We are starting a homestead from scratch in New Zealand. Homesteading in New Zealand is a little different to everywhere else. Follow along with out journey. Of course every homestead needs animals.
If you are planning on keeping bees, you need to choose the location of your beehive carefully. A beehive can fit in to almost any location with some considerations. Be it the corner of a large garden, an orchard, an urban terrace or on your rooftop. Choosing the right location for your hive can be …
Read more7 Key Things to Consider when Choosing a Location for a Beehive
If you are buying a homestead, or already have some land and you want to make some profit, raising animals is one of the best options. There are some animal that have more potential to make money than others. So are the best five farm animals to raise to make a profit on your farm, …
Free-ranging heritage pig breeds have a lot to offer the homestead smallholder. That, and they are delicious. Pigs are real characters and they can be extremely productive. Pigs were one of the first animals to be domesticated and they now account for about 30% of today’s meat production. Growing two weaners from 6 weeks to …
Read moreRaising Free Range Pork: A guide to keeping heritage pigs
There is an overwhelming amount of equipment available for beekeepers. There are some items that you definitely need to get started raising bees, but there are a lot of things that are just nice to have. Essential Beekeeping Equipment Bee Suit A bee suit is the most important equipment that a beekeeper needs. You need …
Read moreEssential Beekeeping Equipment Basics: What you Actually Need to Get Set Up
If you have chickens in your backyard, you will have plenty of chicken poop. Here are some useful ideas for what to do with chicken manure and how to use your chicken manure in the garden. I like to keep my nutrient cycle as closed as possible, and part of this is making sure we …
Read moreWhat to do with Chicken Poop – How to use chicken manure in the garden
That furry fluffy coat that makes bunny rabbits so absolutely adorable as a huge drawback – it is simply not suitable outerwear for summer. Just imagine you had to wear a faux fur coat all summer long? But it’s not just uncomfortable for rabbits experiencing the heat from summer. There are a variety of health …
It is important for you to find ways to keep your chickens cool during the hot summer temperatures due to a number of reasons. First and foremost, high temperatures, 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32Celcius) and above, usually lead to a significant dip in egg production; as the heat stresses the birds. In severe cases, high summer …
Read more7 Top Tips on How to Keep your Chickens Cool During the Summer Heat
Did you know that chickens actually lay eggs that are not just white and brown? That’s right, some breeds of chicken lay colored eggs from all hues of the rainbow, including pink, green, blue and cream-colored eggs. In fact, it has become quite fashionable to produce colorful eggs right from your very own backyard. So …
Read more5 Different Breeds Of Chickens That Lay Colored Eggs
There is a debate going on in the bunny world – colony rabbits vs cages – What is the best way to raise rabbits? A growing movement of people are choosing to raise their rabbits in a colony setting. A rabbit colony is simply group housing for rabbits. You may keep lots of rabbits together …
Read moreColony Rabbits vs Cage Rabbits | What is the best way to raise rabbits?
Have you noticed that as the weather is getting a little colder (or warmer in some cases) that your hens are not laying as many eggs and there are feathers EVERYWHERE? It is quite probable that your hens are moulting. Moulting is something that chickens go through and it usually is no reason to panic. …