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ISBN: 978-1-61243-818-4
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To those who are willing to stay the course.
“Know well the condition of your flocks,
and pay attention to your herds;
for riches are not forever,
nor does a crown endure to all generations.”
Proverbs 27:23-24
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
What Is Homesteading?
Why Homestead?
Who Is This Book For?
CHAPTER 1: FIRST THINGS FIRST
CHAPTER 2: BEST BREEDS FOR SELF-RELIANCE
Cattle
Goats
Sheep
Pigs
Rabbits
Poultry
Chickens
Ducks
Turkeys
Geese
Guinea Fowl
CHAPTER 3: BARNS, SHELTERS, AND FENCING
Meeting Basic Needs
Types of Livestock Structures
Space Requirements
Designing Your Structure
Stalls
Flooring
Lighting and Ventilation
Heating and Cooling
Loafing Areas
Feeding Areas
Feed and Equipment Storage
Water
Hay Feeders
Hay Storage
Milking and Milk Handling Areas
Cleaning and Manure Management
Fences
Wood Fencing
Wire Fencing
Panels
Electric Fencing
Posts
Gates
Additional Supplies
CHAPTER 4: FORAGE AND FEED
Pasture for Foraging
Soil Minerals and Organic Matter
Plant Diversity
Rotational Grazing
Intensive Rotational Grazing
Multispecies Grazing
Utilizing Unfenced Areas
Utilizing Browse
Purchasing Hay
Growing Hay
Harvesting Hay
Drying Hay
Storing Hay
Other Considerations
Using Feed
Using Grain
Using Legumes
Seeds
Making Your Own Feed Rations
What’s Poisonous? What’s Not?
Garden Produce
Wild Foods
Hydroponic Fodder
Silage (Ensilage)
More Options for Poultry
Considerations for Rabbits
Minerals and Vitamins
Vitamins
Minerals
Last but Not Least—Water
CHAPTER 5: BREEDING AND PREGNANCY
Keeping Males
Poultry
Rabbits
Larger Livestock
Other Considerations
When to Breed
How to Tell When Your Ladies Are in Season
Detecting Pregnancy
Care During Pregnancy
CHAPTER 6: BLESSED EVENTS: BIRTHING AND HATCHING
Before Birth: Important Supplies
Prepare the Birthing Area
Stages of Birth
Labor
Birth
After Birth: Caring for a Newborn
Expulsion of Placenta
Common Problems
Malpresentation
Simultaneous Birth
Stillbirths
Rejection
Diet-Related Problems
Introducing Newborns to the Others
Dairy Animals: Managing Triplets and Quads
Hatching Eggs
Grafting onto a Broody Hen
Feeding Hatchlings
Introducing Newcomers to the Flock
CHAPTER 7: EGGS, MILK, AND MEAT
Eggs
How to Have a Year-Round Egg Supply
Preservation Techniques for Eggs
Freezing
Pickling
Dehydrating
Water Glassing
Liming
Larding or Oiling
Other Possibilities
Milk and Milk Products
The Relationship of Feed to Milk Production
The Milking Process
Supplies
Cleanliness
Hand Milking
Machine Milking
Stripping
Teat Dips and Sprays
Managing the Milk Supply
Milk Processing
Straining
Home Pasteurizing
Keeping Production Records
Keeping Milk
Slowing the Souring of Milk
Uses for Soured or Clabbered Milk
Off-Tasting Milk
Butter
Cultured Milk: Yogurt and Kefir
Cheese
Meat
General Considerations
Mental and Emotional Preparedness
Typical Ages of Animals for Slaughter
How Much Meat Can You Expect?
Equipment and Supplies
Preparation
The Process
Keeping Meat
Meat Byproducts
Off-Grid Storage of Eggs, Milk, and Meat
CHAPTER 8: KEEPING THEM HEALTHY
Grooming
Shearing
Hoof and Foot Care
Vaccinations
Integrated Parasite Management
Worms
Coccidiosis
External Parasites
Nutritional Balance
Mineral Deficiencies and Imbalance
Vitamin Deficiencies
Other Preventable Problems
Acidosis
Bloat
Urinary Calculi (Water Belly)
Mastitis
Wound and Accident Care
Other Medications
Antibiotics
Medications for Digestive Problems
Nutritional Support and Other Treatments
How to Know When You Need a Vet
Change in Behavior
Other Observable Symptoms
Vital Signs
Diagnosis and Treatment
When Death Is Kinder Than Prolonging Life
Humane Killing
CHAPTER 9: KEEPING THEM SAFE
Predator Control
Predator Deterrents
CHAPTER 10: KEEPING THINGS MANAGEABLE
Understand Your Motivation
Make a Plan
Set Goals and Prioritize
Start Slowly, Start Small
Review and Revise
Day-to-Day Management
Keep a To-Do List
Routine Is Your Friend
Give Yourself Permission to Make Mistakes
The Long Run
Everything Takes Longer Than Planned
You Can’t Do It All
Keep a Day of Rest
Learn to Think Seasonally
Consider a Visitor Policy
Preparedness with Livestock Is a Lifestyle
CONCLUSION: IF SHTF
BIBLIOGRAPHY
RESOURCES
Chapter 1: First Things First
Chapter 2: Best Breeds for Self-Reliance
Chapter 3: Barns, Shelters, and Fencing
Chapter 4: Forage and Feed
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