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Frugal DIY Nesting Box Ideas

If you want your chickens to provide you with lots of wonderful, nutritious, farm-fresh eggs, they’re going to need some cozy nests to get the job done! You don’t need to spend an arm and a leg to trick your coop out with some nice, comfortable nesting boxes for your lovely egg-laying ladies. Here are some frugal nesting box ideas for you that can all be purchased cheaply, recycled, or even scavenged for, if you’re lucky! Dishpans Dishpans, the kind you can grab at Walmart or the Dollar Tree for very cheap, are great for nesting boxes, if you cut […]

Why Are My Chickens Not Laying Eggs? (Video)

There are definitely reasons to keep chickens other than for producing eggs, but for the most part, eggs are probably why you’re raising chickens! So when they stop laying, what do you do? Well, Becky from Becky’s Homestead on YouTube has some solutions. There are several different reasons why your chickens might not be laying, and she’s got some suggestions for how to determine what those reasons are, as well as how to help them out get producing again. These simple tips will help you determine what kind of environment and nutrients chickens need to lay eggs. They’re not just […]

First Time Butchering Chickens (Video)

Being able to raise and butcher your own animals is a dream of many aspiring homesteaders. I think a lot of people don’t think about what it actually involves to butcher chickens, and in this video, you hear the account of some novice homesteaders trying to butcher two roosters for the first time. Chickens are feisty and evasive, and it’s never as simple as simply grabbing them, killing them, and roasting up dinner, and you’ll hear the various challenges this couple faced when they spontaneously agreed to take two roosters for butchering. They did do a bit of research before […]

Maggot Dispenser=FREE Chicken Feed (Video)

Wait! Don’t get grossed out. This is the “circle of life” at it’s very finest, trust me! I really love this YouTube channel, because not only is this family really rocking the homestead life, they’re doing it with all their kids, and posting it on YouTube for all of us to see. And this idea they came up with to feed maggots to chickens is brilliant. I think we’ve been programmed to think that chickens only want grains, but in reality, they’re carnivores who love bugs. Maggots are like juicy steaks to them! Check out this super cool video of […]

A Simple Guide to Raising Meat Rabbits

Most people think of rabbits as being adorable, quiet pets, but they’re actually great to raise for meat as well. They don’t require a lot of space, aren’t too expensive to feed, and well, breed like bunnies. If you’re interested in raising rabbits for meat, here are a few considerations: Laws First of all, check your local laws on slaughtering rabbits, and to see if you can legally raise them in your area for meat. There are some states and counties in which you could be reported for animal cruelty since they are considered pets, so just make sure before […]

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 […]

Chickens vs. Rabbits

When most people think of small scale backyard animal husbandry, they tend to think exclusively of chickens. And while chickens are not without their own advantages, they are certainly not the only small animal that even a new backyard farmer can raise, one such animal is the rabbit. There are many benefits to having either chicken or rabbit. Both animals produce sustenance, and can provide the backyard farmer with plenty of nutrient rich manure for the garden, as well as have their feeding needs reduced by keeping them in a mobile pen. Not every backyard farmer has the same resources available to them and what might work […]

Tips for Keeping Chickens Warm This Winter

We recently covered how to care for chickens in hot weather, but as fall seems to be whizzing around the corner, we thought it would be a good idea to cover how to care for them in cold weather, because it’s important to plan ahead. It’s simpler than you think really-chickens can, with the right conditions, keep themselves warm surprisingly well. 1. Let them breathe It seems like you’d want to make their coop completely insulated and airtight to protect them from harsh winter weather right? Wrong. While insulation is very important, and you should start fixing leaks in the roof and […]

Dairy Cow Basics

Dairy cows are a wonderful addition to any homestead. The nourishment their fresh milk provides is liquid gold-raw milk is highly nutritious and can produce delicious, top-notch butter, cream, buttermilk, cheese and yogurt. I think when anyone thinks of farming or homesteading, they think of owning a dairy cow. If you’re interested in getting a dairy cow, here are a few basic considerations: Your Homestead’s Capacity What breed of cow, how many to get, how often to breed and what to feed the cow(s) will depend on your homestead, what facilities you have, how much acreage you have, how much […]

Caring for Your Chickens in Hot Weather

Did you know that chickens have a higher body temperature than humans? As a result, they will almost always feel increases in heat faster than we do, which means that they can really suffer on hot summer days. So how can you ensure that your chickens stay healthy and cool all summer long? Follow a few simple tips. Provide Cool Water and Shade Chickens will naturally gravitate toward shady areas to stay cool on hot days. Provide yours with plenty of shade, and put their water in the shade, as well. Basically, if the water is out in the sun […]

5 Great Reasons to Get Goats

Goats are awesome. They’re fun, cute, useful, slightly weird, and low-budget and low-maintenance options for livestock. If you’re not convinced, below are five great reasons to get goats. 1. Milk I don’t know about you but I personally don’t need any more reason than this. Goat milk is delicious, and what’s better than loads of free milk, from an animal who’s food you supply and who you see every day? A constant supply of free range, non-GMO, organic goat’s milk of your own is definitely the very best reason to get a goat. 2. Cheese There is such a thing […]

Easy Milking Tips…

One of the first big steps that many homesteaders take when becoming more self-reliant is to consider owning a dairy animal. Whether you go for a cow or a goat, having your own milk – that you can later turn into butter and cheese – is a great way to continue making your home self-sustaining. If you’ve never had to milk an animal before, it can be a daunting task, but many first-time homesteaders have learned to milk their goats or cows successfully. If you are consistent with your milking routine, and you utilize a few key tips, you’ll have […]