Everything you need to know about raising a wide variety of livestock on your homestead: chickens, guinea fowls, goats, cows, horses, sheep, and many more.
Plus, how to tackle all of the issues that may arise. From predators, to dealing with a pregnant animal, nothing is left out. Whether you’re beginner or more advanced, you’re definitely going to find a lot of new information here that you can apply.
Buying ducks can be an exciting, rewarding, and fun experience. But, keeping ducks might just not be for everyone. While duck keeping may involve a bit more space than keeping chickens, these egg and poultry birds can be kept not just on large rural homesteads but in small town backyard, suburbia, and sometimes even by … Read more Should You Really Get Ducks?
Every now and then, there are things that happen with my chickens that just make me shake my head in disbelief. From hens that suddenly start crowing to chickens that all of a sudden start laying their eggs in strange places, these fun backyard companions can sometimes be a bit of a mystery. One such … Read more What’s That Lump On My Chicken’s Chest? Does It Have A Tumor?
I commented to my husband the other day that it seemed like we had an awful lot of birds hanging round the farm this year. From cardinals to starlings, mourning doves to crows, we’ve had no shortage of feathered friends flitting about the place! The bluebirds, though, are some of the most remarkable to behold. … Read more Attracting Bluebirds To Your Garden for Natural Pest Control
Ducks must have access to water at all times, both for drinking purposes and to swim in. The members of your duck flock will need access to swimming water even in the chilly weeks of January and February. Keeping the water from freezing when the temperature dips below 32 degrees F (0 C) is far … Read more How to Keep a Duck Pond or Pool Water From Freezing in the Winter
So, you want delicious, naturally raised, farm fresh eggs on your homestead but cannot decide which is better to raise – ducks or chickens. That question is becoming pondered more and more, as duck keeping (for eggs and not just as cute farm pets), is becoming more popular. If you live in a rural area, … Read more Raising Ducks vs Raising Chickens – Which One Is Right for You?
Making the decision to officially become a goat farmer is an exciting moment for many homesteaders. A few seconds later reality sets in, and you have to actually get to work figuring out how to actually buy and raise the goat herd. Keeping goats, be they dairy, meat, fiber, or brush clearers is not rocket … Read more How to Raise Happy Goats
Pigs, or hogs as we call them in my neck of the woods, are omnivores. The traditional farming and homesteading type of livestock are incredibly biologically similar to people and can eat nearly anything recommended for a healthy human diet. Hogs are largely “opportunistic” eaters. The bulk of a pig’s diet is based on what … Read more 150 Things Pigs Can Eat and 43 They Shouldn’t
Wondering what histoplasmosis is – and whether you can get it from your chickens, an incredibly dangerous fungal disease? Yes, you can catch histoplasmosis, and not just from your chickens, but fron other birds as well. On the homestead, you can typically catch it as you clean out the poop by stiring up the funal … Read more Can I Get Histoplasmosis From My Chickens?
Training your chickens to come when you call them might sound impossible, but it really is not that difficult at all. Not only is this homesteading task one of the easier ones you may ever learn how to do, it is an important one, as well. Teaching your chicken flock to come when you call … Read more 3 Ways to Train Chickens to Come When You Call Them
Goat fencing is the only downside to keeping goats – and it can be a huge one, fellow homesteaders. I thought I armed myself with enough knowledge to prepare myself for the escape artist antics of goats, but I was oh so wrong. Doing your due diligence when getting ready to keep goats will definitely … Read more Goat Fencing – Everything You Need to Know
Getting new chicks – especially if it is your first time, is quite exciting. But, if you fail to set up the brooder and start the little flock members properly, tragedy can strike. While there is no need to purchase an expensive commercially manufactured brooder, the habitat must conform to the basic needs of the … Read more How to Set Up a Brooder for Your Chicks
Keeping animals on the homestead reduces the family’s grocery store expenses, infuses more healthy whole food into the diet, and is often quite a joy. However feed storage is often an imposing obstacle that must be dealt with properly. If animal feed is not stored in a manner that prevents spoilage and rodent infestations you … Read more Storing Animal Feed to Prevent Spoilage and Pests
The coop is supposed to be a safe and healthy place for your chickens to live. In order for them to be healthy you need to allow for ventilation. With a poorly ventilated coop, your chickens can develop respiratory problems. Without proper ventilation the ammonia from the chicken droppings will accumulate and cause breathing problems … Read more Chicken Coop Ventilation and Why It’s Critical
An assassin bug infestation is no laughing matter. If you’ve ever dealt with these pests before, you know how frustrating it can be to have them on your property. Although some types of assassin bugs are completely harmless to humans and would rather spend their entire life cycles outside in your garden, munching on garden … Read more How to Control and Get Rid of Kissing (Assassin) Bugs
Chickens do not like to be dirty birds – they love dirt, and hate water. It is just that simple, fellow homesteaders. If you have ever had to give a chicken a bath – or a wash off a chick with the dreaded “pasty butt,” you know exactly what I’m talking about. To keep themselves … Read more 22 DIY Chicken Dust Bath Ideas for Your Girls
Growing your own duck food may not only save you an enormous amount of money over time, but will also provide both a sustainable and more natural diet for your meat and egg birds. It is possible to do away with store-bought commercial feed entirely if you cultivate aquatic and ground food plots for your … Read more How to Grow Your Own Duck Feed