The quality of a ewe’s milk directly correlates to the nutrition and mineral fed before and after lambing. Grazing or feeding high-quality stored forages and supplementing the correct balance of fats and carbohydrates translates into better milk production for the ewe. Here are four tips to help increase milk production and improve lamb performance:
During the first seven or eight months of gestation, the fetus grows very slowly (approximately 0.2 lbs per day) so early pregnancy does not present much of a nutritional challenge to the mare. Dry mares in early gestation can basically be fed like any other mature, idle horse. Good quality pasture or hay along with a supplement such as Purina® Free Balance 12:12 vitamin/mineral supplement or Enrich Plus® Ration Balancing horse feed may be all that is necessary to meet these mares’ nutritional requirements.
You want an animal to look great throughout the year, but even more important, is being at their best at a future date – show day. For heifers, there might be multiple target show dates, and for steers there may only be one, but regardless of how many dates you’re targeting, your animal’s nutrition program needs to be developed with the end goal in mind.
Hatching eggs at home can be a fun project for those looking to grow their backyard flocks. Incubating chicken eggs is a 21-day process and requires an egg incubator to help control temperature, humidity and egg turning. To help baby chicks start strong once they’ve hatched, feed a complete Purina® chick starter feed from hatch until week 18, or when the first egg arrives.
What is the difference between alfalfa hay and timothy hay? Both hay sources are excellent forages to provide to your herbivores, but there are some differences between them nutritionally. To understand how those differences impact your animals, some background information is needed.
Has the ice a problem for you and your animals? Here are some tips to keep your livestock safe and sound footed.
One of the most significant decisions a lamb raiser can make is selecting which milk replacer is best for their lambs. A quality lamb milk replacer provides the necessary nutrients to address early health problems and has the power to boost flock performance. With so much at stake, it’s important to research your options fully.
Everyone knows a foodie- that person who enthusiastically tries new food and finishes every bite on the plate. While some horses fit the “foodie” description, not all horses are as open-minded. Finicky eaters will turn up their nose if the taste and texture isn’t just right.
Even though there was some uncertainty in the cattle industry in 2021, 2022 is already looking more optimistic. Ph.D. cattle consultants Doug Hawkins (Texas), Martha Moen (Florida) and Chad Zehnder (Minnesota) ruminate on trends from the past year and what to expect in 2022:
Let’s start with winter. Thanks to their fur and other methods of adaptation, rabbits have a thermoneutral zone (that temperature range at which they can comfortably maintain core temperature without an increase in energy expenditure) that goes to considerably lower temperatures than ours. When we are cold and reaching for a warm coat, they are perfectly comfortable. Rabbits and cold weather are an excellent match. However, rugged winter weather will increase energy expenditure and have an impact on growth, weight maintenance and productivity if feeding rates are not adjusted accordingly.