Taking in Pigs at an animal farm means committing to a high quality of care for their whole lives, protecting them from injury and disease wherever possible. If you take in pigs, this includes providing regular s […]

Bumble foot is a bacterial infection that causes necrotic lesions on footpads, or less commonly, on hocks and toes of chicken. It can be superficial (not deep) to deep. 

It is characterized by inflammation and […]

Social enrichment may seem obvious but it is important to mention. Sheep are social animals and it is important that they have access to other sheep. Of course, there are times when this isn’t possible, due to me […]

Aggression in cows and bulls is influenced by internal and external factors. Some of them are genetically inclined to be aggressive. While others become aggressive due to fear, mishandling, and other similar […]

Of the many things to pay attention to while rearing rabbits, their diet is particularly important. The stomach of a rabbit is sensitive; give rabbits the wrong type of food, and they can become ill. While they c […]

The chickens Crop is a muscular pouch located on the right side of a birds lower neck or upper breast area. The Crop is purely a storage organ and no actual digestion takes place although it does moisten and mix […]

At 22 weeks, the pigs (now called baconers) require a higher feed ration as they are about to attain the market liveweight of between 80-90kg.

At this stage the farmer should give them 2.5 – 2.75kg of feed p […]

Nutrients are a vital part of a goat’s life and as such, it is up to us to ensure they are getting what they need. One nutrient in particular with which some goats struggle is copper. This is in large part […]

Typically, when I think of feeding colostrum, I think of a dairy farm. However, it is just as important to make sure newborn calves are getting adequate colostrum on a beef operation as it is on a dairy […]

One of the earliest signs that your Rabbit isn’t healthy is the sight, smell, shape, and consistency of rabbit droppings. Knowing the differences between normal and abnormal rabbit poop is vital for quickly as […]

It is every farmers dream and desire to have a growing flock, all animals healthy and reproducing. However, infertilityin both Rams and Ewes could kill this dream. There are anumber of factors that cause […]

Nairobi sheep disease (NSD) is a tickborne viral disease of sheep and goats characterized by fever and hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, abortion, and high mortality. The disease was first identified near Nairobi, […]

Goat fattening is nothing but “intensive feeding of goats in feedlots to slaughter weight with adequate fat deposit (finish)”. More goat farmers are showing interest in this as it generates quick inc […]

Farmer need to build and expand sizes of their guinea fowl flocks by incubating eggs. There are two main methods; You may use natural and artificial incubation. For small scale producers natural incubation is […]

Homeostasis is the tendency of a body to maintain a stable internal environment in response to changes in external conditions. On a very hot day, for example, an animal will instinctively seek to maintain […]

Calves should be fed milk at approximately 10% of their body weight. Milk can be mixed with other dairy products (whey or skim milk) at this stage and should be fed at body temperature. Commercial milk replacers […]

Humans make mistakes everywhere and learn from them. There are small mistakes that we laugh over, dust ourselves, take lessons and move on ensuring and swearing they will never again happen under our watch. […]

Trace nutrients are only needed in small quantities; farmers may think they are inconsequential judging from their minute quantities on the ingredient list but these micro-nutrients play an equally important role […]

When a chicken faces extreme conditions such as excessive heat, its body’s defence mechanisms kick in, resulting in stress. Other stressors include a very low ambient temperature, a high ammonia level in the p […]

Much like the common advice given to humans, it’s important to regularly check the health of sheep with a routine physical examination rather than waiting until they’re showing signs of distress or illness. Not […]