Cattle

Walking your dog is a great way to bond with your furry friend, but for many of us, those daily walks can also turn into a nightmare. If your dog is pulling you down the road, it’s hard to enjoy your time spent together! If your dog is walking you, instead of the other way around, you aren’t the only unhappy one. Dogs pull because you allow them to. When walking, a  dog should never be allowed to walk in front of you. In a dog pack, the leader always walks in front. When you allow your dog to walk in front of you, you let him become the leader, instead of the other way around. As the leader, your dog will become very anxious and pull. Being the pack leader is a big responsibility to your dog and this stress is what causes him to pull ahead of you and loose his manners. If you train your dog to “heel”, or walk beside or behind you, he will view you as the leader and can then relax and enjoy his walk. Dogs do not care what their  position in the dog pack is, as long as know that they have a place and what it is. By asserting yourself as the leader, your dog will respect you and obey more, making for a nice, enjoyable walk for the both of you! Click here for more information on training your dog to heel and walk properly while on a leash.

Take care when introducing cattle to grain and pelleted diets as there is a risk of grain poisoning. The high starch content of most grains can cause grain poisoning. Lupin is the exception because it is low in starch.

Good security of grain stores and standing crops is essential in order to prevent accidental poisoning. If you intend to turn stock onto stubble, it may be a wise precaution to feed some grain beforehand, so that the rumen bacterial population becomes adapted to grain.

When stock are fed grain or any feed that has a high carbohydrate content, the feed must be introduced gradually so that the animal’s rumen has time to adapt to the increasing levels. There should also be a minimum of 10-20% roughage in any ration.

During the introductory phase to grain feeding, animals should be closely monitored. Diarrhea is often the first sign of mild grain poisoning, and if this is seen in a number of animals, the proportion of hay in the ration should be further increased.

Some grains, for example lupins, are safer to feed than others. Similarly, it is safer to feed oats, which have a higher ratio of fibre to starch than does wheat.

When changing between different types, or even batches, of grains, and especially when changing between batches of pellets, the new feed should be introduced by ‘shandying’ it with the old and gradually increasing the proportion of the new feed over about 7 days.

When cattle are introduced to a high-grain diet, they should be started on a ration consisting primarily of hay, with the percentage of grain being gradually increased over 2-3 weeks.

If you are seriously considering buying a parrot, taking the time to read this article will be very beneficial. The key thing to think about before you go ahead and buy a parrot is – are you willing to devote the required amount of time to properly care for a pet parrot? Parrot care should be taken very seriously, because it is very important for the health and well-being of your pet, and it requires a lot of time to do properly.

Parrots have been popular pets for centuries now, and it is easy to see why – they come in a variety of colours; they have great personalities; they are very bright and intelligent; and they are reasonably easy to train. However, these pros often cause people to overlook the negative points associated with having a pet parrot, and they rush out and buy a parrot without properly considering how much time and effort is required to properly look after one. Very sadly, this results in lots of parrots acquiring behavioural problems.

Although there are over 350 species of parrot, and each species has slightly different parrot care needs, there are certain common ‘parrot care’ factors that are important to all of them:

Cages – Nothing has more of an impact on a parrot’s mental health than the size of its cage. The cage needs to be easily big enough to enable your parrot to fully spread out and flap its wings. There also needs to be enough room in the cage for five large parrot toys, without the parrot being cramped. Frequently check the cage for damage that could harm your bird (e.g. sharp metal edges caused by your parrot chewing the cage).

Socialization – When parrots are left on their own, they often experience mental health problems. Therefore, it is very important that they get lots of social interaction with you and your family – treat him like a member of your family, and he will act like one! The best way to ensure this happens is to place the cage in a location in your home where you and your family spend the majority of your time. Note: Don’t put the cage in your kitchen, because cooking often gives off chemicals that are toxic to parrots.

Food – Even though diets vary slightly from species to species, there are many common foods that are good for all types of parrots. Every parrot’s diet should include the following foods: fresh water, parrot seed (vitamin enriched), fresh fruits and vegetables, and parrot pellets.

Cage Cleanliness – Clean the cage every dayeach day, but only use water and mild soap. You should always wash your hands before you handle a parrot, or prepare his food, because it is very easy to give a parrot a bacterial infection. For example, human saliva contains bacteria which is very harmful to parrots.

Parrot Grooming – Parrots require a lot of grooming. Their beaks and nails don’t stop growing, and require clipping approximately every 4 or 5 weeks. This is essential, because long beaks and nails can easily result in your parrot getting snagged on various bits of his cage, which can cause an injury. You also need to provide water baths or water sprays every day to keep your parrots’ feathers in really good condition.

In conclusion, if you are prepared to provide the proper parrot care, owning a parrot is really enjoyable and rewarding. Parrots thrive in normal household environments, and they make fantastic pets and companions. However, please remember that adopting a parrot is a long-term commitment, because parrots can live anywhere between 15 and 80 years.

As thousands of families struggled with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, many of them were also missing pets. Many people have plans to deal with emergencies for themselves, but fail to make arrangements for the animal members of their family. Whether it’s a small emergency such as a house fire, or a large emergency like a tornado, hurricane, flood or manmade disaster, advanced planning always gives the best chance of keeping all of your family members safe.

Preparation

Start by talking with your family about what you will do in various situations. Responses to localized emergencies like fires, small storms and power outages will likely differ from emergency plans for large scale emergencies such as hurricanes, tornadoes and manmade attacks. Plan evacuation routes to designated meeting points.

These will vary based on the situation. If dealing with flooding, you’ll want to take refuge in the highest room location in your home. For a tornado, you’ll want to take family and pets to the lowest level of your home. If dealing with a chemical or airborne emergency, the Red Cross advises families to go to an interior room without windows that is above ground level (in the case of a chemical threat, an above-ground location is preferable because some chemicals are heavier than air, and may seep into basements even if the windows are closed).

All pets should have collars and tags with easily visible identification. ID tags should have your pet’s name, your phone number and important medical information. If possible, list a mobile phone number. If you’re not at home when danger strikes, calls may not reach you at a home phone.

For local emergencies, it is important to display an animal rescue sign or sticker so that responders know that there are pets in your home. Your rescue sign should contain the types and names of pets in your house, as well as veterinarian name and contact information. Use your best judgment about placing additional contact information on the sign. While you want to give emergency officials enough information to safely rescue you pets, you must be cautious not to expose information which might be abused by solicitors or passers by.

Finally, make copies of contact, evacuation route and emergency plan information for all members of your family. Store them in Ziploc style waterproof bags so that they will stay dry in case of flooding or water damage.

Where to Go

After you take care of basic preparation, you should agree on two meeting places: one near your home for emergencies such as fires, and another outside of your immediate neighborhood if you must evacuate your home. Similarly, it’s wise to designate two emergency contacts. The first should be in your neighborhood, the second should be out of town. During large scale disasters it can often be easier to reach people who are not in your immediate area. Make sure all of your family members memorize both phone numbers.

If it is necessary to leave your home, you may not be able to bring your pet to rescue facilities with your family. To prevent permanent separation, identify a boarding kennel or shelter in your immediate area that provides emergency care or foster care for pets. Outside of your area, have the name and number of hotels, friends or relatives that will accept your pets. By having these numbers and arrangements in place, you will be able to reunite with your pets even if you are not able to return to your home.

Making an Emergency Pack

It’s easy to prepare an emergency pack for you and your pet. Each pack should contain 3 days worth of supplies. Supplies should be stored in a backpack as close to an exit as possible.

For each member of your family, your pack should include:

*Batteries

*Battery powered flashlight

*Battery powered radio

*Blanket

*3-5 days worth of water

*Energy bars, canned nutrition shakes or other food which does not require cooking or refrigeration

*Baby wipes

*Breathing mask

*Plastic sheeting

*Duct tape

*First Aid Kit and guide book

*Light stick

*Spray paint

*Whistle or air horn

*3-5 day supply of Tylenol or Aspirin, as well as any prescription medication

*Recent photos if family members become separated

Your pet’s supply kit should include:

*Easy open canned or dry food. If packing dry food, you may wish to store it in large Ziploc style plastic bags. For birds, a small, tupperware container is recommended

*Bottled water supply for your pet

*Disposable litter trays

*Pet feeding dishes *Extra leash

*Photocopies of medical records

*3-5 day supply of any medicine your pet requires

*Litter or paper toweling

*A traveling bag or sturdy carrier, ideally one for each pet *Recent photos of your pets if you become separated

Remember to change food, water and medicine every three to six months to maintain freshness and effectiveness.

Disasters, whether small, large, natural or manmade can be terrifying. By having a solid plan in place, emergency contacts and disaster packs ready to go, you can give your entire family the best chance of surviving together.

Knowing the correct way of caring for pigs is the secret of becoming a successful pig farmer. When they are cared for properly, pigs will not only provide plenty of cheap meat for your family, but also fertilizer that you can use in your fields.

Caring for pigs begins when you buy them from a breeder. Make sure that the piglets you buy are healthy and have been immunized for the most common swine diseases. One way of knowing a trustworthy breeder is to look at their facilities and breeding stock. If they are not clean or the stock looks sickly, don’t deal with that breeder. Also, consult with a local veterinarian for a vaccination program for your herd.

While many people believe that all you need to feed pigs are table scraps and spoiled vegetables, caring for pigs means ensuring that they stay healthy. Make sure that you also feed them the right powder feed for their current level of development. And your pigs must also have plenty of clean, fresh water to drink, since water is essential to their health. Change their water daily, since they will bathe in it if they are given the chance.

Although pigs have the reputation of being dirty animals, perhaps because they enjoy rolling around in mud to cool off, they are actually very clean creatures. They become dirty only because they are kept in filthy pens. So an important part of caring for pigs is making sure that their living quarters are clean, with plenty of fresh straw for bedding, which should also be changed regularly.

If you raise them in a pasture, or let them out occasionally to root around in the fields and find plants to eat, make sure they are fenced in, particularly if they are already mature, in order to prevent them from wandering away. You might also want to build a water pool for them where they can swim and cool off. Refill the water pool frequently with a hose. Outdoor pigs should also have a small hut where they can have shelter from the hot sun, since they don’t sweat and have no normal way of preventing overheating.

Finally, proper handling is very important in caring for pigs. Pigs are intelligent and affectionate animals that enjoy being played with. So take some time to lavish them with some attention. And, always handle them gently, since rough treatment can frighten them and cause them to die of heart attacks, or can make them aggressive and hard to handle.