livestock
Why Rotating Vegetables in the Garden is Crucial
Add to Favorites Could over a million lives have been saved between 1844 and 1846 by rotating vegetables in the garden? Several factors contributed to the Great Famine. Irish families lived …
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Dairy Sheep – Consider Icelandic Sheep
What struck me right away when my first Icelandic sheep lambed were the similarities that these sheep had with dairy goats. I had a commercial goat dairy in years past and these ewe lamb mothers had udders that would be respectable for a good milking dairy goat.
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Cold Weather Tips for Raising Hogs for Meat
Cold weather requires some planning for any homesteader raising hogs for meat. In the area of proper nutrition, thought and extra effort must be given to available supplies of fresh ice-free water at all times for all classes of hogs—the piglet, the weanling, growing/finishing, gestating and the lactating sow.
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Sow Care During Farrowing and Lactation
Sow care during gestation, farrowing and lactation is the key to healthier piglets. When piglets have a strong start in life they are more likely to thrive, develop quickly, and wean easily.
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Rat-Hunting Dogs: A Historically Organic Option
Got a rat problem? You can try traps, poisons … or rat-hunting dogs. This organic concept is the reason rat terriers exist today.
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Installing Fence Posts and Keeping Them Secure
Corner and brace assemblies are fundamental for installing fence posts and fencing that lasts. A sound fence starts with quality materials and careful attention to fencing installation techniques.
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Improving Soil with Cattle and The Best Green Manure Crops
Holistic grazing and the best green manure crops naturally improve soil. Add legumes or rotational cattle grazing to revitalize land.
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Choosing Dairy Cow Breeds for Your Farm
Dairy cow breeds are numerous. How do we know the right breed for our farm or family situation?
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Barking is the Language of Dogs
Barking is a language for all dogs, and livestock guardian dog (LGD) breeds are no exception. In fact, barking is an integral part of what LGDs do. It’s always done for a reason and a purpose.
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7 Pasture Pig Breeds for the Small Farm
Add to Favorites Raising pasture pig breeds is talked about frequently in farming discussions. Not too far back in agrarian history, pasture pig breeds were more common. Keeping a few …
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Recognize Signs of Parvo in Your Dog
Add to Favorites Quickly recognizing signs of parvo in your dog greatly increases his chance of full recovery from this fast spreading virus. Any unvaccinated puppy or mature dog is …
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Straw Vs Hay: What’s the Difference?
Add to Favorites When it comes to straw vs hay for your backyard chickens and livestock, there are definite advantages to each. We raise horses and ducks on our small …
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How to Build a Goat Barn Using a Prefab Shed
Add to Favorites Goat barns are essential if you raise goats, regardless of what sort of climate you reside in. When I was big into dairy goats, my family had …
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The Care of Aging Guardian Dogs
Add to Favorites By Brenda M. Negri Livestock Guardian Dog (LGD) research studies have shown that a working LGD often suffers a short lifespan, the average full time working flock …
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Foot and Mouth Disease: What You Need to Know
Add to Favorites By John Hibma, Connecticut – Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is a highly contagious, viral disease that infects cloven-hoofed animals. All ruminants, including cows, meat and dairy goats, sheep, …
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