Category: Other Livestock

Agricultural Research Service scientists have discovered why Holsteins, bred to produce more milk, are less fertile than before breeding efforts were stepped up to increase dairy production: It’s in their DNA. Since the U.S. dairy industry intensified selective breeding efforts in the 1960s, average milk yield in Holsteins has doubled, but the cattle are less […]

If you want to raise chickens or sheep, or another type of livestock, but are worried that you won’t be able to keep them secure, llamas might be the perfect solution to your problem. If you are unfamiliar with llamas, this might stretch your imagination, but if you have at least one acre of grass […]

What most people don’t realize is that most breeds of poultry are quite tolerant to the cold. Chickens have much more trouble dealing with severe heat, than they do with severe cold. If you take a few easy precautions, your fowl will make it through the winter months very easily. All chickens need is a […]

Goats are rather hardy animals; however, they are susceptible to pneumonia, a possible result of being subjected to damp, drafty conditions. Dairy goats can handle the cold temperatures if they have a shelter to get out of the wind and have a good undercoat of hair to protect them from frigid temperatures. The ideal shelter […]

Cattle partake in some directional grazing. Have you ever noticed that herds of grazing animals all face the same way? Images from Google Earth have confirmed that cattle tend to align their bodies in a north-south direction. Wild deer also display this behavior – a phenomenon that has apparently gone unnoticed by herdsmen and hunters […]

Dairy producers should always remember that cull dairy cows will enter the food chain. Cull dairy cows are not just ground into hamburger but provide other cuts of beef for our food supply. Dairy cows receive several injections and dairy producers should follow several general rules. Any product that carries a label that states it […]

Cooler temperatures reduce much of the stress faced by dairy cattle but bring more challenges with teat condition. As the temperature drops it is more difficult to maintain skin moisture, leading to chapping. Just as chapped, bleeding hands are painful for us, teat chapping is equally irritating for cattle. Discomfort from this chapping makes udder […]

Llamas have been used successfully as guard animals for sheep, goats, cattle and miniature horses. They are very intelligent and curious, and can recognize family pets, neighbors’ pets, and the difference between them and coyotes. Their curious nature and athletic ability bring them into proximity to the coyote, causing the coyote to leave the area. […]