• Monitor livestock often. Consider security when designing new structures. Photograph or shoot high-quality video of valuable animals. Write down descriptions of strangers or strange vehicles, and be willing to call the police.
At that point they were so ripe that the oat seed shattered out and replanted itself, giving us another crop of green oats that were mowed in October and baled and wrapped as baleage, hay too wet to keep as dry hay that is wrapped in plastic and left...
In response to positive feedback about its dairy processing workshop, the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy releases a related workbook available online to all hobby farmers. The workshop covered many aspects of establishing a dairy-processing business,...
Care must be taken to observe the proper withdrawal period—the time that must lapse before the milk or meat can be consumed from a treated animal—for any drug administered to the animal.
You can feed the concentrate at both milkings. To prepare a goat for milking, you need to clean the teat with a dry paper towel to remove loose dry dirt and feces, dip the teat in an antiseptic-based teat dip, allow the dip to stay on the teats for no...
To begin beekeeping with one Langstroth hive, you'll need the following: A veil, bee suit and gloves: Worn properly, protective clothing helps keep stings to a minimum. Here's a list of equipment you'll need to get started with beekeeping.
Ninety-eight percent of the water samples came from private water wells or springs on dairy farms. Tags dairy cows , drinking water , milk production Dairy cows that consume poor-quality water produce less milk than cows not subject to water-quality problems,...
“A mild winter in 2012 also allowed cows to respond with more milk.” Feed prices are high because soybean prices, used to produce soybean meal for dairy cattle, have increased as China increased purchases, and dry weather in Argentina reduced yield;...
Well, this is pretty self explanatory. We've had dairy goats on our farm for nearly 10 years now and a commercial dairy for eight. I know there are plenty of people with plenty of experience who pen breed, but we hand breed.
Following up broadcast seeding with a pass with the cultipacker will press the seeds into the soil. This could be as simple as a soaker hose connected to your outdoor spigot or as complicated as multi-level drip-irrigation system.
Test drive a tractor with the type of transmission you're considering to be sure you are comfortable with it and what it offers. You don't want an ATV if you need a front-end loader, and you don't want an entry-level engine that will last 600 hours if...
Pasture-based dairies now represent more than 15 percent of the total herd in Georgia, up from a mere 1 percent in 2006. They vet each other's ideas.” Tags dairy cows , farmers , SARE grants
You have two general fencing options: If you don't want to rotate their pasture every few days or so, you'll want to erect tall, permanent fencing, ideally 45 to 52 inches with at least one strand of electric or barbed wire at the top and middle.
LaManchas, Nigerian Dwarfs and Nubians are called the desert breeds. Don't be shy about asking to examine health and milk records of a doe you intend to buy. The Nigerian Dwarf came from West Africa; the Nubian, from the desert areas of the Middle East,...
Swift started raising dairy goats at age 4 when her 9-year-old sister started 4-H. “We live in a dry area so we have to purchase almost every bite of food for our animals,” Swift says.
Send me your question! « More Mondays with Martok » Tags fencing , fiber , shear , shearing Will it be difficult to learn how to shear?” Julie Anne, Angora goats are more laidback than dairy goats or meat goats , but you'll still need to build good...
At what age should we breed them, and what time of year is best? We Nubians are an exception because some Nubian does have heats when you least expect it. Send me your question! « More Mondays with Martok » Tags breed goats for milk , dairy goats ,...
Trust us, we planned for over a year, and we weren't even close! Tags dairy , dairy goats , goat , Lists , raw milk On a larger dairy, this will be one of the more important and complex decisions you'll need to make.
John Middleton, a professor in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, says these higher levels of fat are often precursors to future health problems in cows. “We found that about 50 percent of dairy cows suffered subclinical hypocalcemia and subsequent...
First, get some animal husbandry books and talk to your veterinarian so you know what to expect. 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.
Toggenburgs acquired some fame in the 1960s when the breed became a favorite of poet Carl Sandburg. Both French and American Alpines come in a variety of colors and patterns, including cou blanc (white front quarters and black hindquarters with black...
As with feeding cattle for milk and meat, the ideal goat diet depends on your farm management style and what feedstuff is available to you. Here's our guide to nutrition for goats.
Whatever it is, the guide below will help you make the best equipment decisions for the work that lays before you. Maybe you need a tractor to repair fencing, a UTV to check on livestock or a chainsaw to remove brush and fell trees.
Yard carts are a bargain that's hard to beat. Agriculture expert Carol Ekarius shares her list of essential tools and equipment that every hobby farm should have. Add a basic topper to your pickup and you can haul items you need kept dry, use the truck...
Goat's milk is slightly higher in calcium, milk solids and a few vitamins and minerals than cow's milk, but their protein and carbohydrate counts are practically the same. Healthy Milk Tastes Great Milk from healthy, well-fed goats is delicious.
Consult your vehicle's manual for advice on how often to check the air filter. Checking the air pressure and adding more as needed will keep your vehicles in working order and ensure that they're safe to use.
That's no-till agriculture at its simplest and it's the way things were done for a very long time. Caring for a small farm is a unique situation—you don't necessarily need large tractors or implements.
