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Wilderstead

Homesteading In The Canadian Wilderness

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Month: April 2016

  • Home
  • 2016
  • Apr

To be off-grid

Dave & Amanda


Welcome! You’ve reached Dave and Amanda’s website documenting our lives while we develop our 16 acre property in northern Ontario, aptly named Wilderstead, with the goal of becoming self-sufficient.

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Wilderstead posted a video to playlist WILDERSTEAD Season 3.

1 hour ago

Wilderstead

Keeping chickens in the north presents some unique challenges. Predators and the extreme temperature fluctuations from season to season are two things to consider in a northern chicken coop.

Our videos come out on YouTube first, then later on Facebook and Instagram TV!

Predators in the area that should be taken into consideration with your backyard chicken coop include weasles and wolves. If you are considering backyard chickens in a northern climate, here are some do's and don'ts from our experience in both Manitoba and northern Ontario, Canada raising both egg layers and chickens for meat production.

We keep backyard chickens on our wilderness homestead year round in northern Ontario. This presents some unique challenges including large apex predators as well as extreme cold conditions. Our coop was built mainly out of reclaimed lumber from an old cabin that once stood on the property.

We have two forms of predator here that are of concern - airborn predators such as owls, hawks and eagles. And land based predators such as wolves, bears and cougars. Both the coop and run are predator proof. We prefer to take a proactive approach to dealing with predators as opposed to a reactive approach. This has worked well for us over the years as we've never had to dispatch a predator here.

Our backyard chicken coop is not heated. The only electricity we run to the coop in the winter is for a small heated waterer, so the birds have access to fresh water 24/7. Our temperatures often dip down to the -20s and -30s for extended periods of time. The birds are allowed to hang outside each day, if they choose to. In the morning, we open the door to the run, in the evening we close it back up. The chicken coop itself is well ventilated, which is key in keeping happy, healthy chickens over the winter months. It's not the cold that kills, it's the moisture.

#wilderstead

Subscribe to our channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UC89MnEvxBa9IHGy7Mf68mCQ

Website: www.dansbois.ca
Facebook: Wilderstead
Instagram: www.instagram.com/wilderstead/
Pinterest: www.pinterest.ca/dansbois/
Email: dnabc27@gmail.com
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wilderstead

Tiny home
16 acres
Homesteading
Bushcraft
Going Offgrid
Northern Ontario
Watch it happen here:

Wilderstead
Instagram post 17867775140221091 So exciting! We used a random comment selection process and we have a winner of the #giveaway ! Drum roll 🥁 🥁🥁 @melaniemccaig you are the winner! Message us so we can get your shipping details! thanks everyone for entering and sharing!!!
Instagram post 17877324476105265 The #goats sure appreciate it when Dave plows! Thanks Dave! 

#wilderstead #waititswinter
Instagram post 17866880816288192 Happy New Year, it’s #giveaway TIME! 
We have teamed up with an artist and small businesses to bring you a great prize to start off 2021. We have a 2021 calendar from @zac_d_wildlife a mushroom foraging bag from @go_seweco  and of course Wilderstead maple syrup and one of our Wilderstead totes made by @zbtfd 

All you have to do is comment below with the names of all 4 of our goats from our tribe to enter! Check out our latest video (link to our YouTube channel in page in bio) if you are unsure. 

Share with your friends to get more people in on the fun! If we get over 100 shares we will add a bag of our Wilderstead chaga to the prize pack! 

The contest is happening across all of our social media accounts (FB, IG &YT) so be sure to comment everywhere for extra chances to win!

*Open to Canadian and USA residents* Contest ends January 10, 2021.
Instagram post 17866400360291274 Just a few more days until we start planting for the 2021 growing season!  Very excited.  Starting by thawing out the roof on the greenhouse with a toasty fire in the wood stove to let more sunshine inside. 

#mygreenhouse #4seasons #grow #growyourown #hrowyourownfood #growyourownmedicine #growyourownveggies #northernontario #northernlife #greenhouse #woodheat #woodstove #selfreliance
Instagram post 17858062532354727 Not going to let a broken oven keep me down! Slow cooker #bread with Parmesan cheese, herbs, and dehydrated cherry tomatoes 🍅 from our garden. Yummm! 

#baking #noovennoproblem #wilderstead
Instagram post 18091568203213276 Great timing oven! Right when we start roasting our meat for the #tortiere ! I am not mad, just disappointed.  Clean the snow off the BBQ! 🍖 

#ovenproblems #dinnerfail #snowybbq #wilderstead
Instagram post 17900004880643082 Still not the biggest fans of the #snow, but I still try to get in some #goat time with them outside on the #wilderstead 

#northernontario #goatsofinstagram  #goatlife
Instagram post 17905454995612074 Who needs #dogtoys  when you have power bars? 🤣😂 maybe she was feeling low on energy? (Don’t worry it isn’t plugged in) 

#dogsofinstagram #funnydog #powerfuldogs #wilderstead
Instagram post 18136275886139316 It’s the eve of the Winter Solstice.  For the northern half of our little floating sphere, tomorrow means our days will start to get a little longer, a little brighter. 

#winter #wintersolstice #wintersolstice2020 #betterdaysahead #enjoylife #enjoythelittlethings #getoutside #getoutsideandplay #algomacountry @sault.ste.marie @algomacountry @ontariotravel
Instagram post 17887997989812560 When you are asked to make a #trout #pillow as a bit of a joke but you can’t do anything half way. 😂

This started as some old white fabric, thread, two buttons, and some fabric dye. The hardest part was giving it away. #wilderstead #makersgonnamake #makersofinstagram #makersmovement
Instagram post 17866624457189845 This fall is baffling me!  It’s December 10th and there still isn’t snow on the ground in Algoma, northern Ontario.  We should be buried under a couple feet of the white stuff by now.  And here I am find patches of yellow foot chanterelles popping up in a corner of our property.  This is normally the time of year that we’d be out hiking in snowshoes searching for chaga.  Might have to toss some of these little chanterelles into the frying pan with dinner tonight. 😋 

#foraging #winterforaging #yellowfootchanterelles #chanterelles #winterchanterelles #algoma #algomacountry #getoutside #wildmushrooms #naturelovers
Instagram post 17877753967986174 I would have laughed if you asked me a month ago if I would still be harvesting from the garden late November. Fish 🌮 tonight! 

Fish Tacos With Cumin Kale Salad - Taco Tuesday https://youtu.be/a8Gl8TEWp60
Instagram post 17996015134306886 We had a visitor at the #wilderstead ! Now to set up the trail cam 📸 to catch the #moose in the act. 👀

#northernontario
Instagram post 17894190268711941 It’s a dog’s life...chillin in front of a toasty wood stove while the mouthwatering venison meatballs sear and sizzle on top.  Winter is close.

#doglife #woodstovecooking #venisonfordinner #wilderstead
Instagram post 17857305230320920 When we started our YouTube channel a few years ago, we were mainly documenting our wacky journey as sort of a digital journal.  Since then, 15,000 folks have decided to follow along with us.  I’m blown away by that.  Thanks to all of you who tune in!!

#wilderstead #youtuber #youtube #homesteading #contentcreator #selfreliance #learning #lovewhatyoudo
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Recent Posts

  • Cowboy Candy | Candied Jalapenos To Warm The Soul
  • Trees Are Tapped – The Sap Be Flowin | 2020 Maple Syrup Season Has Begun | Our Dog Directed This One
  • Solar Power In Our Greenhouse | An Off Grid Winter Garden Greenhouse in Canada For Year Round Food
  • How We Built Our Northern Chicken Coop & Using The Deep Litter Compost Method
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Categories

  • Adventures
  • Baking
  • Birds
  • Blog
  • Candy
  • Canned Goods
  • Country Vs City
  • DIY/Hacks
  • Fishing
  • Foraging
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  • Homesteader Must Haves
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  • Off-Grid Energy
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Recent Post

  • Cowboy Candy | Candied Jalapenos To Warm The Soul
  • Trees Are Tapped – The Sap Be Flowin | 2020 Maple Syrup Season Has Begun | Our Dog Directed This One
  • Solar Power In Our Greenhouse | An Off Grid Winter Garden Greenhouse in Canada For Year Round Food
  • How We Built Our Northern Chicken Coop & Using The Deep Litter Compost Method
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