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Every commercial poultry farmer, hobby farmer or urban backyard farmer who keep a few chickens is aware that a pecking order exists in every flock, but how can young chicks fit into that hierarchy? Understanding the pecking order of chickens can help you add chicks to your flock without creating social problems for all the birds.About the Pecking OrderThe pecking order is the rank of individual birds within your unique flock, with stronger, more dominant birds occupying higher ranks while weaker, more submissive birds are lower in the pecking order. Birds higher in the pecking order generally eat first or...

Every year spring brings new beginnings. The sun shines, livestock begin to breed, and the grass begins to turn green again. With all that beauty also comes some disadvantages. The one disadvantage you should be aware of is fly season. Flies can torment your cattle and drain profits in pastures all over the nation by causing them to lose weight and not produce milk. The reason why flies surround and invade cattle so much is because the manure cattle leave behind is a prime breeding ground for flies to lay eggs. During the summer months, this will only create a...

More often than not, horses will go a significant amount of time without drinking water. Many horse people are familiar with the old saying that ‘You can lead a horse to water, but you can not make it drink.’ However after long summer days, heavy work, and long rides, whether your horse likes it or not, it needs a drink. Water will prevent dehydration and help maintain the overall health of the horse.There are multiple ways to stimulate your horse’s thirst. First, try cleaning your water bucket. Horses are picky animals and sometimes will not drink out of the bucket...

Starved horses can be a product of owner ignorance or economic hardship. Regardless of the reason, a horse may end up in a debilitated state. The goal for the new caretaker is to help the horse return to good health and appropriate body weight as quickly and safely as possible. For responsible caretakers of a starved horse, there are two immediate considerations:The first step, and the most important one, is to have an equine veterinarian perform a complete physical exam.Following the exam, lay out a plan to begin providing the horse with an appropriate diet to facilitate weight gain while...