About Us
The Barnyard Bucket is a practical resource for anyone who feeds and cares for barnyard animals — from backyard chicken keepers and small-scale pig farmers to hobbyist cow and goat owners. We publish clear feeding guides, balanced ration recipes, ingredient breakdowns, and seasonal tips to help you keep poultry, pigs, cows, sheep, goats, and other farm animals healthy, productive, and content.
Our content is thoroughly researched and reviewed by livestock nutritionists, practicing veterinarians, and experienced smallholders, ensuring you receive accurate, safe, and effective guidance for feeding and managing barnyard animals.
Meet Our Team
We’re a small, dedicated team of livestock nutritionists, mixed-species farmers, extension educators, and animal welfare advisors who believe practical, evidence-based feeding should be accessible to everyone. Our contributors include certified animal nutritionists, field veterinarians, and experienced homesteaders who together bring decades of hands-on experience to our content.
What sets us apart is that we test feeding strategies, recipe proportions, and feeding equipment on working smallholdings before recommending them. We write for people who want straightforward, actionable guidance — whether you’re raising a few backyard hens or managing a small herd.
- Evidence-based feeding guidance grounded in animal nutrition science
- Practical, no-nonsense advice that works on real farms and homesteads
- Regular updates to reflect new research, feed ingredient availability, and seasonal needs
- Direct access to our team’s collective experience across nutrition, health, and husbandry
Our Mission
Our mission at The Barnyard Bucket is to make responsible, affordable, and welfare-focused feeding approachable for everyone who cares for farm animals. We aim to help smallholders, hobby farmers, and newcomers provide balanced diets that support animal health, reproduction, and productivity without unnecessary complexity.
We bridge animal nutrition science and real-world husbandry so you understand not just what to feed but why it matters. Our goal is to give you the tools to make informed decisions about feed selection, formulation, and feeding practices tailored to your animals and your operation.
- Deliver actionable feeding plans, ration tips, and ingredient guides suited to different species and production goals
- Translate animal nutrition research into clear, practical steps you can use every day
- Provide adaptable guidance for backyard flocks, small herds, and mixed-species farms
- Create resources that address common constraints like budget, storage, seasonal feed changes, and forage availability
Our Values
We value animal welfare, practical solutions, and transparent communication. Our advice aims to improve animal health and productivity while minimizing waste, cost, and risk to both animals and caretakers.
We favor steady, evidence-based improvements over flashy trends. Every feeding guide, recipe, and equipment recommendation is vetted to ensure it serves animal needs first and fits the realities of small-scale farming.
Transparency is central to our work — we disclose partnerships, sponsorships, and affiliate relationships clearly. These affiliations do not influence our editorial decisions; our priority is honest, welfare-minded recommendations for your animals.
- Practicality: Real-world advice for feeders, not idealized lab conditions
- Transparency: Clear disclosure of partnerships, testing methods, and limitations
- Community: We learn from farmers, keepers, and readers who share successes and challenges
- Expertise: Guidance from credentialed nutritionists, vets, and extension specialists
- Authority: Recommendations supported by agricultural research, extension publications, and peer-reviewed studies
- Trustworthiness: We correct errors quickly and update guidance as new evidence or safety information emerges
Our Expertise
The Barnyard Bucket combines hands-on farming experience with academic and clinical expertise in animal nutrition and health. Our editorial board includes livestock nutritionists, large- and small-animal veterinarians, and experienced producers who review content for technical accuracy and practical viability.
Editorial leadership is provided by a rotating panel of subject-matter contributors from agricultural extension programs and independent consultants with years of field-tested experience in feed formulation, forage management, and species-specific dietary needs.
Our review process references extension publications, veterinary guidance, and peer-reviewed studies. When we cite research, we summarize key findings, explain how they apply on the farm, and note any limitations or caveats for practical use.
- Feeding programs follow established principles of animal nutrition and species-specific requirements
- Advice on supplements, treats, and alternative feeds aligns with veterinary and extension guidelines
- Biosecurity and feed-safety recommendations developed in consultation with animal health professionals
- Continuous professional development and review for contributors to maintain up-to-date expertise
Thanks for visiting! Have feedback or a success story to share? Reach out on our contact page or drop a comment — we’d love to hear from you. We read every message and incorporate reader feedback to improve our content.
General Disclaimer: While our team includes veterinarians and nutrition experts, the content on this site is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice. Consult a qualified veterinarian or livestock nutritionist before making major changes to diets, treatments, or herd management.