Keeping chickens is one of the easiest ways to grow nutritious food on your homestead. These feathered friends don't need much if they have space to graze, a place to sleep and lay eggs, and of course, proper nutrition. Here is some info on what to feed chickens, including specific things you can do to feed them well, and inexpensively. What Can Chickens Eat? Chickens ...
RAISING PETS AND LIVESTOCK
How to Use a Natural Fly Repellent (or more than one) in the Rabbit Hutch
Keeping outdoor animals often means the gathering of pesky flies in your barn, yard, or both. Flies are an inevitability as we move into the spring and summer months. Use these ideas for natural fly repellent, and you will be able to keep the hutch nearly fly-free, and your rabbits happy and healthy. Keeping flies away from your rabbit and her feeder can be tricky, but it ...
How to Make a DIY Rabbit Feeder
Sometimes, you just need a vacation, amiright? But with animals to care for, it's sometimes hard to get away. A diy rabbit feeder can be a great help for those times you need (or want) to go out of town for a few days. When we first got our rabbits, we never realized how tied to our home we would be, caring for them and making sure they had all of their needs met. While ...
Top 10 Things to Bring Home with Your New Pet Rabbit
Every time we bring a new animal home, it's the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. We will now share a relationship with a new small creature. We think of all the possibility of owning and befriending our new pet rabbit. Our hearts soar at all the prospects of play time, binkies (if we know what they are!), and cuddles. It was such a great day on December 10th, 2011. ...
How to Encourage Friendliness and Trust in Baby Goat Kids
Many say that bottle fed goat kids are much more friendly than their dam-raised counterparts, but if you are more inclined to allow mama to raise her babies, here is a way that can help encourage trust between you and your baby goat kids on your homestead. I changed my mind about only allowing my dams to raise the kids when I thought back to three years ago, when we ...
Keeping Small Farm Animals on Your Homestead: 3 Things You Need to Know
You may have dreamed of raising animals on your homestead all your life, but the reality of it is often very different than how you imagine it to be. In fact, if you are to do an excellent job of raising small farm animals and make a profit on your homestead, there are some essential things you need to know. The other day I was raking up goat, chicken, and duck poo and ...
Help! My Cat Has Matted Fur! (How to Help)
If you have a cat with long hair, for some, it's inevitable that they might get mats in their fur. From the time your long-haired cat is younger to the time she is old, grooming will be necessary. If your cat has matted fur now, follow the instructions in this article to relieve your cat from this issue. We used to have a fantastic cat named Storm. We had her since 1996, ...
Sprouting Fodder to Boost Protein for Small Livestock
As y'all probably have gathered, I am on a quest to learn how to mix my own feed for my animals. Along with the mixing of the feed, however, there are supplements to give. For instance, goats are prone to copper deficiency, so their diet must be supplemented with goat minerals. Laying chickens need a little bit higher protein diet than most chickens that aren't laying, and ...
Rabbit GI Stasis: How to Get Things Moving Again Easily
If you’ve ever gone out to your rabbit hutch only to find your sweet bunny’s food dish full and hutch tray empty? It's a good chance that your rabbit's not pooping, and it's time to keep a watchful eye on her to evaluate whether or not she is suffering from GI stasis. Keeping our rabbits GI system in tip-top shape is dependent on us feeding proper food, in the right ...
Commercial vs. Home Mixed Feed: Helpful Answers for You
Are you like me? Do you struggle with giving your animals commercial feed? Are you concerned about nutrients with home mixed feed? Commercial feeds are so cheap and easy. They are the perfect no-brainer option for the busy homesteader, but are they meeting the needs of your farm? I’m finding that they are meeting our needs less and less, which means it's time to look into home ...
How to Make Your Own Homemade Layer Feed
Each morning I head out to the chicken coop as my five girls wait in anticipation for breakfast. They know what's coming. "It's the new stuff!" they shout. (Ok, not really.) They are excited to see me scooping just the right amount of protein-packed, non-GMO homemade layer feed for each of them. I head inside the coop, pour the day's sustenance into the metal hanging dispenser, ...
Love Your Puppy with These Helpful New Puppy Tips
Getting a new puppy might be something which has always been on your bucket list. It can be a great way to add some life and fun to the household and a little puppy can be an amazing way to make friends and feel like a happy family. Here are some new puppy tips that can help. When you get a new puppy you will likely want to enroll them in a dog training program and ...