Animal Husbandry

Why This Matters

Plants feed you carbohydrates. Animals feed you everything else: complete protein, fat, vitamin B12 (unavailable from plants), leather, wool, bone tools, sinew for cordage, manure for fertilizer, and labor for plowing and transport. A single dairy goat produces 2-3 liters of milk per day — enough protein and fat for an adult. A flock of chickens turns kitchen scraps and insects into eggs every day with almost no work from you. Without animals, your settlement is permanently limited to a plant-based subsistence diet and must manufacture everything from plant fiber alone.

The Core Principle

Animal husbandry is controlled ecology, just like farming, but with living creatures that have behavioral needs. Success depends on three things:

1. Shelter — protection from predators, weather, and disease
2. Feed — adequate nutrition year-round, including winter when forage is scarce
3. Breeding — controlled reproduction to maintain and improve your herd/flock

Get these three right and animals are the most productive investment a settlement can make. Get any one wrong and you have dead animals, wasted resources, and demoralized people.

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What You Need

Basic infrastructure:

• Fenced enclosure or shelter (materials vary by animal)
• Water source within or adjacent to the enclosure
• Feed storage area (dry, rodent-proof)
• Manure collection/composting area

Tools:

• Knife or sharp tool for processing
• Buckets or vessels for water and milk
• Rope or cordage for leading and tying
• Digging tools for post holes and drainage

Feed:

• Pasture grass and browse (free if you have land)
• Grain, crop waste, kitchen scraps (supplemental)
• Hay (dried grass/legumes for winter) — requires cutting, drying, and dry storage

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Which Animals to Domesticate First

Not all animals are equally useful or easy to keep. Prioritize based on your situation:

Priority	Animal	Why First	Feed Needs	Space Needed	Difficulty
1	Chickens	Eggs daily, meat, pest control, almost zero effort	Kitchen scraps, insects, some grain	1 m2/bird (coop) + outdoor range	Easy
2	Goats	Milk daily, meat, hide, browse eaters (clear brush)	Browse, weeds, hay, minimal grain	5-10 m2/goat (shelter) + pasture	Medium
3	Rabbits	Meat every 10-12 weeks, fur, manure, breed fast	Grass, hay, weeds, vegetable scraps	0.5-1 m2/rabbit (hutch)	Easy
4	Sheep	Wool, milk, meat, lanolin	Grass pasture, hay in winter	5-10 m2/sheep + pasture	Medium
5	Pigs	Meat (highest calorie yield), fat, eat anything	Scraps, roots, acorns, grain	5-10 m2/pig + outdoor range	Medium
6	Cattle	Milk, meat, leather, draft power (plowing)	Large amounts of grass/hay	20-50 m2/cow + large pasture	Hard

Start with chickens and goats. They are the most forgiving, the most productive relative to their feed needs, and the least demanding in terms of infrastructure. Add others as your settlement grows and feed production increases.

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Method 1: Chicken Keeping

Chickens are the ideal starter animal. They eat pests, produce eggs nearly every day, require minimal space, and are docile enough for children to manage.

Acquiring Chickens

In a post-collapse scenario, chickens may be found at abandoned farms, traded from other settlements, or caught from feral flocks (domestic chickens gone wild). You need at minimum 3-4 hens and ideally 1 rooster to start a self-sustaining flock.

Shelter (The Coop)

Size: 1 square meter of floor space per 3-4 birds, plus outdoor ranging area.

Construction:

1. Build an enclosed structure with solid walls and roof. Does not need to be large — a 1.5 x 2 meter coop houses 6-8 chickens.
2. Roosting bars: Horizontal poles 3-5 cm in diameter, mounted 60-90 cm off the floor. Chickens sleep on these. Allow 20-25 cm of bar length per bird.
3. Nesting boxes: One box per 3-4 hens. Size: 30 x 30 x 30 cm, lined with straw or dried grass. Mount 30-60 cm off the floor. Hens lay eggs in these — without boxes, they lay in random hidden spots.
4. Ventilation: Gaps or openings near the roofline (not at bird level) for airflow. Ammonia from droppings causes respiratory disease if not ventilated.
5. Predator-proofing: This is the most critical factor. Close every gap larger than 2 cm. Weasels, snakes, rats, foxes, hawks, and raccoons all kill chickens. Bury fencing 30 cm deep around the perimeter or lay a stone foundation. A lockable door that closes securely at night is essential.
6. Floor: Cover with 10-15 cm of dry straw, wood shavings, or dried leaves (“deep litter”). This absorbs droppings and composting generates mild heat in winter. Add fresh litter on top as it compresses. Clean out entirely every 2-3 months and compost the used litter.

Feeding

• Free range: Let chickens out during the day to forage for insects, seeds, and greens. This is their natural diet and costs you nothing.
• Supplemental grain: Provide cracked corn, wheat, barley, or any available grain — about 100-120 grams per bird per day.
• Kitchen scraps: Vegetable peelings, leftover grain, stale bread, fruit scraps. Chickens eat almost anything. Avoid: raw potato skins (toxic solanine), avocado (toxic), dry beans (toxic raw), chocolate, onions in large quantities.
• Grit: Chickens have no teeth. They need small stones in their gizzard to grind food. If they free-range, they find their own grit. If confined, provide a dish of coarse sand or crushed eggshells.
• Calcium: Laying hens need calcium for eggshells. Crush used eggshells (bake first to sterilize) and offer in a separate dish. Without calcium, hens lay soft-shelled eggs and eventually stop laying.
• Water: Fresh, clean water always available. Chickens drink 200-500 ml per day. They will not drink dirty water and will dehydrate fast.

Egg Production

A healthy hen lays 4-6 eggs per week during spring and summer (long daylight hours). Laying decreases in fall and winter (short days). Expect near-zero production in the shortest days of winter. This is natural — hens need rest.

Collect eggs daily. Unwashed eggs keep for 2-3 weeks at room temperature (the protective “bloom” coating seals the shell). Washed eggs must be used within a week or kept very cool.

Breeding

If you have a rooster, fertilized eggs can be hatched. A hen that goes “broody” (sits on eggs continuously and puffs up defensively when disturbed) will incubate eggs naturally.

1. Let the broody hen accumulate 8-12 eggs in her nest.
2. She will sit on them for 21 days, leaving only briefly to eat and drink.
3. Chicks hatch on day 21 (+/- 1 day). The hen raises them — she teaches them to eat, keeps them warm, and defends them.
4. Chicks can eat finely cracked grain and chopped greens from day one. They need water in a shallow dish (they can drown in deep water).
5. Hens begin laying at 18-24 weeks of age.

Health Issues

Problem	Signs	Treatment
Respiratory disease	Sneezing, wheezing, nasal discharge	Isolate sick bird; improve ventilation; garlic in water as mild antiseptic
External parasites (mites, lice)	Feather loss, irritation, pale comb, weight loss	Dust bath area with wood ash or diatomaceous earth; clean coop thoroughly
Internal parasites (worms)	Weight loss despite eating, pale comb, diarrhea	Pumpkin seeds (natural dewormer); garlic; isolate and clean
Egg binding	Hen strains, lethargy, swollen abdomen	Warm bath (body temperature water); gentle abdominal massage; calcium supplement
Predator injury	Wounds, missing feathers, dead birds	Improve coop security; treat wounds with clean water and honey

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Method 2: Goat Keeping

Goats are the most versatile livestock animal for a small settlement. They produce milk, meat, hide, and fiber (cashmere and mohair from certain breeds), eat brush and weeds that no other livestock will touch, and are intelligent and hardy.

Acquiring Goats

Start with 2-3 does (females) and access to a buck (male) for breeding. Never keep a single goat alone — they are herd animals and become stressed, noisy, and destructive without companions.

Shelter

Size: 3-5 square meters of covered shelter per goat, plus outdoor fenced area.

Construction:

1. Goats need a dry, draft-free shelter. They are remarkably hardy in cold but suffer badly in wet conditions. Dampness causes hoof rot and pneumonia.
2. Three-sided shelter (open on the side away from prevailing wind) is adequate in mild climates. Fully enclosed shelter is needed where winters are harsh.
3. Raised floor or deep straw bedding (10-15 cm) to keep goats off cold, damp ground.
4. Hay rack: Mount a rack at head height to hold hay. Goats will not eat hay off the ground (they instinctively avoid fecal-contaminated food).
5. Water bucket: Secured so goats cannot tip it. Fresh water always available.

Fencing

This is the biggest challenge of goat keeping. Goats are extraordinary escape artists.

• Height: Minimum 1.2 meters, preferably 1.5 meters. Goats jump and climb.
• Strength: Must resist leaning, pushing, and standing on. Goats test every fence constantly.
• No gaps: If a goat can fit its head through an opening, it will try to push its body through.
• Materials: Woven branches (wattle fencing), stacked stone walls (1.2m+), or stout wooden post and rail.
• Electric fence: If you have electrical capability, a single electrified wire at nose height is extremely effective.

Feeding

• Browse and pasture: Goats prefer brush, shrubs, weeds, and tree leaves over grass. They are excellent for clearing land. Allow 400-500 square meters of mixed browse per goat for year-round grazing in temperate climates.
• Hay: In winter or when pasture is scarce, provide 1.5-2 kg of hay per goat per day. Legume hay (clover, alfalfa) is best — higher protein.
• Grain: Milking does need 0.5-1 kg of grain per day to maintain milk production. Whole or cracked barley, oats, or corn.
• Minerals: Goats need salt and trace minerals. Provide a salt block or a dish of salt. If available, mix in powdered bone (calcium) and wood ash (potassium).
• Toxic plants: Goats resist many plant toxins but are vulnerable to: rhododendron/azalea (deadly), yew (deadly), wilted cherry leaves (cyanide), and nightshade. Remove these from goat areas.

Milking

Goats in milk produce 2-3 liters per day (some breeds up to 5 liters). Milk twice daily, 12 hours apart, for maximum production.

Milking technique:

1. Secure the goat on a milking stand (a raised platform with a head lock that holds the goat in place while she eats grain — she associates milking with food reward).
2. Wash the udder with warm water and dry with a clean cloth.
3. Grasp one teat at the base between thumb and forefinger, closing the teat to trap milk inside.
4. Squeeze downward with middle, ring, and little finger in sequence, pushing milk out.
5. Alternate hands. Do not pull the teat — squeeze.
6. Milk until the udder feels soft and deflated (about 5-10 minutes per milking).
7. Strain milk through clean cloth immediately. Cool as quickly as possible.

Goat milk keeps 3-5 days when cool. Use it for drinking, cheese (see Food Processing), yogurt, and butter.

Breeding

• Does reach breeding age at 7-10 months (but wait until they weigh at least 35 kg for healthy pregnancies).
• Breeding season: Fall (September-January in the northern hemisphere). Does cycle every 18-21 days during the season.
• Signs of heat: Tail flagging, vocalization, swollen vulva, standing when mounted.
• Gestation: 150 days (5 months).
• Kids (baby goats): Usually twins, sometimes triplets. Kids stand and nurse within 30 minutes of birth.
• Wean kids at 8-12 weeks.
• Buck management: Keep the buck separate except for breeding. Bucks smell terrible (they urinate on their own faces during breeding season) and are aggressive. One buck serves 20-30 does.

Health Issues

Problem	Signs	Treatment
Hoof rot	Limping, foul smell from hooves, soft/black hoof tissue	Trim infected tissue; soak hooves in salt water; keep ground dry
Internal parasites (worms)	Weight loss, rough coat, pale gums, diarrhea, bottle jaw (swelling under chin)	Rotate pastures; use wormwood or garlic as dewormer; in severe cases, isolate and fast for 24 hours
Bloat	Distended left side, distress, difficulty breathing	Walk the goat; massage the left side; drench with cooking oil (60 ml); puncture the rumen with a knife only as a last resort (through the left flank, behind the last rib)
Mastitis (udder infection)	Hot, hard, swollen udder quarter; milk contains clots or blood	Milk out affected quarter completely 4x daily; warm compresses; honey poultice
Pneumonia	Coughing, nasal discharge, fever, lethargy	Shelter from damp/cold; keep warm; garlic and honey in warm water

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Method 3: Rabbit Keeping

Rabbits are the most space-efficient meat animal. They breed extremely fast, eat weeds and garden waste, produce excellent manure, and their pelts make warm, soft clothing.

Acquiring Rabbits

Wild rabbits can be trapped (see Hunting & Trapping) and tamed over generations, but domestic rabbits from abandoned farms or trades are far easier to manage. Start with 1 buck and 2-3 does.

Housing (Hutches)

Size: Minimum 0.5 square meters per rabbit (e.g., 60 x 80 cm floor area, 45 cm tall). Larger is always better.

Construction:

1. Build raised hutches (60-90 cm off the ground) to protect from ground predators and dampness.
2. Wire mesh or woven wattle floor allows droppings to fall through (collect below for composting). Provide a solid section (30 x 30 cm) for resting — wire-only floors cause sore hocks.
3. Solid walls on three sides for wind protection. Wire or wattle front for ventilation and access.
4. Weatherproof roof extending past the front to shed rain.
5. A nesting box (enclosed, dark area) 30 x 30 x 25 cm for does to kindle (give birth) in. Line with straw.

Feeding

• Primary diet: Fresh grass, hay, weeds, dandelion greens, clover, plantain, comfrey (excellent for rabbits), carrot tops, lettuce.
• Supplemental: Small amount of grain (oats, barley) for breeding does and growing kits. About 30 grams per day.
• Hay: Always available. Hay is essential for digestive health and tooth wear. Without adequate fiber, rabbits develop fatal GI stasis.
• Water: Fresh water always available. Rabbits drink 100-300 ml per day. More when nursing.
• Toxic plants: Avoid foxglove, ragwort, hemlock, buttercup, potato tops, rhubarb leaves.

Breeding

Rabbits breed prolifically. This is their greatest advantage and also requires management to prevent overcrowding.

• Does are ready to breed at 5-6 months of age.
• Always bring the doe to the buck’s cage, never the reverse (does are territorial and may attack a strange buck in their space).
• Mating is obvious and fast — the buck falls off sideways. Allow 2-3 matings, then return the doe to her cage.
• Gestation: 28-32 days.
• Litter size: 6-10 kits (baby rabbits).
• Place the nesting box in the doe’s hutch at day 28. She will pull fur from her chest to line the nest.
• Kits are born blind, hairless, and helpless. The doe nurses once or twice per day (usually at dawn and dusk). Do not disturb the nest for the first 3-4 days.
• Kits open eyes at 10-12 days, begin eating solid food at 3-4 weeks, and wean at 6-8 weeks.
• Meat age: Process at 10-12 weeks (2.5-3.5 kg). Meat quality declines after 16 weeks as muscle toughens.
• Production rate: One doe can produce 4-6 litters per year. That is 24-60 kits per year — potentially 60-180 kg of meat from three does.

Processing

Rabbit processing is quick and clean:

1. Dispatch humanely with a sharp blow to the base of the skull (cervical dislocation), or a quick knife cut to the throat.
2. Hang by hind legs. Remove head, drain blood.
3. Cut around the hind legs just below the ankle joint, peel skin downward like removing a sock. Rabbit skin comes off very easily.
4. Open the abdomen, remove organs. Save the liver, kidneys, and heart (edible). Save the pelt (see Leatherwork).
5. Rinse carcass in clean water.

Manure

Rabbit manure is called “garden gold.” Unlike chicken or goat manure, it can be applied directly to garden beds without composting — it does not burn plants. Collect droppings from under hutches and spread directly on garden beds or add to compost.

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General Veterinary First Aid

For any livestock animal, these principles apply:

Wound Care

1. Restrain the animal gently but firmly.
2. Clean the wound with clean water or saline (1 teaspoon salt per liter of water).
3. Remove any debris or dead tissue.
4. Apply raw honey (antibacterial) directly to the wound.
5. If deep, pack with clean cloth and bandage.
6. Check daily, clean, and re-apply honey.

Setting Broken Legs

Small animals with broken legs are generally best dispatched and processed for meat. For valuable breeding stock:

1. Align the break (this requires a helper to restrain the animal).
2. Splint with straight sticks on opposite sides of the leg.
3. Wrap firmly with cloth strips — tight enough to immobilize but not cut off circulation.
4. Confine the animal for 4-8 weeks.

Recognizing Illness

• Lethargy: Animal that is normally active becomes listless and uninterested in food.
• Isolation: Herd animals that separate from the group are usually sick.
• Discharge: Nasal or eye discharge indicates infection.
• Abnormal droppings: Diarrhea, bloody stool, or absence of droppings.
• Loss of condition: Rapid weight loss, dull coat, visible ribs.

Rule of thumb: Isolate any sick animal immediately. Disease spreads fast in confined herds. Quarantine for at least 2 weeks before returning to the group.

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Feed Planning for Winter

The biggest challenge in animal keeping is feeding through winter when pasture is unavailable.

Hay Production

1. Cut grass and legumes (clover, alfalfa) when they are flowering but before they set seed. This is peak nutrition.
2. Spread the cut material thinly in the sun on a dry surface. Turn it once or twice daily.
3. Drying takes 2-5 days in good weather. Hay is ready when it feels dry, crackles when twisted, and does not feel cool or damp.
4. Stack in a dry shelter with good airflow. Never stack damp hay — it generates heat and can spontaneously combust.

How much hay: Estimate 2 kg per goat per day, 0.1 kg per chicken per day, 0.15 kg per rabbit per day. Multiply by the number of winter days in your climate (90-180 days).

Example for 3 goats over a 120-day winter: 3 x 2 kg x 120 days = 720 kg of hay. That is approximately 15-20 large bales.

Root Crops for Animal Feed

• Turnips, mangels, beets: Grow in fall, store in a root cellar. Feed to goats, rabbits, and pigs through winter.
• Pumpkins and squash: Store in a cool, dry place for months. Break open and feed to any livestock.

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Common Mistakes

Mistake	Why It’s Dangerous	What to Do Instead
Keeping a single social animal (goat, chicken)	Extreme stress, loud vocalization, self-harm, refusal to eat	Always keep at least 2 of any social species
Not predator-proofing at night	A single fox or weasel can kill an entire flock in one night	Lock animals in secure shelter every night without exception
Feeding moldy hay	Mold produces toxins that cause liver failure and death	Inspect hay before feeding; discard any musty or discolored sections
No access to fresh water	Dehydration reduces milk production, causes kidney failure, kills in 2-3 days	Check and refill water at least twice daily; break ice in winter
Overbreeding does without rest	Nutritional depletion, weak offspring, shortened lifespan	Give does a 2-month rest between litters (rabbits) or skip one breeding season (goats)
Inbreeding without new genetics	Genetic defects, reduced fertility, weak immune systems	Introduce a new buck every 2-3 years through trade
Not rotating pastures	Parasite buildup, overgrazing, bare ground	Divide pasture into sections; rotate every 1-2 weeks; rest each section 4-6 weeks
Ignoring early illness signs	Disease spreads to entire herd; treatment becomes impossible	Check animals daily; isolate any that seem off; act immediately

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What’s Next

Animal husbandry unlocks:

• Leatherwork — hides from goats, rabbits, and cattle become leather for clothing, shoes, and equipment
• Textiles & Weaving — wool from sheep and goats is spun and woven into cloth
• Food Processing — milk from goats and cows is processed into cheese, butter, and yogurt

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Quick Reference Card

Animal Husbandry — At a Glance

Start with: Chickens (eggs, easiest) + Goats (milk, versatile)

Animal	Daily Feed	Daily Output	Space/Animal
Chicken	100-120g grain + forage	4-6 eggs/week	1 m2 coop + range
Goat	1.5-2 kg hay + browse	2-3 L milk	3-5 m2 shelter + pasture
Rabbit	Hay + greens + 30g grain	Meat at 10-12 weeks	0.5-1 m2 hutch

Three rules:

1. Lock animals in secure shelter every night
2. Fresh water always available
3. Isolate sick animals immediately

Breeding cycles:

• Chickens: 21 days incubation, laying at 18-24 weeks
• Goats: 150 days gestation, breed at 7-10 months / 35 kg
• Rabbits: 30 days gestation, breed at 5-6 months, 4-6 litters/year

Winter feed: Hay + stored root crops. Calculate: (animals x daily feed x winter days).

Predator-proofing is non-negotiable. One night’s lapse can cost your entire flock.