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

How Often Should You Move Your Herd?

Are you a competitive grazier? By that I mean, do you measure your success against other folks by how often you move your animals and the more moves you do, the better you must be? That may not be the best way to measure your success, and it could be a good way to burn out. So here’s a collection of articles that might help us all control our competitive streak so we get the lives and results we want. First, James Matthew Craighead reminds us that building soil health doesn’t require daily moves, and he gives us some pretty good advice. You Do Not Have to Move Cows Every Day John Marble adds to the story, taking a look at other things we might consider when deciding how often to move animals – like lifestyle and economics. How Often Should You Move Your Herd? Lifestyle and Economic Considerations for…
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Can the Weather Predict Your Calves’ Weaning Weights?

Editors’ Note: This article was drawn from a piece by Ann Perry of the USDA-ARS. The article was published in the July 2014 Issue of their Agriculture Research magazine. The research is part of Pasture, Forage and Rangeland Systems (#215) and Climate Change, Soils and Emissions (#212), two ARS national programs. For decades, Agricultural Research Service scientists in the northern plains have kept meticulous records on cattle weight gains during the growing season. Although their main focus was on trends in livestock and forage production, they also tracked weather conditions as part of their studies. Then, a few years ago, ARS rangeland management specialist Justin Derner assembled a team from three ARS locations in Wyoming, North Dakota, and Montana and used the data to see if it might give us a clue about how increased seasonal weather variability might affect cattle production. Wet Winters and Springs Are Better For Weight…
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Sue Kennedy Teaches Cows to Eat Leafy Spurge

Here are some of the posts on the Kennedy Ranch Facebook page from Sue Kennedy’s work teaching cattle to eat leafy spurge on their ranch in Lamoille, Nevada. Sue says that the cattle do well eating the spurge on their first rotation through a pasture. But 14 days later they tend to eat around the spurge. She and I will be chatting in the near future about this tendency. I’d like to know a little more about what the regrowth looks like after 14 days and variety in pasture as well. So we’ll share more when we know more! 🙂   Relat
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Three Things You Can Do Starting Now to Be More Profitable

When Greg Judy wrote this in February of 2017, farmers and ranchers were reeling from the ups and downs of the market from the previous couple years. It seems that some things never change, so here’s Greg’s advice once more for ways you can survive no matter the ups and downs. There has been quite a price change in the livestock world in the last two years. There has never been a time in recent history that cattle prices crashed as quickly as they did in the fall of 2015. Historically high prices were being paid for anything that looked like a cow. The new normal for 2014 and part of 2015 was rocket fuel prices never seen before in history. Tons of folks threw caution to the wind and wanted to get in on the action of the super high cattle prices. I read an editorial during this feverish…
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How I Raised a Year’s Worth of Grass-Fed Beef for Practically Nothing

Is it cheaper to raise your own beef?  Is it even worth raising your own meat? Yes, it is absolutely cheaper and completely worth the time and effort to do so!Before moving to our 10-acre farm 12 years ago, I homesteaded in every capacity possible in the suburbs.Our suburban lot was small, and the south side of our house was blocked by the neighbor’s house.  Still, I did everything I could to grow our own food. This included tearing out most of the landscaping and planting food all around the house.Canning food was a skill that I learned from a neighbor at our previous house, and so I canned everything I could get my hands on. In addition to the food we grew, I frequented “U-pick” farms, farmers markets, and took advantage of “loss leader” sales at the grocery.Every winter, we enjoyed the homemade marinara sauce, jams, and vegetables that…
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How to Install an Electric Fence

Learn how to install an electric fence by learning about conductors, corner posts, and insulators before buying quality electric fencing materials and spending time on construction.As a containment system for livestock, a well-made electric fence can be both highly effective and relatively low maintenance. I’m not opposed to other methods of fencing, such as barbed wire; I’m just opposed to paying for them. If you already have a barbed wire fence, good. If you don’t have fence and need to build one, the most economical way — by a wide margin — is to build an electric fence the right way.Unfortunately, the first permanent electric fence I built was neither effective nor low maintenance, because it wasn’t well-built. I struggled with escaped livestock, the constant need for repairs, and ceaseless calls from angry neighbors. (I’m lucky to have good neighbors, since cattle walking through their cornfield will test the patience…
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1 DAY SETUP! Solar Power System for my Off Grid Cabin – Jackery Solar Generator 5000 Plus

Getting Rid of ALL Of Our Farm Animals (almost). Why?

Alpaca Farming for Fun and Profit

Alpaca farming is growing in popularity in the USA. Start raising these cool-looking mammals and learn alpaca basics, like how long alpacas live and how to harvest alpaca fibers.When alpacas were domesticated over a thousand years ago in Peru, who knew they would become a common farm animal throughout the world? It may surprise you to learn that alpacas are no longer found in the wild, unlike their cousins the Guanacos and vicuña who still roam areas of South America.llamas are often confused with alpacas. On the Alpaca Owners Association website, they say, “While closely related, llamas and alpacas are very different animals.” Alpacas are smaller than llamas and are mostly raised for their luxurious fleece that is comfortable in various weather conditions. Llamas are much larger than alpacas and can reach over 400 pounds while alpacas are typically less than 200 pounds.Reasons for Choosing AlpacasWhether you want to join…
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