On commercial and hobby farms, fences tend to serve a very important function. They are used to protect and confine animals while also protecting crop areas. There are many types of fences out there for your small farm, and making a smart decision will depend on the purpose the fence is supposed to serve. I […]
High fructan concentrations in horse pastures can be a potential precursor to laminitis in susceptible equine. Much attention is now being paid to the type of carbohydrates present in forage since more horses are being diagnosed as insulin-resistant. In particular, easy keeping light horse breeds like Morgans, Paso Finos and Tennessee Walker, mustangs, ponies, and miniature […]
SACB Method: (pronounced ‘sawb’) a simple and easy way to graft calves. Everyone and their dog has a sure fire method for grafting a twin or orphan calf. However, each method takes time and patience. These are things I don’t normally have during calving. Further, the very fact that an animal has to be handled […]
Until the late 1800s, most of the farming fences were made from simple wood and stone. Building these required a lot of effort and effort. Moreover, they needed constant attention because livestock and weather caused constant damage to them. Due to these problems, a gentleman known as Peter Sommer created a machine for fence weaving. […]
Most of these tips apply to any kind of livestock that will be giving birth. So check it out! For some the calving season is almost upon us, while for others, the start of the calving season is still a few months away. The following are practices to consider in preparing for the upcoming calving season. […]
In the last four articles we talked about how to properly drive cattle. (Here are the last four articles in case you missed them: Approaching the Herd, Starting Herd Movement, Driving Your Herd, Turning Your Herd.) Driving pairs deserves special attention because this could well be the #1 livestock handling problem on ranches; that is. The […]
Perimeter fencing is an important part of a rotational grazing system, and if, like a high tensile fence it’s also electrified, it makes it easier to set up paddocks and move livestock. Over the six years, I’ve been raising cattle, I have built 33,000 feet of perimeter high-tensile electric fence, all by hand, with minimal […]
Thanks for this article go to Karla H. Jenkins, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Cow/Calf Systems and Stocker Management and Mary Drewnoski, Nebraska Extension Beef Systems Specialist. Listen to a discussion of the content in this article on this episode of the BeefWatch podcast. As spring nears and grass begins to turn green, producers are anxious to […]
Dr. Matt Poore also contributed to this article. The tools to improve productivity that we have at our disposal are quite astonishing. Computers that allow us to analyze our operations, equipment used to plant/harvest crops to produce feed, and the genetic predictions used to select better livestock are just a few examples of tools that have […]
While Johnsongrass is a good quality forage, it can be challenging to control in pastures where the perennial, warm-season grass is not desired. Prussic acid production under stress can pose a risk to livestock when grazing Johnsongrass, especially during prolonged droughts or after a frost. ( Dirk Philipp, University of Arkansas ) Forage management has […]
