Livestock

Livestock Guardian Dogs: Deter Predators on Your Farm or Homestead

Livestock Guardian Dogs: Deter Predators on Your Farm or Homestead

Livestock guardian dogs protect homesteads and farms from predators with their loyal and protective nature. Image by Don DeBold, Flickr. Homesteads and farms face the constant challenge of protecting their livestock from predators like coyotes, wolves, bears, and other opportunistic creatures that threaten the well-being of their animals. Livestock guardian dogs (LGDs) offer a tried and tested solution, safeguarding herds with their protective instincts. For centuries, LGDs have stood as the ultimate farm watchdogs, their presence alone serving as a powerful deterrent to would-be attackers. Bred for their unwavering loyalty, keen instincts, and impressive size, these capable canines have become an increasingly popular choice among homesteaders seeking an eco-friendly, long-term solution to safeguarding their herds. LGDs actively protect livestock by patrolling the perimeter, marking territory, and fearlessly confronting intruders. Their effectiveness in drastically reducing losses is...

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Curated Content From Around the Web

Goat Kidding Tips – And an Idea for Timing Births That Works No Matter What You Raise

Back in 1998, when I was two years into my research project looking at the best ways to manage goats to build firebreaks and manage vegetation, a fellow Utah State University researcher gave me 35 does because he was done with his own research. To my project partner and I it seemed like the next natural step was to grow our herd even more. We had a nice barn for kidding, and figured that if the babies were born in February, they’d be big enough to head to the field with their moms when grazing season came around. So that fall we bought a Boer buck at the Utah State Fair to breed to our does. He was chosen for his affordable price, and for his long legs and heavy body which we hoped would give us long-legged, fat, brush eaters. Kathy and Kids When we started, this is what…
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French farmers block access to Bordeaux port

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Brazil chicken exports decline in October

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How Do Animals Choose What to Eat? Part 1 – Mother Knows Best

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Dutch poultry ordered indoors due to bird flu

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BRF to acquire processed foods factory in China

The factory cost $43 million 21 November 2024 1 minute read Brazilian pork and chicken processor BRF said on Wednesday that it has signed a binding agreement to acquire a processed foods factory in China's Henan province for $43 million, reported Reuters. BRF said in a securities filing it will invest approximately $36 million in expanding the plant and added that it expects the factory to start operating under BRF management in the first quarter of 2025. According to BRF, the investments are expected to double the factory's capacity to 60,000 metric tonnes per year from 30,000 metric tonnes currently. Built in 2013, the plant has two food processing lines. "The investment represents a significant opportunity to expand the customer base and boost the company's sales," BRF said in a statement, adding that it grants "direct access to the Chinese market, one of the world's largest protein consuming markets." BRF…
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Brazil chicken exports grow in volume, revenue in October

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The Cheapest Way to Produce the Best Egg

The Arbuckles raise beef cows, free range pigs, turkey, fryer chickens and laying hens on their 50-acre Singing Prairie farm in northeast Missouri. They sell their meat on farm and wholesale their eggs to grocery stores and restaurants in the area. Just like all of us, John and Holly Arbuckle wanted to know what to feed their chickens that would get them the best egg for the least amount of money.  So they applied for a Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grant and in 2013 they ran an experiment to see what the answer was. Their goal, as John describes it was “…to find out if laying hens would be able to make up for the under supply of nutrition lacking in sprouted wheat by foraging for insects in a rotationally grazed cow pasture environment. The reasons for that one goal were myriad. IF hens can lay competitively well while consuming sprouted wheat and pasture…
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