Best books on raising livestock and bees
Chickens, rabbits, goats, pigs, and bees turn scraps and pasture into eggs, meat, milk, and honey. These guides cover housing, feed, breeding, and animal health when there's no vet nearby.
13 books, beginner-friendly first.
The Backyard Beekeeper
Kim Flottum · 2024
A beginner's guide to keeping bees in small spaces. Honey keeps for a very long time.
beginner
The Backyard Homestead
Carleen Madigan · 2009
What you can produce on a quarter acre: vegetables, fruit, chickens, and more. A friendly overview.
beginnerBasic Butchering of Livestock & Game
John J. Mettler Jr., John J. Mettler · 2003
Step-by-step butchering of beef, pork, lamb, poultry, rabbit, and venison.
beginner
Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens
Gail Damerow · 2017
The standard guide to chickens for eggs and meat: housing, feed, health, and breeding.
beginner
Storey's Guide to Raising Rabbits
Bob Bennett · 2018
Rabbits are quiet and efficient meat animals; this covers breeding, housing, and health.
beginner
The Ultimate Guide to Home Butchering
Monte Burch · 2019
Monte Burch's guide to butchering and processing meat at home, from game to livestock.
beginnerThe Beekeeper's Handbook
Diana Sammataro, Diane Sammataro, Alphonse Avitabile · 2021
A thorough beekeeping reference covering colony biology, management, and disease.
intermediate
The Chicken Health Handbook
Gail Damerow · 2015
Diagnosing and treating poultry illness when there's no avian vet nearby.
intermediate
Pastured Poultry Profits
Joel Salatin · 1996
Joel Salatin's pasture-based method for raising meat chickens.
intermediate
Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats
Jerry Belanger, Sara Thomson Bredesen · 2018
Keeping dairy goats for milk: breeds, feeding, kidding, and milking.
intermediate
Storey's Guide to Raising Pigs
Kelly Klober · 2018
Raising pigs from weaners to butcher weight, with health and housing guidance.
intermediate
Where There Is No Vet
Bill Forse · 1999
Animal health care for farmers and keepers far from a veterinarian. Covers common diseases, wounds, and birthing in livestock.
intermediate
The Merck Veterinary Manual
Susan E. Aiello, Michael A. Moses (eds.) · 2016
The professional veterinary reference used by vets and serious livestock keepers. Dense, but nothing else is as thorough.
advancedLarge reference