Starting a homestead is thrilling but full of surprises. As new homesteaders, we made plenty of beginner homesteading mistakes that cost us time, money, and sanity. From power outages to an out-of-control flock, here are 6 Beginner Mistakes that we made—plus tips to help you avoid them. Let’s dive in and set your homestead up for success- here are 6 homesteading mistakes to avoid!

1. Backup Power Mistakes for Homestead Incubators

Hatching season often meets storm season. We lost power twice with 60 eggs—worth hundreds of dollars—in our BRAND NEW Brinsea Oviation Incubator. We scrambled, running the incubator off our car’s battery until friends loaned us a generator.

Tip: Invest in a reliable backup power source like a solar generator.

2. Falling for Chicken Math

Chicken math is real! Friends gave us four hens, a rooster, an incubator, and 12 eggs. A trip to Tractor Supply led to six Barred Rock chicks. Then, we “needed” three ducks. Nine eggs hatched, including two ducklings, and a friend gifted us another duck. In two weeks, we had 24 birds!

Tip: Plan your flock to avoid chicken math chaos, but know that it’s going to happen anyway.

3. Underestimating Homestead Project Timelines

We thought a new 16×16 lean-to coop would take a weekend. Wrong—it took that long to build the floor frame, thanks to delays sourcing and rookie mistakes. We ended up buying a metal shed as a temporary solution

Tip: Double your time estimates. Use our [internal link: Homestead Project Tracker] to stay organized.

4. Not Tracking Homestead Projects

Juggling coops, gardens, and fences without a system led to forgotten tasks. We wasted time restarting projects like [affiliate link: fencing from True Value].

Tip: Track progress with our [internal link: Homestead Project Tracker] to stay on top of tasks.

5. Wasting Good Weather Days

We skipped fence repairs during sunny days, only to work in mud when storms hit.

Tip: Seize clear days for outdoor tasks. Check forecasts with [affiliate link: AccuWeather app].

6. Underestimating Garden Size Needs

Our small garden didn’t feed us for long. We underestimated our needs for fresh and preserved food.

Tip: Plan with our

Get Started Right

Avoid these beginner homesteading mistakes with our free [internal link: Beginner Homesteader Toolkit], including spreadsheets for flock, project, and garden planning. Share your homesteading mistakes in the comments