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.
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Articles by Patrice Lewis

Is Chicken Rental a Trend or Viable Business?
July 26, 2022 · · Chickens 101

Chicken rental programs allow you to “try before you buy.” Is it just a trend? Or a brilliant way to avoid neglected and abandoned hens?

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Sudden Death in Chickens
June 29, 2022 · · Feed & Health, Members Only

There’s nothing more horrifying than having your seemingly healthy chickens suddenly die with no warning. How can sudden death be prevented?

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Summer Pests in Chickens
June 29, 2022 · · Feed & Health, Members Only

Some of the most dangerous enemies of chickens aren’t predators. Here are some summer pests you should know about and what to do about them.

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Rooster vs. Hen: Know Before They Crow
May 5, 2022 · · 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).

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Chicken Planning
December 1, 2021 · · Coops

We’ve raised chickens for decades, but this is the first time we’ll have a chance to build infrastructure from the ground up and avoid repeating past mistakes. Our goal is to maximize what chickens can do for us above and beyond eggs.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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