{"appState":{"pageLoadApiCallsStatus":true},"categoryState":{"relatedCategories":{"headers":{"timestamp":"2022-05-23T18:31:26+00:00"},"categoryId":33933,"data":{"title":"Hobby Farming","slug":"hobby-farming","image":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Hobby Farming","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33933"},"slug":"hobby-farming","categoryId":33933}],"parentCategory":{"categoryId":33809,"title":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","slug":"home-auto-hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"}},"childCategories":[{"categoryId":33934,"title":"Beekeeping","slug":"beekeeping","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33934"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-2.fabfbd5c.png","width":0,"height":0}},{"categoryId":33935,"title":"Cattle","slug":"cattle","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33935"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-1.daf74cf0.png","width":0,"height":0}},{"categoryId":33936,"title":"Chickens","slug":"chickens","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33936"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-2.fabfbd5c.png","width":0,"height":0}},{"categoryId":33937,"title":"Goats","slug":"goats","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33937"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-1.daf74cf0.png","width":0,"height":0}},{"categoryId":33938,"title":"General (Hobby Farming)","slug":"general-hobby-farming","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33938"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-2.fabfbd5c.png","width":0,"height":0}}],"description":"Living off the land...and loving it! Learn how to create a healthy, happy environment for your animal friends, whether they're clucking, buzzing, or bleating.","relatedArticles":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles?category=33933&offset=0&size=5"}},"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33933"}},"relatedCategoriesLoadedStatus":"success"},"listState":{"list":{"count":10,"total":477,"items":[{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:50:31+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-04-27T14:08:25+00:00","timestamp":"2022-04-27T18:01:07+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Hobby Farming","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33933"},"slug":"hobby-farming","categoryId":33933},{"name":"Chickens","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33936"},"slug":"chickens","categoryId":33936}],"title":"Chicken Health For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"chicken health for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"chicken-health-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Learn how to keep your chicken flock safe and healthy through biosecurity measures, and knowing the common causes of health problems.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"As a chicken flock keeper, you’re concerned about the well-being, safety, and health of your flock. Although you can’t control everything, such as predators, pests, diseases, and injuries, you can take a proactive role to ensure your chickens thrive in your backyard.\r\n\r\nThe following can help you raise healthy chickens so they can provide you with eggs and happiness for years to come.","description":"As a chicken flock keeper, you’re concerned about the well-being, safety, and health of your flock. Although you can’t control everything, such as predators, pests, diseases, and injuries, you can take a proactive role to ensure your chickens thrive in your backyard.\r\n\r\nThe following can help you raise healthy chickens so they can provide you with eggs and happiness for years to come.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9747,"name":"Julie Gauthier","slug":"julie-gauthier","description":"Julie Gauthier is board-certified in veterinary preventive medicine. She practiced large and small animal medicine before joining the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. 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Nerves","slug":"necropsying-a-chicken-head-neck-joints-and-nerves","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204518"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282074,"slug":"chicken-health-for-dummies","isbn":"9781118444276","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1118444272/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1118444272/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1118444272-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1118444272/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1118444272/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/chicken-health-for-dummies-cover-9781118444276-169x255.jpg","width":169,"height":255},"title":"Chicken Health For Dummies","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":"\n <p><b data-author-id=\"9747\">Julie Gauthier</b> is board certified in veterinary preventive medicine. <b data-author-id=\"9265\">Rob Ludlow</b> is the coauthor of <i>Raising Chickens For Dummies and Building Chicken Coops For Dummies.</i> He runs the leading chicken information resource on the web, www.BackYardChickens.com. </p>","authors":[{"authorId":9747,"name":"Julie Gauthier","slug":"julie-gauthier","description":"Julie Gauthier is board-certified in veterinary preventive medicine. She practiced large and small animal medicine before joining the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Currently, she works for the USDA as a veterinary epidemiologist in Raleigh, NC. Julie raises heritage breed poultry, bees, and mushrooms on her small farm.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9747"}},{"authorId":9265,"name":"Robert T. Ludlow","slug":"robert-t-ludlow","description":"Rob Ludlow is the owner of BackYardChickens.com, a top source on raising chickens, and the coauthor of Raising Chickens For Dummies. Rob and his family raise a small flock in their backyard.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9265"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;hobby-farming&quot;,&quot;chickens&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781118444276&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-626984e3c28e7\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;hobby-farming&quot;,&quot;chickens&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781118444276&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-626984e3c3ac7\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":171433,"title":"Biosecurity: The Most Important Prevention Tool for Your Chickens","slug":"biosecurity-the-most-important-prevention-tool-for-your-chickens","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/171433"}},{"articleId":171374,"title":"First Aid Kit for a Backyard Chicken Flock","slug":"first-aid-kit-for-a-backyard-chicken-flock","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/171374"}},{"articleId":171432,"title":"Causes of Common Problems of Hens","slug":"causes-of-common-problems-of-hens","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/171432"}}],"content":[{"title":"Use biosecurity to protect your chickens from disease","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p><i>Biosecurity</i> is a set of practices — things you do every day — that helps keep infectious organisms, such as viruses and bacteria, out of your chicken flock. If a disease-causing organism manages to find its way into your backyard chicken flock, the same biosecurity practices can help prevent the spread of the disease between your chickens, or the spread outside your flock to someone else’s chickens.</p>\n<p>Biosecurity is the most important thing you can do to protect your chickens’ health, because if you wait to do something after an infectious disease shows up, you’ll find it extremely difficult, maybe impossible, to eradicate a disease from your flock.</p>\n<p>Here are important biosecurity measures that are practical for most backyard flock keepers:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Don’t mix chickens of different ages.</b> Keep chickens of different age groups in separate pens.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Clean and disinfect equipment between uses for different groups of chickens.</b> Disease-causing germs spread by chickens can linger for weeks to months on unwashed stuff, such as transport coops, feeders, and waterers.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Keep your chickens home.</b> Don’t let them wander from the yard, or take them to places where birds mix, such as swap meets or shows, and then bring them back home.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Quarantine new chickens at least 30 feet apart from the rest of your flock for 30 days.</b> Don’t let them join the rest of your flock unless they fly through the quarantine period in perfect health.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Don’t let your chickens mingle with other types of poultry, pet birds, or wild birds.</b> Birds of a feather not only flock together, but they also share germs, mites, and intestinal worms.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Don’t share equipment with other flock keepers unless it has been cleaned and disinfected first.</b> Dirty equipment, such as a transport coop or incubator, can carry disease causing germs from one flock to another. .</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Limit visitors to your flock.</b> If you do have visitors, ask them to wear clean shoes and wash their hands before interacting with your birds.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"First aid kit for a backyard chicken flock","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Your chicken-keeping philosophy will determine how well stocked your backyard flock first aid kit should be. At a minimum, every flock keeper should have a hospital cage in which to assess and isolate a sick or injured chicken, and have the ability to humanely euthanize a hopelessly ill bird. Other items you may find useful in your first aid kit are</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">A spare heat lamp and bulb (non-shatterproof) or other heat source to warm a chilled bird (especially chicks). Steer clear of clamp-style heat lamps; get the kind you can hang securely from the ceiling.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">An electric fan, mister, or other cooling device to cool an overheated chicken.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">An antiseptic solution and a 10ml syringe for flushing wounds.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">A pair of forceps (tweezers) for examining wounds and picking out debris, and a pair of scissors for removing bandages.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">A package of gauze sponges for blotting and cleaning wounds.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">A method to stop bleeding, such as blood-stop powder, a styptic pencil, cornstarch, or a tea bag.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">A roll of 1-inch wide adhesive cloth bandaging tape, and a roll of 2-inch wide self-cling bandaging tape for dressing injured feet or wings.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">A package or bottle of a poultry vitamin and electrolyte preparation to mix with drinking water.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">A tube of water-based personal lubricant for dealing with a prolapsed vent or suspected egg-bound bird.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Your veterinarian’s phone number.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Causes of common health problems in hens","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Some of the problems that backyard chicken flock keepers most frequently see in their hens are respiratory illness, feather loss, and strange eggs.</p>\n<p>The following contains some common causes for some chicken ailments. Other things could be responsible for the signs you’re seeing, but they’re less likely to be the culprits than the causes listed in the table. A veterinary diagnostic laboratory or a veterinarian who’s willing to see chickens can help you sort it out.</p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Problem</th>\n<th>Signs</th>\n<th>Common Cause</th>\n<th>Possible Actions</th>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Respiratory illness</td>\n<td>Sneezing, coughing, gasping, swollen face</td>\n<td>Mycoplasmosis (MG), infectious coryza, infectious<br />\nbronchitis</td>\n<td>Isolate sick birds from the rest of the flock</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Feather loss</td>\n<td>All over</td>\n<td>Normal molt or louse infestation</td>\n<td>Examine feather shafts for lice</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td></td>\n<td>Head, neck, and shoulders</td>\n<td>Feather pecking from flock mates, poking head through wire<br />\nfence</td>\n<td>Observe flock for signs of feather pecking behavior</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td></td>\n<td>Hen’s back</td>\n<td>Attention from the rooster</td>\n<td>Provide hens with protective cloth saddles</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td></td>\n<td>Vent area</td>\n<td>Feather pecking from flock mates</td>\n<td>Provide toys and veggie scraps to keep the flock busy</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Strange eggs</td>\n<td>Thin shells</td>\n<td>Old hen, hot weather, or lack of calcium in diet</td>\n<td>Keep hens cool, provide oyster shell for the hens to eat</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td></td>\n<td>Soft or no shells</td>\n<td>A scare or a stressful event, or an infection of the<br />\noviduct</td>\n<td>Handle hens quietly and gently. Make their living quarters safe<br />\nfrom predators.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td></td>\n<td>Blood-stained shells</td>\n<td>Young hen, underweight hen, or vent pecking by flock mates</td>\n<td>Feed good quality layer diet. Place nest boxes no more than 18<br />\ninches off the ground.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td></td>\n<td>Weird-shaped shells: ridges, chalky coating, lumps, and so<br />\non</td>\n<td>Stress, rough handling, too few nest boxes, or oviduct<br />\ninfection</td>\n<td>Provide more nest boxes. Handle hens quietly and gently.</td>\n</tr>\n</tbody>\n</table>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-04-27T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":208124},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:57:21+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-04-08T18:29:30+00:00","timestamp":"2022-04-09T00:01:06+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Hobby Farming","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33933"},"slug":"hobby-farming","categoryId":33933},{"name":"General (Hobby Farming)","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33938"},"slug":"general-hobby-farming","categoryId":33938}],"title":"Hobby Farming For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"hobby farming for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"hobby-farming-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Here's to living on the land! Explore how to make the most of your soil and keep your farm animals healthy.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"If you’re thinking about taking up farming as a hobby, educate yourself about the responsibilities. Research hobby farming by using local resources (like the library and neighbors), using the Internet, and volunteering at a farm. When you decide to plant, make sure you know your area’s growing season and to rotate your crops to maintain soil and plant quality. Keep your farm animals healthy by providing basic care and provisions and watching for signs of illness.","description":"If you’re thinking about taking up farming as a hobby, educate yourself about the responsibilities. Research hobby farming by using local resources (like the library and neighbors), using the Internet, and volunteering at a farm. When you decide to plant, make sure you know your area’s growing season and to rotate your crops to maintain soil and plant quality. Keep your farm animals healthy by providing basic care and provisions and watching for signs of illness.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":10501,"name":"Theresa A. Husarik","slug":"theresa-a-husarik","description":"Theresa A. 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Husarik</b> is a freelance writer and photographer who raises animals and plants small crops on her ten acres of farmland. </p>","authors":[{"authorId":10501,"name":"Theresa A. Husarik","slug":"theresa-a-husarik","description":"Theresa A. Husarik is a freelance writer and photographer who raises animals and plants small crops on her ten acres of farmland.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10501"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;hobby-farming&quot;,&quot;general-hobby-farming&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9780470281727&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-6250ccc28111d\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;hobby-farming&quot;,&quot;general-hobby-farming&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9780470281727&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-6250ccc281a05\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":194121,"title":"Hobby Farming: Know Your Growing Seasons","slug":"hobby-farming-know-your-growing-seasons","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","general-hobby-farming"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/194121"}},{"articleId":194120,"title":"Plant Rotation Suggestions for Hobby Farming","slug":"plant-rotation-suggestions-for-hobby-farming","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","general-hobby-farming"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/194120"}},{"articleId":194118,"title":"Hobby Farming: Basics of Farm Animal Care","slug":"hobby-farming-basics-of-farm-animal-care","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","general-hobby-farming"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/194118"}},{"articleId":194116,"title":"Hobby Farming: Warning Signs of Illness in Farm Animals","slug":"hobby-farming-warning-signs-of-illness-in-farm-animals","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","general-hobby-farming"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/194116"}},{"articleId":194119,"title":"Deciding on Farming as a Hobby","slug":"deciding-on-farming-as-a-hobby","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","general-hobby-farming"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/194119"}},{"articleId":194117,"title":"Where to Find Information on Hobby Farming","slug":"where-to-find-information-on-hobby-farming","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","general-hobby-farming"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/194117"}}],"content":[{"title":"Hobby farming: Know your growing seasons","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Deciding which crops to plant depends on how well things will grow on your farm. The length of the growing season is vital because you want your plants to produce fruit before the first frost. Determine the best times for growing by checking the back of seed packets or by consulting the <a href=\"http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">USDA Plant Hardiness Zone map</a>.</p>\n<p>The following table shows the average last and first frost dates, marking the start and end of the growing season for various regions in the United States.</p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>USDA Plant Hardiness Zone</th>\n<th>Last Frost (Beginning)</th>\n<th>First Frost (End)</th>\n<th>Length of Growing Season (Days)</th>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>1</td>\n<td>June 15–30</td>\n<td>July 15–30</td>\n<td>30</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2</td>\n<td>May 15–30</td>\n<td>August 15–30</td>\n<td>90</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>3 and 4</td>\n<td>May 15–30</td>\n<td>September 15–30</td>\n<td>120</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>5, 6, and 7</td>\n<td>April 15–30</td>\n<td>October 15–30</td>\n<td>180</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>8</td>\n<td>March 15–30</td>\n<td>November 15–30</td>\n<td>240</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>9</td>\n<td>February 15–30</td>\n<td>December 15–30</td>\n<td>300</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>10</td>\n<td>January 31</td>\n<td>December 15–30</td>\n<td>315</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>11</td>\n<td>Frost free</td>\n<td>Frost free</td>\n<td>365</td>\n</tr>\n</tbody>\n</table>\n"},{"title":"Plant rotation suggestions for hobby farming","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Rotating the plants (crops) on your farm enhances plant health and soil quality. To rotate your plantings, divide your garden into several sections and plant each section with a different family of plant. Next year, plant something from the next family. For instance, plant squash in section one the first year; the next year, plant peas there; next year, plant tomatoes; and well, you get the idea.</p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Plant Family</th>\n<th>Examples</th>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Gourds</td>\n<td>Squash, melons, zucchini, pumpkins, cucumbers</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Legumes</td>\n<td>Beans and peas</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Nightshades</td>\n<td>Eggplants, potatoes, peppers, and tomatoes</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Carrots</td>\n<td>Carrot, dill, parsnips, and parsley</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Mustards</td>\n<td>Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, mustard,<br />\nradishes, and turnips</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Beets</td>\n<td>Beets, spinach, and chard</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Onions</td>\n<td>Onions, leeks, and garlic</td>\n</tr>\n</tbody>\n</table>\n"},{"title":"Hobby farming: Basics of farm animal care","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>What&#8217;s a farm without animals? A hobby farmer who wants to raise animals must understand that he or she is responsible for their care. Animals need food, water, exercise and clean shelter everyday. Good hygiene and care can deter health problems. This is the minimum care you should give your farm animals:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Provide clean (and unfrozen) water daily.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Provide sufficient food (each animal has different diet requirements).</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Keep the living area clean.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Provide proper grooming (each animal has different needs)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Provide exercise or the opportunity for the animal to just get out and run.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">If animals are herd animals (such as alpacas), be sure to have at least two.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Interact with your animals regularly not only so they get used to your being in the pen but also so bonds can form.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Hobby farming: Warning signs of illness in farm animals","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>A hobby farmer, like a commercial farmer, must keep an eye on the health of the farm animals by checking them routinely. Daily observation tells you the animals&#8217; habits, and will help you determine if something is wrong or if your animal is sick.</p>\n<p>The following signs are warnings that your farm animal has an illness:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">The animal is lethargic or just not very active.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">The animal isn&#8217;t eating.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">The animal is getting thin.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">The animal&#8217;s milk production is off.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">There’s a change in the animal&#8217;s stools (you notice diarrhea or straining and a lack of stools, indicating constipation).</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Deciding on farming as a hobby","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>If you decide to leave the hubbub of the city for farming, remember that farming involves tasks that aren&#8217;t part of the responsibilities of city jobs. Here are some ways to lessen the learning curve if you decide to take up hobby farming:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Do some research so you can make a more informed decision. Besides all the pencil-to-the-paper research, like on the Internet, you can do some feet-to-the-pavement research — get out on the streets and go to the local businesses, the local library, the local county building, and so on.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Do volunteer work. Maybe help on a local farm — milk cows, clean animal stalls, help with the weeding or picking. Not only does this give you some good experience (and let you test the waters), but it also gives you the fun experience of being involved.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Hang out on a farm and watch what goes on.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Start your operation small and leave room for expansion.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Build off skills you already have.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Keep detailed records to facilitate trial and error (so you know what worked and what didn&#8217;t).</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Where to find information on hobby farming","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Finding information about farming (hobby or otherwise) isn&#8217;t hard — plenty of resources are available. After you&#8217;ve exhausted all of the books at your library and scanned the Internet for information about farming, try these other sources of agricultural information:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Your local cooperative extension office</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Your local county office</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Your state&#8217;s official Web site (www.&lt;yourstate&gt;.gov)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Your neighbors, friends, or friends of friends who&#8217;ve taken the plunge</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">The staff at the local feed store</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><a href=\"http://www.usda.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">USDA</a></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><a href=\"http://www.fema.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FEMA</a></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Your local county library system</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2021-06-20T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":209252},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:56:08+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-03-22T21:26:56+00:00","timestamp":"2022-03-23T00:01:05+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Hobby Farming","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33933"},"slug":"hobby-farming","categoryId":33933},{"name":"Chickens","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33936"},"slug":"chickens","categoryId":33936}],"title":"Building Chicken Coops For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"building chicken coops for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"building-chicken-coops-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Build your hens a place to rest their heads. Explore all aspects of chicken coop building, from materials to carpentry skills.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Chicken owners are a particularly self-reliant bunch. Chicken-keeping is meant to make you just a little more self-sufficient; why spend gobs of cash to do it? Maybe that helps explain why so many chicken folks build their own coops. To get started, you should familiarize yourself with chicken coop styles, the tools and building materials you need, and the carpentry skills to master.","description":"Chicken owners are a particularly self-reliant bunch. Chicken-keeping is meant to make you just a little more self-sufficient; why spend gobs of cash to do it? Maybe that helps explain why so many chicken folks build their own coops. To get started, you should familiarize yourself with chicken coop styles, the tools and building materials you need, and the carpentry skills to master.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":10349,"name":"Todd Brock","slug":"todd-brock","description":"Todd Brock is a television writer and producer whose work includes PBS's Growing a Greener World, DIY Network's Fresh From the Garden, and HGTV's Ground Breakers. He is the coauthor of Building Chicken Coops For Dummies. ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10349"}},{"authorId":10350,"name":"David Zook","slug":"david-zook","description":"Dave Zook owns Horizon Structures, which makes custom chicken coops.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10350"}},{"authorId":9748,"name":"Rob Ludlow","slug":"rob-ludlow","description":"Rob Ludlow is the author of Raising Chickens For Dummies and co-author of Building Chicken Coops For Dummies and Chicken Health For Dummies.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9748"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33936,"title":"Chickens","slug":"chickens","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33936"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":192368,"title":"Tools You Need to Build a Chicken Coop","slug":"tools-you-need-to-build-a-chicken-coop","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/192368"}},{"articleId":192354,"title":"Choosing from Basic Chicken Coop Styles","slug":"choosing-from-basic-chicken-coop-styles","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/192354"}},{"articleId":192355,"title":"Typical Building Materials for Chicken Coops","slug":"typical-building-materials-for-chicken-coops","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/192355"}},{"articleId":192352,"title":"Carpentry Skills to Master before You Build Your Chicken Coop","slug":"carpentry-skills-to-master-before-you-build-your-chicken-coop","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/192352"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":209469,"title":"Raising Chickens For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"raising-chickens-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/209469"}},{"articleId":208124,"title":"Chicken Health For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"chicken-health-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/208124"}},{"articleId":207946,"title":"Gardening with Free-Range Chickens For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"gardening-with-free-range-chickens-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/207946"}},{"articleId":204519,"title":"Answers to Ten Common Questions about Chicken Health","slug":"answers-to-ten-common-questions-about-chicken-health","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204519"}},{"articleId":204518,"title":"Necropsying a Chicken: Head, Neck, Joints, and Nerves","slug":"necropsying-a-chicken-head-neck-joints-and-nerves","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204518"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282026,"slug":"building-chicken-coops-for-dummies","isbn":"9781119543923","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119543924/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1119543924/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1119543924-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1119543924/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1119543924/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/building-chicken-coops-for-dummies-cover-9781119543923-204x255.jpg","width":204,"height":255},"title":"Building Chicken Coops For Dummies","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":true,"authorsInfo":"\n <p><b data-author-id=\"10349\">Todd Brock</b> is a television writer and producer whose work includes PBS's Growing a Greener World, DIY Network's Fresh From the Garden, and HGTV's Ground Breakers. He is the coauthor of Building Chicken Coops For Dummies. Dave Zook owns Horizon Structures, which makes custom chicken coops. Rob Ludlow is the owner of BackYardChickens.com, a top source on raising chickens, and the coauthor of Raising Chickens For Dummies. Rob and his family raise a small flock in their backyard.</p>","authors":[{"authorId":10349,"name":"Todd Brock","slug":"todd-brock","description":"Todd Brock is a television writer and producer whose work includes PBS's Growing a Greener World, DIY Network's Fresh From the Garden, and HGTV's Ground Breakers. He is the coauthor of Building Chicken Coops For Dummies. ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10349"}},{"authorId":10350,"name":"David Zook","slug":"david-zook","description":"Dave Zook owns Horizon Structures, which makes custom chicken coops.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10350"}},{"authorId":9265,"name":"Robert T. Ludlow","slug":"robert-t-ludlow","description":"Rob Ludlow is the owner of BackYardChickens.com, a top source on raising chickens, and the coauthor of Raising Chickens For Dummies. Rob and his family raise a small flock in their backyard.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9265"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;hobby-farming&quot;,&quot;chickens&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119543923&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-623a6341d13b9\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;hobby-farming&quot;,&quot;chickens&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119543923&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-623a6341d18e3\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":192354,"title":"Choosing from Basic Chicken Coop Styles","slug":"choosing-from-basic-chicken-coop-styles","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/192354"}},{"articleId":192368,"title":"Tools You Need to Build a Chicken Coop","slug":"tools-you-need-to-build-a-chicken-coop","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/192368"}},{"articleId":192355,"title":"Typical Building Materials for Chicken Coops","slug":"typical-building-materials-for-chicken-coops","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/192355"}},{"articleId":192352,"title":"Carpentry Skills to Master before You Build Your Chicken Coop","slug":"carpentry-skills-to-master-before-you-build-your-chicken-coop","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/192352"}}],"content":[{"title":"Choosing from basic chicken coop styles","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>The style of chicken coop you build depends on many factors, including the size of your flock and the space limitations of your property. Chicken coops come in many shapes and sizes, but most fall under one of these popular categories:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>A-frame: </b>Generally among the smallest coops, the A-frame uses a minimum of materials and a space-saving design to house a flock of just a few birds. A compact shelter is attached to a protected run in a long, triangular structure. (A “hoop” coop follows the same basic plan but with an arched shape instead.)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Tractor:</b> A tractor coop is unique in that it’s meant to be moved from one location to another. Most often built with wheels or on skids, a tractor is pulled to areas where the chickens work the soil in the attached, open-floor run.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>All-in-one: </b>An all-in-one coop features a small shelter for a modest-sized flock and an incorporated run under a single roof, with one or both large enough for human entry, yet it’s small enough to be relocated easily.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Walk-in: </b>Often a repurposed toolshed or playhouse, a walk-in coop is large enough to accommodate humans inside the shelter. The walk-in’s size allows for bigger flocks and often provides storage for chicken feed and equipment. Many are built with an adjacent run.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Tools you need to build a chicken coop","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>The tools you need to construct a chicken coop depend on the kind of coop you choose to build and the materials you decide to utilize, but you’ll almost certainly need these building basics:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Personal safety gear: </b>Don’t forget work gloves, protective goggles, and hearing protection. They’re the most important items in your toolkit.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Tape measure: </b>Use a tape measure that’s at least 10 feet long and shows an incremental measurement at least every eighth of an inch.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Circular saw: </b>This portable power tool is essential to coop construction. You may choose to also use a miter saw, a table saw, a jigsaw, and a handsaw for various steps, but a circular saw is almost a must-have.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Hammer: </b>Select a hammer that you can swing comfortably. Even if you plan on predominantly using screws, you’ll need a hammer for knocking boards into position. For large jobs, consider a pneumatic nailer.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Drill: </b>You’ll use a drill most often as a screw gun. If your drill is cordless, have a spare battery charged and ready to go to keep the job moving.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Level: </b>You’ll likely find it handy to have more than one level: a pocket-sized torpedo level; a medium, 2-foot model; and a long, 4-foot carpenter’s level.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Speed square: </b>You’ll find a speed square indispensable for marking straight lines, laying out and checking angles, and using as a cutting straightedge.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Tin snips: </b>Just about every chicken coop on the planet uses some sort of wire mesh somewhere in its design. Tin snips are the best way to cut it.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Typical building materials for chicken coops","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Building materials can vary widely when it comes to chicken coops because many people simply reuse materials they already have on-hand. But if you’re making out a shopping list for your chicken coop, these items will probably be on it:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Framing lumber: </b>The skeleton of the coop is most often made up of 2x4s or 2x3s. For a large walk-in coop’s structural floor joists and/or roof rafters, you may need to upgrade to 2x6s or 2x8s. Skids or support posts may call for heavy 4x4s.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Plywood: </b>For creating floors, cladding walls, and sheathing roofs, sheet lumber like plywood is typically used. Depending on the application, oriented strand board (OSB) or T1-11 paneling may be a good alternative. Different thicknesses are available.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Nails/screws:</b> In all likelihood, you’ll need both nails and screws for various steps of your coop build; you’ll find times and applications where a nail simply won’t do a screw’s job, and vice versa. Choose fasteners that suit your building application and your coop’s weather conditions. Shingled roofs require special roofing nails.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Roofing shingles:</b> Protect your finished coop with a layer of asphalt roofing shingles, just like the ones on a typical home. Alternatively, corrugated roofing panels of metal or fiberglass can be used.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Wire mesh: </b>Most coops feature runs wrapped in heavy-gauge wire mesh. It can also be used to cover windows, vents, or other gaps in the shelter and make them predator-proof.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Fencing staples: </b>Use special U-shaped nails to fasten wire mesh in place.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Carpentry skills to master before you build your chicken coop","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>To put the pieces together on any chicken coop you choose to build, you need to feel comfortable performing the following basic actions before you start:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Measuring and marking materials:</b> Be sure that you know how to read your tape measure accurately. You’ll also want to pay attention to how you mark a piece of lumber for cutting because an inaccurate or sloppy mark can make a big difference as you put pieces together.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Cutting lumber:</b> Follow the necessary steps for cutting board or sheet lumber with your particular saw. Nothing is more important than making a cut safely, but making an accurate cut is a close second. Most coops require not only straight 90-degree cuts but also long rip cuts and more complex angled cuts.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Hammering: </b>Pounding nails should be easy with the right hammer and the proper technique. Also, know how to toe-nail two boards together at tricky angles and how to remove nails with the claw end of a hammer.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Driving screws: </b>Using a drill to drive (or remove) screws is a pretty intuitive skill for most (even novice) builders, but take some time to get to know your drill’s features and torque settings and how to use them to achieve the best results.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Leveling: </b>Understand how to read a level to check your work as you build, ensuring that everything is level, plumb, and square.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Two years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-03-22T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":208992},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:49:19+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-03-01T19:09:39+00:00","timestamp":"2022-03-02T00:01:03+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Hobby Farming","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33933"},"slug":"hobby-farming","categoryId":33933},{"name":"Chickens","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33936"},"slug":"chickens","categoryId":33936}],"title":"Gardening with Free-Range Chickens For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"gardening with free-range chickens for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"gardening-with-free-range-chickens-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Learn about the many benefits chickens contribute to your garden, including insect control, soil aeration, and more.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Chickens are gaining popularity quickly. Not only are chickens fun and educational, but they're also beneficial to you and your garden. When you free-range your flock, you gain helpful gardeners who aerate the soil, rid plants of insects, provide composting, and, best of all, supply food — their eggs!\r\n\r\nHere's how to gain insight on good and bad plants for a chicken garden, layer your garden for free-ranging chickens, and guard against chicken predators.","description":"Chickens are gaining popularity quickly. Not only are chickens fun and educational, but they're also beneficial to you and your garden. When you free-range your flock, you gain helpful gardeners who aerate the soil, rid plants of insects, provide composting, and, best of all, supply food — their eggs!\r\n\r\nHere's how to gain insight on good and bad plants for a chicken garden, layer your garden for free-ranging chickens, and guard against chicken predators.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9615,"name":"Bonnie Jo Manion","slug":"bonnie-jo-manion","description":"Bonnie Jo Manion has been featured in national garden magazines with her gardens, organic practices, chickens, and designs. Follow Manion at bonniejomanion.com. ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9615"}},{"authorId":9265,"name":"Robert T. Ludlow","slug":"robert-t-ludlow","description":"Rob Ludlow is the owner of BackYardChickens.com, a top source on raising chickens, and the coauthor of Raising Chickens For Dummies. Rob and his family raise a small flock in their backyard.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9265"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33936,"title":"Chickens","slug":"chickens","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33936"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":204291,"title":"How to Transform a Dog Kennel into a Chicken Coop","slug":"how-to-transform-a-dog-kennel-into-a-chicken-coop","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204291"}},{"articleId":204290,"title":"7 Categories of Chicken Breeds","slug":"7-categories-of-chicken-breeds","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204290"}},{"articleId":204289,"title":"10 Beneficial Tools for Raising Free-Range Chickens","slug":"10-beneficial-tools-for-raising-free-range-chickens","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204289"}},{"articleId":204288,"title":"12 Plant Types for a Chicken-Friendly Layered Landscape","slug":"12-plant-types-for-a-chicken-friendly-layered-landscape","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204288"}},{"articleId":204287,"title":"3 Types of Chicken-Friendly Plants That Benefit the Soil","slug":"3-types-of-chicken-friendly-plants-that-benefit-the-soil","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204287"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":209469,"title":"Raising Chickens For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"raising-chickens-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/209469"}},{"articleId":208992,"title":"Building Chicken Coops For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"building-chicken-coops-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/208992"}},{"articleId":208124,"title":"Chicken Health For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"chicken-health-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/208124"}},{"articleId":204519,"title":"Answers to Ten Common Questions about Chicken Health","slug":"answers-to-ten-common-questions-about-chicken-health","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204519"}},{"articleId":204518,"title":"Necropsying a Chicken: Head, Neck, Joints, and Nerves","slug":"necropsying-a-chicken-head-neck-joints-and-nerves","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204518"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282223,"slug":"gardening-with-free-range-chickens-for-dummies","isbn":"9781118547540","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1118547543/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1118547543/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1118547543-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1118547543/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1118547543/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/gardening-with-free-range-chickens-for-dummies-cover-9781118547540-202x255.jpg","width":202,"height":255},"title":"Gardening with Free-Range Chickens For Dummies","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":"\n <p><b data-author-id=\"9615\">Bonnie Jo Manion</b> has been featured in national garden magazines with her gardens, organic practices, chickens, and designs. Follow Bonnie at VintageGardenGal.com. Rob Ludlow is the owner of BackYardChickens.com, a top source on chicken raising, and the coauthor of <i>Raising Chickens For Dummies.</i></p>","authors":[{"authorId":9615,"name":"Bonnie Jo Manion","slug":"bonnie-jo-manion","description":"Bonnie Jo Manion has been featured in national garden magazines with her gardens, organic practices, chickens, and designs. Follow Manion at bonniejomanion.com. ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9615"}},{"authorId":9265,"name":"Robert T. Ludlow","slug":"robert-t-ludlow","description":"Rob Ludlow is the owner of BackYardChickens.com, a top source on raising chickens, and the coauthor of Raising Chickens For Dummies. Rob and his family raise a small flock in their backyard.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9265"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;hobby-farming&quot;,&quot;chickens&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781118547540&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-621eb3bf3e500\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;hobby-farming&quot;,&quot;chickens&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781118547540&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-621eb3bf3ea35\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":165313,"title":"Growing Edibles in a Chicken Garden: Layer by Layer","slug":"growing-edibles-in-a-chicken-garden-layer-by-layer","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/165313"}},{"articleId":165337,"title":"Handy Herbs to Benefit Your Chicken Garden","slug":"handy-herbs-to-benefit-your-chicken-garden","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/165337"}},{"articleId":165338,"title":"Checklist of Poisonous Plants to Chickens","slug":"checklist-of-poisonous-plants-to-chickens","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/165338"}},{"articleId":165339,"title":"Keep Your Chickens Safe from Predators","slug":"keep-your-chickens-safe-from-predators","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/165339"}}],"content":[{"title":"Growing edibles in a chicken garden: Layer by layer","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Each layer of your chicken garden offers a chance to grow beautiful edibles. Take advantage of the different heights of plants to provide a stunning layered landscape and a multitude of good eats for your chickens.</p>\n<h2>Tallest layer</h2>\n<p>The tallest layer, also referred to as overstory, is the uppermost layer of foliage or canopy in a chicken garden. Examples include large trees like fig, macadamia, and persimmon trees. Chickens generally don’t harm these trees, and appreciate the shelter and protection they provide them.</p>\n<h2>Mid layer</h2>\n<p>Not all edible trees are tall and part of the overstory. Examples of mid-sized trees are fruit trees such as apple, pear, and peach. These trees require sun and should be planted just outside the edge of the overstory canopy.</p>\n<p>Many edible trees come in standard and dwarf sizes. Consider buying a dwarf-sized edible tree if you have a small space, you aren’t feeding a large family, and you have limited time for garden chores.</p>\n<p>Some dwarf-sized edible trees are excellent candidates for containers and pots placed on a patio or in a courtyard. Always research your trees for size at maturity, optimum zones, and specific requirements before buying.</p>\n<h2>Shrub layer</h2>\n<p>Shrubs are foundational in a chicken garden. Chickens like to spend time under these since they provide shade, protection, and food in the form of fruit, seeds, and berries. Generally, chickens don’t harm mature shrubs. Some trees can be grown as shrubs, like the pomegranate and pineapple guava. More examples of shrubs are blueberry bushes and gooseberry bushes.</p>\n<h2>Climbing vines</h2>\n<p>Climbing vines can be annuals or perennials. They require some type of support or structure, such as a small tree, an arbor, a fence, or poles. Climbing indeterminate tomato vines are an example of an annual vine. Grape and kiwi are examples of perennial vines. Chickens enjoy these fruits.</p>\n<h2>Perennials, herbs, vegetables, and annuals layer</h2>\n<p>Chickens enjoy eating edibles from this layer of the garden immensely. You can intersperse this layer throughout the entire chicken garden.</p>\n<p>All kinds of greens can be planted such as lettuce, mustard, spinach, kale, and Swiss chard. Some herb choices are bronze fennel, lavender, nasturtium, and parsley. Berry buses are great too, some examples include blackberries and raspberries.</p>\n<h2>Groundcover layer</h2>\n<p>The groundcover layer of a chicken garden can fill in as a substitute for a lawn or a lawn-like area. Groundcovers can prevent soil erosion, suppress weeds, and thrive in hard-to-plant areas. Groundcovers can be beautiful, and smell wonderful as you step on them.</p>\n<p>Many groundcovers are edible, and some are chicken-resistant, such as rosemary (trailing type) and sweet woodruff. Not all edible groundcovers are able to withstand being walked on.</p>\n<p>A good example of edible ground cover is alpine strawberries, low bush blueberry, and cranberry bushes. Please keep in mind you must have suitable conditions to grow these.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n"},{"title":"Handy herbs to benefit your chicken garden","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Looking for some plants to grow in your garden that have beneficial qualities for your chickens? Look no further. Check out the following herbs that pull double-duty: They are lovely to look at, and they offer health benefits to your chickens:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Catmint:</strong> <em>Nepeta cataria. </em>Perennials. Hardy to Zone 3. Full sun. A good insect repellent for lice and ticks on chickens. Catmint can be stunning as a mass border in a garden with its blue flowers.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Comfrey: </strong><em>Symphytum officinale. </em>Perennials. Hardy to Zone 5. Rich in protein, potassium, and calcium. Beneficial to chickens for their general health and laying, but their leaves can be harmful to humans if ingested.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Fennel: </strong><em>Foeniculum vulgare.</em> Annuals. Zones 6 to 9. A striking plant (especially the bronze variety) up to 6 feet tall. Lacy pods of yellow flowers can attract butterfly larvae and beneficial insects. Full sun. Their foliage and seeds are good for chickens to eat for general health.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Feverfew:</strong> <em>Tanacetum parthenium. </em>Perennials. Zones vary by species. Easily reseeds itself in the garden. Feverfew is an excellent insect repellent if you dry its small daisy-like flowers.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Lavender: </strong><em>Lavandula species. </em>Zones vary by species. Evergreen shrubs. Full sun. One of the most popular and well-loved herbs. Lavender is a good insecticidal herb. Plant a row of lavender around your chicken coop. Put dried lavender in your chicken coop for an enhancing fragrance and to calm chickens.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Nasturtium:</strong> <em>Tropaeolum majus.</em> Annuals and perennials. Zones vary by species. Full sun. A great general herb for chicken health. Extremely attractive with vibrant edible flowers. It has antiseptic and antibiotic properties. Its seeds can be used as a natural chicken de-wormer. It also has insect repellent qualities. It reseeds itself.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Rosemary: </strong><em>Rosmarinus officinalis.</em> Perennials. Evergreen shrubs. Zones 6to 10. Full sun. It has showy flowers that come in blue, pink, and lavender, depending on the variety. Many different varieties in different forms. Use as a small hedge for groundcover. Its aromatic scent repels insects.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Sage: </strong><em>Salvia spp. </em>Perennial evergreen herbs in Zones 9 to 10, and annuals in colder zones. Full sun. Many different varieties, and quite striking in a garden setting. Sage is a good herb for chickens’ general health.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Wormwood: </strong><em>Artemisia absinthium; </em>or <strong>mugwort:</strong> <em>Artemisia vulgarius</em><em>.</em> Perennials. Hardy to Zone 4. Beneficial as an insect repellent for chickens, prepared as a steeped tea mixture. Grow next to your chicken coop to help control external parasites.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Checklist of poisonous plants to chickens","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Toxicity is a natural defense for a plant, and some common garden plants are potentially poisonous to chickens. Unlike other types of livestock, free-ranging chickens have a keen sense of what is good for them, and what is not, and will most likely not touch or eat anything potentially poisonous to them.</p>\n<p>However, there are always exceptions, so it is important for you to know what plants do have potential poisonous qualities in your garden. Never hand feed your chickens any of these plants or confine your flock near these plants.</p>\n<p>This is a short list of some of the more common garden ornamental plants that are poisonous to some degree:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Azalea:</strong> Rhododendron spp.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Boxwood:</strong> Buxus spp.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Buttercup family:</strong> Ranunculacea. This family includes anemone, clematis, delphinium, and ranunculus.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Cherry laurel:</strong> Prunus laurocerasus.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Daffodil:</strong> Narcissus spp.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Daphne:</strong> Daphne spp.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Foxglove:</strong> Digitalis spp.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Honeysuckle:</strong> Lonicera spp.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Hydrangea:</strong> Hydrangea spp.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Ivy:</strong> Hedera spp.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Jasmine:</strong> Jasminum spp.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Lantana:</strong> Lantana spp.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Lily of the valley:</strong> Convallaria majalis.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Mexican poppy:</strong> Argemone mexicana</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Monkshood:</strong> Aconitum napellus.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Mountain laurel:</strong> Kalmia latifolia.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Oleander:</strong> Nerium oleander.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Rhododendron:</strong> Rhododendron spp.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Sweet pea:</strong> Lathyrus spp.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Tobacco:</strong> Nicotiana spp.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Tulip:</strong> Tulipa</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Wisteria:</strong> Wisteria spp.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Yew:</strong> Taxus spp.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Keep your chickens safe from predators","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Where there are chickens, there are predators. Be aware of potential predators where you live and be proactive so your chickens aren&#8217;t attacked. The following table offers ways to keep your chickens safe from each common predator.</p>\n<table>\n<caption>Common Chicken Predators and Solutions for Avoiding Attacks</caption>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Chicken Predator</th>\n<th>Solution</th>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Domestic dogs</td>\n<td>Build a fence around the perimeter of your chicken coop and<br />\npen.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Raccoons</td>\n<td>Use clip latches with spring-loaded locking mechanisms on<br />\nchicken doors or place padlocks on chicken doors. Place quarter-inch wire hardware cloth over chicken coop windows; secure windows even more by installing iron bars.Construct a fence around all sides of your outside pen. Make the fence of half-inch wire hardware cloth on a wood or metal frame.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Coyotes</td>\n<td>Use a coyote roller bar secured to a perimeter fence.</p>\n<p>Create a well-secured chicken coop and an outside pen that is<br />\nprotected on all sides.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Foxes</td>\n<td>Lock up chickens safely at night.</p>\n<p>Construct a fence of half-inch wire hardware cloth around the<br />\nperimeter of your pen. Bury the fence one foot deep and one foot<br />\noutward so that the underground part of the fence is L-shaped.</p>\n<p>Refrain from keeping free-ranging chickens if you suspect you have<br />\na fox living nearby.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Birds of prey</td>\n<td>Avoid keeping pure-white chicken breeds.</p>\n<p>Provide a layered garden structure to limit visibility.</p>\n<p>Add screen tops to a secure outside pen.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Minks and weasels</td>\n<td>Make sure your chicken coop and secure outside pen do not have<br />\nholes or gaps that minks and weasels can squeeze through. Trap and relocate them to a wildlife habitat. Hire a professional to trap them, or call the state wildlife agency for help.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Snakes</td>\n<td>Close up holes in and around the chicken coop area.</td>\n</tr>\n</tbody>\n</table>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Two years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2021-06-10T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":207946},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:50:30+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-02-25T00:52:34+00:00","timestamp":"2022-02-25T06:01:11+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Hobby Farming","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33933"},"slug":"hobby-farming","categoryId":33933},{"name":"Beekeeping","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33934"},"slug":"beekeeping","categoryId":33934}],"title":"Building Beehives For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"building beehives for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"building-beehives-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Here are some basic steps to follow for building a beehive.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"As you plan your new beehive-building adventure, you may want to start by deciding which hive design to go for based on your woodworking skills and beekeeping needs. You will also need to know which tools and fasteners you'll need for that particular build. Plans may differ somewhat depending on the type of hive you choose, but you can follow some basic steps to build most types of beehives.","description":"As you plan your new beehive-building adventure, you may want to start by deciding which hive design to go for based on your woodworking skills and beekeeping needs. You will also need to know which tools and fasteners you'll need for that particular build. Plans may differ somewhat depending on the type of hive you choose, but you can follow some basic steps to build most types of beehives.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9257,"name":"Howland Blackiston","slug":"howland-blackiston","description":"Howland Blackiston has been keeping bees for almost 40 years. He has appeared as an expert on CNBC, CNN, NPR, The Discovery Channel, Sirius Satellite Radio, and other broadcast outlets, and has written numerous articles on beekeeping. Howland has been a keynote speaker at conferences in more than 40 countries.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9257"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33934,"title":"Beekeeping","slug":"beekeeping","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33934"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":204882,"title":"How to Assemble Langstroth Frames","slug":"how-to-assemble-langstroth-frames","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204882"}},{"articleId":171361,"title":"Choosing the Best Beehive Plan to Build","slug":"choosing-the-best-beehive-plan-to-build","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/171361"}},{"articleId":171360,"title":"Easy Steps for Building Any Beehive","slug":"easy-steps-for-building-any-beehive","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/171360"}},{"articleId":171359,"title":"Tools and Fasteners Used to Build a Beehive","slug":"tools-and-fasteners-used-to-build-a-beehive","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/171359"}},{"articleId":170825,"title":"Assemble the Parts of Your Beehive","slug":"assemble-the-parts-of-your-beehive","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/170825"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":273597,"title":"Which Beehive Meets Your Needs?","slug":"which-beehive-meets-your-needs","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273597"}},{"articleId":273591,"title":"The Flow Beehive","slug":"the-flow-beehive","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273591"}},{"articleId":273586,"title":"The Apimaye Insulated Hive","slug":"the-apimaye-insulated-hive","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273586"}},{"articleId":273581,"title":"What Makes a Queen Bee a Queen?","slug":"what-makes-a-queen-bee-a-queen","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273581"}},{"articleId":273566,"title":"10 Honey Recipes","slug":"10-honey-recipes","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273566"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282025,"slug":"building-beehives-for-dummies","isbn":"9781119544388","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119544386/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1119544386/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1119544386-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1119544386/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1119544386/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/building-beehives-for-dummies-cover-9781119544388-204x255.jpg","width":204,"height":255},"title":"Building Beehives For Dummies","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":true,"authorsInfo":"\n <p><b data-author-id=\"9257\">Howland Blackiston</b> has been keeping bees for almost 40 years. He has appeared as an expert on CNBC, CNN, NPR, The Discovery Channel, Sirius Satellite Radio, and other broadcast outlets, and has written numerous articles on beekeeping. Howland has been a keynote speaker at conferences in more than 40 countries.</p>","authors":[{"authorId":9257,"name":"Howland Blackiston","slug":"howland-blackiston","description":"Howland Blackiston has been keeping bees for almost 40 years. He has appeared as an expert on CNBC, CNN, NPR, The Discovery Channel, Sirius Satellite Radio, and other broadcast outlets, and has written numerous articles on beekeeping. Howland has been a keynote speaker at conferences in more than 40 countries.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9257"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;hobby-farming&quot;,&quot;beekeeping&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119544388&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-621870a74cbf6\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;hobby-farming&quot;,&quot;beekeeping&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119544388&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-621870a74d579\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":171361,"title":"Choosing the Best Beehive Plan to Build","slug":"choosing-the-best-beehive-plan-to-build","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/171361"}},{"articleId":171359,"title":"Tools and Fasteners Used to Build a Beehive","slug":"tools-and-fasteners-used-to-build-a-beehive","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/171359"}},{"articleId":171360,"title":"Easy Steps for Building Any Beehive","slug":"easy-steps-for-building-any-beehive","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/171360"}}],"content":[{"title":"Choosing the best beehive plan to build","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>When you have a lot of beehive-building plans to choose from, how do you decide which is best for your needs? Aside from aesthetics, several factors should influence your decision. One relates to your woodworking skills, and others relate to the reasons that you’re beekeeping.</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Experienced woodworkers can jump in and tackle any hive they like. However, new woodworkers may want to get their feet wet by starting with some very easy builds, such as a Kenya top bar hive, or a nuc (short for nucleus colony), or observation hive with store-bought frames.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">If (like many people) you’re into beekeeping for the honey, most hives will do well for you (with a Langstroth hive likely producing the mother lode of honey). Honey harvesters should make a beeline to any of these build plans:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-two\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Kenya top bar hive</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Warré hive</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">British National hive</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Langstroth hive</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Where there are bees, there is pollination. So if optimizing the bounty and yield of your garden is what’s important to you, consider any hive you want. But remember, the bigger the colony of bees, the better the pollination. In this case, size definitely does matter.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">You may want to sell the hives you build. The most sellable ones are those generally unavailable from conventional beekeeping supply stores. That means you can build any hive and make it more desirable through the use of special materials, unique hardware, or fancy finishes.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">The Kenya top bar hive and the Warré hive are becoming increasingly popular among backyard beekeepers. These hives aren’t offered by major beekeeping supply shops and therefore can be quite marketable to those seeking them.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">If your primary interest is to study bees or make beekeeping presentations at schools and events, the building plan for you is an observation hive.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Tools and fasteners used to build a beehive","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>You may be surprised to find out that you can build the beehive of your dreams with only a few simple tools and fasteners. Most of what you need is probably sitting in your garage or shed right now, and you can easily pick up what you don’t have at your local hardware store or big-box home improvement store.</p>\n<p>Basic tools for building a beehive include the following:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Carpenter’s hammer (16- or 20-ounce head)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Carpenter’s square (8-inch to 12-inch size is fine)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Folding ruler or tape measure (calibrated in inches, not metric)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Hand-held circular saw (with combination blade and plywood blade)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Hand-held power drill</p>\n<ul class=\"level-two\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><sup>7</sup>/<sub>64</sub> inch drill bit</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><sup>1</sup>/<sub>8</sub> inch drill bit</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">½ inch drill bit</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">1 inch drill bit</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">1-½ inch drill bit</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">3 inch drill bit</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">#2 Phillips head screw bit</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Staple gun (heavy-duty)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Table saw (with combination blade, plywood blade, and stacked set dado blade adjustable up to ¾ inch)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Tin snips</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<p>Typical fasteners you need for building beehives include the following:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">#6 x <sup>5</sup>/<sub>8</sub> inch wood screws, #2 Phillips drive, flat-head</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">#8 x ½ inch lath screws, galvanized, #2 Phillips drive, flat-head with a sharp point</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">#6 x 1-<sup>3</sup>/<sub>8</sub> inch deck screws, galvanized, #2 Phillips drive, flat-head with coarse thread and sharp point</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">#6 x 2-½ inch deck screws, galvanized, #2 Phillips drive, flat-head with coarse thread and sharp point</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<p>Nails you typically use when building beehives include the following:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">6d x 2 inch galvanized nails</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><sup>5</sup>/<sub>32</sub> inch x 1-<sup>1</sup>/<sub>8</sub> inch flat-head diamond-point wire nails</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><sup>5</sup>/<sub>8 </sub>inch brads</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<p>Other fasteners you use to build beehives include</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><sup>3</sup>/<sub>8</sub> inch staples for use in a heavy-duty staple gun</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Foundation pins (available from beekeeping supply stores)</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Easy steps for building any beehive","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Specific plans for beehives may differ, but you typically follow the same basic steps during the building process. Here are the fundamental stages of building a beehive:</p>\n<ol class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Read and reread the plans.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">Become familiar with the plans and procedures before you purchase or cut any wood. Make sure the project is up to your skill level and applicable to the type of beekeeping you’re involved with.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Check the materials list and make a shopping list.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">The plans for building a beehive include a materials list. This is your shopping list, which will be helpful when you head to the store or lumberyard to purchase your lumber, hardware, and fasteners.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Plan your cut list.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">Go through all your lumber stock and lay out where each cut will go. Plan so you wind up with the least amount of scrap wood. Also, plan cuts so you minimize your saw adjustments (do all the crosscuts first and then all the rip cuts).</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Cut and mark the pieces you need.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">The pieces are the various parts of the puzzle you’re assembling. The cut list and illustrations in the plans for a hive label these parts and what they’re used for. Use a pencil to mark the parts in an inconspicuous place (indicate handrail, short side, and so on). That makes assembly much easier.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Cut the joints and other details.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">Some parts you cut have some additional detailed cuts to make (finger joints, dados, rabbets, and so on). Make these cuts as you’re cutting out the various parts of the hive.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Drill guide holes.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">Wherever you’re placing a nail or screw, pre-drill a guide hole (in most cases using a <sup>7</sup>/<sub>64</sub> inch drill bit). This makes it easier to get nails and screws to go in and helps prevent the wood from splitting.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Dry fit the assemblies to make sure everything fits properly.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">Make sure your assemblies fit together before you apply any glue or fasteners. Make adjustments as needed to get a perfect fit. Also, you can use this procedure to practice the assembly process. Repeat until you can do it smoothly and efficiently. Practice makes perfect.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Square the parts.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">Most beehive builds require the assemblies to be perfectly square (otherwise, you’ll have some seriously wobbly hives). Use a carpenter’s square to ensure squareness before putting all the fasteners into place.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Nail or screw parts together.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">Consider using all-weather wood glue in addition to the fasteners. It helps make the assemblies as strong as possible. Apply a thin coat of glue wherever wooden parts are joined together.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Paint or polyurethane.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">Protective coats of a good quality exterior house paint, exterior polyurethane, or marine varnish greatly extend the life of your woodenware. For the hives you build, never paint, polyurethane, or varnish interior parts. Treat only those surfaces that are directly exposed to rain and sun.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Clean shop and take a break.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">Clean up your shop before calling it quits for the day, and take a well-deserved break.</p>\n</li>\n</ol>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-02-24T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":208121},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:58:34+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-02-24T18:57:12+00:00","timestamp":"2022-02-25T00:01:03+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Hobby Farming","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33933"},"slug":"hobby-farming","categoryId":33933},{"name":"Chickens","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33936"},"slug":"chickens","categoryId":33936}],"title":"Raising Chickens For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"raising chickens for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"raising-chickens-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Raising chickens is fun and rewarding. Here's how to care for your birds every day, whether you’re raising them for their eggs or their cackling companionship.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Raising chickens can be fun and rewarding. Whether you’re raising birds for their eggs or for their cackling companionship, caring for your birds is an everyday project. Raising happy and healthy birds means knowing how to take care of baby chicks and what to feed them as they mature.","description":"Raising chickens can be fun and rewarding. Whether you’re raising birds for their eggs or for their cackling companionship, caring for your birds is an everyday project. Raising happy and healthy birds means knowing how to take care of baby chicks and what to feed them as they mature.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9264,"name":"Kimberly Willis","slug":"kimberly-willis","description":"Kimberly Willis has raised numerous breeds of chickens and other poultry for eggs, meat, and showing for more than 40 years.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9264"}},{"authorId":9265,"name":"Robert T. Ludlow","slug":"robert-t-ludlow","description":"Rob Ludlow is the owner of BackYardChickens.com, a top source on raising chickens, and the coauthor of Raising Chickens For Dummies. Rob and his family raise a small flock in their backyard.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9265"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33936,"title":"Chickens","slug":"chickens","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33936"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":196071,"title":"What to Feed Your Chickens When","slug":"what-to-feed-your-chickens-when","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196071"}},{"articleId":196068,"title":"How to Start Your Chickens Off Right","slug":"how-to-start-your-chickens-off-right","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196068"}},{"articleId":196067,"title":"Daily Chores to Keep Your Chickens Healthy","slug":"daily-chores-to-keep-your-chickens-healthy","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196067"}},{"articleId":196030,"title":"Common Chicken Illnesses and Treatments","slug":"common-chicken-illnesses-and-treatments","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196030"}},{"articleId":196028,"title":"How to Get Rid of Your Chickens' External Parasites","slug":"how-to-get-rid-of-your-chickens-external-parasites","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196028"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":208992,"title":"Building Chicken Coops For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"building-chicken-coops-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/208992"}},{"articleId":208124,"title":"Chicken Health For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"chicken-health-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/208124"}},{"articleId":207946,"title":"Gardening with Free-Range Chickens For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"gardening-with-free-range-chickens-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/207946"}},{"articleId":204519,"title":"Answers to Ten Common Questions about Chicken Health","slug":"answers-to-ten-common-questions-about-chicken-health","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204519"}},{"articleId":204518,"title":"Necropsying a Chicken: Head, Neck, Joints, and Nerves","slug":"necropsying-a-chicken-head-neck-joints-and-nerves","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204518"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282525,"slug":"raising-chickens-for-dummies-2nd-edition","isbn":"9781119675921","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119675928/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1119675928/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1119675928-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1119675928/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1119675928/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/raising-chickens-for-dummies-2nd-edition-cover-9781119675921-203x255.jpg","width":203,"height":255},"title":"Raising Chickens For Dummies, 2nd Edition","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":true,"authorsInfo":"\n <p><b data-author-id=\"34445\">Kimberley Willis</b> has raised numerous breeds of chickens and other poultry for eggs, meat, and showing for more than 40 years. Rob Ludlow is the owner of BackYardChickens.com, a top source on raising chickens, and the coauthor of Raising Chickens For Dummies. Rob and his family raise a small flock in their backyard.</p>","authors":[{"authorId":34445,"name":"Kimberley Willis","slug":"kimberley-willis","description":"Kimberley Willis has raised numerous breeds of chickens and other poultry for eggs, meat, and showing for more than 40 years.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/34445"}},{"authorId":9265,"name":"Robert T. Ludlow","slug":"robert-t-ludlow","description":"Rob Ludlow is the owner of BackYardChickens.com, a top source on raising chickens, and the coauthor of Raising Chickens For Dummies. Rob and his family raise a small flock in their backyard.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9265"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;hobby-farming&quot;,&quot;chickens&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119675921&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62181c3fdfe4b\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;hobby-farming&quot;,&quot;chickens&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119675921&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62181c3fe0813\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":196067,"title":"Daily Chores to Keep Your Chickens Healthy","slug":"daily-chores-to-keep-your-chickens-healthy","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196067"}},{"articleId":196071,"title":"What to Feed Your Chickens When","slug":"what-to-feed-your-chickens-when","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196071"}},{"articleId":196068,"title":"How to Start Your Chickens Off Right","slug":"how-to-start-your-chickens-off-right","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","chickens"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196068"}}],"content":[{"title":"Daily chores to keep your chickens healthy","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>If you’re raising chickens, whether for eggs, meat, or companionship, you want your fowl to stay healthy. Healthy chickens need attention and care every day. The following, simple daily measures help to keep your chickens healthy:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Keep water available at all times.</b> This may mean a heat source to keep water from freezing in winter.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Provide chickens with a quality feed formulated for their needs.</b> For example, meat birds need a feed with lots of protein and layers need a feed that addresses their need for additional calcium and other minerals. Feeding chickens scraps and odd grains usually leads to nutrient deficiencies.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Keep chickens dry and protected from weather extremes.</b> Their quarters should also be well ventilated to prevent lung problems.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Give chickens enough space.</b> Crowded conditions lead to stress and injuries from fighting. Each chicken needs a minimum of two square foot of shelter and three square foot of outdoor run area.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"What to feed your chickens when","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>If you’re raising chickens, remembering what feed you need for different types and ages of chickens can get confusing. What you feed a young layer is different from what you feed a mature meat bird. Here are the  essentials:</p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Chicken Type (Age)</th>\n<th>Feed</th>\n<th>Protein Ratio</th>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Pet, show, and layer chicks (0 to 6 weeks)</td>\n<td>Chick starter</td>\n<td>18 to 20%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Pet and show chicks (6 weeks on, if not laying)</td>\n<td>Chicken feed</td>\n<td>12 to 14%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Laying hens (6 weeks until laying begins)</td>\n<td>Layer finisher or grower</td>\n<td>12%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Laying hens (through laying years)</td>\n<td>Layer feed</td>\n<td>16% protein + correct calcium and mineral balances</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Meat birds (0 to 6 weeks)</td>\n<td>Broiler or meat bird starter</td>\n<td>23 to 24%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Meat birds (6 weeks to butchering)</td>\n<td>Broiler grower-finisher or meat bird grower-finisher</td>\n<td>18 to 20%</td>\n</tr>\n</tbody>\n</table>\n"},{"title":"How to start your chickens off right","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Raising chickens means taking good care of them from the time they’re little puff balls with feet. To start your chicks off right so they grow into healthy adults, make use of the following tips:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Brooder: </b>Confine the chicks in a brooder with solid sides about 18 inches high to keep out drafts. Make sure the brooder is near a heat source, probably a heat lamp. Give each chick 6 square inches of floor space and put the brooder somewhere dry and safe from predators.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Brooder floor:</b> Cover the floor of the brooder with pine shavings or other absorbent bedding. Do not use cedar shavings or kitty litter. Do not use newspaper. For the first two days only, cover the litter with paper towels or a piece of old cloth to keep chicks from eating the litter until they find the food.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Temperature:</b> For the first week, chicks must be kept at 95 degrees F at all times. Drop the temperature 5 degrees a week until you reach the surrounding room temperature outside the brooder or 60 degrees F.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Feed:</b> Use baby chick starter feed for all chicks except meat bird chicks, which need meat bird starter feed. For the first day or two, sprinkle feed on a white paper plate or some white paper towels to make it easy to find. Also have feed available in feed dishes.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Water:</b> Baby chicks need water in a shallow, narrow container so they can’t drown. Dip their beaks into the water gently as you put them into to the brooder so they know where it is. Always have water available.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Handling:</b> Don’t handle baby chicks too much. It stresses them, makes them grow poorly, and may kill them.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Troubleshooting:</b> Contented chicks are fairly quiet, spread out over the brooder eating, drinking, and sleeping. If chicks are peeping loudly and continuously, something is wrong; they&#8217;re probably too cold. If they are against the brooder walls spread out and panting, they are too hot.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2021-06-16T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":209469},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:47:34+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-02-17T18:56:08+00:00","timestamp":"2022-02-24T17:07:34+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Hobby Farming","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33933"},"slug":"hobby-farming","categoryId":33933},{"name":"Beekeeping","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33934"},"slug":"beekeeping","categoryId":33934}],"title":"Beekeeping For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"beekeeping for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"beekeeping-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Learn about the types of inspections you should conduct on your beehives to keep them healthy and productive.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"What to do during your spring, autumn, and <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/home-garden/hobby-farming/beekeeping/how-to-perform-a-basic-beehive-inspection/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">routine beekeeping inspections</a> varies. The spring inspection starts or revives your bee colony, the autumn inspection <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/home-garden/hobby-farming/beekeeping/building-beehives-for-dummies-cheat-sheet/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">prepares your beehive</a> for the cold weather (assuming it gets cold in your area), and your routine beekeeping inspections help maintain a healthy and productive hive. Here are our buzzworthy tips.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_271760\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"556\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-271760\" src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/beekeeping-inspection.jpg\" alt=\"beekeeping inspection\" width=\"556\" height=\"371\" /> ©kosolovskyy/Shutterstock.com[/caption]","description":"What to do during your spring, autumn, and <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/home-garden/hobby-farming/beekeeping/how-to-perform-a-basic-beehive-inspection/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">routine beekeeping inspections</a> varies. The spring inspection starts or revives your bee colony, the autumn inspection <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/home-garden/hobby-farming/beekeeping/building-beehives-for-dummies-cheat-sheet/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">prepares your beehive</a> for the cold weather (assuming it gets cold in your area), and your routine beekeeping inspections help maintain a healthy and productive hive. Here are our buzzworthy tips.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_271760\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"556\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-271760\" src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/beekeeping-inspection.jpg\" alt=\"beekeeping inspection\" width=\"556\" height=\"371\" /> ©kosolovskyy/Shutterstock.com[/caption]","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9257,"name":"Howland Blackiston","slug":"howland-blackiston","description":"Howland Blackiston has been keeping bees for almost 40 years. He has appeared as an expert on CNBC, CNN, NPR, The Discovery Channel, Sirius Satellite Radio, and other broadcast outlets, and has written numerous articles on beekeeping. Howland has been a keynote speaker at conferences in more than 40 countries.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9257"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33934,"title":"Beekeeping","slug":"beekeeping","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33934"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":273597,"title":"Which Beehive Meets Your Needs?","slug":"which-beehive-meets-your-needs","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273597"}},{"articleId":273591,"title":"The Flow Beehive","slug":"the-flow-beehive","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273591"}},{"articleId":273586,"title":"The Apimaye Insulated Hive","slug":"the-apimaye-insulated-hive","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273586"}},{"articleId":273581,"title":"What Makes a Queen Bee a Queen?","slug":"what-makes-a-queen-bee-a-queen","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273581"}},{"articleId":273566,"title":"10 Honey Recipes","slug":"10-honey-recipes","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273566"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":273597,"title":"Which Beehive Meets Your Needs?","slug":"which-beehive-meets-your-needs","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273597"}},{"articleId":273591,"title":"The Flow Beehive","slug":"the-flow-beehive","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273591"}},{"articleId":273586,"title":"The Apimaye Insulated Hive","slug":"the-apimaye-insulated-hive","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273586"}},{"articleId":273581,"title":"What Makes a Queen Bee a Queen?","slug":"what-makes-a-queen-bee-a-queen","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273581"}},{"articleId":273566,"title":"10 Honey Recipes","slug":"10-honey-recipes","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273566"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":281988,"slug":"beekeeping-for-dummies-5th-edition","isbn":"9781119702580","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119702585/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1119702585/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1119702585-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1119702585/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1119702585/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/beekeeping-for-dummies-5th-edition-cover-9781119702580-203x255.jpg","width":203,"height":255},"title":"Beekeeping For Dummies, 5th Edition","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":true,"authorsInfo":"\n <p><b data-author-id=\"9257\">Howland Blackiston</b> has been keeping bees for almost 40 years. He has appeared as an expert on CNBC, CNN, NPR, The Discovery Channel, Sirius Satellite Radio, and other broadcast outlets, and has written numerous articles on beekeeping. Howland has been a keynote speaker at conferences in more than 40 countries.</p>","authors":[{"authorId":9257,"name":"Howland Blackiston","slug":"howland-blackiston","description":"Howland Blackiston has been keeping bees for almost 40 years. He has appeared as an expert on CNBC, CNN, NPR, The Discovery Channel, Sirius Satellite Radio, and other broadcast outlets, and has written numerous articles on beekeeping. Howland has been a keynote speaker at conferences in more than 40 countries.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9257"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[{"title":"For the Unabashed Hippie","slug":"for-the-unabashed-hippie","collectionId":287567}],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;hobby-farming&quot;,&quot;beekeeping&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119702580&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-6217bb560e8b0\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;hobby-farming&quot;,&quot;beekeeping&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119702580&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-6217bb560f23b\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":145607,"title":"Spring Beekeeping Inspection","slug":"spring-beekeeping-inspection","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/145607"}},{"articleId":145605,"title":"Routine Beehive Inspections","slug":"routine-beehive-inspections","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/145605"}},{"articleId":145601,"title":"Autumn Beekeeping Inspection","slug":"winter-beekeeping-inspection","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/145601"}}],"content":[{"title":"Spring beekeeping inspection","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Spring is a busy time for bees and beekeepers. Your spring beekeeping inspection is the first of the season. It’s time to start bee colonies or bring your colonies “back to life.” Feeling like a busy bee yourself will help you know you&#8217;re on the right track to successful beekeeping. Here’s your spring inspection chores list:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>As winter crawls to an end, pick the first mild sunny day with little or no wind to inspect your bees (50 degrees Fahrenheit [10 degrees Celsius] or warmer).</li>\n<li>Observe the hive entrance. Are there many dead bees around the entrance? A few dead bees are normal, but finding more casualties than that may indicate a problem.</li>\n<li>Lightly smoke and open the hive. Do you see a live cluster of bees? Can you hear the cluster buzzing?</li>\n<li>Look through the comb. Do you see any brood? Look for eggs (eggs mean you have a queen). If you see no eggs or brood, consider ordering a new queen from your supplier.</li>\n<li>Does the colony have honey? If not, or if it’s getting low, immediately begin feeding syrup to the bees. Consider adding one of the many new all-natural food supplements to your syrup. These can help boost bee nutrition and improve gut health.</li>\n<li>Feed your colony a nutritional pollen substitute to boost brood production.</li>\n<li>If you are using a Langstroth hive, reverse the deep-hive bodies to better distribute the brood pattern. Use this opportunity to clean the bottom board.</li>\n<li>Use a screened bottom board or the powdered-sugar-shake method to determine Varroa mite population. Take corrective action if the population of mites is heavy.</li>\n<li>Later in the spring, add a queen excluder and honey supers to your Langstroth hive (if you medicate your bees, all medication must be off the hive at this time).</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Routine beehive inspections","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>The mechanics of routine beekeeping will become habit the more you visit the hive. Not to be too cliché, but practice does make perfect — or at least, closer to it. Look for these specific things and follow these procedures while inspecting your bees and their hive:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>Observe the “comings and goings” of bees at the entrance. Do things look “normal,” or are bees fighting or stumbling around aimlessly?</li>\n<li>Smoke the hive (at entrance and under the cover).</li>\n<li>If you’re using a screened bottom board, check the slide-out tray for varroa mites. Determine whether treatment is needed. Clean the tray and replace it.</li>\n<li>Open the hive. Remove the wall frame and set it aside.</li>\n<li>Work your way through the remaining frames.</li>\n<li>Do you see the queen? If not, look for eggs. Finding eggs (no more than one egg per cell) means that you likely have a queen. If you are 100 percent certain there are no eggs (and, thus, no queen) consider ordering a new queen from your bee supplier.</li>\n<li>Look at uncapped larvae. Do they look bright white and glistening (good) or are they tan or dull (bad)?</li>\n<li>How’s the brood pattern? Is it compact (with few empty cells) and does it cover most of the frame? This is excellent.</li>\n<li>Is the brood pattern spotty (with many empty cells)? Are cappings sunken in or perforated? If yes, you may have a problem.</li>\n<li>Do you see swarm cells? Provide the colony with more room to expand. Check for adequate ventilation.</li>\n<li>Always anticipate the colony’s growth. Provide additional space by adding honey supers (if you are using a Langstroth hive) or by moving your follower board (if you are using a Top Bar hive). Give them room before it’s obvious that the bees need extra space.</li>\n<li>Replace all frames and close up the hive.</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Autumn beekeeping inspection","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>The beekeeping cycle slows in the autumn (the same way most of us do!). To prepare your bee colony for the cold winter weather in your area, do these things in your autumn beehive inspection:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>Smoke the hive at the entrance and under the cover as usual.</li>\n<li>Open the hive for inspection.</li>\n<li>Confirm that you have a queen. If you are 100 percent certain that you don’t have a queen, order a new queen from your bee supplier.</li>\n<li>Does the colony have enough honey for its use during the winter? Bees in cold northern states need eight to ten deep frames of capped honey (less for bees in warm southern states).</li>\n<li>Even if there is ample honey, provide emergency nutrition by placing sugar “fondant” on the top of the frames of the upper deep (that’s emergency carbs for the bees, not unlike keeping a banana in your purse &#8220;just in case&#8221;). In addition, place a pollen patty on top of these frames (that’s their emergency protein).</li>\n<li>Feed bees syrup. (Consider adding one of the many new all-natural food supplements to your syrup.) These supplements can help boost bee nutrition and improve gut health.</li>\n<li>Provide adequate ventilation to prevent water condensation in the hive.</li>\n<li>Install a metal mouse guard at the hive’s entrance.</li>\n<li>Wrap hive in black tarpaper (if you are in a cold climate), or use a commercially available insulated hive wrap.</li>\n<li>Clean, repair, and store surplus equipment.</li>\n<li>If you plan to store any comb that had brood reared in it, fumigate the comb with paradichlorobenzene (PDB) crystals or place the combs in the deep freeze to kill wax moths before putting them in storage.</li>\n</ul>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Six months","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2021-06-21T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":207574},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T20:41:04+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-02-10T20:33:17+00:00","timestamp":"2022-02-24T17:07:30+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Hobby Farming","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33933"},"slug":"hobby-farming","categoryId":33933},{"name":"Beekeeping","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33934"},"slug":"beekeeping","categoryId":33934}],"title":"Understanding the Role of the Worker Bee in a Hive","strippedTitle":"understanding the role of the worker bee in a hive","slug":"understanding-the-role-of-the-worker-bee-in-a-hive","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"The majority of the bee hive’s population consists of <i>worker bees.</i> Like the queen, worker bees are all female. They are smaller, their abdomens are shorter, and on their hind legs they possess <i>pollen baskets,</i> which are used to tote pollen back from the field.\r\n<p class=\"TechnicalStuff\">The life span of worker bee is a modest six weeks during the colony’s active season. However, worker bees live longer (four to eight months) during the less active winter months. These winter workers are loaded with protein and are sometimes referred to as “Fat Bees.”</p>\r\nWorker bees do a considerable amount of work, day in and day out. They work as a team. The specific jobs and duties they perform during their short lives vary as they age. Understanding their roles will deepen your fascination and appreciation of these remarkable creatures.\r\n\r\nInitially, a worker’s responsibilities include various tasks within the hive. At this stage of development, worker bees are referred to as <i>house bees.</i> As they get older, their duties involve work outside of the hive as <i>field bees.</i>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Worker bee housekeeping (days 1 to 3)</h2>\r\nOne of her first tasks is cleaning out the cell from which she just emerged. This and other empty cells are cleaned and polished and left immaculate to receive new eggs and to store nectar and pollen.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Worker bee undertakers (days 3 to 16)</h2>\r\nDuring the first couple weeks of her life, the worker bee removes any bees that have died and disposes of the corpses as far from the hive as possible. Similarly, diseased or dead brood are quickly removed before becoming a health threat to the colony.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >Nursing young worker bees (days 4 to 12)</h2>\r\nThe young worker bees tend to their “baby sisters” by feeding and caring for the developing larvae. On average, nurse bees check a single larva 1,300 times a day.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab4\" >Attending to the queen bee (days 7 to 12)</h2>\r\nBecause her royal highness is unable to tend to her most basic needs by herself, some of the workers do these tasks for her.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab5\" >Collecting nectar for the hive (days 12 to 18)</h2>\r\nYoung worker bees also take nectar from foraging field bees that are returning to the hive. The house bees deposit this nectar into cells earmarked for this purpose. The workers similarly take pollen from returning field bees and pack the pollen into cells. Both the ripened honey and the pollen are food for the colony.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab6\" >Fanning the beehive (days 12 to 18)</h2>\r\nWorker bees also take a turn at controlling the temperature and humidity of the hive. The workers also perform another kind of fanning, but it isn’t related to climate control. It has more to do with communication.\r\n<p class=\"HiveTalk\">Beekeepers can purchase synthetic queen bee pheromone and use this chemical to lure swarms of bees into a trap. The captured swarm then can be used to populate a new hive.</p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"imageBlock\" style=\"width: 521px;\">\r\n\r\n \r\n<div class=\"imageCaption\">This worker bee fans her wings to release a sweet orientation scent. This helps direct other members of the colony back to the hive.</div>\r\n</div>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab7\" >Becoming the bee hive (days 12 to 35)</h2>\r\nWorker bees that are about 12 days old are mature enough to begin producing beeswax. The wax flakes they produce help with the building of new <i>wax comb </i>and in the capping of ripened honey and cells containing developing pupae.\r\n<p class=\"HiveTalk\">Some new beekeepers are alarmed when they first see these wax flakes on the bee. They wrongly think these white chips are an indication of a problem (disease or mite).</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab8\" >Guarding the hive (days 18 to 21)</h2>\r\nThe last task of a house bee before she ventures out is that of guarding the hive. They are poised and alert, checking each bee that returns to the hive for a familiar scent. Only family members are allowed to pass.\r\n<p class=\"HiveTalk\">Bees from other hives are occasionally allowed in when they bribe the guards with nectar. These bees simply steal a little honey or pollen and leave.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab9\" >Becoming field bees (days 22 to 42)</h2>\r\nWith her life half over, the worker bee now ventures outside of the hive and joins the ranks of field bees. You’ll see them taking their first <i>orientation flights.</i> The bees face the hive and dart up, down, and all around the entrance. They’re imprinting the look and location of their home before beginning to circle the hive and progressively widening those circles, learning landmarks that ultimately will guide them back home.\r\n<p class=\"HiveTalk\">Foraging bees visit 5 million flowers to produce a single pint of honey. They forage a two- to three-mile (four- to five-kilometer) radius from the hive in search of food. So don’t think you need to provide everything they need on your property.</p>","description":"The majority of the bee hive’s population consists of <i>worker bees.</i> Like the queen, worker bees are all female. They are smaller, their abdomens are shorter, and on their hind legs they possess <i>pollen baskets,</i> which are used to tote pollen back from the field.\r\n<p class=\"TechnicalStuff\">The life span of worker bee is a modest six weeks during the colony’s active season. However, worker bees live longer (four to eight months) during the less active winter months. These winter workers are loaded with protein and are sometimes referred to as “Fat Bees.”</p>\r\nWorker bees do a considerable amount of work, day in and day out. They work as a team. The specific jobs and duties they perform during their short lives vary as they age. Understanding their roles will deepen your fascination and appreciation of these remarkable creatures.\r\n\r\nInitially, a worker’s responsibilities include various tasks within the hive. At this stage of development, worker bees are referred to as <i>house bees.</i> As they get older, their duties involve work outside of the hive as <i>field bees.</i>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Worker bee housekeeping (days 1 to 3)</h2>\r\nOne of her first tasks is cleaning out the cell from which she just emerged. This and other empty cells are cleaned and polished and left immaculate to receive new eggs and to store nectar and pollen.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Worker bee undertakers (days 3 to 16)</h2>\r\nDuring the first couple weeks of her life, the worker bee removes any bees that have died and disposes of the corpses as far from the hive as possible. Similarly, diseased or dead brood are quickly removed before becoming a health threat to the colony.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >Nursing young worker bees (days 4 to 12)</h2>\r\nThe young worker bees tend to their “baby sisters” by feeding and caring for the developing larvae. On average, nurse bees check a single larva 1,300 times a day.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab4\" >Attending to the queen bee (days 7 to 12)</h2>\r\nBecause her royal highness is unable to tend to her most basic needs by herself, some of the workers do these tasks for her.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab5\" >Collecting nectar for the hive (days 12 to 18)</h2>\r\nYoung worker bees also take nectar from foraging field bees that are returning to the hive. The house bees deposit this nectar into cells earmarked for this purpose. The workers similarly take pollen from returning field bees and pack the pollen into cells. Both the ripened honey and the pollen are food for the colony.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab6\" >Fanning the beehive (days 12 to 18)</h2>\r\nWorker bees also take a turn at controlling the temperature and humidity of the hive. The workers also perform another kind of fanning, but it isn’t related to climate control. It has more to do with communication.\r\n<p class=\"HiveTalk\">Beekeepers can purchase synthetic queen bee pheromone and use this chemical to lure swarms of bees into a trap. The captured swarm then can be used to populate a new hive.</p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"imageBlock\" style=\"width: 521px;\">\r\n\r\n \r\n<div class=\"imageCaption\">This worker bee fans her wings to release a sweet orientation scent. This helps direct other members of the colony back to the hive.</div>\r\n</div>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab7\" >Becoming the bee hive (days 12 to 35)</h2>\r\nWorker bees that are about 12 days old are mature enough to begin producing beeswax. The wax flakes they produce help with the building of new <i>wax comb </i>and in the capping of ripened honey and cells containing developing pupae.\r\n<p class=\"HiveTalk\">Some new beekeepers are alarmed when they first see these wax flakes on the bee. They wrongly think these white chips are an indication of a problem (disease or mite).</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab8\" >Guarding the hive (days 18 to 21)</h2>\r\nThe last task of a house bee before she ventures out is that of guarding the hive. They are poised and alert, checking each bee that returns to the hive for a familiar scent. Only family members are allowed to pass.\r\n<p class=\"HiveTalk\">Bees from other hives are occasionally allowed in when they bribe the guards with nectar. These bees simply steal a little honey or pollen and leave.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab9\" >Becoming field bees (days 22 to 42)</h2>\r\nWith her life half over, the worker bee now ventures outside of the hive and joins the ranks of field bees. You’ll see them taking their first <i>orientation flights.</i> The bees face the hive and dart up, down, and all around the entrance. They’re imprinting the look and location of their home before beginning to circle the hive and progressively widening those circles, learning landmarks that ultimately will guide them back home.\r\n<p class=\"HiveTalk\">Foraging bees visit 5 million flowers to produce a single pint of honey. They forage a two- to three-mile (four- to five-kilometer) radius from the hive in search of food. So don’t think you need to provide everything they need on your property.</p>","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9257,"name":"Howland Blackiston","slug":"howland-blackiston","description":"Howland Blackiston has been keeping bees for almost 40 years. He has appeared as an expert on CNBC, CNN, NPR, The Discovery Channel, Sirius Satellite Radio, and other broadcast outlets, and has written numerous articles on beekeeping. Howland has been a keynote speaker at conferences in more than 40 countries.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9257"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33934,"title":"Beekeeping","slug":"beekeeping","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33934"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[{"label":"Worker bee housekeeping (days 1 to 3)","target":"#tab1"},{"label":"Worker bee undertakers (days 3 to 16)","target":"#tab2"},{"label":"Nursing young worker bees (days 4 to 12)","target":"#tab3"},{"label":"Attending to the queen bee (days 7 to 12)","target":"#tab4"},{"label":"Collecting nectar for the hive (days 12 to 18)","target":"#tab5"},{"label":"Fanning the beehive (days 12 to 18)","target":"#tab6"},{"label":"Becoming the bee hive (days 12 to 35)","target":"#tab7"},{"label":"Guarding the hive (days 18 to 21)","target":"#tab8"},{"label":"Becoming field bees (days 22 to 42)","target":"#tab9"}],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":273597,"title":"Which Beehive Meets Your Needs?","slug":"which-beehive-meets-your-needs","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273597"}},{"articleId":273591,"title":"The Flow Beehive","slug":"the-flow-beehive","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273591"}},{"articleId":273586,"title":"The Apimaye Insulated Hive","slug":"the-apimaye-insulated-hive","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273586"}},{"articleId":273581,"title":"What Makes a Queen Bee a Queen?","slug":"what-makes-a-queen-bee-a-queen","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273581"}},{"articleId":273566,"title":"10 Honey Recipes","slug":"10-honey-recipes","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273566"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":273597,"title":"Which Beehive Meets Your Needs?","slug":"which-beehive-meets-your-needs","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273597"}},{"articleId":273591,"title":"The Flow Beehive","slug":"the-flow-beehive","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273591"}},{"articleId":273586,"title":"The Apimaye Insulated Hive","slug":"the-apimaye-insulated-hive","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273586"}},{"articleId":273581,"title":"What Makes a Queen Bee a Queen?","slug":"what-makes-a-queen-bee-a-queen","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273581"}},{"articleId":273566,"title":"10 Honey Recipes","slug":"10-honey-recipes","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273566"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":281988,"slug":"beekeeping-for-dummies-5th-edition","isbn":"9781119702580","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119702585/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1119702585/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1119702585-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1119702585/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1119702585/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/beekeeping-for-dummies-5th-edition-cover-9781119702580-203x255.jpg","width":203,"height":255},"title":"Beekeeping For Dummies, 5th Edition","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":true,"authorsInfo":"\n <p><b data-author-id=\"9257\">Howland Blackiston</b> has been keeping bees for almost 40 years. He has appeared as an expert on CNBC, CNN, NPR, The Discovery Channel, Sirius Satellite Radio, and other broadcast outlets, and has written numerous articles on beekeeping. Howland has been a keynote speaker at conferences in more than 40 countries.</p>","authors":[{"authorId":9257,"name":"Howland Blackiston","slug":"howland-blackiston","description":"Howland Blackiston has been keeping bees for almost 40 years. He has appeared as an expert on CNBC, CNN, NPR, The Discovery Channel, Sirius Satellite Radio, and other broadcast outlets, and has written numerous articles on beekeeping. Howland has been a keynote speaker at conferences in more than 40 countries.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9257"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;hobby-farming&quot;,&quot;beekeeping&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119702580&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-6217bb52f26b6\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;hobby-farming&quot;,&quot;beekeeping&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119702580&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-6217bb52f3054\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Articles","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-02-08T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":188438},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2019-09-02T03:57:49+00:00","modifiedTime":"2021-12-13T18:37:26+00:00","timestamp":"2022-02-24T17:07:16+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Hobby Farming","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33933"},"slug":"hobby-farming","categoryId":33933},{"name":"General (Hobby Farming)","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33938"},"slug":"general-hobby-farming","categoryId":33938}],"title":"Homesteading: How to Make Soap","strippedTitle":"homesteading: how to make soap","slug":"homesteading-how-to-make-soap","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Learn how to add to your backyard homesteading skills and become more self-sufficient by making your own hand-milled and melt and pour soaps.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"For many homesteaders, the drive to become increasingly more self-sufficient is strong. Learning how to make soap often becomes a natural \"next step\" (after gardening, harvesting, and animal husbandry) in homesteading.\r\n\r\nThe technique you use to make your own soaps determines the amount of time you invest in your hobby (or product). This article covers two basic soapmaking techniques: hand milling and <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/crafts/holiday-crafts/how-to-make-melt-and-pour-soaps/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">melting and pouring</a>. (You can also make soap from scratch by using lye, but the process is more complex and requires care in handling sodium hydroxide, which is a caustic substance.)\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >How to make hand-milled soap</h2>\r\nIf you don’t like the idea of working with chemicals, you may want to try making hand-milled soap. All you do is take an existing bar of commercial soap, grate it, and then remelt it with water. You can then color, scent, and mold it as you please.\r\n\r\nMany diehard soapmakers scoff at this technique. They say that you’re technically not making the soap because you’re using commercial soap, which <em>may</em> be soap but more than likely is a synthetic detergent bar. (If you have a preference for “real” soap, be sure to read the label and buy soap that has ingredients such as sodium cocoate, sodium palmate, sodium olivate, and so on.) But if you want to exercise a little creativity, you can still do so when you hand-mill soap. You can craft soap that looks and smells the way you want it and is something you can’t always find at the store.\r\n<p class=\"article-tips tip\">If you plan to scent your soap, make sure that you start with an unscented bar of commercial soap.</p>\r\nIf you think you want to make soap, why not try hand-milling soap that you already have? The only special tool that you really need is a hand grater.\r\n\r\nHere are the basic steps.\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li><strong> Grate your soap, as shown in the figure below.\r\n</strong>The smaller you grate your pieces, the quicker the melting time.</li>\r\n \t<li><strong> Melt your pieces in water in the top pot of a double boiler or in a microwave.\r\n</strong>Use approximately 1 cup of water for every 2 cups of soap gratings. If using the microwave, heat the shavings and water in short bursts and check often, stirring as needed. Some people set their microwaves at 50 percent power when melting clear glycerin soap base or shavings. Experiment with what works best for you and your microwave.</li>\r\n \t<li><strong> Stir your soap as it melts.</strong></li>\r\n \t<li><strong> After the soap has melted, stir in your color.</strong></li>\r\n \t<li><strong> Continue stirring until the soap is thick and creamy and then remove it from the heat.</strong></li>\r\n \t<li><strong> Add any other additives, such as essential oils.</strong></li>\r\n \t<li><strong> Pour your soap into the mold.</strong></li>\r\n \t<li><strong> Let the soap cool overnight before removing it from the mold.</strong></li>\r\n</ol>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_263857\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"258\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-263857\" src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/homestead-handmilled-soap.jpg\" alt=\"Hand-milling soap\" width=\"258\" height=\"400\" /> Hand-milling soap[/caption]\r\n<p class=\"article-tips remember\">Your soap isn’t finished just because it’s out of the mold. Allow it to solidify for three to seven days.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >How to make melt-and-pour soap</h2>\r\nIf making hand-milled soap sounds like cheating to you, then making melt-and-pour soap may be right up your alley. Instead of using commercial soap, you use a melt-and-pour soap base that you purchase in a craft store. The base comes in blocks, chunks, or nuggets, and you simply melt the amount you need and then mold it.\r\n\r\nProbably more than any other soapmaking technique, melt-and-pour soapmaking resembles the steps involved in making candles. Like candlemaking, you use premade material, melt it, and mold it. If you love to make candles, chances are you’ll enjoy making melt-and-pour soaps.\r\n\r\nHere’s how melt-and-pour soapmaking works:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li><strong> Melt your soap chunks in a double boiler over medium heat or melt them in a heat-resistant bowl in the microwave (see the following figure).\r\n</strong>You can also cut 1- or 2-inch chunks off a large 1-pound or 5-pound block of soap if you’re not using precut chunks.\r\nIf you’re melting your soap in the microwave, melt your soap at 50 percent heat for approximately 1 minute. Stir your soap. Continue melting it at 20-second intervals until the soap is completely melted.</li>\r\n \t<li><strong> Remove your melted soap from the heat and stir in any additives, such as color.</strong></li>\r\n \t<li><strong> Pour your melted soap into the mold.\r\n</strong>Most melt-and-pour soaps shrink as they set, so you probably don’t need to spray your mold with a releasing agent.</li>\r\n \t<li><strong> Allow your soap to cool for approximately 1 hour.</strong></li>\r\n</ol>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_263856\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"295\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-263856\" src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/homestead-melting-soap.jpg\" alt=\"melting soap\" width=\"295\" height=\"400\" /> You can use a microwave to melt your soap chunks. Then you just need to pour your melted soap into a mold.[/caption]\r\n\r\nAlthough melt-and-pour soap is immediately safe for the skin, let it dry out and harden for a few days before use, so that it will last longer.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >Enhance your soap with additives</h2>\r\n<em>Additives</em> are generally anything you add to your soap base to enhance its color, scent, texture, skin-care benefits, or overall aesthetic value.\r\n\r\nYou stir in the additives as the last step before pouring your soap into the mold and after the soap has been melted.\r\n<p class=\"article-tips tip\">If you’re adding a solid additive to melt-and-pour soap, be aware that it may <em>separate</em>, or sink to the bottom of your mold. To avoid this problem, let your soap cool more than you usually would, stirring the additive into the soap the entire time. You want the soap mixture to thicken in your bowl before you pour it into the mold, much like thickening gelatin. Waiting longer than usual can help the solid additive stay suspended in the soap.</p>\r\nThe table describes popular additives.\r\n<table><caption><strong>Common Soapmaking Additives</strong></caption>\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Additive</strong></td>\r\n<td><strong>Description</strong></td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Almond oil</td>\r\n<td>Soothes irritated, itchy skin. Also used as base. Has slight odor.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Aloe vera</td>\r\n<td>Relieves dry and burned skin. Can use in plant or gel form.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Apricot</td>\r\n<td>Softens skin. A popular bath additive. To use, place dried apricots in water for several hours and then liquefy.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Apricot kernel oil</td>\r\n<td>Softens skin. Especially good for sensitive skin.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Beeswax</td>\r\n<td>Hardens soap and contributes scent. Need to melt before adding to soap. Don’t use more than 1 ounce per pound of soap.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Clay</td>\r\n<td>Helps dry out oily skin. Choose finely powdered French clay.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Cocoa butter</td>\r\n<td>Hardens soap and moisturizes. Looks and smells like white chocolate but can be purchased in a deodorized form if you want its qualities without the chocolate smell.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Cucumber</td>\r\n<td>Acts as astringent. Use grated skin or liquefied.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Glycerin</td>\r\n<td>Moisturizes skin.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Herbs</td>\r\n<td>Contribute texture and color.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Honey</td>\r\n<td>Moisturizes skin and makes soap softer.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Lanolin</td>\r\n<td>Hardens soap. Moisturizes and softens skin. Can cloud soap. Don’t use if allergic to wool.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Lemon</td>\r\n<td>Adds texture and speckling, as well as antibacterial qualities. Use grated peel.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Oatmeal</td>\r\n<td>Softens and exfoliates skin. Adds texture. Use ground rolled oats. Limit to a maximum of 1/2 cup rolled or 1/4 cup ground or pulverized oats per pound of soap. A blender works well for making oat flour.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Pumice</td>\r\n<td>Removes tough dirt, but can be harsh. Adds texture.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Vitamin E oil</td>\r\n<td>Use as a preservative when you add fresh fruit or other additive at risk of spoiling.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Wheat germ</td>\r\n<td>Exfoliates skin, as well as adding bulk and texture. Shows up in soap as light speckling. Use no more than 3 tablespoons per pound of soap.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\nYou can add color to your soap by using a melt-and-pour soap base or soap dyes. To add a scent, use your favorite essential oils, manufactured fragrance oils, or even spices and extracts from the kitchen or herbs straight from the garden!","description":"For many homesteaders, the drive to become increasingly more self-sufficient is strong. Learning how to make soap often becomes a natural \"next step\" (after gardening, harvesting, and animal husbandry) in homesteading.\r\n\r\nThe technique you use to make your own soaps determines the amount of time you invest in your hobby (or product). This article covers two basic soapmaking techniques: hand milling and <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/crafts/holiday-crafts/how-to-make-melt-and-pour-soaps/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">melting and pouring</a>. (You can also make soap from scratch by using lye, but the process is more complex and requires care in handling sodium hydroxide, which is a caustic substance.)\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >How to make hand-milled soap</h2>\r\nIf you don’t like the idea of working with chemicals, you may want to try making hand-milled soap. All you do is take an existing bar of commercial soap, grate it, and then remelt it with water. You can then color, scent, and mold it as you please.\r\n\r\nMany diehard soapmakers scoff at this technique. They say that you’re technically not making the soap because you’re using commercial soap, which <em>may</em> be soap but more than likely is a synthetic detergent bar. (If you have a preference for “real” soap, be sure to read the label and buy soap that has ingredients such as sodium cocoate, sodium palmate, sodium olivate, and so on.) But if you want to exercise a little creativity, you can still do so when you hand-mill soap. You can craft soap that looks and smells the way you want it and is something you can’t always find at the store.\r\n<p class=\"article-tips tip\">If you plan to scent your soap, make sure that you start with an unscented bar of commercial soap.</p>\r\nIf you think you want to make soap, why not try hand-milling soap that you already have? The only special tool that you really need is a hand grater.\r\n\r\nHere are the basic steps.\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li><strong> Grate your soap, as shown in the figure below.\r\n</strong>The smaller you grate your pieces, the quicker the melting time.</li>\r\n \t<li><strong> Melt your pieces in water in the top pot of a double boiler or in a microwave.\r\n</strong>Use approximately 1 cup of water for every 2 cups of soap gratings. If using the microwave, heat the shavings and water in short bursts and check often, stirring as needed. Some people set their microwaves at 50 percent power when melting clear glycerin soap base or shavings. Experiment with what works best for you and your microwave.</li>\r\n \t<li><strong> Stir your soap as it melts.</strong></li>\r\n \t<li><strong> After the soap has melted, stir in your color.</strong></li>\r\n \t<li><strong> Continue stirring until the soap is thick and creamy and then remove it from the heat.</strong></li>\r\n \t<li><strong> Add any other additives, such as essential oils.</strong></li>\r\n \t<li><strong> Pour your soap into the mold.</strong></li>\r\n \t<li><strong> Let the soap cool overnight before removing it from the mold.</strong></li>\r\n</ol>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_263857\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"258\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-263857\" src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/homestead-handmilled-soap.jpg\" alt=\"Hand-milling soap\" width=\"258\" height=\"400\" /> Hand-milling soap[/caption]\r\n<p class=\"article-tips remember\">Your soap isn’t finished just because it’s out of the mold. Allow it to solidify for three to seven days.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >How to make melt-and-pour soap</h2>\r\nIf making hand-milled soap sounds like cheating to you, then making melt-and-pour soap may be right up your alley. Instead of using commercial soap, you use a melt-and-pour soap base that you purchase in a craft store. The base comes in blocks, chunks, or nuggets, and you simply melt the amount you need and then mold it.\r\n\r\nProbably more than any other soapmaking technique, melt-and-pour soapmaking resembles the steps involved in making candles. Like candlemaking, you use premade material, melt it, and mold it. If you love to make candles, chances are you’ll enjoy making melt-and-pour soaps.\r\n\r\nHere’s how melt-and-pour soapmaking works:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li><strong> Melt your soap chunks in a double boiler over medium heat or melt them in a heat-resistant bowl in the microwave (see the following figure).\r\n</strong>You can also cut 1- or 2-inch chunks off a large 1-pound or 5-pound block of soap if you’re not using precut chunks.\r\nIf you’re melting your soap in the microwave, melt your soap at 50 percent heat for approximately 1 minute. Stir your soap. Continue melting it at 20-second intervals until the soap is completely melted.</li>\r\n \t<li><strong> Remove your melted soap from the heat and stir in any additives, such as color.</strong></li>\r\n \t<li><strong> Pour your melted soap into the mold.\r\n</strong>Most melt-and-pour soaps shrink as they set, so you probably don’t need to spray your mold with a releasing agent.</li>\r\n \t<li><strong> Allow your soap to cool for approximately 1 hour.</strong></li>\r\n</ol>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_263856\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"295\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-263856\" src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/homestead-melting-soap.jpg\" alt=\"melting soap\" width=\"295\" height=\"400\" /> You can use a microwave to melt your soap chunks. Then you just need to pour your melted soap into a mold.[/caption]\r\n\r\nAlthough melt-and-pour soap is immediately safe for the skin, let it dry out and harden for a few days before use, so that it will last longer.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >Enhance your soap with additives</h2>\r\n<em>Additives</em> are generally anything you add to your soap base to enhance its color, scent, texture, skin-care benefits, or overall aesthetic value.\r\n\r\nYou stir in the additives as the last step before pouring your soap into the mold and after the soap has been melted.\r\n<p class=\"article-tips tip\">If you’re adding a solid additive to melt-and-pour soap, be aware that it may <em>separate</em>, or sink to the bottom of your mold. To avoid this problem, let your soap cool more than you usually would, stirring the additive into the soap the entire time. You want the soap mixture to thicken in your bowl before you pour it into the mold, much like thickening gelatin. Waiting longer than usual can help the solid additive stay suspended in the soap.</p>\r\nThe table describes popular additives.\r\n<table><caption><strong>Common Soapmaking Additives</strong></caption>\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Additive</strong></td>\r\n<td><strong>Description</strong></td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Almond oil</td>\r\n<td>Soothes irritated, itchy skin. Also used as base. Has slight odor.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Aloe vera</td>\r\n<td>Relieves dry and burned skin. Can use in plant or gel form.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Apricot</td>\r\n<td>Softens skin. A popular bath additive. To use, place dried apricots in water for several hours and then liquefy.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Apricot kernel oil</td>\r\n<td>Softens skin. Especially good for sensitive skin.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Beeswax</td>\r\n<td>Hardens soap and contributes scent. Need to melt before adding to soap. Don’t use more than 1 ounce per pound of soap.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Clay</td>\r\n<td>Helps dry out oily skin. Choose finely powdered French clay.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Cocoa butter</td>\r\n<td>Hardens soap and moisturizes. Looks and smells like white chocolate but can be purchased in a deodorized form if you want its qualities without the chocolate smell.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Cucumber</td>\r\n<td>Acts as astringent. Use grated skin or liquefied.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Glycerin</td>\r\n<td>Moisturizes skin.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Herbs</td>\r\n<td>Contribute texture and color.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Honey</td>\r\n<td>Moisturizes skin and makes soap softer.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Lanolin</td>\r\n<td>Hardens soap. Moisturizes and softens skin. Can cloud soap. Don’t use if allergic to wool.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Lemon</td>\r\n<td>Adds texture and speckling, as well as antibacterial qualities. Use grated peel.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Oatmeal</td>\r\n<td>Softens and exfoliates skin. Adds texture. Use ground rolled oats. Limit to a maximum of 1/2 cup rolled or 1/4 cup ground or pulverized oats per pound of soap. A blender works well for making oat flour.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Pumice</td>\r\n<td>Removes tough dirt, but can be harsh. Adds texture.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Vitamin E oil</td>\r\n<td>Use as a preservative when you add fresh fruit or other additive at risk of spoiling.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Wheat germ</td>\r\n<td>Exfoliates skin, as well as adding bulk and texture. Shows up in soap as light speckling. Use no more than 3 tablespoons per pound of soap.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\nYou can add color to your soap by using a melt-and-pour soap base or soap dyes. To add a scent, use your favorite essential oils, manufactured fragrance oils, or even spices and extracts from the kitchen or herbs straight from the garden!","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":10349,"name":"Todd Brock","slug":"todd-brock","description":"Todd Brock is a television writer and producer whose work includes PBS's Growing a Greener World, DIY Network's Fresh From the Garden, and HGTV's Ground Breakers. He is the coauthor of Building Chicken Coops For Dummies. ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10349"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33938,"title":"General (Hobby Farming)","slug":"general-hobby-farming","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33938"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[{"label":"How to make hand-milled soap","target":"#tab1"},{"label":"How to make melt-and-pour soap","target":"#tab2"},{"label":"Enhance your soap with additives","target":"#tab3"}],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":263874,"title":"Homesteading: Pickling and Brining","slug":"homesteading-pickling-and-brining","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","general-hobby-farming"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263874"}},{"articleId":263868,"title":"Homesteading: Bottling Your Homebrewed Beer","slug":"homesteading-bottling-your-homebrewed-beer","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","general-hobby-farming"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263868"}},{"articleId":263861,"title":"Homesteading: How to Make Candles","slug":"homesteading-how-to-make-candles","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","general-hobby-farming"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263861"}},{"articleId":263850,"title":"Beyond Chickens: Livestock for Your Backyard Homestead","slug":"beyond-chickens-livestock-for-your-backyard-homestead","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","general-hobby-farming"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263850"}},{"articleId":263844,"title":"Chickens for the Backyard Homestead","slug":"chickens-for-the-backyard-homestead","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","general-hobby-farming"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263844"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":263874,"title":"Homesteading: Pickling and Brining","slug":"homesteading-pickling-and-brining","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","general-hobby-farming"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263874"}},{"articleId":263868,"title":"Homesteading: Bottling Your Homebrewed Beer","slug":"homesteading-bottling-your-homebrewed-beer","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","general-hobby-farming"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263868"}},{"articleId":263861,"title":"Homesteading: How to Make Candles","slug":"homesteading-how-to-make-candles","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","general-hobby-farming"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263861"}},{"articleId":263850,"title":"Beyond Chickens: Livestock for Your Backyard Homestead","slug":"beyond-chickens-livestock-for-your-backyard-homestead","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","general-hobby-farming"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263850"}},{"articleId":263844,"title":"Chickens for the Backyard Homestead","slug":"chickens-for-the-backyard-homestead","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","general-hobby-farming"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263844"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":281972,"slug":"backyard-homesteading-all-in-one-for-dummies","isbn":"9781119550754","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","general-hobby-farming"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119550750/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1119550750/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1119550750-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1119550750/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1119550750/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/backyard-homesteading-all-in-one-for-dummies-cover-9781119550754-203x255.jpg","width":203,"height":255},"title":"Backyard Homesteading All-in-One For Dummies","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":"\n <p><b data-author-id=\"10349\">Todd Brock</b> is a television writer and producer whose work includes PBS's <i>Growing a Greener World,</i> DIY Network's <i>Fresh From the Garden,</i> and HGTV's <i>Ground Breakers.</i> He is the coauthor of <i>Building Chicken Coops For Dummies.</i> </p>","authors":[{"authorId":10349,"name":"Todd Brock","slug":"todd-brock","description":"Todd Brock is a television writer and producer whose work includes PBS's Growing a Greener World, DIY Network's Fresh From the Garden, and HGTV's Ground Breakers. He is the coauthor of Building Chicken Coops For Dummies. ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10349"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[{"title":"For the Unabashed Hippie","slug":"for-the-unabashed-hippie","collectionId":287567}],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;hobby-farming&quot;,&quot;general-hobby-farming&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119550754&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-6217bb4433635\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;hobby-farming&quot;,&quot;general-hobby-farming&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119550754&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-6217bb4433fe1\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Articles","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2021-08-10T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":263855},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T15:49:18+00:00","modifiedTime":"2021-12-13T13:56:08+00:00","timestamp":"2022-02-24T17:07:15+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Hobby Farming","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33933"},"slug":"hobby-farming","categoryId":33933},{"name":"Beekeeping","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33934"},"slug":"beekeeping","categoryId":33934}],"title":"The Parts of a Beehive","strippedTitle":"the parts of a beehive","slug":"the-parts-of-a-beehive","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"One way or another, handmade beehives are designed to provide the bees with shelter from the elements, a space to raise brood, a space to store honey, and adequate ventilation so that the bees can regulate the colony’s temperature. In addition, modern hives provide the beekeeper with the ability to inspect, manipulate, and manage the colony. So exactly what kinds of conditions cater to these necessities?\r\n\r\nThe Langstroth hive is the most widely used hive in the United States, and it’s gaining popularity worldwide. The figure below shows the basic components of a hive and their function.\r\n<div class=\"imageBlock\" style=\"width: 268px;\">[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"308\"]<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/354567.image0.jpg\" alt=\"The basic components of a Langstroth hive. [Credit: Illustration by Felix Freudzon, Freudzon Design]\" width=\"308\" height=\"460\" /> Illustration by Felix Freudzon, Freudzon Design[/caption]</div>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Elevated hive stand</h2>\r\nA hive stand isn’t necessary, but you may find one useful because it elevates the hive off the wet ground, which improves air circulation and requires less bending over when you’re inspecting your hives. In addition, grass growing in front of the hive’s entrance can slow the bees’ ability to get in and out. The stand alleviates that problem by raising the hive above the grass.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Bottom board</h2>\r\nA <em>bottom board </em>is the floor of the beehive. It consists of several rails that serve as a frame around a solid piece of wood, and it protects the colony from damp ground. These days, more and more beekeepers are using what’s called a <em>screened</em> bottom board in place of the standard bottom board. This improves ventilation and is helpful when controlling and monitoring the colony’s population of varroa mites.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >Entrance reducer</h2>\r\nAn <em>entrance reducer</em> is a cleat that limits bee access to the hive and controls ventilation and temperature during cooler months. You don’t nail the entrance reducer into place but rather place it loosely at the hive’s entrance so that you can introduce it or remove it as needed.\r\n\r\nThe small notch reduces the entrance of the hive to the width of a finger. The large notch opens the entrance to about four finger widths. Removing the entrance reducer completely opens the entrance to the max.\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">If the hive design you choose doesn’t use an entrance reducer, you can use clumps of grass to close off some of the entrance.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab4\" >Deep hive bodies</h2>\r\nThe deep hive bodies are essentially boxes that contain frames of comb. For a Langstroth hive, you typically build two deep hive bodies to stack on top of each other, like a two-story condo.\r\n\r\nThe bees use the <em>lower deep</em> as the nursery or <em>brood chamber,</em> to raise thousands of baby bees. They use the <em>upper deep</em> as the pantry or <em>food chamber,</em> where they store most of the honey and pollen for their use.\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">If you live in an area where frigid winters just don’t happen (temperatures don’t go below freezing), you may not need more than one deep hive body for your colony (one deep for both the brood and their food). In such situations, you want to monitor the colony’s food stores and feed the bees if their supplies run low.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab5\" >Honey super</h2>\r\nBeekeepers use<em> honey supers </em>to collect surplus honey. That’s <em>your </em>honey — the honey that you can harvest from your bees. The honey that’s in the deep hive body must be left for the bees. Supers are identical in design to the deep hive bodies, and you build and assemble them in a similar manner. But the depth of the supers is more shallow.\r\n\r\nHoney supers typically come in two popular sizes: shallow (which usually measure 5 3/4 inches high) and medium (which usually measure 6 5/8 inches high). Medium supers are sometimes referred to as <em>Illinois</em> supers because they were originally developed by Dadant & Sons, Inc., which is located in Illinois.\r\n\r\nSome prefer medium supers to shallow supers and use mediums exclusively. Why? The mediums hold more honey and yet are still light enough that you can handle them fairly easily when packed with golden goodness (medium supers weigh in at around 50 to 55 pounds when packed full).\r\n\r\nHowever, many beekeepers use shallow supers because they’re just that much lighter when filled with honey (they weigh around 35 to 40 pounds when packed full). The choice is yours.\r\n\r\nYou can use medium-size equipment for your <em>entire</em> Langstroth hive (no deeps). Three medium-depth hive bodies is about equivalent to two deep hive bodies. Standardizing on one size means that all your equipment is 100 percent interchangeable. The lighter weight of each medium hive body makes lifting much, much easier than manipulating deep hive equipment (in comparison, deep hive bodies can weigh up to 100 pounds when full).\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">As the bees collect more honey, you can add more honey supers to the hive, stacking them on top of each other like so many stories to a skyscraper. For your first season, build one honey super. In your second year, you’ll likely need to build two or three or more supers. Honey bonanza!</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab6\" >Frames</h2>\r\nSome hives use removable frames (for example, nuc, observation, British National, and Langstroth). The bees build their honeycomb onto the frames. Because the frames are removable from the hive, you can easily inspect, manipulate, and manage the colony.\r\n\r\nFor the nuc, observation, and Langstroth hives, the wooden frames contain a single sheet of beeswax foundation. Frames typically come in three basic sizes: deep, shallow, and medium, corresponding to deep hive bodies and shallow or medium honey supers.\r\n\r\nYou can certainly purchase frames from a beekeeping supply vendor. Or you can find out how to build your own Langstroth-style frames.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab7\" >Inner cover</h2>\r\nThe inner cover of the hive resembles a shallow tray (with a ventilation hole in the center). You might also like to cut a notch in one of the short lengths of the frame. This is an extra ventilation source, positioned to the front of the hive. You place the inner cover on the hive with the tray side facing up.\r\n<div class=\"imageBlock\" style=\"width: 535px;\">[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"535\"]<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/354568.image1.jpg\" alt=\"Langstroth-style frames (left) and top bar frames (right). [Credit: Photographs courtesy of Howland\" width=\"535\" height=\"202\" /> Langstroth-style frames (left) and top bar frames (right) <br />Photographs courtesy of Howland Blackiston and Jim Fowler[/caption]\r\n<div></div>\r\n<div></div>\r\n</div>\r\n<div class=\"imageBlock\" style=\"width: 535px;\">[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"535\"]<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/354569.image2.jpg\" alt=\"For the correct placement of an inner cover, the tray side faces up. [Credit: Photograph courtesy o\" width=\"535\" height=\"352\" /> For the correct placement of an inner cover, the tray side faces up. <br />Photograph courtesy of Howland Blackiston[/caption]\r\n<div></div>\r\n<div></div>\r\n<div class=\"imageCredit\">Alternatively, screened inner covers have been gaining popularity in recent years. They provide the colony with terrific ventilation.</div>\r\n</div>\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">You do <em>not</em> use the inner cover at the same time you have a hive-top feeder on the hive. You use the hive-top feeder in place of the inner cover.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab8\" >Outer cover</h2>\r\nThe outer cover protects the bees from the elements. Like the roof on your house, you can ensure that it’s waterproof and also extend the life of the wood by covering the top with a weatherproof material (aluminum flashing, asphalt tiles, cedar shingles, and so on).","description":"One way or another, handmade beehives are designed to provide the bees with shelter from the elements, a space to raise brood, a space to store honey, and adequate ventilation so that the bees can regulate the colony’s temperature. In addition, modern hives provide the beekeeper with the ability to inspect, manipulate, and manage the colony. So exactly what kinds of conditions cater to these necessities?\r\n\r\nThe Langstroth hive is the most widely used hive in the United States, and it’s gaining popularity worldwide. The figure below shows the basic components of a hive and their function.\r\n<div class=\"imageBlock\" style=\"width: 268px;\">[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"308\"]<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/354567.image0.jpg\" alt=\"The basic components of a Langstroth hive. [Credit: Illustration by Felix Freudzon, Freudzon Design]\" width=\"308\" height=\"460\" /> Illustration by Felix Freudzon, Freudzon Design[/caption]</div>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Elevated hive stand</h2>\r\nA hive stand isn’t necessary, but you may find one useful because it elevates the hive off the wet ground, which improves air circulation and requires less bending over when you’re inspecting your hives. In addition, grass growing in front of the hive’s entrance can slow the bees’ ability to get in and out. The stand alleviates that problem by raising the hive above the grass.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Bottom board</h2>\r\nA <em>bottom board </em>is the floor of the beehive. It consists of several rails that serve as a frame around a solid piece of wood, and it protects the colony from damp ground. These days, more and more beekeepers are using what’s called a <em>screened</em> bottom board in place of the standard bottom board. This improves ventilation and is helpful when controlling and monitoring the colony’s population of varroa mites.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >Entrance reducer</h2>\r\nAn <em>entrance reducer</em> is a cleat that limits bee access to the hive and controls ventilation and temperature during cooler months. You don’t nail the entrance reducer into place but rather place it loosely at the hive’s entrance so that you can introduce it or remove it as needed.\r\n\r\nThe small notch reduces the entrance of the hive to the width of a finger. The large notch opens the entrance to about four finger widths. Removing the entrance reducer completely opens the entrance to the max.\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">If the hive design you choose doesn’t use an entrance reducer, you can use clumps of grass to close off some of the entrance.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab4\" >Deep hive bodies</h2>\r\nThe deep hive bodies are essentially boxes that contain frames of comb. For a Langstroth hive, you typically build two deep hive bodies to stack on top of each other, like a two-story condo.\r\n\r\nThe bees use the <em>lower deep</em> as the nursery or <em>brood chamber,</em> to raise thousands of baby bees. They use the <em>upper deep</em> as the pantry or <em>food chamber,</em> where they store most of the honey and pollen for their use.\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">If you live in an area where frigid winters just don’t happen (temperatures don’t go below freezing), you may not need more than one deep hive body for your colony (one deep for both the brood and their food). In such situations, you want to monitor the colony’s food stores and feed the bees if their supplies run low.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab5\" >Honey super</h2>\r\nBeekeepers use<em> honey supers </em>to collect surplus honey. That’s <em>your </em>honey — the honey that you can harvest from your bees. The honey that’s in the deep hive body must be left for the bees. Supers are identical in design to the deep hive bodies, and you build and assemble them in a similar manner. But the depth of the supers is more shallow.\r\n\r\nHoney supers typically come in two popular sizes: shallow (which usually measure 5 3/4 inches high) and medium (which usually measure 6 5/8 inches high). Medium supers are sometimes referred to as <em>Illinois</em> supers because they were originally developed by Dadant & Sons, Inc., which is located in Illinois.\r\n\r\nSome prefer medium supers to shallow supers and use mediums exclusively. Why? The mediums hold more honey and yet are still light enough that you can handle them fairly easily when packed with golden goodness (medium supers weigh in at around 50 to 55 pounds when packed full).\r\n\r\nHowever, many beekeepers use shallow supers because they’re just that much lighter when filled with honey (they weigh around 35 to 40 pounds when packed full). The choice is yours.\r\n\r\nYou can use medium-size equipment for your <em>entire</em> Langstroth hive (no deeps). Three medium-depth hive bodies is about equivalent to two deep hive bodies. Standardizing on one size means that all your equipment is 100 percent interchangeable. The lighter weight of each medium hive body makes lifting much, much easier than manipulating deep hive equipment (in comparison, deep hive bodies can weigh up to 100 pounds when full).\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">As the bees collect more honey, you can add more honey supers to the hive, stacking them on top of each other like so many stories to a skyscraper. For your first season, build one honey super. In your second year, you’ll likely need to build two or three or more supers. Honey bonanza!</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab6\" >Frames</h2>\r\nSome hives use removable frames (for example, nuc, observation, British National, and Langstroth). The bees build their honeycomb onto the frames. Because the frames are removable from the hive, you can easily inspect, manipulate, and manage the colony.\r\n\r\nFor the nuc, observation, and Langstroth hives, the wooden frames contain a single sheet of beeswax foundation. Frames typically come in three basic sizes: deep, shallow, and medium, corresponding to deep hive bodies and shallow or medium honey supers.\r\n\r\nYou can certainly purchase frames from a beekeeping supply vendor. Or you can find out how to build your own Langstroth-style frames.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab7\" >Inner cover</h2>\r\nThe inner cover of the hive resembles a shallow tray (with a ventilation hole in the center). You might also like to cut a notch in one of the short lengths of the frame. This is an extra ventilation source, positioned to the front of the hive. You place the inner cover on the hive with the tray side facing up.\r\n<div class=\"imageBlock\" style=\"width: 535px;\">[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"535\"]<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/354568.image1.jpg\" alt=\"Langstroth-style frames (left) and top bar frames (right). [Credit: Photographs courtesy of Howland\" width=\"535\" height=\"202\" /> Langstroth-style frames (left) and top bar frames (right) <br />Photographs courtesy of Howland Blackiston and Jim Fowler[/caption]\r\n<div></div>\r\n<div></div>\r\n</div>\r\n<div class=\"imageBlock\" style=\"width: 535px;\">[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"535\"]<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/354569.image2.jpg\" alt=\"For the correct placement of an inner cover, the tray side faces up. [Credit: Photograph courtesy o\" width=\"535\" height=\"352\" /> For the correct placement of an inner cover, the tray side faces up. <br />Photograph courtesy of Howland Blackiston[/caption]\r\n<div></div>\r\n<div></div>\r\n<div class=\"imageCredit\">Alternatively, screened inner covers have been gaining popularity in recent years. They provide the colony with terrific ventilation.</div>\r\n</div>\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">You do <em>not</em> use the inner cover at the same time you have a hive-top feeder on the hive. You use the hive-top feeder in place of the inner cover.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab8\" >Outer cover</h2>\r\nThe outer cover protects the bees from the elements. Like the roof on your house, you can ensure that it’s waterproof and also extend the life of the wood by covering the top with a weatherproof material (aluminum flashing, asphalt tiles, cedar shingles, and so on).","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9257,"name":"Howland Blackiston","slug":"howland-blackiston","description":"Howland Blackiston has been keeping bees for almost 40 years. He has appeared as an expert on CNBC, CNN, NPR, The Discovery Channel, Sirius Satellite Radio, and other broadcast outlets, and has written numerous articles on beekeeping. Howland has been a keynote speaker at conferences in more than 40 countries.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9257"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33934,"title":"Beekeeping","slug":"beekeeping","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33934"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[{"label":"Elevated hive stand","target":"#tab1"},{"label":"Bottom board","target":"#tab2"},{"label":"Entrance reducer","target":"#tab3"},{"label":"Deep hive bodies","target":"#tab4"},{"label":"Honey super","target":"#tab5"},{"label":"Frames","target":"#tab6"},{"label":"Inner cover","target":"#tab7"},{"label":"Outer cover","target":"#tab8"}],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":208121,"title":"Building Beehives For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"building-beehives-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/208121"}},{"articleId":204882,"title":"How to Assemble Langstroth Frames","slug":"how-to-assemble-langstroth-frames","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204882"}},{"articleId":171361,"title":"Choosing the Best Beehive Plan to Build","slug":"choosing-the-best-beehive-plan-to-build","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/171361"}},{"articleId":171360,"title":"Easy Steps for Building Any Beehive","slug":"easy-steps-for-building-any-beehive","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/171360"}},{"articleId":171359,"title":"Tools and Fasteners Used to Build a Beehive","slug":"tools-and-fasteners-used-to-build-a-beehive","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/171359"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":273597,"title":"Which Beehive Meets Your Needs?","slug":"which-beehive-meets-your-needs","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273597"}},{"articleId":273591,"title":"The Flow Beehive","slug":"the-flow-beehive","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273591"}},{"articleId":273586,"title":"The Apimaye Insulated Hive","slug":"the-apimaye-insulated-hive","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273586"}},{"articleId":273581,"title":"What Makes a Queen Bee a Queen?","slug":"what-makes-a-queen-bee-a-queen","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273581"}},{"articleId":273566,"title":"10 Honey Recipes","slug":"10-honey-recipes","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273566"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282025,"slug":"building-beehives-for-dummies","isbn":"9781119544388","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","hobby-farming","beekeeping"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119544386/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1119544386/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1119544386-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1119544386/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1119544386/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/building-beehives-for-dummies-cover-9781119544388-204x255.jpg","width":204,"height":255},"title":"Building Beehives For Dummies","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":true,"authorsInfo":"\n <p><b data-author-id=\"9257\">Howland Blackiston</b> has been keeping bees for almost 40 years. 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Living off the land...and loving it! Learn how to create a healthy, happy environment for your animal friends, whether they're clucking, buzzing, or bleating.

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Chickens Chicken Health For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-27-2022

As a chicken flock keeper, you’re concerned about the well-being, safety, and health of your flock. Although you can’t control everything, such as predators, pests, diseases, and injuries, you can take a proactive role to ensure your chickens thrive in your backyard. The following can help you raise healthy chickens so they can provide you with eggs and happiness for years to come.

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General (Hobby Farming) Hobby Farming For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-08-2022

If you’re thinking about taking up farming as a hobby, educate yourself about the responsibilities. Research hobby farming by using local resources (like the library and neighbors), using the Internet, and volunteering at a farm. When you decide to plant, make sure you know your area’s growing season and to rotate your crops to maintain soil and plant quality. Keep your farm animals healthy by providing basic care and provisions and watching for signs of illness.

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Chickens Building Chicken Coops For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-22-2022

Chicken owners are a particularly self-reliant bunch. Chicken-keeping is meant to make you just a little more self-sufficient; why spend gobs of cash to do it? Maybe that helps explain why so many chicken folks build their own coops. To get started, you should familiarize yourself with chicken coop styles, the tools and building materials you need, and the carpentry skills to master.

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Chickens Gardening with Free-Range Chickens For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-01-2022

Chickens are gaining popularity quickly. Not only are chickens fun and educational, but they're also beneficial to you and your garden. When you free-range your flock, you gain helpful gardeners who aerate the soil, rid plants of insects, provide composting, and, best of all, supply food — their eggs! Here's how to gain insight on good and bad plants for a chicken garden, layer your garden for free-ranging chickens, and guard against chicken predators.

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Beekeeping Building Beehives For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-25-2022

As you plan your new beehive-building adventure, you may want to start by deciding which hive design to go for based on your woodworking skills and beekeeping needs. You will also need to know which tools and fasteners you'll need for that particular build. Plans may differ somewhat depending on the type of hive you choose, but you can follow some basic steps to build most types of beehives.

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Chickens Raising Chickens For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-24-2022

Raising chickens can be fun and rewarding. Whether you’re raising birds for their eggs or for their cackling companionship, caring for your birds is an everyday project. Raising happy and healthy birds means knowing how to take care of baby chicks and what to feed them as they mature.

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Beekeeping Beekeeping For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-17-2022

What to do during your spring, autumn, and routine beekeeping inspections varies. The spring inspection starts or revives your bee colony, the autumn inspection prepares your beehive for the cold weather (assuming it gets cold in your area), and your routine beekeeping inspections help maintain a healthy and productive hive. Here are our buzzworthy tips.

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Beekeeping Understanding the Role of the Worker Bee in a Hive

Article / Updated 02-10-2022

The majority of the bee hive’s population consists of worker bees. Like the queen, worker bees are all female. They are smaller, their abdomens are shorter, and on their hind legs they possess pollen baskets, which are used to tote pollen back from the field. The life span of worker bee is a modest six weeks during the colony’s active season. However, worker bees live longer (four to eight months) during the less active winter months. These winter workers are loaded with protein and are sometimes referred to as “Fat Bees.” Worker bees do a considerable amount of work, day in and day out. They work as a team. The specific jobs and duties they perform during their short lives vary as they age. Understanding their roles will deepen your fascination and appreciation of these remarkable creatures. Initially, a worker’s responsibilities include various tasks within the hive. At this stage of development, worker bees are referred to as house bees. As they get older, their duties involve work outside of the hive as field bees. Worker bee housekeeping (days 1 to 3) One of her first tasks is cleaning out the cell from which she just emerged. This and other empty cells are cleaned and polished and left immaculate to receive new eggs and to store nectar and pollen. Worker bee undertakers (days 3 to 16) During the first couple weeks of her life, the worker bee removes any bees that have died and disposes of the corpses as far from the hive as possible. Similarly, diseased or dead brood are quickly removed before becoming a health threat to the colony. Nursing young worker bees (days 4 to 12) The young worker bees tend to their “baby sisters” by feeding and caring for the developing larvae. On average, nurse bees check a single larva 1,300 times a day. Attending to the queen bee (days 7 to 12) Because her royal highness is unable to tend to her most basic needs by herself, some of the workers do these tasks for her. Collecting nectar for the hive (days 12 to 18) Young worker bees also take nectar from foraging field bees that are returning to the hive. The house bees deposit this nectar into cells earmarked for this purpose. The workers similarly take pollen from returning field bees and pack the pollen into cells. Both the ripened honey and the pollen are food for the colony. Fanning the beehive (days 12 to 18) Worker bees also take a turn at controlling the temperature and humidity of the hive. The workers also perform another kind of fanning, but it isn’t related to climate control. It has more to do with communication. Beekeepers can purchase synthetic queen bee pheromone and use this chemical to lure swarms of bees into a trap. The captured swarm then can be used to populate a new hive. This worker bee fans her wings to release a sweet orientation scent. This helps direct other members of the colony back to the hive. Becoming the bee hive (days 12 to 35) Worker bees that are about 12 days old are mature enough to begin producing beeswax. The wax flakes they produce help with the building of new wax comb and in the capping of ripened honey and cells containing developing pupae. Some new beekeepers are alarmed when they first see these wax flakes on the bee. They wrongly think these white chips are an indication of a problem (disease or mite). Guarding the hive (days 18 to 21) The last task of a house bee before she ventures out is that of guarding the hive. They are poised and alert, checking each bee that returns to the hive for a familiar scent. Only family members are allowed to pass. Bees from other hives are occasionally allowed in when they bribe the guards with nectar. These bees simply steal a little honey or pollen and leave. Becoming field bees (days 22 to 42) With her life half over, the worker bee now ventures outside of the hive and joins the ranks of field bees. You’ll see them taking their first orientation flights. The bees face the hive and dart up, down, and all around the entrance. They’re imprinting the look and location of their home before beginning to circle the hive and progressively widening those circles, learning landmarks that ultimately will guide them back home. Foraging bees visit 5 million flowers to produce a single pint of honey. They forage a two- to three-mile (four- to five-kilometer) radius from the hive in search of food. So don’t think you need to provide everything they need on your property.

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General (Hobby Farming) Homesteading: How to Make Soap

Article / Updated 12-13-2021

For many homesteaders, the drive to become increasingly more self-sufficient is strong. Learning how to make soap often becomes a natural "next step" (after gardening, harvesting, and animal husbandry) in homesteading. The technique you use to make your own soaps determines the amount of time you invest in your hobby (or product). This article covers two basic soapmaking techniques: hand milling and melting and pouring. (You can also make soap from scratch by using lye, but the process is more complex and requires care in handling sodium hydroxide, which is a caustic substance.) How to make hand-milled soap If you don’t like the idea of working with chemicals, you may want to try making hand-milled soap. All you do is take an existing bar of commercial soap, grate it, and then remelt it with water. You can then color, scent, and mold it as you please. Many diehard soapmakers scoff at this technique. They say that you’re technically not making the soap because you’re using commercial soap, which may be soap but more than likely is a synthetic detergent bar. (If you have a preference for “real” soap, be sure to read the label and buy soap that has ingredients such as sodium cocoate, sodium palmate, sodium olivate, and so on.) But if you want to exercise a little creativity, you can still do so when you hand-mill soap. You can craft soap that looks and smells the way you want it and is something you can’t always find at the store. If you plan to scent your soap, make sure that you start with an unscented bar of commercial soap. If you think you want to make soap, why not try hand-milling soap that you already have? The only special tool that you really need is a hand grater. Here are the basic steps. Grate your soap, as shown in the figure below. The smaller you grate your pieces, the quicker the melting time. Melt your pieces in water in the top pot of a double boiler or in a microwave. Use approximately 1 cup of water for every 2 cups of soap gratings. If using the microwave, heat the shavings and water in short bursts and check often, stirring as needed. Some people set their microwaves at 50 percent power when melting clear glycerin soap base or shavings. Experiment with what works best for you and your microwave. Stir your soap as it melts. After the soap has melted, stir in your color. Continue stirring until the soap is thick and creamy and then remove it from the heat. Add any other additives, such as essential oils. Pour your soap into the mold. Let the soap cool overnight before removing it from the mold. Your soap isn’t finished just because it’s out of the mold. Allow it to solidify for three to seven days. How to make melt-and-pour soap If making hand-milled soap sounds like cheating to you, then making melt-and-pour soap may be right up your alley. Instead of using commercial soap, you use a melt-and-pour soap base that you purchase in a craft store. The base comes in blocks, chunks, or nuggets, and you simply melt the amount you need and then mold it. Probably more than any other soapmaking technique, melt-and-pour soapmaking resembles the steps involved in making candles. Like candlemaking, you use premade material, melt it, and mold it. If you love to make candles, chances are you’ll enjoy making melt-and-pour soaps. Here’s how melt-and-pour soapmaking works: Melt your soap chunks in a double boiler over medium heat or melt them in a heat-resistant bowl in the microwave (see the following figure). You can also cut 1- or 2-inch chunks off a large 1-pound or 5-pound block of soap if you’re not using precut chunks. If you’re melting your soap in the microwave, melt your soap at 50 percent heat for approximately 1 minute. Stir your soap. Continue melting it at 20-second intervals until the soap is completely melted. Remove your melted soap from the heat and stir in any additives, such as color. Pour your melted soap into the mold. Most melt-and-pour soaps shrink as they set, so you probably don’t need to spray your mold with a releasing agent. Allow your soap to cool for approximately 1 hour. Although melt-and-pour soap is immediately safe for the skin, let it dry out and harden for a few days before use, so that it will last longer. Enhance your soap with additives Additives are generally anything you add to your soap base to enhance its color, scent, texture, skin-care benefits, or overall aesthetic value. You stir in the additives as the last step before pouring your soap into the mold and after the soap has been melted. If you’re adding a solid additive to melt-and-pour soap, be aware that it may separate, or sink to the bottom of your mold. To avoid this problem, let your soap cool more than you usually would, stirring the additive into the soap the entire time. You want the soap mixture to thicken in your bowl before you pour it into the mold, much like thickening gelatin. Waiting longer than usual can help the solid additive stay suspended in the soap. The table describes popular additives. Common Soapmaking Additives Additive Description Almond oil Soothes irritated, itchy skin. Also used as base. Has slight odor. Aloe vera Relieves dry and burned skin. Can use in plant or gel form. Apricot Softens skin. A popular bath additive. To use, place dried apricots in water for several hours and then liquefy. Apricot kernel oil Softens skin. Especially good for sensitive skin. Beeswax Hardens soap and contributes scent. Need to melt before adding to soap. Don’t use more than 1 ounce per pound of soap. Clay Helps dry out oily skin. Choose finely powdered French clay. Cocoa butter Hardens soap and moisturizes. Looks and smells like white chocolate but can be purchased in a deodorized form if you want its qualities without the chocolate smell. Cucumber Acts as astringent. Use grated skin or liquefied. Glycerin Moisturizes skin. Herbs Contribute texture and color. Honey Moisturizes skin and makes soap softer. Lanolin Hardens soap. Moisturizes and softens skin. Can cloud soap. Don’t use if allergic to wool. Lemon Adds texture and speckling, as well as antibacterial qualities. Use grated peel. Oatmeal Softens and exfoliates skin. Adds texture. Use ground rolled oats. Limit to a maximum of 1/2 cup rolled or 1/4 cup ground or pulverized oats per pound of soap. A blender works well for making oat flour. Pumice Removes tough dirt, but can be harsh. Adds texture. Vitamin E oil Use as a preservative when you add fresh fruit or other additive at risk of spoiling. Wheat germ Exfoliates skin, as well as adding bulk and texture. Shows up in soap as light speckling. Use no more than 3 tablespoons per pound of soap. You can add color to your soap by using a melt-and-pour soap base or soap dyes. To add a scent, use your favorite essential oils, manufactured fragrance oils, or even spices and extracts from the kitchen or herbs straight from the garden!

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Beekeeping The Parts of a Beehive

Article / Updated 12-13-2021

One way or another, handmade beehives are designed to provide the bees with shelter from the elements, a space to raise brood, a space to store honey, and adequate ventilation so that the bees can regulate the colony’s temperature. In addition, modern hives provide the beekeeper with the ability to inspect, manipulate, and manage the colony. So exactly what kinds of conditions cater to these necessities? The Langstroth hive is the most widely used hive in the United States, and it’s gaining popularity worldwide. The figure below shows the basic components of a hive and their function. Elevated hive stand A hive stand isn’t necessary, but you may find one useful because it elevates the hive off the wet ground, which improves air circulation and requires less bending over when you’re inspecting your hives. In addition, grass growing in front of the hive’s entrance can slow the bees’ ability to get in and out. The stand alleviates that problem by raising the hive above the grass. Bottom board A bottom board is the floor of the beehive. It consists of several rails that serve as a frame around a solid piece of wood, and it protects the colony from damp ground. These days, more and more beekeepers are using what’s called a screened bottom board in place of the standard bottom board. This improves ventilation and is helpful when controlling and monitoring the colony’s population of varroa mites. Entrance reducer An entrance reducer is a cleat that limits bee access to the hive and controls ventilation and temperature during cooler months. You don’t nail the entrance reducer into place but rather place it loosely at the hive’s entrance so that you can introduce it or remove it as needed. The small notch reduces the entrance of the hive to the width of a finger. The large notch opens the entrance to about four finger widths. Removing the entrance reducer completely opens the entrance to the max. If the hive design you choose doesn’t use an entrance reducer, you can use clumps of grass to close off some of the entrance. Deep hive bodies The deep hive bodies are essentially boxes that contain frames of comb. For a Langstroth hive, you typically build two deep hive bodies to stack on top of each other, like a two-story condo. The bees use the lower deep as the nursery or brood chamber, to raise thousands of baby bees. They use the upper deep as the pantry or food chamber, where they store most of the honey and pollen for their use. If you live in an area where frigid winters just don’t happen (temperatures don’t go below freezing), you may not need more than one deep hive body for your colony (one deep for both the brood and their food). In such situations, you want to monitor the colony’s food stores and feed the bees if their supplies run low. Honey super Beekeepers use honey supers to collect surplus honey. That’s your honey — the honey that you can harvest from your bees. The honey that’s in the deep hive body must be left for the bees. Supers are identical in design to the deep hive bodies, and you build and assemble them in a similar manner. But the depth of the supers is more shallow. Honey supers typically come in two popular sizes: shallow (which usually measure 5 3/4 inches high) and medium (which usually measure 6 5/8 inches high). Medium supers are sometimes referred to as Illinois supers because they were originally developed by Dadant & Sons, Inc., which is located in Illinois. Some prefer medium supers to shallow supers and use mediums exclusively. Why? The mediums hold more honey and yet are still light enough that you can handle them fairly easily when packed with golden goodness (medium supers weigh in at around 50 to 55 pounds when packed full). However, many beekeepers use shallow supers because they’re just that much lighter when filled with honey (they weigh around 35 to 40 pounds when packed full). The choice is yours. You can use medium-size equipment for your entire Langstroth hive (no deeps). Three medium-depth hive bodies is about equivalent to two deep hive bodies. Standardizing on one size means that all your equipment is 100 percent interchangeable. The lighter weight of each medium hive body makes lifting much, much easier than manipulating deep hive equipment (in comparison, deep hive bodies can weigh up to 100 pounds when full). As the bees collect more honey, you can add more honey supers to the hive, stacking them on top of each other like so many stories to a skyscraper. For your first season, build one honey super. In your second year, you’ll likely need to build two or three or more supers. Honey bonanza! Frames Some hives use removable frames (for example, nuc, observation, British National, and Langstroth). The bees build their honeycomb onto the frames. Because the frames are removable from the hive, you can easily inspect, manipulate, and manage the colony. For the nuc, observation, and Langstroth hives, the wooden frames contain a single sheet of beeswax foundation. Frames typically come in three basic sizes: deep, shallow, and medium, corresponding to deep hive bodies and shallow or medium honey supers. You can certainly purchase frames from a beekeeping supply vendor. Or you can find out how to build your own Langstroth-style frames. Inner cover The inner cover of the hive resembles a shallow tray (with a ventilation hole in the center). You might also like to cut a notch in one of the short lengths of the frame. This is an extra ventilation source, positioned to the front of the hive. You place the inner cover on the hive with the tray side facing up. Alternatively, screened inner covers have been gaining popularity in recent years. They provide the colony with terrific ventilation. You do not use the inner cover at the same time you have a hive-top feeder on the hive. You use the hive-top feeder in place of the inner cover. Outer cover The outer cover protects the bees from the elements. Like the roof on your house, you can ensure that it’s waterproof and also extend the life of the wood by covering the top with a weatherproof material (aluminum flashing, asphalt tiles, cedar shingles, and so on).

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