There are now more than 170 titles in this series, and their remarkable popularity reflects the common desire of country and city dwellers alike to cultivate personal independence in everyday life.

    And while they may seem like simple little creatures, they are really very complex and never cease to amaze those who live with them. Physiologically and psychologically bunnies are very different from cats and dogs--or any other pet you may be familiar with--and they have their own unique needs and problems that must be addressed. Keeping a bunny healthy and happy requires a sincere commitment of time, energy, and love--one you'd better be sure you're willing to invest before you take one of these gentle little creatures into your life. Rabbits For Dummies lets you take a well-informed look before hopping headlong into the wonderful world of rabbit ownership. This fun, entertaining book fills you in on everything you need to know to successfully adopt, nurture, live with and love a rabbit. You'll discover how to:Choose the right rabbit for you Learn how to communicate with your bunny Understand your rabbit's special needs Acclimate your rabbit to your household Feed and house your rabbit properly Identify and address common health problems Breed Rabbits Written by lifelong rabbit fancier and award-winning author pet author, Audrey Pavia, Rabbits For Dummies is ideal for first-time and veteran rabbit owners, alike. It is a gold mine of advice, guidance and tested-in-the-trenches tips on:Deciding if a rabbit is right for you and vice versa Choosing the right breed, size, age and sex bunny for you Finding your rabbit and introducing it into your home Housing, cleaning and feeding your rabbit Health issues, concerns and treatments Dealing with bunny behavior problems Training your bunny to use a litter box Teaching your rabbit tricks and having fun together Rabbit psychology and physiology Breeding and showing rabbits for fun and profit Packed with informative photos and how-to sections on every aspect of caring for and loving a pet bunny, Rabbits For Dummies is a survival guide for rabbits and their people.

    Start by planning your garden and learning strategies and tips for keeping your plants safe while they grow. Plant with purpose, choosing from a dozen plans for theme gardens such as Orange Egg Yolks or Nesting Box Herbs. Or choose a design that's filled with edibles - sharing the bounty with your family and your feathered friends. Then comes the fun part: enjoy the harvest, even let the chickens graze!Lisa's friendly writing, together with inspirational photos and illustrations, will have you rolling up your sleeves and reaching for your gardening tools. Lisa also covers a range of topics just for chicken-keepers, including:- Chickens and composting- Using chickens to aerate and till- Coop window boxes- Plants to avoid when you have chickens- Lists of the most valuable crops and herbs- Advice on how to harvest and use many of the plants- And much more!Whether you're an experienced chicken keeper, master gardener, or just getting into these two wonderful hobbies, Gardening with Chickens is an indispensable guide for a harmonious homestead.

    The movement has increased in popularity in recent years as consumers embrace a more sustainable lifestyle, reject commercialism, move to organic food options, and raise concerns about industrial agriculture practices. Raising Goats For Dummies provides you with an introduction to all aspects of owning, caring for, and the day-to-day benefits of raising goats. Breaks down the complicated process of choosing and purchasing the right goat breed to meet your needs and getting facilities for your goat set up. Provides in-depth information on proper grooming, handling, feeding, and milking Covers the basics of goat health and nutrition Offers tips and advice for using your goat to produce milk, meat, fiber, and more You'll quickly understand what makes these useful and delightful creatures so popular and gain the knowledge and skills to properly care for and utilize their many offerings with help from Raising Goats For Dummies.

    Readers will discover how to groom a parakeet, recognize the symptoms of illness, and keep a parakeet safe from other pets. They will also see how to teach a parakeet to talk, understand parakeet behavior, and find an avian veterinarian.

    Like the previous editions, this one tells you how you can make maple syrup right in your own backyard without having to build a sap house or buy buckets, holding tanks, evaporators and other expensive paraphernalia. Provides detailed "how-to" information, and makes some new and noteworthy revelations-including tips sugarers across the country have shared with the author.

    Stressing humane practices throughout, Glenn Drowns provides expert advice on breed selection, housing, feeding, behavior, breeding, health care, and processing your own meat and eggs. With tips on raising specialty species like doves, ostriches, and peafowl, you’ll be inspired to experiment with new breeds and add diversity to your poultry operation.

    In the preface to this book, author Keith Delaplane says of his first book on beekeeping, "Its pages opened to me a golden world of honey bees and beekeeping and guided my stumbling steps that first spring season. My story is but one of thousands who have passed through the door opened by Dadant's little book."

    But conventional beekeeping requires a significant investment and has a steep learning curve. The alternative? Consider beekeeping outside the box.The Thinking Beekeeper is the definitive do-it-yourself guide to natural beekeeping in top bar hives. Based on the concept of understanding and working with bees' natural systems as opposed to trying to subvert them, the advantages of this approach include:Simplicity, sustainability, and cost-effectivenessIncreased safety due to less heavy lifting and hive manipulationChemical-free colonies and healthy hivesTop bar hives can be located anywhere bees have access to forage, and they make ideal urban hives due to their small footprint.Emphasizing the intimate connection between our food systems, bees, and the well-being of the planet, The Thinking Beekeeper will appeal to the new breed of beekeeper who is less focused on maximizing honey yield, and more on ensuring the viability of the bee population now and in the coming years.Christy Hemenway is the owner and founder of Gold Star Honeybees, a complete resource for all things related to beekeeping in top-bar hives. A passionate bee-vangelist and advocate for natural, chemical-free beekeeping, Christy is a highly sought-after speaker, helping audiences to understand the integral connection between bees, food, human health, and the future of the planet.

    But you can keep chickens and have a beautiful garden, too! In this essential handbook, award-winning garden designer Jessi Bloom offers step-by-step instructions for creating a beautiful and functional space while maintaining a happy, healthy flock. Free-Range Chicken Gardens covers everything a gardener needs to know, from the basics of chicken keeping and creating the perfect chicken-friendly garden design to building innovative coops.

    And he’s never stopped studying, because he wants to give the best, most up-to-date information to the listeners of his nationally-syndicated Public Radio show, “You Bet Your Garden.” He offers the fruits of his labors in this illustrated guide that reveals why compost is the answer to virtually every garden question. McGrath explains why compost improves soil structure; why it provides the perfect amount of food for every plant; how it fights plant diseases more safely and effectively than any chemical fungicide; and how to make your own. This is a must-have on every gardener’s bookshelf!

    Our Modern Way series of six books has sold more than 1,000,000 copies. In an effort to provide readers with the best how-to animal books on the market we are completely updating all six Modern Way titles and reintroducing them as part of our Guide to Raising series. Written by experts, these guides give novice and experienced livestock farmers all they need to know to successfully keep and profit from animals. Each book includes information on selection, housing, space requirements, breeding and birthing techniques, feeding, behavior, and health concerns and remedies for illness. The books also address the business of raising animals -- processing meat, milk, eggs, and more. The authors were chosen not only for their expertise but also for their ability to explain the ins and outs of animal husbandry in an inviting and authoritative manner.Whether readers are ready to start an entire herd or flock or are considering purchasing their first animal, Storey's Guide to Raising series offers vital information; each book is an indispensable reference.

    Most of us want to live a sustainable life in which we protect the land and keep it safe from development and overproduction. But we can take this a step further by learning how to grow and savor what we can produce ourselves—while still maintaining an alternative career to fund this passion. Michael and Audrey Levatino here share how to:     • Grow your own food.     • Raise chickens, horses, llamas, bees, and more.     • Practice being (a little) off the grid.     • Sell the bounty in your local community.     • Balance a professional career with a rural lifestyle.The Joy of Hobby Farming is a book that will excite armchair farmers and inspire any do-it-yourselfer.

    As a hardy, easy care, and potentially long-lived lizard, the leopard gecko is the perfect size, attractive in its velvety skin, and fairly easy to breed. The subject of breeding geckos is covered in multiple chapters in this book led by author and herp expert de Vosjoli, who is joined by gecko specialists Dr. Roger Klingenberg, Ron Tremper, and Dr. Brian Viets, who each contribute special chapters to this up-to-date and authoritative guide. Colorfully illustrated, Leopard Geckos provides excellent general guidelines for keepers who wish to add a gecko to their vivarium and maintain their pet in excellent health and condition. The authors provide an introduction to gecko characteristics including distribution, size, longevity, and growth rate, to help beginners better understand the anatomy and behavior of these fascinating lizards. This Advanced Vivarium Systems title includes information about selecting a healthy leopard gecko, handling, housing needs, water and feeding requirements, and shedding and tail loss. Dr. Klingenberg provides the chapter “The Recognition and Treatment of Disease,” which covers specific disorders keepers should be aware of. De Vosjoli begins the discussion on breeding leopard geckos, and then is joined by Dr. Viets for a chapter on “Incubation Temperature and Hatchling Sex and Pigmentation.” Tremper’s chapter on “Color and Pattern Variations” focuses on the genetic aspects of breeding leopard geckos. The book also discusses the African fat-tailed gecko plus other eublepharids, including the African clawed gecko, Japanese leopard gecko, Malaysian cat gecko, and the Central American banded gecko.

    A practical, everything-you-need-to-know guide to keeping chickens for people who are as interested in them as pets as they are in eggs and other poultry produce.