Cattle

Archive for August, 2009

Turtles have always been popular as pets. There are multiple reasons that make people may want to keep turtle as pets. Turtles are interesting to watch, they’re distinctive from traditional pets, or perhaps people may think that turtles are easy, low maintenance pets.

Turtles and tortoises can be prove to be more time consuming and expensive than expected, since they have a very specialized set of needs that are very different from those that you need to provide for your average furred companion. If a turtle or tortoise owner does not provide these requirements, the turtles will lead a very poor quality of live and die a premature death.

Obtaining a turtle or tortoise as pet is a very important decision. It is very important to know the reasons for owning one and the responsibilities for keeping one. Some things to consider before you obtain a turtle or tortoise as pet are:

• The price you pay of purchasing a turtle or tortoise is the cheapest part of owning a turtle. Providing an appropriate housing, foods, vitamins, bedding, humidity and veterinary care, can total hundreds of dollars a year.
• Turtles and tortoises are a long term commitment. They can live for a very long time, often 25 years or longer.
• Turtles require clean, fresh water and bedding. You should spend at least half an hour each day caring for the turtle.
• Some species need to hibernate, which is sometimes quite stressful for the turtle.
• To properly care for a turtle or tortoise, you need to fresh fruits and vegetables. Even for species where formulated food is available, this should only make up a portion of the diet.
• Most turtles grow fairly large and need correspondingly large tanks or enclosures.
• Turtles and tortoises should have exposure to ultraviolet light, either through the use of UVA/UVB producing bulbs.
• Turtles and tortoises do not interact with or particularly like humans.
• Turtles and tortoises are not recommended as suitable pets for most children because of the risk of salmonella infection.

How to choose the right turtles
The next step is to research the different breeds available. There are major differences between turtles, tortoises and terrapins. Choose a species that fits your lifestyle and your environmental niche. By narrowing your options ahead of time, you can make your decision an educated and easy one.

Do I have a place to house my pet turtle? While most turtles and tortoises can be housed either indoor and out door, some types like the Russian tortoise are preferred for outdoors where they can freely move in natural surroundings.

If you are sure that you understand all the above requirements for keeping turtles and tortoises as pet, then you should consider one more important factor before you choose turtles as pet, and that is where did the turtles come from?

Before you purchase a turtle or tortoise, make sure that it has been captive breed and raised. Breeders that provide good housing, nutrition and controlled breeding programs are much more likely to provide healthy species and good husbandry information. There is never a reason to purchase a wild caught turtles.

So with all that is mentioned, you may now begin preparing and narrowing your options before buying or adopting a pet turtle. Visit your local pet shop and veterinary to get some professional advice and choose the right type of turtle and tortoise as your pet.

I am sure that the last thing you want to hear is me banging on about some great website that is host to some of the easiest to follow chicken coop plans that are currently available, but the truth is that to build a simple DIY chicken coop using the information and plans that I discovered really could not be any easier. Interested in saving up to 70% off of the cost of a pre-fabricated poultry house?

Even if you do not already keep or have any chickens, producing their accommodation first is probably the best and easiest way to go, so at least when you get them you already have somewhere to house them. In fact did you know that you can pay as little as $6 to $35 for hens depending on age and breed.

Let’s face it, in this day and age any advantage we can get to reduce our costs of living is a genuine bonus, but where chicken keeping is concerned it is so much more than just a reduction in costs, you will have a major food source that is not just good for you, but one that provides you with some necessary vitamins and is full to the brim with healthy nutrients.

Free range chicken eggs have even been referred to by scientists as an overlooked natural super food. In fact shortly after hearing this I added two raw eggs each day to my already large egg food menu. I am not saying everyone should do this, but it certainly works for me as a complete breakfast replacement that fills me with energy and aids my bodies’ needs.

Convenience is a great thing, but when it comes to chicken coops and poultry housing instant really is not the answer. Readymade coops are not only over inflated in cost, but the quality and finish on the materials leave a lot to be desired.

By providing your chickens with accommodation that is initially made from following a plan as well as gaining the knowledge of what is important to your poultry friends such as ventilation, light, and safety from predators you will be able to customise your coop to specific tailored requirements.

Tooling and knowledge are also important, so if you are like me you will only have limited DIY abilities least of which is woodwork related, this is again why it is important to get the right plans first time, with a step-by-step instruction you simply cannot go wrong.

It really does not have to be a massive project to establishing a working egg producing chicken coop in your backyard, in fact from start to finish you can have your own chickens accommodated and eating their supper in as little as a couple of days, having the right chicken coop plans really is the key and I wish I had not wasted so much time on looking at expensive impractical coops and ways not to build poultry housing.

Building a chicken coop is easy and a great deal of fun providing that you have the correct information. They are practical, easy to assemble and can save you a fortune.

There are quite literally dozens of poultry related websites that claim to offer you great chicken coop plans, but few sadly seem to offer little more than a single basic design. However one of the very if not the bestchicken coop design website online that has been endorsed by hundreds of chicken breeders and owners worldwide so far contains a wealth of chicken housing data and related information that is well worth reviewing can be found right here: (http://www.chickenhousekit.com)

Why should pooches have to suffer with just a mat or rug on the floor while their owners are cuddling up in a posh bed with fluffy pillows and down-topped mattresses? Doesn’t man’s bet friend deserve some considerations?

Now your pet can sleep in style, as well, with a number of upscale dog beds on the market. What kind of bed you should get for your pooch depends on their needs.

If you have an older dog that’s starting to creak and hurt in his old age, there are upscale dog beds designed to make them a little more comfortable. If you live in a colder climate that is uncomfortable for your pup, you can consider a heated pet bed that will keep their muscles and joint from tightening up. Another great upscale pet bed for older dogs is an orthopedic dog bed. Dogs are like people when it comes to old aching body parts as they age. A dog orthopedic bed has 8 or more inches of supporting foam, with a layer of fleece on the top for comfort, then a headrest pillow, so they can enjoy a great sleep.

If your pet hasn’t gotten to the age where they need that kind of support yet, you may just want to let them show off a bit with fun, upscale dog beds. Some of the simple designs are large cushion or pillow beds that are personalized with the pooch’s name on them. Others have even more style.

Some upscale dog beds are made to look more like people furniture than pet furniture. These upscale dog beds may look like sofas, albeit smaller than the one in your living room. These doggie sofas have cushions and look like the real thing, but have enough space for your dog to stretch out and be supported by thick foam. Additionally, you can select colors of these sofas to match your home in shades from terracotta to cool sky, silver and even Wedgewood.

For some pampered pooches, good upscale dog beds are all about the material. From microvelvet to suede and fleece, there are materials to meet even the most discerning pup’s preferences.

If you have a dog that likes to get away from the public you can let them create their own little world in upscale dog beds that are designed like a pouch. Your pet can crawl inside and feel safe in their own den.

For the traveling hound, there are even upscale dogs beds to make sure they are cozy on the road, with a sleepover travel bed that rolls up and has shoulder straps for easy carrying, by a human. When you roll out the bed, it’s not just some tired sleeping bag, but three layers of fiber filling for comfort, and inner cushions with fleece.

No longer do dogs have to be left with boring beds, the world of upscale dog beds has come a long way and has something for every k-9 taste.

If you are a cat owner, you must have given up on  obedience training at some point in your life. Maybe you thought cat training was similar to a dog’s and you have tried unsuccessfully to train your cat to do a simple task or to recognize your voice but ended up frustrated. You see, teaching cats obedience is vastly different from dog training.

Cats are not obedient by nature and they don’t correlate your words to the action you want them to do. You have to be patient and determined with cats and you have to understand how their thoughts work. If the cat is not in the mood to obey your command or what you’re asking him to do is not in his nature, meting punishment on him will not change anything. Your cat will simply zone out on you and go where he can avoid you. To make cat obedience training a success for you and your cat, here are some tips to try.

The first thing to keep in mind about cat obedience training is that more weight is given to rewarding positive behavior rather than to punishing bad behavior.

• Cats want affection and attention from their owners and speaking to him in a soothing voice and patting him when he does something you approve of is part of cat obedience training.
• Praise him when he gets into the litter box and refrain from scolding him when he doesn’t. Cats also love treats. Always keep some on hand and give him one when he gets into the harness without any resistance. This will make him associate the act with the treat and soon, he will get into the harness without any trouble as he anticipates his treat. Repeat this type of cat obedience training with everything else.
• Reward him for doing what you want but don’t punish him if he doesn’t.
• Stretch your patience and dig your feet in with determination. It won’t be long before you see the effectiveness of your training and you are the proud owner of an obedient pet cat.

In your training program, review the behaviors you are teaching your cat to do. The behaviors you have in mind might be activities that cats don’t consider normal or natural for them. Unlike for dogs, fetching a ball and returning it to you or jumping through hoops are not typical cat behavior and your cat can be obstinate and refuse to do them. Instead of thinking that your cat obedience training is not successful and blaming yourself, stop and think about your cat’s nature. Unreasonable commands are not part of cat obedience training.

Teach him to stay away from houseplants or keep out of high shelves, not to catch a Frisbee or to roll over. Knowing what and how to teach your cat is one way of turning him into the obedient pet he ought to be.

Today I fell into a trap that I should never have allowed myself to get into. I actually trusted my dog, my Nikki, a 3 year golden retriever.

Nikki is an amazingly affectionate dog, even more than normal for a golden retriever. She is gentle, good natured and behaves pretty well.

She loves going out for car drives, and she is a very well behaved dog in the car. She sits beside me, head hanging out the window and gently watching the world go by. She never gets agitated, restless or excited, even when she spots another dog out the window.

The other day, I took both Nikki, and Benny my black lab out for a drive. This time Benny was sitting in the front. Nikki was in the back. As usual I had the back and front window open.

I drove around the corner, and pulled into my driveway. And, what do I see…Nikki, sitting by the front gate. She must have jumped out the back window as I was pulling around the corner and ran to the gate.

I had absolutely NO clue she had even jumped out. Never before did she ever show any signs of jumping out.

Needless to say I was freaking. I mean, with a little imagination, I could imagine what could have happened.

Rule number one: Don’t trust your dogs. No matter how well behaved your dogs are, they are still dogs. Look out for their safety. Always make safety your first priority.

I should have known better. I try to make dog safety and dog training and dog nutrition my priorities. I have 3 dogs, 2 black labs, and my Nikki, a golden retriever. Dukie, one of my black labs is blind. Oddly enough, when I walk my 3 dogs and my neighbour comes and joins me with her dog, Dukie behaves the best. He loves walking and going for car rides. If you are observing him, you would never know he is blind.

The Labrador Retriever (“Labrador” or “Lab” for short), is one of several kinds of retriever, and are the most popular breeds of dog (by registered ownership) in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The breed is exceptionally friendly, intelligent and good natured, and as a rule these qualities mean that Labs love people, handle children well, and therefore make excellent family and service dogs. Benny, my black lab and Nikki are both Certified Therapy Dogs. They visit the elderly in homes.
Labradors are relatively large with males typically weighing 60 to 80 lb (27 to 36 kg) and females 50 to 70 lb (23 to 32 kg). They are energetic outgoing dogs, and are black, yellow, or brown (called “chocolate”) in color, in that order of frequency. Their fur is usually fairly short and straight, and the tail quite broad and strong. The otter-like tail and webbed toes of the Labrador Retriever make him an excellent swimmer. Their interwoven coat is also waterproof, providing more assistance for swimming. The tail acts as a rudder for changing directions. Yellow labs can have black or pink noses; chocolate and black labs’s noses match the coat color.
As with some other breeds, the English and the America lines differ slightly. Labs are bred in England as a medium size dog, shorter and stockier with fuller faces than their American counterparts which are bred as a larger dog. I have both, one English, My Benny, and one American, my Dukie.
Famous Labs