Best Cattle Chute

Courtesy Joanna P. You sent in a lot of great snapshots—both sweet and funny. Their manure can be composted and spread on the garden for a nutritional boost. Courtesy Amy S. Courtesy Paige H.

As we continue our celebration of Baby Animal Month on HobbyFarms.com, we hope these photos from our readers' hobby farms will bring a bit of happiness to your day. Courtesy Joe G.

“I want animals to come to me when I come into the pasture, not run away from me,” Lemke says. The National Center for Appropriate Technology recommends exploring these breeds: Angus (commercial breed) Red Angus (commercial breed) Hereford (commercial...

“If you know your cow, it's probably OK to drink its raw milk,” Estes says, as you know its health conditions, what vaccinations it's received and the cleanliness of the equipment used during milking.

Market Prices Fall-bred calves can frequently be sold at higher prices the next summer because the market supply at this time is low and demand is high. A trade-off between extra feed in the winter versus increase prices for animals in the spring and...

I'll admit, I left feeling a bit hungry. Specifically, bull testicles. This means eating lots of leftover seasonal fruits and veggies, patching that wheelbarrow yourself, using bailing twine for just about everything, and using scraps for second intentions.

Provide Shade The color of the cattle you purchase determines how much shade they need—red and white obviously staying cooler than black—but in the dead heat of summer, pretty much all cattle need shade.

Round tub systems take advantage of the natural tendency of cattle to circle around the stockperson. This story originally appeared in the September/October 2017 issue of Hobby Farms.

Once the rumen is full of partially chewed boluses of fiber, the animal finds a spot to lay or stand while it regurgitates these cuds one by one, grinding the now-softened fiber before swallowing it once more.

Because lactation requires so much caloric intake from a cow, it's difficult to have a 100-percent grassfed dairy herd. More common commercial breeds include Holstein, Jersey and Brown Swiss, but there are also a number of heritage cattle breeds developed...

Some cattle of the Barnes strain from Alabama were included as the Barnes cattle ranged in Florida, Alabama and Georgia.” The Barnes strain is also recognized by the Pineywoods Cattle Registry and Breeders Association.

“If your calves don't need vaccination, you shouldn't use it,” he says. Ultimately, Cook believes it's important to find ways to limit immune response. The complex issue of vaccinating newborn calves is explored in a peer-reviewed article called Does...

When the temperature drops below this zone, cattle have to use energy to warm up. If cattle will be grazing brown and dormant forage, it's likely that the nutrient content will not be adequate to maintain body condition and they'll require supplementation.

But after its rumen starts to develop, it needs to eat forages, and the forage should contain protein, especially after weaning. A baby calf gets adequate protein from milk. Many cattle diseases are spread via pathogens in feces.

Keep your cattle off the grain by paying special attention to the forage you supply them with in the pasture. It's because most grains have higher protein content than most grasses.

Hire a professional who will load your animal in a mobile chute and use power tools to shape his hooves, or teach your pet to pick up his feet and do the job with simple hand tools yourself.

”) Cows that freshen overweight or with incorrect vitamin and mineral balances tend to have more issues with dystocia, milk fever and ketosis. Her intake will decrease, and the quality of the feed she is consuming can decrease as well.

This is because, after the cow is down, in a few more hours, she will become comatose. A cow's gestation length is roughly nine months, like a human's. The key for monitoring a calving is to check on the cow or heifer periodically to make sure she's making...

The cow gives birth, the baby gets up and suckles, and all is well. Dehorning is optional, but if you're planning to get rid of the horns, know that the process is easier on the calf if done early, when horn buds can first be felt under the skin.

Nothing is cuter than a newborn calf cavorting in a pasture with mama cow keeping close watch. Hay, grain and a bucket of water will keep the cow functioning. Rub the calf's back and shoulders through the blanket to help stimulate its blood flow.

As a result, they are more likely to be immunosuppressed and have impaired ability to maintain a healthy udder environment,” Vander Ley says. It's important to make any changes gradually, as problems can occur if a cow gains or loses fat too quickly,...

Your environment also plays a role in which breed would fit best on your farm. Prepare For Calving Before your cow is due to calve , have an emergency plan in place. Nutrition Dairy cows have special dietary requirements that other cattle don't.

Angus-sized cows are, in fact, relatively recent additions to the landscape, bred to extreme sizes—and carrying a matching appetite for acreage—to maximize meat yields. (Dairy calves are typically used to produce veal, as the breeds don't beef up...

It's more relaxed. The family cow: a gold mine of nutritious products, a possible money-saver and income-bringer, and a bovine pet. Depending on what time we separated them, we would milk out 1 to 2 gallons, leaving the rest for the calf.

Descended from South Indian Nadudana cattle, Miniature Zebus were imported for zoo display in the 1920s. And dairy breed and dual-purpose minis give plenty of sumptuous, high-protein milk—enough for today's smaller household and then some.

You can also ask people to use disposable boot covers while on your property. Subclinical diseases tend to cost farmers more than clinically ill animals, and many farmers don't even realize they're occurring unless they track their herd's production.

And then in 1973, Italian Chianinas were allowed into this country by way of Canada. They and their crossbred offspring are widely used throughout New England as competition weight-pulling oxen but due to their immense size and lively dispositions, they...