Chickens, Livestock, Homesteading & Gardening | Rural Living

Goats are hardy creatures that can withstand a wide range of temperatures, including extreme cold and heat. Domesticated goats, however, need some kind of shelter to remain healthy, safe, and productive. There are plenty of goat barn ideas you can use to build a simple yet highly effective shelter for your goats. If you are the handy type or are simply looking for a cheap yet effective DIY goat barn, there are hundreds of goat … Read more

Cow udders are some of the most fascinating organs for several reasons. To begin with, they are hardly ever visible until the cow goes through some physical transformation, in which case, they are unmissable. Some of the questions that most people who are not very familiar with raising cows would ask are “how many udders does a cow have?”, “does every cow have udders?” “What is a cow’s udder used for?” Let’s take a quick … Read more

Also known as Dutch Belted cattle, Lakenvelder cattle are a highly-prized breed of cattle raised mainly for its milk production but can also double as a dual-purpose breed for meat. Lakenvelder cattle are believed to be the only belted cattle breed that traces directly back to the original canvassed or belted cattle described in Switzerland and Austria. This is a majestic creature that has a rich history of nobility. It’s well sought after today, and … Read more

Your cattle can’t tell you what is lacking in their diet, so it’s up to you to figure it out. While you can ideally monitor nutrition factors using protein and calorie intake calculators, some nutrients must come from supplements. And this is where protein tubs for cattle come in. Just like humans, cows also need their recommended daily protein intake to help their bodies develop. And at times, they need more nourishment than they can … Read more

There are a few pertinent questions that anyone looking to raise goats or go into goat farming needs to ask themselves. One of the most important ones is how much space do goats need? While there are some adorably miniature goat breeds, such as the Pygmy goats and Nigerian dwarf goats, all goats need enough space and land to browse and play. For your goats to thrive, they need pasture and as much open space … Read more

Pig lovers around the world keep pigs for several reasons. The reasons often vary depending on the pig breed. For instance, some people love keeping small pig breeds, such as the Vietnamese potbelly pig, as pets. Other than that, keep feeder pigs for the pork and commercial value. Many still keep pigs, mostly because they want a variety of farm animals on their property. Whatever your reason for keeping pigs, the breed or type of … Read more

Few things are quite as exciting to most cow breeders as having pregnant cows in the herd. This often means that, with the right management, the herd size will increase as soon as the cows give birth. But how long are cows pregnant, and what kind of complications can you expect during this gestation period? In months, a cow is pregnant for 9 months. Note, a heifer is a female bovine who has not given birth … Read more

Ossabaw pigs come from a breed of feral pigs that were originally found on Ossabow Island in Georgia. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy recognizes this breed of pigs as a heritage breed since they were originally found and bred on farms around Ossabow Island. These are extremely hardy pigs that are descendants of feral hogs. Even though it’s smaller than most pig breeds, such as the Idaho Pasture pigs, they are quite tenacious and provide … Read more

Pigs are known by various names, from hog to boar and swine. In fact, in many places, these names are interchangeable. However, you will most likely come across the name pig more often than not. So, what is the difference between a hog vs pig? Hog vs Pig On the face of it, there isn’t much of a difference between these animals. After all, they all like wallowing in the mud, and the sows (female … Read more

Small breeds of pigs have existed for about as long as any breeds of pigs have existed. As you can imagine, these miniature pigs don’t get the same treatment as most other hogs. This is mostly on account of being exceptionally tiny and cute. Paris Hilton once made headlines for ordering a Royal Dandle miniature pig which cost her an astounding $4,500 at the time. While most breeds of small pigs aren’t that expensive, they … Read more

Genetics plays an important role in a pig’s meat quality and overall performance. That’s one of the main reasons commercial and private pig farmers pay close attention to their breeding stock. As a pig producer, learning how to breed pigs is a skill that will go a long way towards improving the caliber of animals on your farm. While breeding pigs is relatively easy, the trick is in the specifics. The kind of boar you … Read more

If you intend to raise pigs, you will need fencing for pigs on your farm. There are several reasons why this is important. For starters, even the most domesticated pig breeds can go feral when left to roam freely on the land. Another, and more important reason, is that some states forbid free-ranging pigs. Even though states like California have strict laws on just how much space you can designate for your pigs, letting them … Read more

Certain goat breeds, such as the Alpine goat, have distinctive beards on their faces. Going by traditional gender rules, it would be natural to assume that the bearded goats in any breed would most likely be male goats. Strangely enough, this doesn’t hold true for all goat breeds. It’s also not uncommon to find a female bearded goat.  So, why do goats have facial hair, and what do they do with those awesome beards? Let’s … Read more

How much does a goat cost? The answer to this question depends on several things. For one thing, it depends on the breed of goat you want to buy and whether or not it’s registered with a governing body like the American Boer Goat Association — like if you are looking to buy a Boer goat, for example. Another key factor to consider would be the age and size of the goat. What about how … Read more

In a ram vs goat fight, there’s a good chance that the ram comes out on top. This is because rams tend to be bulkier in size and, in many cases, stronger. These are just some of the many differences between rams and goats. In many places, the two names may be used interchangeably, albeit incorrectly. For clarification, let’s look closely at both a ram and goat. Here, we will highlight all the key differences … Read more