I was so excited when The Backyard Homestead: Guide to Raising Farm Animals
The chapters are pretty straight forward:
- Introducing Backyard Farm Animals
- How Many Animals Can You Keep
- Chickens
- Turkeys
- Ducks & Geese
- Rabbits
- Honey Bees
- Goats
- Sheep
- Pigs
- Dairy Cows & Beef Cattle
I love it though because its clean and simple so I can quickly grab it and get the information that I need to know out of it. They also utilize dark orange title pages for each chapter which makes it a cinch to find the chapter you need without referencing the Table of Contents constantly.
Each chapter covers all the information you need to go from Point A) not knowing anything about the animal to Point B) successfully keeping them alive and producing. So for milk producing animals that also includes detailed information on breeding, kidding and milking. The one thing that it does not cover which I was somewhat disappointed in discovering was the actual processing of the animals for meat. Each section for processing encourages you to pick up the corresponding Storey Guide for that animal.
This still isn’t a deal breaker for us though because that information is readily available online and can be printed off easily. Really I probably would do that anyways because I wouldn’t want to ruin the book in the messy process of butchering and processing an animal.
The day after we got this book I found myself racing into the house with a comatose rabbit and racing through it looking for help. I was able to quickly find out that she was in shock from sunstroke and how to help her cool off as quickly as possible. While she didn’t make it I was so grateful to have known what to do to try to save her. We also started freezing ice coolers for the remaining doe and she has made it successfully through our extremely hot Georgia summer.
When I found out I could go milk some crazy meat goats I also got to see this book in action. I had everything with me that I needed to successfully milk a goat and knew what I was supposed to do…..oh yes except a willing partner haha. No fault to the book on that one though.
As in first book, The Backyard Homestead, the pages are full of charts and drawings to help you make the best decisions for your backyard homestead. I absolutely love that this series is written specifically for backyards because it really brings that angle to everything to help you make the best decisions for your property as possible.
I know you all will enjoy it and I look forward to hearing your thoughts if you add this great book to your library soon!
Be sure to get entered to win the book and share the link with your friends.
IMPORTANT: Did you realize you can enter our giveaways EACH day they run? That’s right! You can share the link on Facebook or Twitter everyday for an additional entry!
One of things that has worked really well is plant catnip in the yard to draw the feral cats. They keep the squirrel..rabbit and chipmunk population down that eats the garden otherwise . PLus for some reason one of the cats brings the dead rodents and lays by the chicken pen couple times a week
This is very timely for me as I am moving to a farm!
Looks like a great book that I can really use. Hope I win!
I have a copy of “The Backyard Homestead” and I love it! This would be a great addition to my library!
I LIVE ON A FARM BUT I AM MOVING TO A BIGGER FARM SO IT WILL HELP ME A LOT THANKS
Bigger farms are the best!
♥ dani
We just started keeping chickens & are thinking about goats, so this would be very handy!
I have the Backyard Homestead book, so this would compliment my library very nicely as we are planning to get some animals next spring.
Mooo! I love any book having to do with chickens, so this book is right up my alley.
One day rabbits, sheep and goats will be in my future.
Mooo. No joke, my current favorite is Thucydides. I’m heavy into classic history right now.
Interesting!!
Mooooo! I would SO love to read this book! My husband and I have recently begun the adventure of starting up a hobby farm which we’ve lovingly called “Forget-Me-Not Farm” and I’ve been leaning heavily on thtree Story publications: “Storey’s Basic Country Skills,” Jenna Woginrich’s “Made From Scratch” (LOVE her!), and “The Backyard Homestead.” This would be the perfect title to add to my bookshelf!
Oh this book would be absolutely wonderful for my homesteading book collection. My favorite books are my homesteading books so that I can continuely better mine and my families way of living!
I found this gem of a book at the thrift store about organic gardening. Its about a thousand pages of awesomeness
Love those finds!
~Dani
MOOOO! I am enjoying a CJ Box book.
Fun!
Looks like a great addition to the livestock library! Thanks for the opp. I have chickens, goats, and bees.
Mooo! Right now it’s ‘edible landscaping’ by rosalind creasy
Ooh I so want to read that one! It’s on my future book list right now. Do you like it?
♥ Dani
Mooo
Moo I’m reading Sandra Brown’s The Alibi.
Moo!!!!!!! I’m always reading book; I can finish a chapter book in less than two days….My current favorite book…hmm, this is a hard one. I love homesteading books, I get so excited when the library get a new one.
Me too! We try to read them outloud to each other while the other one cooks or works on a project to slow us down. We read Gone With The Wind that way and a bunch of novels.
♥ dani
Moo – and I’m catching up on the Game of Thrones series
LOVE the new header on your site!! I am excited to get a hold of these two books you are so excited about. We have a “slightly huge” back yard, but could really use all the tips we can get right about now. Will be headed to the bookstore after the drawing, until then…we wait patiently lol!
My current favorite book is One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp….heart changing
I just found her site! Excited to read it eventually too!
♥ me
MOO!!!! I am back again for another entry day
LOL….MOO TO YOU TOO!!! Still loving me some Ann Voscamp as my fav for books. So glad you were able to go to her blog, good for the heart. I am in thd process of deciding placement on the ranch for big and little creatures to join in all of our fun. I am sure this book you are speaking of shares layout designs for all of that. 
Will be fun.
Lol. Mooo. You can pick up the two daily entries by sharing via Facebook and Twitter. Commenting extra doesn’t get you anything but extra loving from me
♥ me
Mooo! My favorite current book I am reading is Service
Currently my fave book is actually a trilogy lol. The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks!
Mooo… Garfield.
mooo…my favorite book is rewind
Moooooo! Bet the neighbors would appreciate a dairy cow next door.
Mooo! My current favorite book is Fifty Shades of Grey.
mooo … my favorite book currently is easy green living
Mooooo….I love the Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Mooo? I just finished Ethical Chic. It’s given me a lot to think about.
mooo right now i am reading the lucky one
Mooo. I’m currently reading the Shades of Grey series.
Moooo. I am currently reading Plastic Gods.