People experience stomach problems all the time. Most of the problem, these issues aren’t serious. For horses, however, stomach aches can be dangerous, or even deadly.
You should watch out for signs of stomach problems. If you think that your horse might have colic or another kind of stomach problem, you should call a veterinarian as soon as you can. If you are able to act fast, you will be able to prevent all kinds of issues.
Dental Care
A lot of people assume that animals don’t need the kind of dental care that humans do. However, equine teeth actually need a lot of care. In some cases, you may even want to have an equine dentist look at your horse’s teeth.
As with humans, horse teeth can eventually deteriorate over time. Teeth that are prone to problems could cause an infection, which could be dangerous or even deadly for a horse.
You should make sure that your horse’s teeth are receiving the right kind of daily care. You should have someone look at your horse if they are experiencing dental problems.
The Importance Of Food
What you feed to your horse matters. You should be making sure that the best possible foods are in your animal’s feed bucket.
In some cases, you may want to supplement your horse’s food. There are a lot of supplements out there that are specifically designed to improve horse health.
With that said, you aren’t going to want to give your horse anything unless you have had a chance to talk to your vet about it first. Explain your horse’s issues, and check to see if there is a supplement that they recommend.
Running a farm and owning a horse can be challenging, and it can also be complex.
However, that doesn’t mean that you should neglect your horse.
Instead, you should do everything in your power to give your horse the best care that you are capable of giving them.
Grooming
Take care of your horse, and your horse will be happy.
Most pet owners love it when their dogs appear well groomed. However, professional grooming may not be the answer for all pet owners’ budgets.
Below are a few grooming tips that can easily be used at home.
Baby Powder
If your dog has long hair that is prone to tangles use a light dusting of baby powder. This will help you to comb out the tangles much easier and your dog will also smell nicer.
Flea Combs Have More Uses
Dogs that have long hair around their faces such as the doodles, Schnauzers and Shih Tzu’s can benefit from a flea comb. This product is fantastic for detangling this area without causing discomfort or pain to the dog.
Trim The Paws
Keeping the hair trimmed between the around the pads has various benefits. The paws become easier to wipe down when the dog has been outside. They also won’t get thistles or burrs caught in them. The dog will have improved traction on floors that are slippery because the hair no longer obstructs the pads.
Use The Right Brushes
A good grooming tool is an essential addition to your dog grooming equipment. Ensure that you are using the right brush for dog shedding according to the coat type of your dog:
•For the short-hair breeds such as the Labs only use a curry comb great for when washing the dog and a short toothed Equigroomer tool for dog grooming.
•For the medium-length hair breeds that have undercoats such as the Husky use a single or double rake to get to the undercoat. The slicker brushes or de-matting combs are also very useful.
•For the Doodle, breeds use a straight or slicker comb and a pin brush.
•The long haired breeds such as the Maltese and Shelties use a straight comb, double rake or a slicker.
•The wire-haired breeds can benefit from slicker brushes and the flea comb for the area of the face.
Use The Right Shampoo And Conditioner
Only use hair products that are made for dogs and not human products. The human shampoos are often toxic and harsh particularly if the dog ingests it. Rather choose all natural products and chat to your vet before you use a product if the animal already has skin conditions or allergies.
Double Rinse
Make sure that you rinse all traces of a shampoo or conditioner out of your dog’s hair. Any product that has been left behind has the potential to cause irritation that can include severe itchiness, flaking, and dry skin.
There are many benefits to raising free-range chickens, the main one being the increase in quality of life your chickens will experience. Chickens raised in crowded environments will produce fewer eggs. They are also more likely to get diseases. Free-range eggs are more profitable. They can be double the price of store-bought eggs, which means raising free-range chickens can be very lucrative. There are also many personal health benefits you should consider. Eggs from free-range hens are much healthier than store-bought eggs. They have more omega and beta-carotene and they taste better.
Free-range eggs have 3x more vitamins including:
2/3 more vitamin A
7x more beta-carotene
2x more omega acids
1/4 less fat
When considering raising free range hens. The first thing you need is a big enough piece of land, which means that you need to make sure they have space to graze. You are going to need to let them eat plenty of grass, bugs, and seeds. Don’t try to start with too many chickens at first. It is important you never overload your ground or you will end up with chickens that have diseases and respiratory problems. Also, you should consider that a large amount of chicken feed can get expensive. It is important all of the chickens have the best life possible—the less stress, the more eggs. Chickens like trees for perching and shade so be sure to have a couple in easy-to-reach locations.
Shelter
When building a shelter it’s a good idea to get yourself some type of hen house plans or drawing to help with your design. There are many things to consider when building a hen house, such as nesting boxes. A nesting box is a shelter designed for hens to lay eggs. A nesting box helps hens feel safe and secure. It has roosting boxes, which is where the hens lay eggs. There is also a feeding area. It is recommended you have roosting bars as well, as chickens like to perch on them and use them to determine their rank.
Adding a light on a timer can trick your hens into thinking they have 16 hours’ worth of sun, thinking that it’s spring so they lay eggs. You should feed your chickens 2 times a day, usually in the morning and afternoon. Pellets make great feed. You should also have water inside the shelter. You can use special water containers with a valve to keep the water level up. It’s important during winter you make sure the water isn’t frozen. Sometimes hens can share a nest, which means you can get more eggs per day. Your fencing should be sturdy and complete. Remember, it will be your chicken’s main source of protection from wildlife. Electric fencing is a great alternative to traditional fences.
Picking eggs
Fresh eggs are a fantastic way to start your day and you should gather eggs twice a day. Always consider that roosters are very protective and you should use a stick to slowly move the rooster out of the nesting box when gathering eggs. Make sure to gather the eggs every day to prevent any damage. You can tell what color eggs a chicken will lay by the color of their ears. For example, a white hen will lay white eggs.
Raising chickens
Separating the pullets from cockerels can be very difficult and you should inspect your hens for health problems on a daily basis as you don’t want any diseases to spread. Keep your chicks separate until they are big enough to enter the main chicken coup. You should also give chickens access to dust baths. It may be helpful to have 2 coops, one for older hens and one to accommodate younger hens. Your laying chicks will be fully feathered in a month’s time.
Breeds
There are many different varieties of chickens. Some are better at laying eggs than others. You should spend some time researching what type of hen is best for you. Here are some popular types of chickens that lay over 250 eggs a year.
Americana Chickens—They lay blue-green eggs.
Barred Rock Chickens—They lay light brown eggs.
Welsummer dark—They lay dark brown eggs.
Speckled Sussex—They lay light brown eggs with white spots.
Black Austrolorp—They lay red-brown eggs
Troubleshooting issues
Don’t stress your chickens out or they will stop laying eggs. Chickens are very temperamental. You have to act like a chicken psychologist to see what is agitating them. Here are few things that may be contributing to the drop in egg production.
Sometimes, a young hen will stop production when introduced into the coop. Older hens can take control of the coop and can cause the young hens to stress out and prevent them from laying eggs. This is a very common problem known as roost jealousy since hens don’t sleep with their eggs. They can be very territorial about their roost and you may have to install more roosts. Roosts should be varied in height to give the older hens a better position.
As your chickens get older they are going to consume more food and this can cause your hens to get worried. It may be necessary to increase your feeding to 3x a day.
A dirty nesting box can also slow egg production. You should clean you coop often. Relieving these factors can reduce stress. Also, there could be bugs. If you suspect mites, you should use diatomaceous earth. You should only use pinewood chips or hay for your nesting boxes.
Raising free-range chickens can be very rewarding. Nothing beats freshly laid eggs for breakfast. The secret is to remember that your chickens want to live in comfortable conditions. The better your hens feel, the more eggs they will produce. Use these tips to get the most from your free-range chickens without stressing yourself out.
Farming can be an invigorating experience and provide fantastic value. Many people wish to pursue the idea of setting up a farm, but it requires patience and a better understanding of what is needed.
Those who rush into this are the ones who make silly mistakes that did not have to be made. Here are three tips that should go a long way for a person that is hoping to start a farm in the future and would like to do it properly without making mistakes.
1) The Location Of The Farm Matters
Plains are the way to go for those who are going to establish a new farm. You want even land that is not going to be visited by a lot of people. The animals will get disturbed in a setting that is not conducive to farming. Investing your time in the step is very important. The location counts.
2) Remove Risk
The main issue people have doesn’t involve the animals or farming, rather, it has more to do with the financial side of things. Too many people don’t pay attention to their finances and profit and slowly fall into major losses or even bankruptcy. You have to focus on where the money is coming in and how you are going to handle farm-related expenses. Farming is a business, not a hobby.
3) Start Small
The smart thing to do is to start small. This will help you a lot more because you can learn and make mistakes on a small scale, as you grow you farming business. Starting small is a good way to learn to make decisions along the way, learn from other farmers, and to grow your farm with a solid foundation.
Those who don’t do this are the ones who are going to have a rubbish farm that does not provide quality.
Think about getting the foundation down, planning and researching. Study statistics a be informed. Then move forward with a solid plan of action. Too many people ignore this.
It is these tips that are going to be of great assistance when it comes to starting a farm. You have to look at everything and determine what your vision is as a farmer. You want to make choices that are going to fit into that vision because not everyone is going to be the same.
Some will be doing this for financial purposes, while others are just looking to enjoy the farm life. You have to figure out where you fit and then move forward from there. It is critical to think about this.
