Tag: animals
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
