animals Archives - Homesteader DepotHomesteader Depot

What is a Homestead Dog?

Dogs are great companions. Homestead dogs are more than that. They serve many functions around the farm, from taking care of predators to herding your cows. A homestead dog really does do it all and then some. Once you have one, you’ll wonder why you didn’t get a homestead dog sooner. In fact, the only better than one homestead dog is two of them. The more help that you have around the farm, the better, right? Choose the Right Breed It all starts with picking the right breed. A homestead dog can be a rescue mutt. After all, it all […]

7 Incredible Benefits to Having Cats Around Your Homestead

Do you have cats in your barn? You should. Cats are cute and fuzzy. They get along with many other types of animals (except for the ones that they prey on, of course) and are extremely independent. If you haven’t considered adding a few rescue cats to your barn, then you definitely should. Here are seven benefits to having them around. 1) They Make Great Companions According to some historians, early cats domesticated themselves. Why? Because they figured out that humans would take care of them. They’ve been great companions ever since. Yes, cats don’t come when they’re called and […]

Urban Homesteading Alternatives

You don’t need to live on a farm or even in the country in order to be a homesteader. In fact, even people who reside in the suburbs or even the city can homestead in their own ways. Homesteading generally means using the land to provide for yourself and your family in one way or another. You can get a little creative with this and find ways to make it work no matter where you live, even if all that you have is a small apartment. Here are some great suggestions that you can utilize. Build off of them and […]

5 Critical Tips for Proper Pet Care

Pets are awesome. There’s no other way to say it. As long as you care for them properly, they’ll show you nothing but love. This doesn’t mean that you need to spoil your pets, showering them with food, treats, and toys. Yes, you can do that, but your pets will appreciate you much more if you care for them in these five ways. 1) Spend Some Time Exercising With Your Pets Your pets want to spend as much time with you as possible. This involves playing and exercising with them. Depending on the type of pet that you […]

What Does “Free Range” Really Mean?

With an increase in animal rights and animal cruelty awareness, the words “free range” has become a more common sight on packaging at the grocery store. It labels animal products from animals that are farmed in a way that gives them access to outdoor spaces and free access to grazing for food. However, since there are no government regulations for the term “free range, ” the images you may have in your mind of wide open chicken yards and pastures dotted with happy cows communing with nature may not be exactly what is happening. So, what does the term […]

Clipping Chicken’s Wings, The Easy, Painless Way (Video)

It’s a common myth that chickens can’t fly, in reality, they certainly can. In the wild, chickens are able to fly short distances, enough to get them over fences or up into trees. If you’ve got free range chickens or chickens contained by a fence, you probably don’t want them to be practicing their hereditary skill of flying. So how can you keep them grounded, without hurting them or causing you both stress? This video from Raising Happy Chickens shares a simple, painless way to clip chickens wings to keep them around. Enjoy! If you enjoyed this, you might also […]

Making Chicken Feed: Pros and Cons (Video)

As with all things DIY, I’ve always assumed that making your own chicken feed would be healthier, and more affordable. However, I’ve been reading that while that can be true, it’s not always the case. These homesteaders and YouTubers have been making their own chicken feed, and received a lot of questions about how to do it and how it’s been working out, so they made this video in response. They break down the pros and cons of the method they’re using, how they store it, how they’re chickens like it, and the ingredients of their feed. It seems to […]

4 Things to Know About Goats Before You Get Them

Goats are fantastic homestead animals, and we write about that all the time on this site. They can produce excellent milk, help you clear brush, grass, and shrubs, and can even been great companions. But you might have some misconceptions about goats you’re not aware of, so we thought we’d share four things you might not realize about goats. Before you purchase any, you should definitely be aware of these things, so you are not surprised when it’s not exactly like you thought! 1. Cream doesn’t separate While the cream in cow’s milk naturally separates, providing you with more than […]

3 Ways to Get Rid of Moles Without Killing Them

Moles can be a destructive force in your garden. They burrow through the root zone of plants, and eat earthworms you depend on for healthy soil. But they are cute little things too, so if you can keep them out of your garden without having to kill them, it’s worth a shot. Here are 3 ways to get rid of moles that don’t involve killing them. Vibrations Moles are incredibly sensitive to the vibrations made by insects and worms in the ground. This is how they find their food. This sensitivity can be used against them. There are […]

Tips for Raising Goats

Homesteaders should certainly consider raising goats. They can be used for meat, milk, and more. However, it is important that you have a good understanding of how to raise the goats properly and safely, and to provide them with a healthy environment. The following are some tips that can help you get started. More than One Even if you have a relatively small space, you should still have room for more than just one goat. Goats are herd animals, and they like to be social. Having several, at least, is a good option. It keeps them happy and it keeps […]

Best Animals to Raise for a Homesteader

You want to become truly self-sufficient. Even though you might have a beautiful garden with all the vegetables you need, if you are still buying meat and dairy from the grocery store, you aren’t very self-sufficient at all. In this post, we’ll be looking at some of the best animals for a small homesteader to raise that can do more than just provide meat. Goats Having goats on the property is always a good idea, as even just a single goat can provide you with between two and four quarts of milk each day. The milk can be used to […]

Indoor Pets for Your Outdoor Garden

Unfortunately, some people just can’t see the benefit of backyard chickens, and they can’t let others be. You may live in an area that doesn’t allow for livestock such as chickens and have neighbors that have a lack of appreciation for self-reliance and fresh food. But does that mean that you have to buy manure? Or that you can’t raise animals for meat? Not necessarily. You could raise animals indoors or in discreet cages, animals such as guinea pigs or rabbits. If you are wanting meat, rabbits are the obvious choice because of their superior ability to […]

Chickens Do More than Just Produce Eggs

If you are new to homesteading, you will find that many who practice this way of living will tell you that you should get some chickens. What is it about chickens that make them so great? Well, in addition to producing eggs, not to mention meat, they have some other benefits as well, and they could be just what your homestead needs. Chicken waste is full of nitrogen, which is very good for the soil. In fact, chickens can help to produce some of the best manure you can find for your garden. All you need to do is keep […]

Slaughtering Pigs: A Simple Guide

After investing so much time, energy, money, and emotion into raising your pigs you want things to go right when you slaughter them. If it is your first time slaughtering a pig, a sloppy kill and messing butchering can really turn you off from wanting to raise pigs in the future. The following are directions and tips on slaughtering and butchering pigs. Make sure to thoroughly plan things out before you begin, you will not be able to stop half way through and finish it later. Clean Kill Plain and simple, shot the pig between the eyes. You […]

The Benefits of Having a Rooster

Roosters have a bad reputation. Many people who want to raise hens for eggs choose not to have a rooster in the flock. Some have heard that roosters are aggressive, or they don’t want to noise, or they just so the reason to have one. But the reality is that hens can be just as aggressive; if there is no rooster around the dominant hen will take on the role of rooster. If noise is keeping you from having a rooster around then you shouldn’t have chickens at all because hens make plenty of noise. There are benefits to having a […]

One Way to Clean a Chicken

As with the proverbial cat, I’m sure there is more than one way to clean a chicken. This is just one way, you can tweak it however you feel the need to for your situation. Kill it first Starting with a live chicken that you have a hold of, grab its neck with your strong hand down, so that your thumb is closer to its wings and your pinky is closer to its head. Now spin your hand in a tight circle fast so that the chicken’s body spins in a larger circle. This will kill the chicken for sure. […]

Tips to Keep Your Chickens Safe from Predators

Most homesteaders have chickens. The chickens are essential for providing eggs, so you don’t want anything to happen to them. Of course, we all know chickens are delicious. And quite a few predators know the same exact thing. Therefore, you need to take steps to keep your chickens safe from all manner of predators. Here are some tips to make it easier on you. What Predators Are in Your Area? The first thing you need to do is take some time to research what types of predators are in your area that are likely to prey on chickens. You may […]