Farm Animals

Chicks are easily tamed to become endearing pet chickens that can live 10 or more years. Socializing chicks can be accomplished in a just few minutes a day, but the more time you spend the more...

Pet chickens are easily trained with positive encouragement and tasty treats. It is easiest to work with hens that were socialized as chicks, but with routine practice and a safe environment even...

Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis, better known as cattle pinkeye, is a contagious bacterial infection of the eye. While it rarely is fatal, it can have an economic impact for the cattleman...

Fresh grain and hay are crucial to livestock health. Using a hay and grain feeder reduces waste and contamination by keeping the feed off the ground and in a position where it is less likely to...

In the United States alone, approximately 27 billion pounds of beef are produced per year. Beef production starts at the cow-calf stage. The cycle from breeding to calving to slaughter takes about...

There are few sights in life that are cuter than watching a well-trained pony pull a cart. Ponies pulling carts are always popular in parades and trail rides and are a particular favorite of...

The signs of imminent labor in animals are basically the same as in humans. Animals normally go through a nesting phase, where they are looking for a place to have their young, and they experience...

Hay plays an important role in the feeding of livestock. It provides both nutrition and roughage for farm animals. However, if hay isn't stored properly, these effects can degrade because of heat...

A milk or dairy goat can provide milk for your family. In fact, more families around the world drink goat milk than any other kind. Goat's milk also makes wonderful cheeses. You can keep a single...

Cows are not the only animals that can be kept as pets and supply you with milk; goats make great pets and provide milk as well. The milk of a goat is said to be among the healthiest milk...

Colic in goats, (generally called "bloat") is caused when too much gas forms in the goat's rumen (her largest stomach) and is not expelled by belching. Frothy bloat is caused by the goat eating...

Miniature cows are an excellent choice for small dairy operations, home milk production and small farms. Their size makes it possible to raise them on smaller acreage with less feed costs, and...

All poultry fences need a gate for access to the inside of the poultry run and to prevent carnivorous animals from entering the run. Gate designs are simple and easy to make with some 2-by-4s,...

Lice often infect cattle in the winter months. During the summer environment, self-grooming as well as shorter and thinner hair keep louse numbers low. Physically, lice are small but they can...

King quail are small and can live well with other birds including finches and doves. Due to the very small size of baby king quail chicks, the cage or aviary has to have a fine mesh wire. Many...

When mites dig into the skin of an animal and begin to feast on blood they cause a severe allergic reaction that we generally refer to as mange. This condition causes the loss of hair, pain and...

Salmonella bacteria infects an estimated 16 to 73% of U.S. dairy farms and 38% of feedlots. There are over 2,200 strains of salmonella. This bacteria characteristically infects the gut of cattle....

If you have an outside pet or your indoor pet ventures outside, they are at risk for ticks to attach themselves onto your pet. Ticks are bloodsucking creatures that thrive on your pet until they...

While baby chickens are quite resilient, there are a few conditions of the foot and leg that, if not treated promptly, can cause death or the need to be put down. Spraddle-legs (sometimes called...

Hay feeders are used to prevent waste and improve the efficiency of hay fed to livestock. Hay feeders can be commercially acquired or built by livestock owners who have the proper tools and shop...

Raising game birds like quail or pheasant requires preparation and planning, such as building adequate pens and cages to house the birds. Game birds can be raised and sold to restaurants or kept...

Mycoplasma galliseptum (or gallisepticum) (MG) is a bacterial infection in chickens, turkeys and other birds. It can have no symptoms, but the most common signs of MG infection in chickens are...

Creating bins for compost worms brings out the resourceful, creative side of many a do-it-yourselfer. You too can take a second look at free materials at hand to improvise a shallow box to house...

You can derive a great deal of information from a livestock report, whether it is the national report or the local report from the livestock auction. Deciphering the information is relatively...

Female goats (called does) will most commonly spontaneously abort during the last two months of their gestation -- earlier abortions during pregnancy cannot usually be detected. There can be many...

Goats can suffer from painful joints just like humans. Fortunately, they can also take some human supplements to help. Glucosamine may help with the associated pain and inflammation of swollen...

Although it may sound odd to some people, chickens can make entertaining pets. Chickens that are used to humans can be friendly and playful and can be trained to do simple tasks. It is easiest to...

Whether for training your animals for show, giving them needed exercise, or moving animals from one area to another, halters are a necessary tool when working with sheep. Make your own twisted...

Sexing ducks is important to farmers and breeders, whether they are raising ducks for food or pets. Ducks being raised for food must be sexed so farmers know which ducks will produce eggs and...

Aujeszky's disease can be quite deadly for most farm animals, and great care should be taken to avoid transmission if you think an animal is affected. Here are some symptoms to watch for.

Chia seeds come from the desert plant Salvia hispanica. They are oval shaped, multicolored seeds with a diameter of one millimeter that were utilized by the Aztec and Mayan cultures for their...

Rearing calves can be a challenging process, so pay special attention to the means by which you feed your calves. They have specific nutritional requirements and there are a few effective feeding...

Raising meat goats can be a very exciting and rewarding experience, but can also be very challenging. With a bit of preparation and understanding of the nutritional needs of goats, even the newest...

Cattle are a good option if you are looking for a legal tax break. Everything from the feed they eat, to equipment necessary to handle them, to vehicle mileage to tend to them can be successfully...

Glucosamine is often recommended to help relieve aches and discomfort in the joints of humans with arthritis. It is also used frequently in animals, including horses and cattle, to keep them...

A backyard flock of chickens adds sound, color and movement to your garden landscape. With a little planning, raising a small flock of chickens in the backyard is fun and rewarding hobby for the...

There are several different species of lice that will infect chickens--all of which are chewing or biting lice as opposed to blood sucking lice. The appearance of the different lice species are...

Chicken lice is a term that includes at least six different species of chewing or biting louse that infest chickens. The lice spreads through the flock through close-quarter contact with infected...

Providing livestock fresh water daily is a crucial task that provides hydration for each animal and ensures survival. Livestock owners and caregivers find the task harder in winter. Nature freezes...

The first thing you need when raising poultry a place for the birds to live. A pen will allow the chickens to remain caged and safe from predators, but the birds will need a house. Eggs laying...

"Your wish is my command" might well serve as the motto for red worms introduced to compost by a home gardener. Commonly called red wigglers, a pound of red worms can munch more than 3 lbs. of...

Llamas are large, camel-like mammals that are primarily used as pack animals to carrying heavy loads or pull equipment for farmers and miners. Their fur is used much like sheep wool as a source...

Unless your pig is confined to your house for long periods of time, it should go outside to potty. This is not always possible, because many pig owners work away from their homes all day. Also,...

Round hay bales are the common method for feeding livestock and horses in many areas. If hay is simply placed on the ground without any feeder, a percentage of the feed will be wasted when the...

Lice are a common problem on goats nearly everywhere. The signs and symptoms are obvious: incessant itching, restless behavior and general irritability frequently point to lice infestation. A...

An egg incubator consists of a container and a controlled heating system. It imitates a mother bird's care by turning and keeping the eggs warm, nurturing them until they hatch. Commercial...

Rotavirus is a serious problem in pig populations, according to ThePigSite.com. The virus is resistant to disinfectants and environmental changes. Its symptoms are different depending on a pig's...

Making a worm farm using a salvaged bathtub represents a triple play for the environment: You remove the tub from the waste stream, add to it food scraps that would otherwise rot in a landfill,...

Getting a pig to gain weight for its eventual journey to the market is an important task for any animal keeper. It should take approximately five months to get your pig fattened, and during that...

Horses are large animals and many of them are very athletic. This means they need to get plenty to eat in order to maintain their weight and to provide their bodies with energy so they can do...