Practical vintage how-to for today’s backyard farmers: a two-book set pairing Rodale’s The Homesteader’s Handbook to Raising Small Livestock with The Family Poultry Flock.
Born from the 1970s self-reliance movement, these guides are still the clearest path from coop to pasture for smallholders and 4-H families. Inside you’ll find breed selection, housing and feeding charts, health care, butchering basics, and diagrams—plus sections on goats, rabbits, hogs, ducks, pigeons, and more.
Photo-verified set; bindings sound and ready to work.
Quick Specs
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Item Type: Book set (1 hardcover with dust jacket + 1 paperback)
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Size: 9 × 6 × 1 in (Homesteader’s); 9 × 5 × 0.5 in (Poultry)
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Material: Cloth boards with paper dust jacket; paper wraps
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Color: Yellow jacket on hardcover; white wrapper with yellow chicks on paperback (see photos)
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Origin or Maker: Rodale Press, Emmaus PA; Farmer’s Digest, USA
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Year or Era: 1970s (Homesteader’s 1977 printing; Poultry revised 1987)
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GENRE: Farming, homesteading, animal husbandry, poultry care
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Language / Pages: English; 246 pp (Homesteader’s) + 160 pp (Poultry)
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Identifiers: Homesteader’s SBN 0-87587-075-6; LCCN 73-88254. Poultry LCCN 79-54147; ISBN not stated.
Edition & Features
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Edition/Printing: Homesteader’s: 13th printing, Sept. 1977. Poultry: revised printing, Feb. 1987.
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Dust Jacket: Present on Homesteader’s with edge wear and smudges (photo 2).
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Illustrations/Maps/Plates: Tables, diagrams, and line drawings; clear step-by-step layouts (photos 3, 6–7).
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Extras: Homesteader’s includes a laid-in vintage memo sheet (photo 4).
Condition
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Grade: Good overall (set); per-volume notes below.
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Notes: Homesteader’s dust jacket shows handling smudges and small tears; page edges foxed/stained typical of Rodale hardcovers; tight binding; text clean (photos 2, 8–9). Family Poultry Flock shows mild shelf wear and light toning; square, tight copy with clean interiors (photos 5–7).
See all photos for detail—sold as pictured.
Condition Grade Key
Near Fine: minimal wear; tight; clean.
Very Good: light wear; clean text; minor flaws.
Good: noticeable wear; sound reading copy; some marks.
Fair: heavy wear; complete but worn; priced accordingly.
About the Author / Maker: Jerome D. Belanger
Jerome D. Belanger was a leading voice in the back-to-the-land movement and longtime homestead educator through Rodale and Countryside. Editor Lee Schwanz compiled practical poultry know-how for Farmer’s Digest, with clear, field-tested guidance for family flocks.
Add two workhorse homestead manuals to your barn library—ready for the next season.
Disclaimer
The vintage items I share with you have been previously owned and loved and may show some wear. Please use the pictures as a guide.
While I do my best to capture colors accurately, your monitor or device screen may display colors slightly differently from the actual item.
Care & Handling: Handle with clean, dry hands. Store upright, out of direct sunlight, at about 68°F and 40–50% relative humidity. Avoid damp areas and extreme temperature swings.
Please note: If you have any questions or need more photos, ask.
About Reading Vintage
At Reading Vintage, I curate one-of-a-kind treasures for book lovers, decorators, and collectors—including vintage books, retro bookends, and charming collectible pieces.
