Barnyard in Your Backyard: A Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Rabbits, Goats, Sheep, and Cows (Paperback)

by Gail Damerow (Author) "One of the great things about living in the country is having enough space to keep livestock..." (more)
Key Phrases: hutch cards, esophageal feeder, nipple bucket, United States, Recommended Reading, North America (more...)

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

Product Description
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.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC (July 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580174566
• ISBN-13: 978-1580174565
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,874 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

85 of 87 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)

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.

56 of 58 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

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.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	Hakushou "self-employed and freelance intelle... - See all my reviews

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!