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.
Most homesteaders choose to keep chickens as part of an effort to put quality, humanely raised, and incredibly inexpensive food on the table. Whether you are raising chickens (and other poultry birds) for their meat and eggs or solely for the eggs, doing so as cheaply as possible helps the birds pay for themselves over … Read more
Adding to your poultry bird flock during the twice annual chick days event – or any time, is always an exciting event. So exciting in fact, some folks enter “chicken addiction” mode, and forget to carefully look over each baby bird before agreeing to purchase. Even those rare folks who can resist the urge to … Read more
Rabbits have incredibly simple dietary needs. Most rabbits are, sadly, kept in hutches off the ground and never get the chance to touch grass when they are commercially raised. Homesteaders can (and should) go an entirely different and more healthy route with their meat rabbits allowing the animals to feed far more naturally, and costing … Read more
Pygora goats are a relatively new addition to the fiber goat industry. They were developed in the United States during the 1980s – and became hugely popular with keepers both large and small. These miniature goats are one of the smallest of all 300 or so goat breeds on the planet and are the smallest … Read more
Keeping your flock both happy and healthy begins and ends with coop setup and maintenance. Even if you free-range your poultry birds daily like I do, the attributes of the coop still play a significant role in the overall demeanor and wellness. You will need to provide not just the basics (food, water, and bedding), … Read more
Have you ever heard of Kinder goats? Most folks have not, and that is a true shame. This small dual purpose goat breed has a lot to offer self-reliant families on homesteads both large and small. Kinder goats are a miniature to small size type of goat that not only makes an excellent “farm pet” … Read more
You have fed and raised a hog all spring, summer, and into the fall. It is now time to bring home the bacon. You got the pig to your ideal size to get the most out of it, I like ours to be right around 300 pounds, but go with your preference. A good butcherer … Read more
Pygmy goats are a miniature breed that is closely related to the Nigerian Dwarf goat. In fact, when this small stature meat goat arrived in the United States, it took quite a while for zookeepers to realize they actually possessed a herd comprised of two distinct breeds instead of just one. This miniature goat breed … Read more
Sheep are a very self-sufficient type of livestock to have on the homestead, and, like goats, they are excellent browsers. Even though sheep can eat a wide variety of hay, grass, and human food, there are some types of natural and man-made items that consuming can provoke a severe health issue – or even death. … Read more
Roosters are a necessary evil on the homestead. Yes, I am classifying them as evil – I wouldn’t have a few months ago, but this last rowdy row was sentenced to the freezer early because I had simply had enough of his attacks on, well… every person and critter who walked within 40 feet of … Read more
Nigerian dwarf goats are an ideal livestock to keep on homesteads both large and small. A small stature or “mini goat” of this type can even be kept on a suburban homestead, using a dog box as a shelter and the fenced in backyard as its home. Simply because Nigerian dwarf goats are easy keepers … Read more
If you’re considering getting your very own flock of chickens, you’re not alone. Millions of Americans keep chickens these days; you can find them on homesteads as well as in the backyards of suburban America as well. One of the best reasons to keep chickens is for the fresh eggs that they produce. There is … Read more
If you are interested in raising chickens, you likely have made this decision because chickens are one of the easiest kinds of livestock you can raise. While there’s not much you need to do in order to help them thrive, it is possible for your backyard flock to be infected with one of many different … Read more
Getting farm fresh eggs to scramble, bake, or cook with is just one of the many joys that come from keeping a flock of chickens or ducks. But, when and how you both collect and store eggs plays a massive role in their longevity. How Often Should You Collect Chicken Eggs? Collecting chickens eggs should … 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. The short answer is yes – chickens and ducks can live together. Usually. How … 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