Before We Begin This Reading List

Here is an important note regarding Animal Husbandry:

Do Not Keep Just One Kind of Animal.

"Virtually every animal is happiest when kept with others of its species.  A single cow or horse is sad, but it learns to cope.  Other species such as sheep, goats, and llamas need companionship, preferably others of their kind.  Sheep especially, being a flocking species, will fret and stress unless provided with a pal or two.  Please be kind:  Never keep any animal all by itself." 

(Sue Weaver, quoted above, is the author of The Donkey Companion and dozens of magazine articles on animal raising and husbandry.  She is a contributing editor for Hobby Farms magazine and lives in the southern Ozark Mountains.)

The Backyard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals

Looks like this one found her way out of the chicken yard!

If you want to have some lawn, then do not let chickens run loose in your yard.  They will peck away at your grass until there is none left!

Looks like this one found her way out of the chicken yard!

If you want to have some lawn, then do not let chickens run loose in your yard. They will peck away at your grass until there is none left!

Edited by Gail Damerow

Table of Contents

Chapter 1:  Introducing Backyard Farm Animals

Chapter 2:  How Many Animals Can You Keep?

Chapter 3:  Chickens

Chapter 4:  Turkeys

Chapter 5:  Ducks and Geese

Chapter 6:  Rabbits

Chapter 7:  Honey Bees

Chapter 8:  Goats

Chapter 9:  Sheep

Chapter 10:  Pigs

Chapter 11:  Dairy Cows and Beef Cattle

Hatching & Brooding Your Own Chicks

Much can be learned now, at home, such as watching chicks hatch.

Hatching from an egg is a delicate process, and it is important not to try to

Much can be learned now, at home, such as watching chicks hatch.

Hatching from an egg is a delicate process, and it is important not to try to "help", as this usually results in death and much blood. Let the chick or duckling work its way out. That is the best way.

by Gail Damerow

Table of Contents

Chapter 1:  Acquiring Your First Chicks

Chapter 2:  Setting Up Your Brooder

Chapter 3:  Managing Water, Feed, and Bedding

Chapter 4:  What to Expect as They Grow

Chapter 5:  Hatching Health Issues

Chapter 6:  The Broody Hen

Chapter 7:  Selecting an Incubator

Chapter 8:  Eggs for Hatching

Chapter 9:  Operating an Incubator

Chapter 10:  What Went Wrong?

Chapter 11:  Hatchling Identification

 

Chicken Coops: 45 Building Ideas for Housing Your Flock

These plastic stacking bins can be used for each individual hen in the coop.  Washing these up will be easy!

These plastic stacking bins can be used for each individual hen in the coop. Washing these up will be easy!

by Judy Pangman

Table of Contents

Part 1:  Providing Shelter:  The Basics

Part 2:  Coops for the City

Part 3:  Coops for Small Farms

Part 4:  Cool Coops

Your Rabbit: A Kid's Guide to Raising and Showing

Rabbits can be a lot of work, so begin with four.  

Get one young buck, one mature doe (just under 2 years old) who has already had babies, and two young does.

Keep the buck in a separate cage and only put him with the females when it is time to mate them.

His cage can be next to the does so that he is happy.

Rabbits can be a lot of work, so begin with four.

Get one young buck, one mature doe (just under 2 years old) who has already had babies, and two young does.

Keep the buck in a separate cage and only put him with the females when it is time to mate them.

His cage can be next to the does so that he is happy.

by Nancy Searle

Table of Contents

Chapter 1:  Choosing Your Breed of Rabbit

Chapter 2:  Choosing Your Rabbit

Chapter 3:  Handling Your Rabbit

Chapter 4:  Rabbit Housing

Chapter 5:  Feeding Your Rabbit

Chapter 6:  Taking Care of Your Rabbit's Health

Chapter 7:  Breeding, Birth, and Care of Newborns

Chapter 8:  Showing Your Rabbit

Chapter 9:  Marketing Your Rabbit

Chapter 10:  Managing Your Rabbitry

Chapter 11:  Activities for Young Rabbit Owners

Storey's Guide to Keeping Honey Bees

Bees pollinate plants, which means they help plants to grow flowers.  Fruits and certain vegetables grow out of these flowers.  So flower production is NECESSARY in order to obtain food!  Plus, bees make honey and wax.  They're pretty busy little guys!

Plan on having a hive or two (depending on the size of your property).  You will have a bountiful crop of fruits and vegetables!

Bees pollinate plants, which means they help plants to grow flowers. Fruits and certain vegetables grow out of these flowers. So flower production is NECESSARY in order to obtain food! Plus, bees make honey and wax. They're pretty busy little guys!

Plan on having a hive or two (depending on the size of your property). You will have a bountiful crop of fruits and vegetables!

by Malcolm T. Sanford & Richard E. Bonney

Table of Contents

Chapter 1:  Beginning Beekeeping

Chapter 2:  Origin and History of Beekeeping

Chapter 3:  A Bee's Life

Chapter 4:  Choosing Hive Location

Chapter 5:  Getting Equipped

Chapter 6:  Enter the Bees

Chapter 7:  Managing Honey Bee Colonies

Chapter 8:  Taking the Crop

Chapter 9:  Pollination

Chapter10:  Diseases and Pests of the Honey Bee

Storey's Guide to Raising Miniature Livestock

Reasons to choose miniature animals:

-Minis need less land.

-Feed and housing costs are much less.

-They are easier and safer to handle (hoof-trimming, shearing, milking).

-Minis are profitable!  There is a growing market for the small animals you breed, if your heart can bear to part with them!

Reasons to choose miniature animals:

-Minis need less land.

-Feed and housing costs are much less.

-They are easier and safer to handle (hoof-trimming, shearing, milking).

-Minis are profitable! There is a growing market for the small animals you breed, if your heart can bear to part with them!

by Sue Weaver

Table of Contents

Chapter 1:  Before You Begin

Chapter 2:  Which Species?

Chapter 3:  Getting Started:  Education, Vets, and Where to Buy

Chapter 4:  Selecting Miniature Livestock

Chapter 5:  Livestock Guardians

Chapter 6:  Facilities and Fences

Chapter 7:  Feeding

Chapter 8:  Health

Chapter 9:  Identification

Chapter 10:  Transportation

Chapter 11:  Breeding

Chapter 12:  Got Milk?

Chapter 13:  The Business End

Chapter 14:  Miniature Cattle

Chapter 15:  Miniature Equines

Chapter 16:  Miniature Goats

Chapter 17:  Miniature Llamas

Chapter 18:  Miniature Pigs

Chapter 19:  Miniature Sheep

Your Calf: A Kid's Guide to Raising and Showing Beef and Dairy Calves

After the 3 Days of Darkness, it will be up to the survivors to rescue farm animals so that they do not die of starvation.

After the 3 Days of Darkness, it will be up to the survivors to rescue farm animals so that they do not die of starvation.

by Heather Smith Thomas

Table of Contents

Chapter 1:  Finances

Chapter 2:  Housing, Facilities, and Equipment

Chapter 3:  Nutrition

Chapter 4:  Keeping Your Calf Healthy

Chapter 5:  Choosing a Beef Breed

Chapter 6:  Selecting a Beef Calf and Bringing Him Home

Chapter 7:  Caring for Your New Beef Calf

Chapter 8:  Feeding Your Beef Calf

Chapter 9:  Training, Fitting, and Showing Your Beef Calf

Chapter 10:  Raising a Beef Heifer

Chapter 11:  Breeding and Calving

Chapter 12:  Managing Your Own Herd

Chapter 13:  Selecting and Buying a Dairy Calf

Chapter 14:  Care of the Young Dairy Calf

Chapter 15:  Weaning Through Yearling Year

Chapter 16:  Breeding and Calving the Dairy Heifer

Chapter 17:  Care of the Dairy Cow

The Family Cow

There are certain facts about dairy cows we need to know:

- To begin producing milk and to keep producing milk, an animal must periodically give birth. 

-Some animals will continue to give milk  from 2 to 3 years after they have given birth.

-Dairy animals must be milked EVERY day at the SAME TIME(S) every day, in the same place, preferably by the same milker; animals never take long weekends or sleep in.

There are certain facts about dairy cows we need to know:

- To begin producing milk and to keep producing milk, an animal must periodically give birth.

-Some animals will continue to give milk from 2 to 3 years after they have given birth.

-Dairy animals must be milked EVERY day at the SAME TIME(S) every day, in the same place, preferably by the same milker; animals never take long weekends or sleep in.

by Dirk Van Loon

Table of Contents

Chapter 1:  How Now, (One Brown Cow)?

Chapter 2:  A History of Cattle

Chapter 3:  Behaving Herself

Chapter 4:  Buying a Cow

Chapter 5:  Handling and Grooming Cows

Chapter 6:  Buildings, Staking, Fencing

Chapter 7:  The Plants Cows Eat

Chapter 8:  Taking It All In

Chapter 9:  A Choice of Foods

Chapter 10:  Measuring Feed Ingredients

Chapter 11:  Grass/Hay and Concentrates -- A Basic Diet

Chapter 12:  Shaving the Food Budget

Chapter 13:  Milk and Milking

Chapter 14:  Milk and the Home Dairy

Chapter 15:  Breeding and Heat Periods

Chapter 16:  Calving and Calf Feed --- Care of Young Stock

Chapter 17:  Health

Chapter 18:  Keeping the Land

Chapter 19:  Making and Storing Hay and Roots

Storey's Guide to Raising Horses

No gas?  No electricity?  No problem!

No gas? No electricity? No problem!

by Heather Smith Thomas

Table of Contents

Chapter 1:  Facilities

Chapter 2:  Feeding and Nutrition

Chapter 3:  Seasonal Care

Chapter 4:  Foot Care

Chapter 5:  Horse Handling

Chapter 6:  Reading the Signs of Health and Sickness

Chapter 7:  Disease Prevention

Chapter 8:  Infectious Diseases of Horses

Chapter 9:  Non-Infectious Diseases of Horses

Chapter 10:  Parasites

Chapter 11:  Toxic Plants and Poisons

Chapter 12:  Skin Problems

Chapter 13:  Dental Care and Mouth Problems

Chapter 14:  Eyes and Ears

Chapter 15:  Digestive Tract Problems and Colic

Chapter 16:  First Aid and Medical Treatment

Chapter 17:  Selecting Breeding Stock

Chapter 18:  Genetics

Chapter 19:  Keeping a Stallion

Chapter 20:  Breeding the Mare

Chapter 21:  Care of the Broodmare

Chapter 22:  Foaling

Chapter 23:  Care of the Newborn Foal

Chapter 24:  Care of the Young Horse