Quality feed is very important for production of milk on a farm. Cows are fed a total mixed ration (TMR) that is balanced according to the nutritional needs of the animal. Energy in the diet is especially important for dairy cattle for daily production of milk, support of digestive health, and for effective utilization of […]
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When you are focused on “getting the job done”, your health, or the health of your helpers can suffer if you aren’t careful. Many of you probably check the weather in the morning before starting your day. You are probably looking to see if there is rain in the forecast and how warm it is supposed to get for the day. That’s a great start. One more thing you should add to your list of weather-related items to check for the day is the heat index. The heat index is a measure that combines relative humidity (or dew point) and air temperature to approximate what the air temperature actually “feels like”. The heat index is also what is used to help determine when it is “safe” to haul livestock.
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Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is an introduced species in North America that was originally brought here by settlers from Europe. Part of the reason that the settlers brought the plant here was for use in cooking due to the garlic-like scent/flavor that the name implies. One of the issues with garlic mustard is that none of the insects and diseases that would naturally control the population of plants are present in North America.
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There are several points in the year that are a good time to re-evaluate beef cattle body condition scores. Ideally, body condition is evaluated on a monthly basis as it is a road map to ensuring your cattle have the nutrition they need. Beef cattle are generally evaluated on a nine point scoring system. The major areas of evaluation for fat cover include the spine, ribs, hook & pin bones, brisket fill, and presence of tailhead fat.
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This is the time of year that many farmers dread: the culmination of a year of receipts, tax season! You painstakingly keep track of purchases, livestock sold, crop sold, depreciation on equipment, etc. All of this hard work and effort cumulates into the famed schedule F (and other forms) to complete your taxes. Whew! Another season under the belt. Wait, don’t stop there.
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This is the time of year that many people start getting excited about raising poultry. You get a shiny catalog in the mail with all kinds of cool looking birds. What do chicks need to survive and thrive? For those that are not old hats at raising poultry, caring for young birds isn’t hard, but does require some attention to detail.
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At some point in the course of raising animals, whether that is poultry, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, horses, or some other critter, you will inevitably be moving them around your property. One of the easy mistakes to make as an animal owner is in how you approach animal handling. Mistakes in animal handling can lead to cuts, scrapes, bruises, broken bones, or worse. When working with animals, “slow is fast”.
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