Category: Critters

This section is for the buzz on the animals – bees, goats, poultry. How to care for them on many levels and why they’re so important to the success of your homesteading efforts.

Canned Meat Making the Most of Homestead Chicken l Feeding your hens right l Canning Tips l Homestead Lady (.com)

Canned Meat: Homestead Chicken

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Canned Meat Making the Most of Homestead Chicken l Feeding your hens right l Canning Tips l Homestead Lady (.com)

You can enjoy home-canned meats any time of year by learning how to preserve them properly.  Canning meat is a great way to make use of special coupons and deals, as well as to save space in your freezer.  Canning your own chicken is also healthier, especially if you raise your own broiler chickens on the homestead.  Join us as we go through the steps of canning fresh chicken.  Plus, for you chicken lovers, a review of The Frugal Chicken’s Feeding Your Hens Right e-course. Continue reading “Canned Meat: Homestead Chicken” →

Goat Milk or Cow Milk l The backyard dairy questions homesteaders ask themselves l Homestead Lady (.com)

Goat Milk or Cow Milk: Which Should You Produce?

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Are you interested in producing your own dairy – cow or goat milk, yogurt, cheese and more?  A dairy animal can be a great investment, but which one should you choose?  Will a cow be better for volume; will a goat be better for your smaller, city lot?  Join me and a few of your favorite dairy-keeping homesteaders as we chat about backyard dairy.Goat Milk or Cow Milk l The backyard dairy questions homesteaders ask themselves l Homestead Lady (.com) Continue reading “Goat Milk or Cow Milk: Which Should You Produce?” →

Three Non Lethal Ways to Protect You Livestock From Predators l Homestead Lady (.com)

3 Non-Lethal Ways to Protect Your Livestock from Predators

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Three Non Lethal Ways to Protect You Livestock From Predators l Homestead Lady (.com)Losing your livestock to predators is expensive, frustrating, and flat out heartbreaking — and protecting them isn’t always the easiest of tasks. While you may be tempted to break out your shotgun, there are numerous non-lethal steps you can take to keep your animals safe.  Join us for this guest post! Continue reading “3 Non-Lethal Ways to Protect Your Livestock from Predators” →

Save Money with Goats l Are dairy goats cost effective l Homestead Lady (.com)

Dairy Goats: Cost Effective?

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Save Money with Goats l Are dairy goats cost effective l Homestead Lady (.com)Have you wondered about having your own quality dairy in your backyard?  Thinking about goats?  Worried about the expense and wondering if this backyard dairy adventure will really save you money?  Here’s a guest post from our archives with Elise from The Frugal Farm Wife to answer the question – are dairy goats cost effective? Continue reading “Dairy Goats: Cost Effective?” →

Chickens for Sale l Help l Be ready for backyard chickens l Homestead Lady

Chickens for Sale – Help!

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Chickens for Sale l Help l Be ready for backyard chickens l Homestead LadyYou can’t help yourself anymore – the signs are everywhere!  You keep checking out chicken books from the library and reading them instead of sleeping at night.  Instead of picking out curtain colors, you’re dreaming of feather colors and deciding on backyard chicken breeds.  Your spouse keeps trying to engage you in conversation but your eyes wander to the shed as you wonder if it could be converted to a chicken coop.  You set out for the grocery store, but end up at the feed store, standing helplessly in front of the chick cages, paralyzed by their cuteness.  What are you going to do?  How can you be sure you’re ready.  Fear not, grasshopper, if you keep seeing signs that say, “Chickens for Sale”, we’re here to help you be prepared for the inevitable.  You WILL end up with a shipment of chicks in your backyard and we’re here to help you be ready. Continue reading “Chickens for Sale – Help!” →

How to Prepare for Baby Goats l Tips and advice to be prepared l Homestead Lady (.com)

How to Prepare for Baby Goats

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How to Prepare for Baby Goats l Tips and advice to be prepared l Homestead Lady (.com)Here’s an oldie but a goodie from our archives, re-released in celebration of “30 Ways of Homesteading” – see below for more information.

In all honesty, I should have entitled this “How to totally lose track of time, neglect your birthing kit, forget to calendar your kidding dates and, consequently, NOT prepare for baby goats”.  Somehow not as catchy, right?

So, here are a few things to think about as you consider how to prepare for baby goats!

Continue reading “How to Prepare for Baby Goats” →

Chicken House Coop Cleaning with Kids l Tips to keep the troops happy while they muck l Homestead Lady (.com)

Chicken House: Coop Cleaning with Kids

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You know it’s time.  As the weather starts to warm after the chill of winter, the chicken house once again becomes a presence for your olfactory senses.  Plus, your children are restless to get outside and have some fun.  It’s the season for coop cleaning with kids.  With a chicken house on hand it isn’t hard to teach your kids the value of hard work in the family and on the homestead.Chicken House Coop Cleaning with Kids l Tips to keep the troops happy while they muck l Homestead Lady (.com) Continue reading “Chicken House: Coop Cleaning with Kids” →

Why Ducks May Not Be Right For You l Honest look at the pros and cons l Homestead Lady (.com)

Why Ducks May Not Be Right For You

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My mother raised me to believe that you can know God has a sense of humor because he created ducks.  If you’ve ever seen a duck go butt up, flapping it’s little webbed feet on the surface of the water, you’ll understand what she meant.  Even if you agree, though, there’s still a possibility that ducks may not be right for you. Why Ducks May Not Be Right For You l Honest look at the pros and cons l Homestead Lady (.com) Continue reading “Why Ducks May Not Be Right For You” →