In the back pages of ‘The Joy of Keeping Farm Animals’ you’ll find a few forms that help you keep track of an animal’s growth, heritage, offspring, breeding dates and any other important information specific to the animal.
There are also a few ‘cheat sheets’ to assist you in calculating food, care, and space requirements for short term animals you raise on the farm. These are my own quick fact sheets that I use to quickly determine how much feed I need to order per week, when I need to switch the ration quality, when I can turn the heat lamp off, and so on. I published them to help my readers but they are not a substitute for veterinary care – or in some cases, your own good judgement.
These forms and cheat sheets in the book were a small 6×9″ format but you will probably prefer the ones you can download here as they are 8 1/2″ x 11 and far easier to read. Plus you can print out as many copies as you need without having to go to the copy shop in town.
Ultimately I want the best for your animals. Primarily because I am an animal lover and have great respect for the beasts that we raise to eat, but also because I want the best for you. If an animal is raised with care and kindness the rewards are multiplied in the quality of the meal each one provides to you and your family.
Links to the Forms
These forms are in PDF format. I chose PDF because the software to open, view and print the files is freely available from Adobe Acrobat, the files created cannot carry computer viruses and they can be read both on a MAC as well as a PC.
Chicken Cheat Sheet – Covers meat birds and laying hens.
Breeding and Birthing Records for Goats
Vaccination and Health Docket for Goats
Health, Breeding and Milk Records for Dairy Cows
Standard Barn Record: Kid List
Purchase Agreement for Livestock – The form says for goats, but you can change it for any animal. If you want me to change it for you, just let me know. If you need it for other animals, chances are someone else will too, so I don’t mind.
Need More Forms?
I seem to remember having some other quick reference sheets on my computer and in my notes throughout the years but while I was putting the book together for you I couldn’t locate them again. So if there is something that you need for your farm animals or a form that would make record keeping easier, don’t hesitate to ask me. Depending on the time of year it is I make take a week to get it done for you but you could end up being in the next revision of the book – that, and knowing that you’ve helped make other new farmers lives easier through your own need or suggestion.
