Barnyard in Your Backyard: A Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Rabbits, Goats, Sheep, and Cattle [Paperback]

Gail Damerow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2002

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Damerow, author of several books on chickens and a breeder of dairy goats, has compiled a primer on easy-to-raise and companionable farm animals that will provide a good return for the novice farmer. The introduction acquaints the reader with all the pros and cons of keeping farm animals, covering such topics as manure, noise, and dealing with the neighbors. Six types of livestock are covered in depth, starting with chickens as perhaps the easiest to keep, then moving through ducks and geese, rabbits, goats, sheep, and finally dairy and beef cattle. Each chapter introduces the animal and describes breeds; discusses the animal's personality and how to handle it; provides information on feeding, housing, and routine care; and finally tells how to deal with the animal's output of eggs, milk, fiber, or meat. Simple, clear, and straightforward instructions and advice help the new animal keeper with any questions, and line drawings illustrate many concepts. Nancy Bent
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

“Fleecing sheep, goat-proofing gates, preventing frostbite on the knob heads of African geese – it’s all covered in this agro-centric tome.” –Newsday

 

“…simple, clear instructions for animal care…” –Pet Product News

 

“…a primer on easy-to-raise and companionable farm animals that will provide a good return for the novice farmer.” –Booklist

 

“Whether you plan to create your mini-farm as a hobby or to create a new business, Barnyard in Your Backyard is an excellent guide.”

                                    -San Gabriel Valley Daily Tribune

                                    -Pasadena, Ca Star-News

                                    -Whittier, CA News

 

“Packed with tried-and-true advice on raising happy and healthy farm animals, Barnyard in Your Backyard…is perfect for novice farmers.” –Country Almanac

 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC (July 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580174566
• ISBN-13: 978-1580174565
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,075 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #42 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Agricultural Sciences > Animal Husbandry

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

105 of 107 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good basic information to help narrow down your interests, March 12, 2004

By 

Mark A. Fox "markafox" (Calgary, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Barnyard in Your Backyard: A Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Rabbits, Goats, Sheep, and Cattle (Paperback)

Barnyard In Your Backyard is a decent introduction to animal husbandry. It contains enough basic information to get you started with any of the animals covered, but should really be supplemented with a book specific to the animal you are interested in. The emphasis here was definitely on breadth rather than depth. That's not necessarily a bad thing.

I did find the layout of the chapters a bit haphazard. For example, my interest is in ducks and chickens. When trying to figure out what size of run/pasture and sort of shelter would be required, I really had to carefully read both chapters, start to finish, to find all the relevant tidbits that were scattered throughout.

The later chapters (goats, sheep, and cows) looked to be a bit better organized, but I only scanned them as they weren't in-line with my interests.

The organization and lack of depth doesn't make it a particulaly good reference, but for an introduction to husbandry of several different animals, the authors have succeeded.

62 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Barnyard in your Backyard, May 4, 2003

By 

Cyberpip "cyberpip1" (Colorado) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Barnyard in Your Backyard: A Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Rabbits, Goats, Sheep, and Cattle (Paperback)

Excellent book for someone starting to raise livestock either for the first time or after a long absence. Basic information presented in an easy to read and understand format. Gives a good basic understanding of what is needed for the various types of livestock covered. Though I personally would have wished perhaps a bit more depth in some areas overall I found it to be an excellent read and well worth it as an reference book.

32 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars highly recommended, February 14, 2005

By 

Hakushou - See all my reviews

This review is from: Barnyard in Your Backyard: A Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Rabbits, Goats, Sheep, and Cattle (Paperback)

You can't get all-inclusive with this many species in one book, but this book comes awfully close. An amazing introduction to basic animal care. Definitely check this out *before* you bring home those cute chicks, or rabbits, or goats! Also excellent for cattle (beef and dairy) and more!