Farm Animals

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Guernsey cattle are one of the principle breeds used in the dairy industry of Europe and North America. While not as common as the Holstein, they are often added to herds to improve the efficiency...

Cattle are among the most important animals utilized by humans. Cattle provide meat, milk, cheese, butter, cream and leather, clothing to those who keep them, as well as those who never have seen...

There are several different methods by which it can be determined whether or not a cow or a heifer is pregnant. Verifying pregnancy in a cow allows for proper veterinary care to be prescribed....

Cows give birth and suckle live young like other mammals, usually one calf at a time although twin births occasionally occur. A healthy cow with good nutrition in pregnancy can usually birth her...

Whether it's for the science fair or the newest cheese commercial, sometimes you need to know how to dress a cow. You should never leave a cow in clothing for a long period of time, as safety...

Making sure your cow is in estrus, or "in heat," is the first and most important step when breeding cattle by artificial insemination. Although there are some behavioral cues to indicate that a...

Artificial insemination is a procedure in which semen is collected from a bull, stored and later flushed into a cow's reproductive tract for the purpose of conception. The artificial insemination...

BSE is short for bovine spongiform encephalopthy, better known as "mad cow disease." Not only is BSE lethal to adult dairy and beef cattle, but it is also lethal to people who eat the beef. The...

All dairy and meat cattle should have firm, round stool. Having frequent, watery stool is a sign of poor health. Diarrhea (or scours) can cause loss of weight in meat cattle and problems in milk...

Living on a farm can be very rewarding, but it's certainly hard work.....and if you want healthy happy cows, read on for milking tips....

Cow ants are commonly referred to as mutillidae, velvet ants or even cow killers. They are actually wasps but resemble ants. They are different from ants because there is a slight narrowness...

It's amazing that a mother cow knows exactly what to do when her calf is born. Sometimes the mother cow shuns the calf, they become separated in large herds or the mother dies, leaving a calf...

Sheep are gregarious, which means that they are social animals that are happiest in a group. If you want to raise sheep you should have at least four or five of them. There are many different...

Pregnancy detection is integral for herd management in any livestock operation. The traditional method for determining pregnancy in cattle is rectal palpitation of the uterus. This requires skill...

It is not uncommon for a cow to encounter problems during the calving process. There are times that it may be necessary for you to pull the calf to ensure it is delivered alive. Before pulling a...

It's amazing that any calves born today are the product of live breedings, as there are so many advantages to using artificial insemination. AI breedings aren't limited by geography, so the...

Whether you are judging for the 4-H, the FFA or just trying to pick the right cow to bid on at an auction, the more you know about what the professionals look for, the better off you'll be.

The Holstein is one of the most popular breeds of cattle in the United States. Known for its coloring patterns and outstanding milk production, the Holstein cow is often what comes to mind when...

Raising and butchering your own cows is one way to be self-sufficient. It is also a way to gain some control over the production of the meat you will eat, as you control what the cow eats and how...

Originating from the British Isle of Jersey in the English Channel off the French coast, the Jersey cow has been purebred since 1763. Settlers brought to breed to the United States in the 1850s....

Mother Nature bestows instinct upon animals, enabling them to birth babies without human assistance—most of the time. Occasionally, even Mother Nature can use an extra hand. Cattle, for example,...

Fortunately, birthing a calf is a procedure that cows have been doing by themselves for centuries. However, if it is your first time or your cow's first delivery, there are several things to watch...

Goat's milk can be a good substitute for people who are allergic to cow's milk. Goat's milk can also be used to make butter, cheese, yogurt and ice cream.

A pail, short stool, two hands and a very gentle milk cow are all you need to enjoy fresh milk every day. Once you start milking your cow, she will have to be milked twice a day every day until...