Customer Reviews

Backyard Livestock: Raising Good Natural Food for Your Family (Revised, Expanded Edition)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Anyone who would like to put a few animals in the backyard for eggs or meat or milk or everything altogether, will save hundreds of headaches, and probably hundreds of dollars, by buying this book and taking Steven Thomas's suggestions seriously. There are now dozens of these kinds of books out there, and I own a number of them (including "Barnyard In Your Backyard" which is nowhere near as good as this) but none of them comes close to "Backyard Livestock" for practicality of advice, conciseness of expression, and comprehensiveness. I have sheep, chicken, etc., and this has been far more reliable than any competing manuals that I own or know of. You can't not get it! It's indispensable.

To get information easily and quickly, this book is concise and informative. We bought this book when we first started our little farm and 10 years later are still referring to it! An excellent buy.

This is a great book, it gives you a lot of important information it is like having 8 or more books in one. We raised chickens, goats, rabbits, pigs and a cow. We had a couple of different books, but this one we used all the time to make sure we give our animals the right care.

In my opinion, this book is not for someone who wishes to homestead either organically or "naturally". Right off the bat, the authors mention GMOs and defend their existence by claiming that man is always going to be looking for better ideas, so there's no point in arguing their merits! They admit that GMOs are not strictly 'cross-breeding', but restructuring DNA at the cellular level (and NO ONE knows what will come of that), but again, simply shrug that off as progress. There are other unfortunate misconceptions in it as well, and not a lot of detailed information regarding the various breeds of animals, nor why you should husband one type over another depending upon your needs. All-in-all, this isn't about sustainable homesteading, more like how to create a smaller home version of modern factory farming techniques. Not what I was looking for, at any rate...

#1 goes into breeds, #2 goes into needs, #3 goes into purchasing AND how to CHOOSE healthy animals, #4 how to house and care for them!! Everything! I am sure there is more to each animal, but this is THE best intro book! I am so happy with my nrew load of reading materials!! I cant wait to get this all started!!

This book was very beneficial in all aspects of raising small-farm animals. Great reference manual for beginners. I certainly listed this book in the resources directory of my new title, Farm Animals: Your Guide to Raising Livestock, because I felt it would be an awesome addition to my own farm related books!

This is by far the best book I have ever read on the subject of raising your own livestock. The author not only put great information into the book, he also wrote it by telling stories that helped me to better understand and retain the information. I bought the book to learn more about raising a few cattle for both milk and beef, but after reading about other livestock, my wife and I are looking forward to raising a few other types. It even tought us how to save money on feed by giving recipes and directions for getting your animals feed from nature. A must have book if you want to raise your own poultry, or livestock.

As someone who is just starting to look into making a change in lifestyle from the suburban cubicle life to a life on the land, I found this book to be a great starting place from which to make some early decisions. I'll definately buy more indepth books on the types and breeds that I want to include on my future farm. No one should expect a wide-ranging overview like this book to cover everything.

The book covers major topics within each animal type such as popular breeds for the homesteader, purchasing options, feeding, housing, handling, management, breeding, health, and butchering. I specially liked the options discussed in how to purchase your livestock and how to save money with mixing your own feed.

Overall, a good overview of what's available. Well written with plenty of personal experience thrown in.

This is one of several books that we've purchased or borrowed from the library to learn about raising animals. I think that this one is one of the best (the Encyclopedia of Country Living is also another great resource). The information is straightforward and honest. After having experienced the country life, along with the ups and downs of having chickens, guineas, goats, and cows, I can say that I wish I had this one in the beginning.

A friend decided to 'farm' her 1/4 acre yard in Seattle with the help of a several books on farming and homesteading and recommended Backyard Livestock as the most helpful. It certainly is very helpful and quite an easy read, as well. Very useful information, even to help you decide whether farming really is for you.

This book and "Story's Guide To Raising Chickens" helped me realize that, in my particular situation, it makes more sense (and is more economical in the long run) for me to keep buying eggs, chickens and other free-range meat from the small local farm I'm so lucky to have nearby -and which I now appreciate even more.

I've learned a great deal from this book (and it's made me a better consumer, as well).

Highly recommended.