When I first got chickens, I was instantly drawn to them. I wanted to learn everything I could about my new, tiny balls of fluff. As I saw it, I was planning on having these chickens around for a long time, so connecting with them … Read More

I’ve been clicker-training horses for years. I understand the science. But revising a novel under the guidance of my editor Rebecca Davis, I understood for the first time how it feels to be trained using positive reinforcement. Here’s what it’s like to be edited by … Read More

Beer for goats? Yes, indeed! Beer, in fact, for many other farmyard creatures as well. Horses, sheep, goats, cows, and pigs all benefit from a good dark beer when they aren’t feeling up to snuff. We learned about beer for livestock 10 years ago when … Read More

Our first interactions with wild predators took place in 1976, when we moved to our small farm in Michigan and bought a box of chicks at the local feed store. We learned very quickly that we weren’t smarter than a raccoon. Confronted on several mornings … Read More

You don’t have to study today’s headlines for long to notice an uptick in the number of encounters between humans and animal predators. Over the past century, the range and populations of smaller predators such as coyotes, raccoons, and foxes have expanded throughout much of … Read More

Calving season starts early, up at our little homestead in the Adirondacks. Three of our Scottish Highlands — Solstice, Iona, and Fiona — gave birth this year, with the earliest calf arriving on March 19th. We called the first one Jubilee, a … Read More

Most humans combine varied degrees of verbal and visual ways of thinking. Animals, however, think only in pictures, sounds, smells, touches, and tastes. This becomes a problem when people interact with animals based on their own perceptions, rather than attempting to view the world the … Read More

The arrival of gardening season is a treat for anyone who enjoys the flavor of vegetables harvested at the peak of freshness. Growing season is also a great time to think about growing food for rabbits (and I don’t mean the wild ones who like to … Read More

Learn More Poultry Breeds is a fresh field guide of feathered friends with stunning photos highlighting the beauty and unique attributes of 104 chicken, duck, goose, and turkey breeds. Each profile outlines the bird’s history, physical characteristics, and common uses, with specially noted fun facts … Read More

Growing up, I was the kind of kid who loved encyclopedias. I would grab a volume at random, take it to bed with me, and read up on stuff I didn’t know. So I was thrilled and honored when Storey asked me to revise and … Read More