About the Author

Patrice Lewis

Patrice Lewis is a wife, mother, homesteader, homeschooler, author, blogger, columnist, and speaker. An advocate of simple living and self-sufficiency, she has practiced and written about self-reliance and preparedness for almost 30 years. She is experienced in homestead animal husbandry and small-scale dairy production, food preservation and canning, country relocation, home-based businesses, homeschooling, personal money management, and food self-sufficiency. Follow her website patricelewis.com or blog rural-revolution.com.
Read More

Articles by Patrice Lewis

Oviducts and Salpingitis
October 4, 2021 · · Feed & Health

Chickens are the original egg assembly factories. Inside those fluffy bodies are conveyer belts where eggs are “built” through assembly-line techniques.

Read More
How Permaculture Chickens Improve Sustainability
September 20, 2021 · · Feed & Health

Chickens are one of the most versatile livestock for the small farmer, lending themselves to nearly any venture, from backyard to commercial. They also play a unique role in the exciting world of permaculture.

Read More
Closed-Loop Farming
August 23, 2021 · · Chickens 101

The nationwide lockdowns in response to the pandemic — and the resulting interruptions in the supply chain — have highlighted the vulnerability of our food sources for many Americans. As a result, interest in homesteading has never been higher.

Read More
Covid Coops: Making Lemonade out of Lemons
June 22, 2021 · · Coops

When Drake Clifton of Cleburne, Texas, lost his job early in 2020 due to COVID-19 shutdowns, it was a mixed blessing at best. “I was stuck in an office going nowhere working a dead-end job for a company I didn’t care for, drafting 3-D blueprints of commercial plumbing systems,” he says.

Read More
Chickens and Compost: A Match Made in Heaven
May 6, 2021 · · Feed & Health

While compost piles are not a critical element for healthy hens, it is certainly a match made in heaven. It’s not just the extra protein the birds get from their foraging.

Read More
Rookie Chicken Mistakes
March 18, 2021 · · Chickens 101

A lot of new chicken owners are learning as they go. How can you do best by your new feathered friends? Avoid these rookie chicken mistakes,

Read More
Rooster vs. Hen: Know Before They Crow
February 5, 2021 · · Chickens 101

How do you tell apart a baby rooster vs baby hen? Several methods can determine rooster vs hen traits (including some which are breed-specific).

Read More