Best Cattle Squeeze Chutes

Courtesy Laura B. What is a farm without a cow ? Courtesy Todd K. Courtesy Paige H. Courtesy Adam B. Courtesy Sherry F. Courtesy Gina Z. Readers show their appreciation for farm cows by sharing their favorite photos.

Courtesy @thurlow94/via Instagram Tags baby cows , calves , Lists Want to share photos of your farm's calves and other baby animals? Courtesy Joe G. Courtesy Debbie T. As we continue our celebration of Baby Animal Month on HobbyFarms.com, we hope these...

A successful grassfed beef herd, starts with the right genetics—you just need to know what to look for. Keep Calm & Put Weight On High-strung cattle are harder to put finishing weight on.

While modern dairies, even those on a small scale, use milking machines, if you have one or two cows, you'll likely stick to hand-milking. Leave the disinfectant on the teats for approximately 30 seconds.

Feed One downside of fall calving is the expense and logistics required for feeding lactating dams through the winter. White-faced sheep breeds, like Dorsets , can be difficult to breed in the spring for fall lambs because sheep are generally considered...

(Banding is never used on horses because they have a more complicated blood supply to the testicles and are more prone to serious infection.) Banding Method 2: Surgery The other method for castration is surgical, meaning that the skin of the scrotum is...

Get more cattle info on HobbyFarms.com: How to Select Beef Cattle 7 Heritage Cattle Breeds to Raise with Your Children Body Condition Scoring for Cattle How to Milk a Cow 6 Ways to Prepare Yourself and Your Cows for Calving Tags cattle , cows , pasture

Some backstops are hinged on the side of the single-file chute. Another option is to have two chutes with stationary sides, one for adult cows and another for calves or sheep. When shopping for chute sections, look for ones that are easy to adjust.

The four-compartment stomachs of cattle, sheep and goats are uniquely equipped to process the fiber and nutrient content of forage. While this makes more nutrients available as the grain passes through the digestive tract, giving you more bang for your...

Cows are mature female cattle that have had at least one calf. The FDA says the level of hormone that is in the beef is acceptable for human consumption and that meat from these animals is safe for to eat at any time after the animal is treated.

It wasn't until heat- and disease-resistant Zebu (Brahman) cattle arrived in the 1930s that native Spanish cattle started to falter. By 1512, stock-raising was well established throughout the West Indies.

Some advocate vaccination of newborn calves while others advise waiting because the energy of immune response is better used elsewhere so early in life “If your calves don't need vaccination, you shouldn't use it,” he says.

If cattle will be fed hay , I recommend sending a hay sample into a laboratory for a nutrient analysis. If you're unfamiliar with how to collect or send in a sample, contact your local extension office for assistance.

Feeds grown in deficient soils might be short on copper, selenium and other vital trace minerals. Green grass and legumes (alfalfa, clover, and so on) have more protein than mature grass or straw.

Pasture irrigation in the dry months and supplemental hay feeding round out the peaks and valleys of finishing cattle on grass, according Lemke. “We'll bounce around pastures, trying to chase the freshest, most nutritious forage that's available,”...

The advantages? No matter which local forage you choose for your cow or steer, it should be high quality, dust-free, and fed from a hayrack or a clean, dry spot on the ground. Discuss calf-rearing issues with your county extension agent or veterinarian...

For example, alfalfa hay is a good source of protein. Here's our guide. It will take consulting with a nutritionist or veterinarian and some trial and error to come up with the ideal diet for dairy and beef cattle on your farm.

Heifers in particular might take several hours to calve. This month we look at cattle. This is because, after the cow is down, in a few more hours, she will become comatose. Calcium, of course.

Some producers also choose this time to administer vaccines, but more on that later. Twice-daily feeding is adequate, though three times a day gives optimum growth for at least the first month.

Once your calves are a few days old, they will naturally come into the pen to sleep and loaf with other calves. Here's a list of items you should have on hand: barn, shed or other shelter at least 12-by-12 feet clean straw for bedding—not shavings small...

By ensuring your cow's BCS remains in a stable range, you'll be assured that cows will perform adequately at calving, the calf will receive adequate antibodies through colostrums and cows will be ready to cycle and rebreed early during the next breeding...

A good rule to follow is to never pull more than 300 pounds, which is what an average sized man can pull when using their whole body. Have a calving kit ready with colostrum, calving chains and handles, disinfectant, and obstetrics sleeves, and ask your...

And it worked! The Belfair is a docile breed, with even bulls exhibiting little to no aggression—in fact, for cash-strapped farms unable to invest in fencing, Belfairs reportedly adapt well to tethering.

As the new calf grew, we repeated the previous regimen, fully transitioning over a shorter period of time due to Rosie's lower production. The other benefit was freeing up morning chore time on the days we work.” Besides obvious savings in time and...

Regardless, it's a fun and easy way to get started. By 1845, when author David Low described and referred to them by name, they already resembled today's Dexter cattle. These represent the big five of the miniature bovine world.

In some instances, the new animals may appear healthy but still be fighting off the infection—think subclinical diseases again—so never bypass the quarantine because they look healthy.

Chianinas have sturdy but relatively lightweight skeletal structures that, coupled with their long, smooth musculature, account for an outstanding meat yield of roughly 65 percent of live weight.