Homestead pets and livestock can become ill or injured at the most inconvenient times. Even before an SHTF scenario, you might not be able to get a vet to come save an animal in time. Learning how to handle minor or even life-threatening livestock emergencies could save not only your meat, egg, and milk producers, but the lives of your family who … [Read more...]
DIY Automatic Pig Waterer
Pigs have a reputation for being messy for a good reason: they are very messy! If you put down a bowl or trough of water, it is going to get dirty fast and you are going to have to freshen it all the time. To get around this problem, try building a pig waterer. This is a lot easier than you might think. As you'll see in this video by Lumnah … [Read more...]
4 Things to Feed to Your Chickens So They Lay Eggs Year Round
Contrary to popular belief, chickens can lay eggs year round. Some people say the heat of the summer, the short days of winter, or old age will stop chickens from producing eggs. Those things do have an effect, but even so, chickens will keep producing eggs all year and for years to come as long as you do two things: Keep them healthy and keep … [Read more...]
5 Reasons to Consider Sheep for Your Homestead
If you have a small homestead or are fairly new to homesteading, sheep are an excellent livestock option. They don't require a lot of space and are fairly easy to handle. That's just a couple reasons why you should consider getting them for your homestead. In this video, The Grass-Fed Homestead lists his top five reasons to get sheep. (Also be … [Read more...]
Chicken Coop for $50 and 1 Hour To Build
Why buy something expensive when you can make it yourself? Even a halfway decent chicken coop is going to cost you at least $100, probably more. But what if I told you it's possible to get a great chicken coop for only $50? If you own chickens, like DIY projects, and you have an hour to spare, you should try this homemade chicken coop by Off … [Read more...]
12 Best Rabbit Breeds for Raising Meat
It's been said many times that meat rabbits and goats are a poor prepper’s cows, but I don’t think that mantra is quite right. Don’t get me wrong, cows are great — although they intimidate me a bit, which is insane because I love horses — but not everyone has the space, equipment, or skills to raise and butcher cattle. Meat rabbits (as well as … [Read more...]
Feed This To Your Chickens and They’ll Produce Tastier Eggs
The foods you feed to your chickens have a huge effect on their overall health and the quality of their eggs in both taste and durability. The old adage, “You are what you eat,” definitely holds true when it comes to poultry flocks. Chickens, just like people, require specific amounts of fiber, protein, and vital nutrients in their diets to … [Read more...]
4 Reasons NOT To Get Chickens
Raising chickens is awesome. You get fresh eggs, chicken meat (if you want), and the satisfaction of caring for your little flock. However, it's not for everyone, and that is the topic of this video by Big Family Homestead. Brad came up with four reasons why you might not want to get chickens. Here's his list, counted down... 4. Attachment - … [Read more...]
10 Best Goat Breeds for Off Grid Living
The best goats for off-grid living are not only great weed eaters, but also hardy enough to survive on low-quality brush and rugged terrain while still producing quality meat and ample milk. Before you whip out your wallet and start buying goats to cultivate a herd, you must decide which of the benefits of goat ownership are the most important … [Read more...]
The Best Livestock Fencing For Your Little Farm
If you can't afford to build a perimeter fence around your property, start with your animal pen. There are many types of animal pens, but what's really important is that it's easy to build and sturdy enough to last a long time. So what does Becky from Becky's Homestead suggest? Hog panels and horse panels! These panels are made of wire railing … [Read more...]
How to Eliminate Ticks and Prevent Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is no picnic. It starts with a rash that slowly spreads across your body. Next thing you know, you have a fever, the chills, joint pain, and a terrible headache. In severe cases, you could have nausea and vomiting. If left untreated, Lyme disease can cause permanent damage to the heart or brain. Most people get Lyme disease after … [Read more...]
Warning for Everyone About to Start Homesteading
The Youtube channel, Homesteady, always makes high-quality videos. The production values--music, lighting, imagery--are great, and Aust and Kendra always have good advice. If you've never seen their channel, the video below is a pretty good introduction. The topic of this video is for people who are about to start homesteading, and it's a … [Read more...]
Protect Your Livestock from Deadly Diseases – Part 2: Mammals
This week we continue our two-part series on protecting livestock from deadly diseases. (Click here to read part one.) Keeping livestock healthy in order to provide meat and dairy for the family table is a top priority for all homesteaders. There won't always be time to wait for a veterinarian to arrive and treat an injury or deadly illness. … [Read more...]
Protect Your Livestock from Deadly Diseases – Part 1: Birds
Protecting your livestock from disease ensures not only their health and longevity but yours as well. Some poultry illnesses spread quickly and go undetected by keepers who have not yet learned how to detect the signs of infection or injury. Early detection is essential to not only saving the life of one bird but the entire flock if the illness … [Read more...]
18 All-Natural Ways to Eliminate Ants
We all want to make our homes nice and cozy for our guests… except if those guests are ants. Sugar ants, black ants, fire ants--there are 1,000 species of ants in North America, any of which might be getting ready to make your house their new home. First, you’ll see one of them crawling around your windowsill and the next day… a whole team of … [Read more...]
5 Mistakes First Time Chicken Owners Make
Have you ever thought about raising chickens in your backyard? If you live in an area where backyard chickens are allowed, you should seriously consider it. You get fresh eggs, chicken meat, free fertilizer, pest control, weed control, and more. However, you can't just dump a bunch of chickens in your yard and throw them scraps every now and … [Read more...]
15 Ways To Keep Your Chickens Cool In Hot Weather
Chickens are hardy birds and can adapt to most common weather fluctuations, with the exception of heat. Hot temperatures can kill an entire flock just as quickly as any predator. Sudden jumps in temperature are far more dangerous to chickens than a seasonal or gradual temperature increase. Unlike humans and likely many breeds of livestock on … [Read more...]
