Category Archives for "Livestock"

Breeding Chickens Naturally: Selective Breeding for Eggs & Chicks

By Melissa Norris | Chickens , Livestock , Podcast , Raising Your Own Food

Breeding chickens naturally using selective breeding for eggs and chicks, either to build up your own flock or to create a homestead income from your chickens, can be a great way to support yourself and keep heritage breeds alive. I recently read The Homesteader’s Natural Chicken Keeping Handbook by Amy Fewell and knew I had […]

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Tips for Freezing Temps & Winter Storms on the Homestead

By Melissa Norris | Gardening , Livestock , Podcast , Raising Your Own Food

When freezing temps and winter storms are on the way, a homesteader has more to deal with than a regular household. I’m walking you through a week on our homestead and tips you can use when you have freezing tips or storms moving in. If you haven’t had the wild winter weather hitting your area […]

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When Butchering a Cow the Best Cuts of Meat to Get

By Melissa Norris | Cattle , Livestock , Podcast , Raising Your Own Food

When getting your beef from a local farmer or raising it yourself, you need to know when butchering a cow (technically a bovine and usually a steer or heifer) cuts of meat that are essential to make sure you’re getting the most from the animal and the cuts that will serve you and your family […]

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Raising Grass Fed Beef – What You Need to Know on Butcher Day

By Melissa Norris | Cattle , Homestead-Life , Livestock , Podcast

How to get the most from your grass fed beef on butcher day. When you’re raising or purchasing your own beef, you want to make sure you’re getting as most from it as possible, but many people don’t know there are quite a few cuts of meat you should be getting right on butcher day. […]

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Keeping a Family Milk Cow- 8 Things You Need to Know

By Melissa Norris | Cattle , Livestock , Podcast

Keeping a family milk cow or having a home dairy on the homestead is something I’ve long considered. Grass fed organic raw milk at he store is hard to come by… and you’re also paying more for all that wonderfulness. Dreams of cream, farmers cheese, cream cheese, buttermilk, glass jars of creamy white milk lined […]

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Using Chickens in the Garden – 13 Things You Need to Know For Success

By Melissa Norris | Chickens , Livestock , Podcast

Using chickens in the garden – 13 things you need to know first, to save you and your chickens a lot of heartache and frustration. Our goal is to use our crops and animals as a compliment to one another. But if you’ve ever dealt with free ranging chickens and having your crops or plants […]

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5 Common Poultry Diseases Every Homesteader Should Know About

By Rhonda Crank | Chickens , Livestock , Raising Your Own Food

5 Common Poultry Diseases Every  Homesteader Should Know About I suppose for any homesteader or farmer, illness in the livestock is where we feel most inclined to doubt ourselves and our skills. We may want to consult a veterinarian, but there aren’t many vets who treat diseases in poultry. Our vet was a doctor of […]

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Raising Baby Chicks – Beginners Guide for the First 6 Weeks

By Melissa Norris | Chickens , Livestock , Podcast , Raising Your Own Food

Raising baby chicks is a right of passage for any homesteader or self-sufficiency folks. But when you’re a beginner raising baby chicks, you want to make sure you’re caring for your animals correctly, after all, this is your egg and meat production.   6 Tips to Raising Baby Chicks for the first 6 Weeks These […]

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Top Preparedness & Homestead Pick for Getting Eggs Daily

By Melissa Norris | Chickens , Homestead-Life , Livestock , Podcast , Preparedness/Survival , Raising Your Own Food

Top Preparedness & Homestead Pick for Getting Eggs Daily Click here Page 1 of How to Raise Ducks Welcome to part 2 of How to Raise Ducks and why ducks are our pick for both preparedness and homesteaders when it comes to getting eggs daily. They lay all year long, no winters off, and lay […]

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How to Raise Ducks for Eggs

By Melissa Norris | Livestock , Podcast , Raising Your Own Food

How to Raise Ducks for Eggs Raising ducks for eggs has many benefits. In fact, ducks may be the better answer to getting fresh eggs every single day of the year and for up to five years, compared to chickens. From a preparedness standpoint, I love learning about new livestock to bring onto the homestead. […]

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