Author: Noah Smith

I'm Noah. I'm a late bloomer when it comes to farming. I really enjoy working our land, especially when I get to fight weeds! I also really like my big truck.

I'm so happy I can share my love for farming and our farm animals with Zoe. It's great that we can wake up to fresh eggs and the sound of bees making honey every day!

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Farm Animals

How to Build a Chicken Coop: A Complete DIY Guide

A wooden backyard chicken coop with a chicken standing near the entrance
(Photo by Bram Wouters on Unsplash)

A good chicken coop is the single most important investment you’ll make when you start keeping chickens. It’s what stands between your flock and a raccoon at 2am, what keeps them dry through a February storm, and what determines whether collecting eggs is a five-minute joy or a daily headache. This guide walks through everything that goes into building a proper chicken coop, from sizing and materials to predator-proofing, ventilation, and nesting boxes — plus a few solid ready-made options if building from scratch isn’t for you.

If you haven’t already worked out flock size, feeding, and the basics of getting started, our guide on how to get started with raising chickens covers that ground first. This article picks up where that one leaves off and goes deep on the coop itself.

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Farm Animals

Goat Breeds for Beginners: Meat, Dairy & Small Breeds Guide

Goats grazing together in a pasture, representing different goat breeds for beginners
(Photo by Moa Király on Unsplash)

If you’re building out your farm animals lineup, goats are one of the most rewarding additions you can make. They’re hardy, personable, and come in dozens of breeds suited to almost any homestead, whether you’re after meat, milk, or just a couple of easygoing companions to clear brush.

The tricky part isn’t whether to raise goats — it’s figuring out which of the many goat breeds actually fits your space, your climate, and your goals. A dairy breed bred for high milk yields is a poor match for someone who just wants a couple of low-maintenance browsers, and a large meat breed needs very different fencing than a Pygmy goat.

This guide breaks down the most popular meat goat breeds, dairy goat breeds, and small goat breeds, plus what you should think through before bringing your first goats home.

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Farm Animals

Raising Ducks for Eggs and Meat: A Beginner’s Guide

Ducks swimming and foraging near a pond on a small farm
(Photo by Sherise Van Dyk on Unsplash)

Chickens tend to get all the attention when people think about backyard poultry, but raising ducks deserves a serious look too. Ducks are hardier in bad weather, better foragers, and several breeds are noticeably quieter than a rooster crowing at dawn.

If you’ve already gone through getting started with raising chickens, a lot of the basics will feel familiar — but ducks have their own quirks, especially around water, that are worth understanding before you bring any home.

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Farm Feed

Goat Feed Guide: What to Feed Kids, Does, and Bucks

A goat eating hay from a feeder on a small homestead
(Photo by Cali Brutz on Unsplash)

Once you’ve settled on a breed — whether that’s a meat goat, a dairy goat, or one of the smaller dual-purpose breeds — the next question is almost always the same: what should you actually be feeding it?

Goat feed isn’t one-size-fits-all. What a doe needs while nursing kids is very different from what a browsing buck needs the rest of the year, and one of the most common beginner mistakes — feeding sheep mineral to goats — can quietly make your goats sick over time.

This guide covers goat feed basics by life stage, how hay, pellets, and browse fit together, and why copper matters so much more for goats than most beginners realize.

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Home & Garden

Garden Soil: Buying & Building Guide

Gardener holding a handful of rich dark garden soil
(Photo by Sandie Clarke on Unsplash)

Good garden soil is the difference between a bed that struggles all season and one that barely needs babysitting. It’s also one of the most confusing things to shop for — walk down the soil aisle at any garden center and you’ll see “topsoil,” “garden soil,” and “potting mix” sitting side by side, often for similar prices, with no obvious explanation of which one you actually need.

This guide clears up that confusion, covers how to build your own soil mix if you’d rather not buy it bagged, and walks through when buying makes more sense than building.

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Home & Garden

Ultimate Guide and List: Top Must have Gardening Tools

Top Essentials tools for your Garden

If you are new to gardening, it is important to know what tools you will need in order to have a successful garden. Maintaining your entire garden is hard work!

If you’ve got an interest in gardening it’s very likely you’ll have vegetable gardens, fruit trees, flower beds but also tough weeds giving you a hard time! And it seems like this is a bit of a zero sum game, the more you fight your pesky weeds, the more garden waste you’ll get! Here is where quality tools enter the picture.

This guide will list the top must-have gardening tools for the beginner. With these essential gardening tools, you will be able to maintain healthy and beautiful plants and trees in your garden. Let’s go!

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Categories
Homesteading

Best pig breed for a Homestead

Best Pig Breed for a Homestead. Tips for raising pigs on your small farm.
Best Pig Breed for a Homestead. Tips for raising pigs on your small farm. Photo by Suzanne Tucker.

Whether you’re a hobby farmer or just starting your homesteading journey, raising pigs can be a fulfilling and worthwhile pursuit.

With appropriate fencing and shelter, most pig breeds can mature rapidly, making them an ideal protein source for small farms.

To ensure success, it’s crucial to determine the best pig breed that aligns with your homestead’s unique needs and conditions.

By selecting the right breed, you can optimize meat production and enjoy a variety of delicious cuts, including bacon, ham, and pork chops, all while contributing to a sustainable and self-sufficient lifestyle.

When raising pigs, ensure their well-being by providing proper nutrition, a secure enclosure, and a comfortable shelter with outdoor space. By addressing these essentials, you’ll be well-equipped to raise healthy pigs that contribute to your homestead’s productivity.

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Farm Supplies

Fertilizer Spreaders for Farms and Homesteads

Farmer spreading fertilizer over the meadow.
Farmer spreading fertilizer over the meadow. Photo by Etienne Girardet.

Farm supplies such as fertilizer spreaders play a crucial role in the even distribution of fertilizers, seeds, and herbicides on fields, lawns, and beds.

With two main varieties, drop spreaders and broadcast/rotary spreaders, these versatile tools are not only beneficial for farm-related tasks but also help minimize direct contact with fertilizers and chemicals.

Whether you’re aiming for uniform fertilization or efficient seeding, a fertilizer spreader is an indispensable tool in your arsenal of farm supplies.

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Farm Feed

A Guide to What Most Farm Animals Eat

A cow on a field eating grass. Photo taken in Texas.
A cow eating grass on a field. Photo by Thomas Park.

If you’re a small farm owner or a homesteader, maintaining the well-being of your farm animals is crucial.

Ensuring they receive proper nutrition not only contributes to their overall health but also plays a vital role in providing us with essential carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and proteins. This guide covers what to feed by animal — pigs, chickens, cows, and geese. For a breakdown of feed by type instead (concentrates, roughages, grains), see our guide to animal feed types.

This post will dive into various farm animals’ dietary requirements, focusing on small-scale farm and homestead animals.

Join us as we explore the importance of a balanced diet for our hardworking farm friends, and gain valuable insights to help you optimize their care and productivity. Let’s get started! 

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Farm Animals

What Are the Common Diseases of Farm Animals?

A healthy cow eating grass.
A healthy cow eating grass. Photo by Christian Burri.

Farm or agricultural animals are reliable when it comes to putting food on the table for farmers and consumers alike.

However, livestock producers can only reap these benefits when the animals are alert, aware, and virus-free. In short, farm animals should be healthy animals.

To achieve this state, a farmer must ensure proper animal maintenance and care. It’s also important to know common diseases animals can get on farms, as these allow farmers to understand disease control and curing their animals.

This article is equipped with everything you need to know about animals on farms and the diseases that commonly affect them.

We’ll also look at disease prevention, cures, and outbreak control.

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