Animals

When it comes to worming livestock, there are many different ways to do it. Some folks choose to use chemical-based wormers, while others choose to use natural methods. In the old days, there were only a few ways to worm livestock, and most of them involved chemicals. But today there are several natural methods that … Read more

Bison is one of the largest and most impressive mammals in North America. Iconic, majestic, and traveling the countryside in immense herds, these shaggy bovines are making a big comeback since their numbers were depleted to near extinction by overhunting. In fact, the American bison is one of several reasons why many tourists throng to … Read more

Cats are cute, clever, and very adventurous. They also happen to be apex predators in their size category wherever they are found, and feral cats or indoor cats that are allowed to roam without any restrictions are single-handedly responsible for decimating entire populations of birds, rodents, and insects. Naturally, you would want to keep unknown … Read more

I’m going to let you in on a little secret, I’ve got a serious phobia of sorts revolving around birds. I can handle little ones – parrots, for example – but larger birds make me nervous. This makes emus a bit of a weird wild card. Yes, their sheer size makes me nervous, but the … Read more

Bumblefoot is a common ailment in chickens and ducks. If you’re not familiar with it, don’t worry – here’s a quick overview of what it is and how to treat it. Keep reading for information on how to prevent bumblefoot from occurring in the first place! What is Bumblefoot? Bumblefoot, also known as pododermatitis, is … Read more

Both goats and cows are popular features on many homesteads across the globe. Bred for meat and dairy, both have value. But if you’re trying to pick one, which one is right for you? Should you raise goats or should you raise cows? While goats take up less space, they are much harder to contain … Read more

Mention raising animals for profit to anyone, and I’m sure that the first animal that they suggest will be chickens. This is because chickens are perhaps the easiest livestock to care for and make money from – and with so many people jumping on the backyard chicken bandwagon, it’s no surprise that chickens are at … Read more

There’s nothing I love more than letting my dog run around outside during the summer. Granted, he can run around any time of the year, but he likes the summer the most. In fact, I don’t think there’s anything that dog loves more than jumping off the deck and rolling around in fresh grass and … Read more

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

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

Chickens and ducks are both poultry birds and are often of nearly equal size. Since they typically eat the same feed and treats, many homesteaders have wondered if both types of birds can live together in the same coop and run. Yes, chickens and ducks can usually live together. How early the poultry birds begin … Read more

When you raise your own chickens or ducks to provide eggs for the homestead, there is no carton expiration date to rely on to determine freshness. Sell by or best by dates are a guide to help us to determine freshness, but not necessarily when the egg has gone bad. Rotten eggs have a distinctive … Read more

Guineas may lay small eggs and not boast an especially tasty flavor, but these little poultry birds still bring copious amounts of value to a homestead. Keeping guineas on your land will help protect your meat and eggs birds and rid the area of destructive bugs… and snakes. A guinea has just one job on … Read more

Whether you’ve purchased a cow hide, or if you finished tanning one yourself (and hopefully applied a protective solution on it), what are you going to do with it? Your options are limited only by your creative imagination and your skillset. You can make belts, purses, moccasins, saddle bags, like I said, the options nearly … Read more

Tanning hides using traditional and more natural methods is almost always less expensive and does not really add any extra time or work to the project. Hide tanning is a process that requires extensive manual labor and lots of patience. There just are not any true shortcuts, regardless of what type of method you use, … Read more

Homesteading life is full of all kinds of joy, hard work – and accidents. Agriculture accidents can be gruesomely deadly. The majority of livestock related injuries are caused by three things – lack of experience, tiredness, and over confidence. Most homesteads, especially those with farm machinery and large livestock, are in rural areas. While I … Read more