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Goats Giving Birth

06.03.2020 by thriftyhomesteader // 3 Comments

Goats giving birth

Episode 12 For the Love of Goats   Have you ever wished you could attend a few goat births with a mentor? That's the idea behind my newest book, Goats Giving Birth: What to Expect During Kidding Season. In today's episode I'm telling you a little about the book and reading the introduction, as well as the first birth story in the first chapter. The book … [Read more...]

Categories // books, goats, Podcast Tags // goat birthing

Copper Deficiency Case Study

03.26.2019 by thriftyhomesteader // 8 Comments

copper deficiency in goats

  We’d had Nigerians for three years when I purchased Muse, my first LaMancha, a yearling in milk. At six months fresh, she dried up, which was disappointing, but I was eagerly looking forward to her kidding the next spring. We never saw her come into heat until December, even though we had two wethers with our does to help detect heat cycles. Because I didn’t own a … [Read more...]

Categories // books, goats Tags // goat health

Crafting Drinks from Nature

01.14.2019 by Janie Hynson // 1 Comment

Pascal Baudar is an author, wild food researcher, brewer, and traditional food preservation instructor in California. His 2018 book, The Wildcrafting Brewer: Creating Unique Drinks and Boozy Concoctions from Nature's Ingredients, is a really interesting read about brewing and fermenting flavorful beverages (not just beers!) using local ingredients you can find in your backyard, … [Read more...]

Categories // books, fruit, reviews, wine

Foraging for Fruit in your Everyday Life

11.01.2018 by Janie Hynson // 5 Comments

Foraging for fruit is not going to save the world, but it's an act that can help make us better people. It enriches lives, gets us out of doors, and ignites our curiosity. It connects us with subtle shifts in the seasons and brings us closer to the people and animals who share wild and settled spaces with us... - Sara Bir, author of The Fruit Forager's Companion Simply … [Read more...]

Categories // books, fruit, orchards, reviews

Indian Goat and Sweet Potatoes

10.11.2018 by thriftyhomesteader // 2 Comments

Although you can use goat meat in place of beef or pork in your usual recipes, I don't really like to do that. When I eat chili, for example, I expect it to taste like pork. If it tastes like goat, I just don't like it. I greatly prefer recipes that come from parts of the world where people eat goat regularly. And it makes sense that they would have figured out which spices and … [Read more...]

Categories // books, cooking, goats, recipes

Bulk cooking and freezing meals

09.17.2018 by Janie Hynson // 8 Comments

freezing meals

Aren't we always looking for ways to simplify life and cut back on weeknight stress? I'm convinced after reading Fix, Freeze, Feast: Stock your Freezer with Ready-to-Cook Meals, 2nd Edition, that bulk cooking and freezing meals is a great way to maximize time and still have nutritious, tasty meals. But bulk cooking is certainly not a new concept, particularly for … [Read more...]

Categories // books, cooking, food, freezing, reviews

Johne’s Disease in Goats

08.29.2018 by thriftyhomesteader // 5 Comments

Johnes

The possibility of bringing Johne’s onto your farm is one reason you should not buy goats from the sale barn. Although Johne’s is rare in goats, it also infects cattle and sheep, which means that a goat that was healthy when it arrived at the sale barn could pick up the disease while there. Although Johne’s is just one of many diseases that an animal could pick up at a sale … [Read more...]

Categories // books, goats Tags // goat health

Feeding Goats for Fertility

08.23.2018 by thriftyhomesteader // 7 Comments

feeding goats during breeding season

“Flushing” is the practice of feeding does more than usual for a month prior to breeding with the idea that it will increase their fertility. This is a very old practice, and the idea behind it is a good one. Of course, you want your doe to be in top condition prior to breeding. She is more likely to get pregnant and stay pregnant. However, for most people, flushing … [Read more...]

Categories // books, goats

Rabbits and the Home Garden

08.20.2018 by thriftyhomesteader // 9 Comments

rabbits

Below is an excerpt from Storey’s Guide to Raising Rabbits, 5th Edition © Bob Bennett. Used with permission from Storey Publishing. Rabbits can help your garden grow, and your garden can do the same for your rabbits. The manure is great for growing most anything, and some garden produce can help you feed your rabbits. Rabbit manure contains higher proportions of nitrogen … [Read more...]

Categories // books, rabbits

Respiratory Conditions in Goats

08.13.2018 by thriftyhomesteader // 27 Comments

respiratory conditions in goats

When a goat has a runny nose or cough, people often assume it has a respiratory infection or lungworms. But those symptoms could be caused by something as simple as dust from hay or living on a gravel road. Ammonia buildup in a barn, as well as smoke or exhaust from machinery, can also cause coughing and runny noses. Treating respiratory issues caused by environmental … [Read more...]

Categories // books, goats

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