Animals & livestock

Chickens of all shapes, sizes and colors congregate happily on Rusty Metal Farm. | Photo by Julia Bayly I admit it, when I first decided to raise egg-laying chickens on Rusty Metal Farm, I honestly thought they were good for one thing…
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Raising Angora rabbits for wool is a lucrative, easy way to generate high-quality fiber. Certain kinds of Angora rabbits -- the ones that generate the most and best fiber, of course -- require regular shearing rather than going through a…
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Photo by Julia Bayly For those of us with backyard chicken flocks, introducing new chickens into the mix can be tricky. There’s a lot more to it than simply opening the coop door, dropping the new hens in among the established flock and…
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Photo by Aislinn Sarnacki Angora rabbit wool is prized for its silkiness and warmth. Raising your own Angora rabbits for wool can not only elevate your personal spinning and knitting projects, but it can also be fairly lucrative. “…
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Most chickens in small, backyard flocks live out their lives quite comfortably in and around their coops in the company of their feathered friends. But every so often you run across a bird that marches to the tune of her own, special drum.…
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If you're looking to raise your own meat, one of the most popular options for small homesteads or backyard farms are chickens. But before you start your flock, take a moment to learn about the different breeds of meat chickens. Not all…
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When the Maine legislature approved the state food sovereignty law in 2017, they were told it ran afoul of federal food safety laws when it came to meat and poultry processing. The original bill allowed municipalities to adopt an…
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Long before there were mechanized tractors and trucks, the heavy lifting and pulling on farms and homesteads was done by teams of draft horses. Draft horses are the largest of the equine breeds and can supply the power to pull and…
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Hobby farmer Fawn "Tarma" Richardson and her Australian cattle dog, Cooper, who helps herd sheep on Richardson's hobby farm in Greenfield, Maine. | Photo by Sam Schipani If you find yourself struggling to wrangle your flocks, herding…
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Bob Yunick holding a hummingbird banding trip near Mooselookmeguntic Lake in early August 2019. | Photo by Jennifer Morgan Like tourists, hummingbirds love summering in Maine. Between the months of May and September, lush Maine is…
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Fern, a border collie that herds sheep at Shalom Orchard Organic Farm and Winery. | Photo by Sam Schipani Whether you have grazing cows, rambling sheep or foraging goats, herding dogs can help to manage flocks on your farm or…
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A member of the camel family, llamas are adapted to the harsh conditions of the high Andes Mountains, where they subsist on a wide variety of grasses and other plants. But here in the United States, where the landscape and vegetation is…
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