Farm Animals

One of the most controversial subjects in the United States, with attacks from PETA and the like: slaughterhouse etiquette. Is it humane? Does stunning an animal kill it instantly? Is it the best...

Even with the best of care, you may find an infestation of lice in your backyard flock. Body lice, shaft lice, and head lice will irritate your chickens, cause a drop in laying, and will...

Compost worms such as red wigglers, or Eisenia fetida, do their work of composting your kitchen scraps by living surrounded by appropriate bedding material in their bin. Their habitat needs to...

Baby cows need to be fed if they cannot nurse, if they are removed from their mothers at birth or if they are weak due to dehydration from scours. Sometimes the calf can suck a bottle nipple, but...

Good calf weight gain is important when calves are first born, when they're putting on fat reserves for winter, and when they're being prepared for sale or slaughter. Cattle growers want calves to...

As ruminants (animals with four stomachs that chew a cud and primarily consume a plant-based diet), goats require a daily intake of roughage in the form of hay, especially during the winter when...

As cold-blooded invertebrates, red worms stay at exactly the same temperature as their surrounding environment--in this case, the bedding in your worm bin. If your bedding falls below 55 degrees...

Chicken wire is one of the most economical types of wire fencing, used to build pens with which to cage small animals like chickens--hence "chicken wire." It is also used to encase gardens and...

Measuring the leukocyte and blood urea nitrogen levels in your animal gives you an idea of how healthy your pet is. Leukocytes are the white blood cells in your pet and blood urea nitrogen, or...

Although extremely uncommon, urinary tract infections can occur in horses from time to time. Generally those most likely to experience a urinary tract infection, or UTI, are either very young or ill.

Livestock often have their ears tagged as a way to distinguish the animals. The numbers on the tag are registered and can help to identify stolen or lost animals. Ear tags may need to be removed...

Slippery elm is an herbal supplement that has been used for decades as a treatment and dietary aid for both humans and animals. Made from the interior bark of the slippery elm tree native to North...

Though chickens are usually raised for their fresh eggs, chickens are also highly effective at bug and slug control. In the May/June 2009 issue of "Grit Magazine," Pam Maynard calls chickens and...

Pinkeye is the most common eye disease in cattle. It is caused by the bacteria Moraxella bovis, which is spread to cattle by face flies. Pinkeye is treated by antibiotics and by protecting the eye...

Mange is caused by a mite infestation in cattle. Four mites cause the majority of cases of mange in cattle. Mange primarily affects the skin, causing sores of varying degrees of severity.

Farm animals need minerals to maintain health, produce meat and milk, and for reproduction. Major minerals are needed in large quantities by the body. Trace minerals are minerals needed in small...

To bring top market price and the best quality of meat, bull calves must have their testicles removed. Banding is the modern way to complete this procedure.

There are many ways you can go about attaining a goat harness.You can opt to buy a goat harness, or if you are feeling industrious, you can try making your own. Cost for materials for a goat...

Quail are small game birds raised for consumption and eggs. Popular varieties include the Bobwhite quail and the Japanese quail. Whatever the type you wish to raise, you can start your own...

The purpose of an electric fence paddock is to construct a fence that is reasonably durable and one that your animals learn to respect. The heart of every electric fence is the energizer, which...

Quail are a type of small gamebird found wild throughout the United States. Quail are raised domestically for ornamental purposes, as well as eggs and meat. Starting a quail flock by hatching...

The call duck is a small bantam duck breed. The tiny duck, which looks somewhat like its relative, the mallard duck, weighs less than 2 pounds and is typically used for ornamental or pet purposes....

Ruminal acidosis, or grain overload, in goats can be life threatening. When goats consume large quantities of easily fermentable grain, the rumen distends and diarrhea begins, dehydration ensues...

Designing the proper hay feeder for your animals can save some serious headaches down the road. If your design does not take into account what animals will be eating from the feeder, you can end...

High urea nitrogen, also known as urea toxicity, develops when the urea added to livestock feed is too great. Urea is a useful dietary supplement for livestock, particularly ruminants (cows and...

Pinkeye in goats can originate from many different sources. Non-infectious pinkeye can be caused by dust or other airborne irritants, vitamin A deficiency or toxins. Infectious pinkeye is caused...

Urea nitrogen is a natural byproduct of protein consumption. Agriculturalists, physicians, environmentalists and everyday consumers have a vested interest in urea. They produce it, they use it...

Colostrum, the first milk from a cow after birth, is a nutrient rich yellowish fluid that will help the calf become strong and give its immunities a boost. Whether you feed colostrum from a cow...

There are many parasites that will target a backyard flock, but fleas are some of the most tenacious and difficult to eradicate. Even if you remove them from the chickens themselves, they can...

Numerous types of enclosures exist, some of which are elaborate and designed to enclose a yard and others that are simple and serve merely to cage animals. Chicken wire is among the most...

Cydectin as a medication for both internal parasites (such as worms) and external parasites (such as lice, ticks, and fleas) has an ambivalent reputation in the goat farming industry. Concerns...

Lice are tiny, wingless insects that can infest most any species of mammals and birds. There are two types of lice; biting lice feed on skin cells on the surface of the animal and sucking lice...

The Pekin is a type of duck breed. Originally from China, it is one of the most widely raised duck breeds in North America for both meat and eggs. The duck has white plumage and an orange-yellow...

Many people establish backyard flocks because they want chemical- and pesticide-free meat and eggs. However, whether you have an urban flock in your backyard or a pastured flock in the country,...

Slippery Elm has been used for centuries as an herbal remedy for humans and animals alike. First used by Native Americans more than 500 years ago, this powdered inner bark of the Slippery Elm tree...

There are several possible causes of warts appearing on a goat's mouth. If they are papillomatosis (common warts), they are likely to fall off on their own. However, the most likely cause is a...

Loading hay onto a trailer and having it not topple over is a learned skill. With practice this task can become effortless and quickly done. Square bales of hay tend to take more practice to load...

Numerous studies have shown that the easier animals are handled, the better quality of meat they produce. This makes sense when you consider how adrenaline and tightened muscles would adversely...

The medical term for pinkeye in cattle is Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis. Moraxella bovis is the name of the bacteria that is responsible for causing pinkeye in cattle. There are a few...

Most home growers of red worms, also known as red wigglers or Eisenia fetida, use them to convert kitchen scraps into valuable garden compost. If you are, an avid fisherman or commercial grower of...

Water for livestock is not a luxury, it's a necessity. Animals must have a readily available source of fresh water. A leaking stock tank can be expensive to ignore and more expensive to replace....

Diatomaceous earth is a natural substance composed of small, fossilized microorganisms called diatoms. To the naked eye, this white, powdery substance seems smooth and uniform. In reality, the...

Fescue foot, or fescue toxicity, is a non-contagious condition that develops in cattle eating tall fescue, a cool-season perennial grass. Fescue foot occurs most frequently in cattle in the fall...

Most folks who raise laying hens start their flocks with day-old chicks from a hatchery. This allows them to avoid the expense and hassle of raising unwanted males. As the price of chicken meat...

STAT is a highly concentrated, high-calorie supplement used to increase energy, hydration and digestion for large and small animals that require it.

More and more people are discovering the satisfaction that comes from having a backyard flock of chickens, whether for meat or eggs or both, but they also discover that parasites can sweep through...

Are you looking to help animals, become much, much healthier, or are you a vegetarian taking the next step? Well I have a guide just for you!

Hoof and mouth disease is a contagious viral infection that affects animals with hooves like cows, pigs, sheep and goats. There is no cure for Hoof and mouth disease, meaning that infected animals...

Pinkeye in goats (also called infectious keratoconjunctivitis) is an inflammation of the eye typically caused by the bacteria Mycoplasma conjunctivae or Chlamydia. According to Maria...

Fresh eggs and lean meat are two popular reasons chickens are raised in a backyard. Dual purpose breeds are often preferred when raising backyard chickens. Dual purpose chickens lay a good...