Want to learn more about Oberhasli goats, their traits, and their characteristics? Then read on! We’re about to brainstorm all about Oberhasli goats – including why they belong on your farm or homestead. But first, let’s talk about why goats are all the rage lately. Goat popularity has been on the uptick for a few years now. Did you …
Animal health
I recently decided to start clicker training my young mare and found myself hunting around in the refrigerator, looking for anything that might resemble a horse treat. While my Percheron cross, Pandamonium, adores bananas, they make a mess of your treat dispenser, hands, reins, and pretty much everything else! Carrots ended up being my horse …
At some point or another – most homesteaders and chicken parents usually ask the following questions. Can chickens eat banana peels? And is it safe for chickens to eat banana peels? Maybe you’re trying to figure out a way to lighten the cost of chicken feed – or you’ve recently noticed that your hungry flock …
It’s guava time over here in South Africa and the soft, squishy fruits are tumbling from the trees with alarming regularity. Personally, I hate guavas, but my chickens are rather partial to them. I was a little concerned that they might find the pips difficult to digest, but a few guavas a day seems to …
Chickens have a surprisingly varied diet and will gulp down the most disgusting-looking insects and worms just as happily as they will their normal chicken feed. As chickens enjoy a wide range of different foods, you can easily find tasty treats for them. Admittedly, mine get little more than a few comfrey leaves in the …
For humans, an apple a day is supposed to keep the doctor away. But for cows, tackling a fruitarian diet isn’t quite so straightforward. Can cows eat apples? Do they enjoy them, and are apples good for them? We’ll go into all the details in this article! During fall, any homesteader with both apple trees …
It’s a beautiful spring day but, rather than enjoying the fresh new grass, your cows are all swishing their tails and stamping their feet. Why? Because they’re surrounded by flies. Not only are flies annoying, but a heavy infestation can also cause all manner of unpleasant side effects for your bovine buddies. Biting flies not …
My chickens have gone from free-range to all over the farm in the past few weeks. My ramshackle collection of crossbreed chooks are now in the garden, cleaning out the pig enclosure, laying eggs in the goat house, and goading the dogs. I’m clearly going to lose the lot if I don’t do something soon …
All hoofed animals are susceptible to fungal and bacterial infections of the hoof. Horses often suffer from mud fever, greasy heels, and thrush, while our cloven-hoofed friends – sheep, cattle, and goats – are all prone to hoof rot. Whether you’re battling with an outbreak of hoof rot in goats or sheep, or wondering how …
Homestead pigs can be pretty easy work once you have your infrastructure set up. The price tag on those little piglets can be a real doozy though. Depending on the breed, you can pay anywhere from $60 to $250 or more when you get into breeds like Kunekune pigs. Such a high cost may have …