If you’ve got livestock, you’ll need to buy some hay. But…knowing what to look for when buying hay can be confusing! What exactly are you looking for to tell the differences between first and second cutting hay and why does it matter to you or your animals? First cutting hay is the first hay crop…
Congratulations! Raising and processing your own chickens is a huge leap towards great nutrition and self sufficiency! At first, processing your own meat birds can be confusing. How long does it take to get the bird ready to go into your freezer? Processing a broiler takes 5.5 minutes if plucking by hand and 4 minutes…
You’ve decided to get some ducks for your backyard. Nice! Ducks are fun, easy to care for and finally catching on as a great bird to raise. Before your ducks arrive, you’ve got some things to figure out, like housing. Where will your ducks live and how elaborate does that duck house need to be?…
When you are looking for meat goats, there is a ton of confusing information out there. How do you find goats that you’ll be happy with that are truly the best breed for you? The best meat goats for beginners are from herds that are in your area, being raised the way you plan to…
Deciding to hatch your own eggs can open up the world of poultry to you and your family! With a bit of planning and care during incubation, you can have a great hatch with a still air incubator. Successful still air egg incubation requires starting with fresh, unwashed fertile eggs and monitoring the incubator for…
If you’ve got extra grass, you need sheep! Sheep are easy to handle, grazing machines that are the classic four legged lawn mower. How much space do you need to keep sheep, for both pasture and in the barn? You need 3.6 acres of grazing for a flock of 20 sheep (130 pounds each) in…
You want to raise chickens, but you’re not sure how much space you need for the birds. We’ll cover the area you’ll need for the brooder, pen space per bird, chicken tractors and area needed for chickens in your yard. Chicks in a brooder need .5 sq. ft. each for the first 4 weeks, then…
Raising a few ducks has become a popular idea for small farms and backyard poultry enthusiasts, alike. Before you get your ducks, you need to know how much space they will need to have, both as ducklings and as full grown ducks. Mature ducks need 4 sq. ft. of sheltered space per duck with a…
Small flock geese are making a comeback, and for good reason! Geese are easy care, adaptable and eat the grass in your yard for most of their food! How many geese can you have in your yard and how much space do they need to have in their pen? Age of geese Space needed (per…
One of the biggest challenges of getting into raising your own pigs is learning to tell the right time to breed them. When is the time to breed your pigs and how can you tell? Most breeding stock pigs (both boars and gilts) are ready to breed when they are 8 months old and weigh…