If you own livestock, you already know how important it is to take care of them for their own health and well-being. And not just for that, but also to maintain productivity whatever you might be doing with them. As it concerns renewable resources that we get from our animals, there is a growing clamor … Read more
Everyone knows that bees make honey. And although they don’t make it for us, they’re so good at it they’ll typically have quite a surplus on hand, a surplus that a beekeeper can harvest responsibly without hurting the bees. This golden treasure has been relished since antiquity, and remains ubiquitously popular around the world today. … Read more
I don’t know about you, but I can honestly say that every single animal that I own has to have a name. It just seems right. This certainly counts for my chickens. Also, there’s a very practical purpose for it because it will make referring to your chickens in conversation or in documentation far more … Read more
Most people know that geese, while not strict herbivores, live on a diet that is predominantly plant matter. But what most people don’t know is that geese can actually eat fruit, including many of the same fruits that people eat. This can definitely make things simple if you own geese and want to give them … Read more
Everyone knows that goats are eating machines, right? Well, not exactly. Goats do have big appetites, but as any long-time owner will tell you they can be pretty finicky when it comes to their diet. Goats are not grazers like sheep or cows. Goats are browsers, and that means they like to eat a little … Read more
Chickens, like most birds, eat seeds. It only makes sense. But sometimes what makes the most sense to us doesn’t always hold up under scrutiny. Take sunflower seeds for instance. They are enjoyed as a portable, tasty, and somewhat messy snack around the entire world, and you might instinctively think that chickens could eat them … Read more
You don’t have to look very closely at a bee to see that they are some hairy little creatures. They are covered, quite literally, from head to tail in fine, fuzzy hair. They even have hair growing on their eyes! Of course, this hair isn’t merely for decoration: this is special hair, and is designed … Read more
Most animals, or at least most mammals, have significant physical differences between the sexes. It’s easy to spot the udder on a female cow, and the sexual organs on males. Most males are also significantly bigger and heavier than their female counterparts. Sometimes males have radically different colors, as is the case with many birds… … Read more
There are all kinds of things that chickens can eat that you just wouldn’t expect. From dairy products to chicken eggs, chickens don’t seem too picky concerning where their next meal comes from! But how about something really weird, something like kelp? Can chickens eat kelp? Yes, chickens may eat kelp and it is highly … Read more
If you own goats, you know that they are usually keen to try the food of other animals on your farm or homestead. Things like chicken feed and dog food, however, are bad for them since this food contains meat. However, horses are also herbivores just like goats, and their feed does not contain any … Read more
Geese tend to be herbivores out in the wild, living primarily on a diet of plant matter. This includes grass, their staple food, along with leaves, shoots, seeds and other things. It makes you wonder just what all plants are safe for geese to eat, or what parts of these plants. Now that I think … Read more
One of the most fascinating, interesting, and useful skills you can take up is beekeeping. Lots of folks engage in the practice for the honey, either for themselves or to sell, but others do it specifically with the purpose of breeding bees or renting out their bees as a pollination service. There’s a surprising amount … Read more
Lambsquarters is a common weed that is often found growing in gardens and fields. The plant is easy to identify by its distinctively shaped leaves, which are divided into three parts and have a blue-green color. Lambsquarters are actually a type of goosefoot, and they are related to quinoa and spinach. But, like so many … Read more
Pretty much every gardener knows that the plants in your garden need potassium among all the other nutrients you have to give them. Nitrogen is critical and phosphorus is as always important, but it is potassium, more often than not, that is imperative to good health across all the different species you might have. For … Read more
Cilantro is a fascinating and highly divisive herb. Some people love it for the crisp, fresh note that it brings to foods, but other people swear that it tastes like soap or worse! But the haters can’t help it, and it turns out this hatred of cilantro is actually genetic. Regardless of which side of … Read more
Left of their own devices, chickens will graze and nibble on all sorts of plants, including ornamental plans that we would prefer they leave alone. Plenty of chicken owners have come out to check on their birds only to discover they have massacred their favorite perennials. How about roses, can chickens eat roses? Yes, chickens … Read more