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To most individuals passing through rural areas, hay seems simple. Its dry, tough, and it feeds livestock. However there’s more to hay than meets the eye. Hay is one of those grasses where it is particularly hard to see the quality and composition. The best way to truly know the quality of hay you are using is to test it. Essentially, hay quality is affected by five major factors; stages of maturity, leafiness, color, foreign matter, and odor and condition.Out of all of these factors, the stages of maturity are the most important. The growth stage of the hay plays...

One of the greatest hardships as a pet owner is dealing with unwanted hair in your home. Nearly every dog or cat no matter what their age sheds. Some breeds shed more than others, but all pets will do it. While we cannot stop a dog or cat from shedding the same way we can keep a dog from flaring up our allergies, there are many things you can do as a pet owner to manage and reduce the amount your pet sheds so that it is no longer a problem in your home.The reasons why animals shed is to...

Properly caring for horses or livestock during a threatening storm requires careful planning and preparation. No one is immune to disaster and that’s why we implement strategies and plans to overcome dangerous weather. No matter what the disaster may be, it never hurts to be prepared. This is especially true when you have livestock counting on you to manage their well being.In this article you will find a few tips on how to successfully prepare for storms and disasters. The first tip is to stay up to date on all of your horses and cattle’s records. Keep a binder or...

Caring for a blind dog can seem like a burdensome, time-consuming task at first. However, sharing a loving relationship with a blind dog can be a rewarding and fruitful experience for both parties. Taking the proper steps to train and orient a blind dog can make them more functional than you may think is possible at first. The extra time and effort in the end will be dedicated towards an altruistic and fulfilling relationship with your blind pup.Prepare firstly by safety-proofing your entire household. Hazards such as sharp corners on countertops, tables, or other household appendages must be softened or...

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...