Guest Author - Denise Lacazette

Barnyard in your Backyard is a must read if you plan on raising rabbits, ducks, geese, chickens, sheep, cattle, or goats. This book is packed full of valuable information that you will not typically find in slim pet care books. What it does not cover are the social aspects of pet rearing. It is written more from a farmer’s point of view then a pet owner; be aware there are areas addressing usage of these animals as food although it is not the central theme.

The chapter on rabbits starts off by giving you the history of the rabbit and includes individual breed descriptions and information. It then gives instructions on selecting healthy animals, suggestions for the age and sex to purchase, as well as pedigrees and guarantees. The chapter goes on to discuss how to handle the rabbit, select housing, and even build your own housing (instructions included) and carriers. It also includes extensive information on feeding and healthcare. Especially nice is a list of items the author considers essential first aid kit items to have on hand and a small section on caring for orphans. Further information is presented on breeding, nesting, birthing, sexing, and weaning rabbits. .

The rest of the animals covered in this book are dealt with just as matter-of-factly and contain similar information about each animal. I learned how to incubate duck eggs and I built my outdoor housing for the hatchlings using this book as a reference. I consider it a must-have in my pet book collection.

The drawbacks to this book are few. Some pet owners cannot read anything that refers to their species of pet as food. The feeding and health information seem appropriate for small and large application farming, but some exotic pet owners prefer more holistic, natural and/or complimentary approaches and they will not find that here. Otherwise I can find little to disagree with.

Recommended: Yes
Level: Prospective buyer, novice to intermediate owner

Barnyard in Your Backyard is available through Amazon.com.

Title: Barnyard in your Backyard
Author: Damerow, Salsbury, et al (edited by Gail Damerow)
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Copyright: 2002
ISBN: 1-58017-456-6