we don’t have any snow on the grown and hoping for no deep freeze weather to hit. We do a lot of raised garden beds here so cleaning up the beds from the fall garden is pretty simple to do. Then, adding compost or other soil amendments and working them into the garden soil. And, adding the plants to our garden beds. It all sounds so easy but as we all know there is more to it.

You can see how Ron got our 2025 garden started here.

Weather

It’s never a fool proof plan on when to start your garden. Yes, knowing your zones can help but it’s not a guarantee. If you are like me, you like to push the envelope and pray for nice weather early and are willing to take the risk of putting your plants out early. To help with this there are several things you can do. One, make sure to harden off your delicate little plants while they are still inside by having a fan going over them. As they do well with that then you can move them outside during the day time and bringing them inside at night. After a week or so of that let them stay outside over night if your temps don’t fall below freezing. I don’t let them stay outside if it gets below 40.

Check this out for learning more about your gardening zones.

Cold or Hot Plants for the Garden

Cherry tomatoes

It’s important to know when to start certain plants. There are plants that do better in the colder parts of your gardening season. These are your root crops and your brassicas. If the bulb is in the ground, such as carrots, beets, turnips then a cold snap isn’t going to hurt them. Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli can do fine if the temps are chilly. It might actually help the veggie taste sweeter. In the heat of the summer is when you want to put out your tomatoes, peppers and eggplants plus so much more. The hot weather is when these type of plants will grow, flower and produce.

Hope these gardening tips gave you some ideas for your 2025 garden!

Shawn

The Herbal Tea That Heals Your G.I. Tract

  • By - DiyGarden
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So many of us have issues dealing with our G.I. tract and what if I told you that an herbal tea can help with those issues. It can be IBS, Crohn’s Disease, or a host of other gastrointestinal issues. We don’t know why some people keep suffering with these types of diseases. What we do know is our diet has a lot to do with reoccurance. And herbal tea has been recommended to help ease these G.I. symptoms.

Check out how to make the Marshmallow Root “Gentling your G.I.” Herbal Tea Blend here.

Herbal Tea to the Rescue

I have a herbal tea called Marshmallow Root “Gentling your G.I.” Herbal Tea Blend. This tea is not a cute, little, sexy type of tea! It is serious help if you need help with gentling your G.I. tract. People who deal with G.I. issues don’t get all the nutrients that your body needs and also struggles with low energy, brain fog and many more issues. What can help fight all of these symptoms? This herbal tea.

Herbs in the Tea

This tea blend contains marshmallow root, licorice root and slippery elm bark. Each of these herbs are packed with just the right things that help gentle your body. Marshmallow root helps your digestive health by soothing and coating your gut. Slippery elm bark helps reduce acid reflux and sore throats along with digestive problems. The licorice root helps nourish your body as well as adds some sweetness and flavor to the tea.

To Steep or Not to Steep

Another important thing to mention about this tea is the need to steep. The longer it steeps the more powerful it is for helping to heal your gut. It is recommended from 5-30 minutes. Come out in the mornings, make your tea, then go back in and get ready for your day. When you come out your tea may be ready for you.

I hope this tea will be beneficial to you. We have it all packaged up and ready. Click here to be taken directly to the Marshmallow Root “Gentling your G.I.” Herbal Tea Blend.

Here is to your next cup of tea,

Shawn

Treats for the Chickens

  • By - DiyGarden
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If you are an avid reader of the blog you probably know how much we love our chickens. There is something so soothing in listening to them cluck and call in the backyard. I often joke with Ron that we should set up lawn chairs in the back and charge people for the opportunity to come and watch them. They always bring a smile to my face. This last week the cold weather was on its way out so Ron went and took a look at the winter garden and then he took the hens a special treat.

You can watch the action by clicking here.

Healthy Chicken Treat

We were contacted by a company called Grub Terra. They sent us a package of black soldier fly larvae. Our chickens loved it! The great thing about black soldier fly larvae is how good it is for the hens. It helps to produce stronger egg shells, keeps feathers healthy, and has 75% more calcium than meal worms. I’m adding a picture so you can see the nutritional facts. I also love seeing the ingredients of this product. Can you see it in the picture? Black soldier fly larvae. That’s it. Healthy treats for the chickens!

 Good news, you can get your own package of black soldier fly larvae and save 20% by using our link here.

Black Soldier Fly Larvae For Chickens & More

As many of you know we are setting up a hydroponic gardening system. Once those are set up we plan on adding fish and creating an aquaponics system. Right on the packaging for the Grub Terra black soldier fly larvae it shows that this is for more than just chickens, it’s also for fish, birds and reptiles. So, there are multiple uses for this product around the homestead.

One of the things I respect about the Grub Terra company is their dedication to the environment. They work to provide high-quality and healthy products for our pets.

They feed the larvae pre-consumer food waste from super markets. Every one pound of dried black soldier fly larvae equals 20 pounds of food waste saved from landfills.

Remember, you can get your own package of black soldier fly larvae and save 20% by using our link here.

Here is to your homesteading dreams,

Shawn

Tulsi “Anxiety Buster” Tea Blend

  • By - DiyGarden
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The Tulsi “Anxiety Buster” Tea Blend contains three herbs; tulsi, rose hips, and peppermint. They work together to bring relief from stress and tension. These herbs help fight the doldrums and the anxiety that can build up inside of us. I know I feel it especially during winter, going through the cold. It seems to bring on depression and anxiety.

Here is how to make the Tulsi “Anxiety Buster” Tea Blend

The Herbs

The tulsi relieves stress and tension and also acts as an anti-depressant. The rose petals are full of Vitamin A, C, & E. They assist with depression and anxiety. The peppermint is a slight stimulant, helps relieve tension and aids in your digestive system.

Creating the “Anxiety Buster”

When the 3 herbs are brought together and blended it creates the “Anxiety Buster” herbal tea that helps your:

body – physically

mind – mentally

energy – metabolically

emotional – psychological.

“The four vertical layers of the human psyche are: the body, the hetart, the mind, and the spirit.“

If you struggle with anxiety and depression, I understand… I do as well. That is why I invite you to try this tea. To see if it helps you in any of your four layers of human psyche. If nothing else, the warmth and smell of the tea will get you through your morning.

We have this tea made up and ready for you so you can start taking it now. So, if you are looking for a medicinal, herbal option for anxiety I invite you to try out our Tulsi “Anxiety Buster” Tea Blend. Here is the direct link to the tea so you can order it today.

Our teas are made in house, blended with love and care. Most herbs are organic and non-GMO. The teas we offer to you are herbal teas with medicinal values.

Here is to your next cup of tea,

Shawn

Making Winter Watering Chores Easier

  • By - DiyGarden
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Being in north Texas we don’t have to worry about cold temps to often but when we do Ron has found a way of making winter watering chores easier. Making sure animals have access to water is so important. They do not care if the temps are low and it’s cold outside. They need and want water at all times! That can be difficult if your system isn’t set up for cold weather. We can get water to our animals, our problem was keeping the water from freezing once it was in their bowls.

Check out how Ron made winter watering chores easier.

The Magic Plug

Ron came across this plug called the Dayton 48GP69 Freeze Protection Thermostat. We bought ours on Amazon for $30.

How Ron uses this thermostat is by plugging in the items he wants to make sure are started when the temps drop below freezing.

Chickens Winter Watering Chores

For the chickens he plugs in a heated dog bowl for one watering system for the chickens. He also has a heat lamp over another water bowl which keeps it from freezing and also places a bottle of water under it to keep thawed for the bunnies.

Rabbits Winter Watering Chores

For our rabbits we ordered each of them a heated bowl. These came from Amazon (Sliner 2 Pcs Outdoor Heated Water Bowl Dispenser Automatic Dog Bowl Smart Thermal Bowl 0.528 Gal Provides Drinkable Water in Winter for Animals Dogs Cats Chickens Rabbits Squirrels.) Ron plugs them into an extension cord which he then plugs into the thermostat. Our bunnies always have warm water on a cold winters day.

It doesn’t matter how big or little your homestead is. What is important is keeping the animals you have well taken care of. You can read more about how we do chores in the snow by clicking here.

Here is to your homesteading dreams,

Shawn

Chamomile “Allergy Buster” Tea Blend

  • By - DiyGarden
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The Chamomile “Allergy Buster” tea blend has 8 different herbs selected to work together to protect and help your body to fight against the allergy season! If you are a person who suffers from allergies this tea will help give your body a fighting chance to guard against the allergy symptoms such as: sneezing, itchy eyes, and the sniffles. This tea does work it’s best when consumed in abundance.

Here is a look at each of the herbs and how they are blended to make the tea.

The Herbs in Chamomile “Allergy Buster” Tea Blend

The eight herbs in the chamomile “Allergy Buster” tea blend are:

  1. Chamomile – it acts as a natural antihistamine.
  2. Nettles – is very nourishing and provides your body with extra nutrients to make it strong.
  3. Elderberry – boosts the body’s immune system.
  4. Oat straw – helps your body with nutrients and helps your body build up immunities.
  5. Rose hips – Contains Vitamin C and helps your body to heal.
  6. Licorice root – Coats and soothes your throat and helps with coughing.
  7. Ginger and
  8. Peppermint – act as a decongestants.

Oh my, sweet relief from the allergy season.

This tea is complex in the different herbs used to give your body the best tools to give you relief from allergies. We have this tea made up and ready for you so you can start taking it now, building it up in your body because it does work it’s best when consumed in abundance. So, if you are looking for a medicinal, herbal option for allergies this year I invite you to try out our Chamomile “Allergy Buster” Tea Blend. Here is the direct link to the tea so you can start using it today.

Our teas are made in house, blended with love and care. Most herbs are organic, and non-GMO. The teas we offer to you are herbal teas with medicinal values.

Here is to your next cup of tea,

Shawn