animal husbandry Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Homesteader DepotHomesteader Depot

Winterizing the Chicken Coop (Video)

We love our feathered friends, so it’s important that we make sure they have the best care through the winter! This clever Chicago couple kept getting questions as to how they cared for their backyard chickens through the notoriously brutal Chicago winters, so they made a video to show what they did. Their chicken coop looks nice and cozy! Check it out: If you liked this, you might also enjoy… Ancient Healing Secrets You Can Learn at Home… Yoga and Weight Loss: What You Need to Know… How to Become a Master Woodworker..

Learn to Milk a Goat

Most homesteaders are told that they need to add some livestock to their property, and that goats are a great addition. After all, goats can provide milk and they take up far less space than a cow. Of course, those who are new to homesteading probably don’t have a clue as to how they can milk a goat. When you start raising goats, you want to learn everything possible about them; the bucks, the does, raising the kids, and certainly how to milk them. The following are a couple of milking tips to help you get started. You should milk […]

Ways to Keep Chickens Happy

I’m not sure that there is any data that quantifies how many more eggs you can get out of a happy chicken, but most people that raise animals could tell you that keeping your animals happy will help you get what you want out of them. Stress can cause chickens to fight with each other, molt, and can have an effect on any animals immune system. Keeping your chickens happy will reduce costs on keeping them healthy and will provide you with more eggs and better meat. Here are some ways to please your chickens. Greens Chickens that are […]

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 […]

All About Alpacas

Finances can be a determining factor in the success or failure of your homestead. Finding a way to make a living on your homestead, or better yet, through your homestead, can have you go from scraping by to rolling in money. That may sound like an exaggeration, but it’s been done before. One way is to raise alpacas. What is an Alpaca? Alpacas are basically a half size llama. But unlike llamas alpacas are not bred to be pack animals, they are bred for their fiber (it is similar to sheep’s wool but softer and contains no lanolin), or […]

3 Easy Ways to Keep Your Chickens Healthy

Chickens are some of the most common animals to see on a homestead or farm. One reason is that they are some of the easiest animals to care for. But even chickens can develop health issues like tape worms, mites, and various intestinal infections. As with everything else, taking care to prevent these issues will be easier than treating them retroactively and will ensure that you have a healthy supply of eggs and meat without interruption. These are 3 easy ways to help your chickens stay healthy. Pasture Just like you, chickens are healthiest when they are eating well. […]

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. […]

How to Safely Handle Raw Milk

Probably the primary appeal of having a family cow is the delicious, nutritious and plentiful milk you can get from her. Raw milk, meaning fresh, unpasteurized milk, has many more beneficial enzymes and bacteria than store-bought milk. But it is important to handle it safely to maintain optimum freshness and sanitation. This is particularly important if you plan on selling your raw milk. If you want to sell your milk, make sure to check your local laws. In some states, it is highly illegal to sell raw milk. In other places, there may be certain restrictions. But even if you […]

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 […]

3 Reasons Why Ducks Are Better Than Chickens

When most people think of animals for their back yard they quickly think of chickens. And while there is good reason so many people think to raise chickens, there are also reasons why ducks may be the preferable livestock for your backyard farm. Ducks don’t crow Not everyone starting their homestead has 15 acres in the country. Some may have less than an acre with neighbors right next to them that don’t share their passion for raising animals and growing food. Keeping this in mind, it is not hard to think of how a rooster could degrade the relationship one […]

The Cost-Effectiveness of Homestead Pigs

A lot of people don’t like pigs because they’re stinky, dirty and loud. But most people won’t object to bacon, ribs or pork chops. And this is a pretty good reason to have pigs, and why most people raise them! Not only are pigs delicious, however, they are also very cost-effective sources of meat, especially if you are looking to be more or totally self-sufficient. Larger meat animals like cows need a lot of space, and smaller meat animals don’t yield anywhere near as much meat. But pigs are just perfect! Here are some reasons why they are economical choices […]

Are Quail a Good Choice for Your Homestead?

Quail have been growing in popularity in recent years, but they’ve been favorites of north American farmers and hunters alike for centuries. Theses small birds offer delicious meat, but it’s their incredibly nutritious eggs that most people are after. Despite being smaller than chicken eggs, quail eggs have three to five times the amount of essential nutrients and minerals like vitamin b1, iron and potassium. Also, while chicken eggs are 11% protein, quail eggs are 13% protein. Quails may or may not be a good choice for your homestead, depending on a few factors: Feed Quails are much smaller birds […]

How to Safely Let Chickens in the Garden

One of the most serious drawbacks to having truly free-range chickens is that they can go anywhere they want to and they tend to want to go to your garden. This makes sense since, hopefully, your garden is a healthfully functional natural environment filled with potential prey (many of which you would be happy to see eaten) for your chickens. Keeping Chickens Out The downside of chickens in the garden when your chickens do what chickens do, and start kicking and scratching until they have unearthed the roots of your plants or even kicked your plants clean of the garden. One […]

How to Breed More Self-Reliant Chickens

Any parent can tell you that taking care of a baby is a full-time job in and of itself. And anyone experienced in animal husbandry will know that raising baby animals can be nearly as difficult. So with everything you have to do in your daily life, taking care of twelve baby chicks, for example, can seem like quite a chore. The Problem Unfortunately, since chickens have been highly domesticated for specialized purposes like egg laying or meat production, they have lost the genetic drive to raise their own young. This means that people who choose to raise these birds are […]

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 […]

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 […]