With in-depth information on feeding, housing, behavior, and health care, this comprehensive guide also provides proven strategies for creating a profitable business plan and marketing your products. Whether you’re about to acquire your first ducks or are interested in experimenting with rare breeds, Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks will help you achieve your duck-raising goals.

When is the right time to shear a sheep? Is there a market for manure? What time of day is best to collect eggs? What is the correct way to milk a goat? What does a duck eat? Can a cow and a sheep share the same pasture? Which types of rabbits are easiest to raise? The perfect book for anyone who has ever dreamed of having that little place in the country, Barnyard in Your Backyard offers tried-and-true, expert advice on raising healthy, happy, productive farm animals: chickens, geese, ducks, rabbits, goats, sheep, and dairy cows. Each chapter focuses on a different animal, discussing the pros and cons of raising the animal, housing and land requirements, feeding guidelines, health concerns, and a schedule for routine care. Species that are easy to raise, hardy, and companionable are profiled. First-time farmers will discover simple, clear instructions for caring for animals throughout the year, as well as guidelines for processing barnyard products such as milk, wool, and eggs. Combining practical advice from real experts, easy-to-use checklists and charts, a seasonal care calendar, and detailed black-and-white illustrations, Barnyard in Your Backyard offers a comprehensive review of the ins and outs - the tribulations and triumphs - of living with and caring for a small barnyard.

More than ever, Americans care about the quality and safety of the food they eat. They're bringing back an American tradition: raising their own backyard chickens for eggs and companionship. And they care about the quality of life of their chickens. Fresh Eggs Daily is an authoritative, accessible guide to coops, nesting boxes, runs, breeding, feed, and natural health care with time-tested remedies. The author promotes the benefits of keeping chickens happy and well-occupied, and in optimal health, free of chemicals and antibiotics. She emphasizes the therapeutic value of herbs and natural supplements to maintaining a healthy environment for your chickens. Includes many "recipes" and 8 easy DIY projects for the coop and run. Full color photos throughout. The USDA's new study of urban chicken raising sees a 400% increase in backyard chickens over the next 5 years, driven by younger adults.

This insightful book covers all aspects of backyard duck raising from selecting a breed and buying ducks to housing, feeding, and health. It includes a description of the common breed suitable for any backyard. The peculiarity of each breed, their egg-laying capacity and their potential as table birds are critically examined. It also contains a comprehensive section on incubation of eggs both natural and artificial methods. You will also learn how to protect your flocks from predators. Backyard duck homesteaders and hobby farmers will find this book an enjoyable and useful resource; it will make your duck raising adventure a profitable experience.

A Beginner’s Guide to Poultry Farming in Your Backyard Raising Chickens for Eggs and Food Table of Contents Introduction It Is Just Chicken Feed Sustainable Poultry Feed Crop bound Chickens Best Natural Food for Chickens Hatching Chickens How to Make an Incubator Fresh Water Supply Nesting boxes Free Ranging Birds Dust baths and Shed Floor Covering Bumble Foot Building Your Own Chicken Coop Egg Production Raising Broilers for the Market Well Ventilated Coops Protecting chickens from Predators Conclusion The Truth about Growth Promoting Feed Author Bio Introduction Ever since man found out that it was extremely easy to have domesticated sources of food, reared right in his yard, millenniums ago, is it a wonder that poultry especially chicken farming is one of the best methods to get easy access to a good source of food for your family? There is absolutely no country in the world, except perhaps the Arctic regions, – where man has not reared ducks, chickens and other poultry for table purposes down the centuries. Apart from these being an easy source of eggs to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, you also knew that you would have a tough old rooster for dinner, when a large number of family members popped in unexpectedly, demanding sustenance. We are going to be concentrating on chicken farming, for domestic purposes in this book. You have this dream of raising chickens in your backyard. You are interested in a continuous supply of eggs, and the occasional chicken for your pot of a Sunday. Layers are those chickens, which are normally raised for egg production. The chickens which are going to go straight into the pot are called broilers. Since ancient times, human beings have been raising poultry for domestic purposes and also for marketing purposes. Poultry farming has been a part of rural life in the east down the centuries. All the kitchen waste was fed to the hens. These hens came under the 21st century poultry farming term – free ranging. That meant they were allowed to scratch about in the backyard, getting their fill of insects, worms, green vegetables, organic matter, and was it a wonder that they laid delicious, nutritious, and proteinaceous eggs? Every intelligent householder kept three or four hens depending on the size of his family, and he bought a cock from the market, when he needed chickens. Once a clutch of chickens was hatched, Cocky Locky went into the cook pot. One of the common mistakes made by new poultry farmers is buying a large number of birds, because they are not very clear about whether they want these words for home consumption or they want to trade in the eggs and poultry meat. Around 50 years ago, one of my father’s colleagues was facing this problem. He had this huge garden and backyard. He had heard about dad rearing poultry in that garden successfully. So he also wanted to experiment in this exciting new activity which would keep his family well supplied with eggs, and fresh meat. So the next time dad went visiting to his base on a tour, he asked dad the best way to raise birds without too much of a hassle. You are going to get these easy tips in the book.

A flock of frolicking waterfowl can be a lively addition to any hobby farm, and "Ducks" offers essential information on tending a small-scale flock, with full-color photos, a handy glossary, and advice from experienced duck farmers, it's a must-read for those drawn to ducks for their striking colors, their spirited personalities, and the valuable products they provide for home and market.

Covering 65 domestic breeds of ducks, geese, guineafowl, quail, turkeys and peafowl, the book gives an insight into the individual personalities and attributes of each kind of bird. With just a little land and available water, you can raise a variety of domestic fowl, from friendly ducks and characterful geese to guineafowl, dainty quail, placid turkeys or even peafowl. Illustrated with the author's charming watercolour paintings, this book is packed with practical tips on keeping domestic fowl and selecting the right breed for your circumstances. The breed profiles are written in engaging text and include the history and place of origin, colour combinations, differences between male and female birds, the appearance of hatchlings and the numbers of eggs to expect. As well as selecting an appropriate breed, you need to consider your neighbours, the kinds of bird you can and should keep, whether you want them for eggs or as pets, and whether you want to breed them. The book offers helpful advice on all these issues and also on housing, the provision of water, feeding and the noise and impact your birds will have, as well as preventing and treating common ailments. Whether you are starting out as a smallholder, are interested in raising a few ducks or geese in a suburban or rural setting, or are simply a devotee of domestic fowl there is plenty to captivate you in this book.