Want to raise animals on your homestead for eggs, meat, profit, or companionship? This is your ultimate resource for raising homestead animals; chickens, ducks, horses, cattle – we love them all.
Anyone who keeps chickens will know that they can be very individual characters. What works for one of your girls won’t necessarily work for another. Trying to break a broody hen is one of those occasions when their quirks and…
When I first considered raising hens on my backyard hobby farm, one benefit rose quickly to the forefront – no more wasting food! Two of my three kids are champion food wasters. Well, the chickens will eat it, soon became a…
As a homesteader or small farm owner, you have many good reasons to purchase a cow. Not only can you save money by producing your milk and beef, but the quality of both of these will likely be much better…
A few years ago, after many failed attempts, one of our hens finally managed to hatch a clutch of six chicks. Soon afterward, my delight turned to despair – four of the six were roosters! As our cute fluffy chicks matured into…
If someone asked you, what do cows eat? Your reaction would probably be to sneer and say, well, grass, of course! Everyone knows cows eat grass, but farmers and homesteaders raising cattle for meat, milk, or both know that a cow’s diet is more…
Many new chicken owners take on a small flock of hens, thinking that chicken-keeping is a doddle. But then realize that their newly-introduced poultry is much pickier than they thought! That’s because chickens need a few home comforts to keep…
For many years, I only fed my chickens whole or cracked corn. I hoped they were getting all the nutrients needed from the bugs, seeds, fruit, and the surrounding pasture. After a while, however, I noticed my chickens were hardly…
Chicken meat is a healthy and classic family (and farm) staple! But rooster meat has a reputation for being inedible, chewy, bland, and not worth eating. Is that true? Can you eat a rooster? Or not? The confusion between chicken…
Are you thinking about raising a feeder pig (or two – or twelve!) on your farm? If so, you’ll need to know a few feeder pig tips to maximize your luck. And no, a feeder pig isn’t just a pig…
Having spent most of my life in the city, I learned on the fly when I moved to my homestead. I managed well with a few horses and a couple of chickens, but I was shockingly unprepared for bottle feeding…
As the days lengthen and temperatures rise with the summer weather, oodles of critters emerge to pester ranchers and their horses. Some of the first pests your horses will notice – are flies. I don’t have to tell you that…
Along with the fruits and vegetables you raise in your garden, you also raise livestock that depends upon you for a safe environment. If you love chickens, in particular, you will need to find the best protective shelter for them…
How can you tell if your duck eggs are fertile? Consider the following advice from our Indian runner ducks! Let me explain. Our Indian runner ducks are laying once again! But, they have a somewhat haphazard approach to egg production….
Goats eat everything! Right? Well, my herd of Dwarf Nigerian cross Boer goats doesn’t. Offer them organic lettuce fresh from the garden, and they’ll turn their collective noses up at it. Offer them fresh oat hay, and they won’t even…
Struggling to find the best funny chicken names? Let us help you out with this list of the 313+ cute and funny chicken names! From people’s names to chicken-themed twists on famous names, there are quite a few names to…