The 104 Homestead

Homestead Animals

 

Imagine if your breakfast came right from your backyard homestead? With the help of some livestock, that dream could easily become a reality. I start every day milking the goats and, on my way back from the milking parlor, I swing by the coop for some fresh duck, chicken, and quail eggs. Throw in some homemade bread and bacon from a local farmer and I am able to serve my family a breakfast for champions.

Animals are an integral part of the homestead. Regardless of the size of your homestead, there are probably animals you can keep that will help you live more self-sufficiently. If you are just getting started or you have a smaller backyard homestead, quail, chickens, and rabbits are a great start. If you have some experience under your belt or you have more land to spread out on, goats and ducks are great options.

 

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Chickens  |  Ducks  |  Goats  |  House Pets  |  Quail  |  Rabbits

A small black barn cat peeking past a door frame,
We are looking to expand our homestead by purchasing a gorgeous farm that has everything (except pasture). That's fine for the goats I already have, but it simply doesn't work for my dreams of fiber sheep and a guard llama. With a technique called silvopature, I might just be able to make this work.
Many people aren’t raising goats to earn massive profit, but taking stock of cost versus benefit is essential to making the most of your time and money.
I'm here to talk to you about backyard ducks. Why? Because ducks just rock. In fact, they might be my favorite fowl (shhh, don't tell the chickens).
There are some shady "rescues" out there. Here are some things you should be looking for when choosing a goat rescue to donate to or acquire a goat from.
Sand is becoming a very common coop bedding and it's easy to see why. Sand has so many benefits and when used properly, I think it's a bedding that you wont regret using.
If you live in a location where ordinances prohibit keeping chickens and ducks, then quail may be right for you. Why you should consider quail farming.
The best thing about homemade dog treats is that you control the ingredients. They're also fresher and free of additives.
It's not easy, but I'm here to tell you, it's not hard either. You just have to figure out which of the 100s of ways to milk a goat works best for you.
If this is your first time going through the process of breeding and kidding with your goats, this guide will take you from start to finish.
What to Expect When Your Goat is Expecting (Part 1)
The things you need to know in order to have a high hatch rate when incubating duck eggs. Plus, how to build "the best" homemade incubator.
Why you need to use a strip cup when you're milking and how to make your own. This DIY strip cup is cheap and easy to put together.
Goat Hoof Care: How to Trim Hooves Correctly
The ADGA's policies for naming your dairy goat are a bit more strict than the AGA's, so those are the ones we are going to discuss.
If you plan to raise ducks on your homestead, it is important to choose a duck breed that best suits your particular needs.
Animal enrichment is activities that create a more stimulating environment for the animals and elicit some of their natural behaviors.
The herbal powders I give my goats sift through the feed and end up uneaten at the bottom of the dishes. That's why I started making herbal goat treats.
Better Daze, an herb mix sold by Fir Meadow, is a blend of very nutritive herbs. It's perfect for ill, senior, failing to thrive, or recovering goats.
You may have heard all sorts of talk about rotating wormers and wormers loosing effectiveness over time. What if you didn't have to worry about that anymore
MilkMaid is an herbal mix that offers lactation support for those that aren't milking well due to illness, a bad birthing, or some other reason.
A injectable selenium supplement and copper boluses are available, but some goats have died from toxicity after receiving injections and boluses.
It can be very challenging to find plant options that can be used in your chicken area. I have compiled a list of plants that are deemed chicken-safe.
Sprouting fodder is something farmers have been done for generations. Let's chat about sprouted barley because it's a great all-around grain for livestock.
Homemade butter made from store-bought raw milk will save you about 7¢ a stick, but made from raw milk that came from your own animals can save you 100%.
Our French Angoras are the perfect example of a double duty animal. We use our angoras for compost and fiber for crocheting and for other yarn crafts.
Are you getting ready to add fiber rabbits to your backyard farm? Rabbits are the perfect choice for someone who wants to start producing their own fibers.
Disbudding, the procedure of burning off the horns, is unpleasant. Every time we disbudded our goat kids we would ask ourselves, Is this necessary?
Ever since the decision to get Nigerian Dwarf goats for our homestead, I've been asking a lot of questions. I figured you might have the same questions.
Any rabbit can be eaten, no matter how cute, hairy or small but some are a lot more practical for producing meat. Learn how to choose good breeding stock.
Whether you are designing your first chicken coop or you are upgrading because you fell victim to chicken math, details are what will make or break a design.
Breeding meat rabbits is very easy, and a great way to have a continual supply of fresh, lean meat! For non-traditional and suburban homesteaders, most ordinances allow you to keep rabbits.
Ducks actually have a couple of molting phases and each one looks different. The effects are most obvious in drakes. Spring, summer and fall molts.
Rabbits can be fun and affectionate pets. I like to think of them as a funny mash up between cats and dogs. They can be very sweet, affectionate, entertaining, and fun.
Mason jar feeders and waterers are great, but they can be hard to hang. Here is an easy crochet holder that will keep your feeder and waterer off the ground.
Like peas and carrots, chickens and gardens belong together (though not occupying the same space). Chickens want to work. Why not harness that natural instinct?
Do you want your pet dog to receive the right amount of nutrition he needs and save money at the same time? Why not try preparing a healthy homemade dog food?
Many things the quail do will scare the bejeezus out of you when they first do it. That's why I felt it was my duty to give you a heads up with these funny facts about quail.
Depending on where you live, any number of these predators may pose a problem for your flock. However, there are a number of ways to protect your chickens from the creatures.
The vision I wanted was for my quail to roam on the ground in the grass hunting for bugs, much like they would do if they were living in the wild.
How to Find Out What Breed Your Chicken Is
The internet would have you believe that incubating and brooding Coturnix quail is difficult. I'm here to let you in on a secret... it's not.
Essential oil flea collars are a great alternative to commercial collars that are full of harmful chemicals and smell terrible. These are cheap and easy to make.
Spraddle leg, also referred to as splay leg, is a condition where a chick's legs "splay" out to the sides. It can often be repaired with a drinking glass.
There are several varieties of quail available, but Coturnix Quail are one of the most popular choices. The most common reasons for keeping them is for eggs and meat.
What my chickens consume, my family consumes. That's why I prefer to try herbals, essential oils, and natural remedies before bringing out the big guns.
Started pullets are teenage female chickens. Since chickens begin laying at around 6 months of age, you have a much shorter wait before you start getting eggs.
Covering everything from choosing an incubator or broody, what's going on in the egg, tricks to make things run smoothly, hatch day and then caring for your new fluffy friends.
The homesteader, the chicken, and the Jehovah's Witness. A funny homesteading story, because you can't make this stuff up.
I am often asked by readers and local chicken keepers if chickens get colds. That is a great question and one I found myself wondering when I first began keeping chickens.
Goat's milk gets a bad rap. I've heard people describe goat's milk as “goaty” or just plain gross. But when handled properly, it isn't that way at all!
Find out which method of hatching is best for you and your situation. Both the use of incubators as well as broody hens has pros and cons. Find out what they are.
Learn why you should never risk introducing new birds without quarantining. Learn how to properly quarantine so you can keep your flock safe and healthy.
Try this homemade udder and teat wash for goats and cows. It contains no harsh ingredients like bleach, but still does the tough job of commercial cleaners.
The reality is that you have to be strong when you become a homesteader. You have to make the tough calls and you have to be prepared to deal with death.
With a small flock of free range chickens, it's easy to shovel a small area for the chickens to graze. With a larger flock, it's harder to supply adequate space.
With oatmeal for sensitive skin, coconut oil for moisture, baking soda for funky odors, and essential oils to keep fleas at bay, you'll love this DIY dog shampoo.
Have your laying hens stopped laying eggs? It is most likely for one of these fairly common reasons: Molt, inadequate light, poor nutrition, stress, or parasites.
Roosters show aggression for a variety of reasons. They perceive you as a threat or they want to dominate you. Occasionally, your rooster will just be a jerk.
Its getting chilly with winter on the way and it's time to start thinking about winterizing the chicken house and barn. Here are great tips to get you started.
Discover the answers to farm fresh eggs frequently asked questions.Why farm yolks are so dark? Does a blood spot mean it's fertile? Does the color change the flavor?
To find happiness, you need to find joy in the little things. Today, I present to you, Chickens Doing Yoga.
How do you mix colors to get the egg color you want? As mentioned in The Anatomy of Egg Color, brown is merely a paint added to the shell towards the end off the laying cycle.
At their core, all eggs are either white or blue. Discover the science behind egg color and what makes eggs all the shades we see.
With people's desire to eat local and know where their food is coming from, farms are popping up all over. Kathy Mormino is making headlines in her battle to keep chickens.
Wing clipping can be scary, but it might be something you need to consider for your chicken's safety. Here are answers to some of the frequent questions that come along.
“Are goats worth it?” And to that one question, I can answer an unequivocal “Yes.” New skills are not won easily; they have to be earned.
You might be wondering when is the right time to switch to the next stage of feed. Timelines for those using commercial feed. Plus, feeding roosters, drakes, toms.
What if I told you I had a free method of increasing your poultry's protein levels while allowing them to hone in on their natural instincts? A solar bug trap!
Why a hen sings after laying an egg and what the Egg Song sounds like. It will be music to your ears when you get your first chickens.
Fermented chicken feed is great for saving money and it helps with the birds' digestion. Great when you need to shave off a few bucks from your poultry bills.
If you've got birds for egg laying purposes, you may need to consider getting nest boxes. You can buy a variety of nest boxes either online or at farm supply stores, but there are many cheap options.
Electrolytes are something you should have on hand. This water-soluble solution is perfect for heat stress, dehydration, illness, general stress and more.
A frizzle is a chicken whose feathers curl upward. This upward curling is created by a gene. A frizzle looks like no other chicken. Sizzles are the same, but soft.
Whether you are a backyard hobby homesteader or an avid homesteader on your journey to live off-grid, these are the homesteading articles you want to be reading.
Raising rabbits can be very rewarding. You can keep them to show, for fiber, for meat and/or as a companion. There is one big reason, however, not to purchase a rabbit.
It's the day you've been counting down to. But do chicks really hatch on day 21? Find out what to expect when hatch day arrives and what may have gone wrong when not all the chicks make it.
Today we'll talk about how to setup your chick brooder, what supplies you'll need and how to prepare for lockdown. This is part 3 of chicken egg hatching.
Learn what you need to candle, how to candle, when to candle and what you are looking for when you are candling chicken or duck eggs.
Why spend crazy amounts of money on incubators when you can easily make on with things around your home? Check out these great DIY incubators I found.
Between size differences, care differences and potential problems with diseases, is multi-flock housing safe? Quail, ducks, large fowl, bantams and more.
Blue Egg Chicken Breeds
Everyone has there own way of raising their flock. Some people feel their way is the only right way. But is there a right way? Let's talk about all chicken hot topics.

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