Rural Living Today

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

Why do goats faint when they are startled? As you can imagine, every animal is born with a fight or flight instinct, and for prey animals like goats, the flight instinct is often stronger than the fight. However, some goats don’t run away when they are startled. Instead, these goats start running, and then, somewhere along the way, they stiffen up and fall over, with their legs remaining rigid for a little while. They look … Read more

It might sound strange to many city folks, but learning how to milk a sheep can be a highly profitable skill to acquire. While there are many different kinds of milk today, from almond milk to hemp milk and even coconut milk, the original milk trio came from cows, goats, and dairy sheep.  For about 10,000 years, people have been milking sheep, goats, and cows. Out of these three, sheep’s milk is the most nutritious. … Read more

It’s important to learn how to sheer a sheep properly. Not only do the sheep need it to survive through the summer heat, but the resulting wool could be a good source of income for the farm. Sheep farmers with high-quality wool breeds such as Merino and Rambouillet should consider selling their wool.  Make no mistake about it; sheep shearing is hard work. No matter how skilled you are at shearing sheep, the entire process … Read more

Ouessant sheep, known by many other names, including Ushant, Mouton d’Ouessant, and Breton Island Dwarf, is a dwarf sheep breed originating from the Ile d’Ouessant, which is a small island just off the coast of Brittany, France. The Ouessant sheep are believed to be one of the smallest sheep breeds in the world. They were only found on the island of Ouessant until the early 20th century. This breed of sheep is now found almost … Read more

There’s a hardy breed of white-faced sheep known for their tenacity, alertness, friendliness, and, best of all, their wool and meat production. The Cheviot sheep is a sheep breed like no other. Not only does it have a host of distinctive characteristics, but it also looks quite different from any other sheep breed. The first thing you will notice about the North Country Cheviot sheep is that it has ears that stand out straight like … Read more

Sheep breeders the world over raise sheep for different purposes. Some do so for meat production, others for milk, and many do it for wool production. The Columbia sheep are bred specifically for their wool production capabilities. That isn’t to say that the sheep don’t produce excellent meat. Sheep bred for wool or milk are also often bred for their meat production. The meat from the Columbia sheep is not only lean and soft but … Read more

There are few beef cattle breeds so resilient and disease-resistant as Ongole cattle. This hardy breed is mostly found in India and comes from the Ongole region. It’s also often referred to as the Nellore breed. That’s mostly because Ongole Taluk is a division of a district once part of the Nellore district. It is, however, now part of the Guntur district, a part of Andhra Pradesh. Ongole cattle are so popular in India that … Read more

Here we explain how often do goats go into heat and the signs. As a goat keeper, knowing when goats are in heat will allow you to either get your does mounted, hopefully resulting in a bunch of young goats or kids, or keep the doe away from bucks if you don’t want them pregnant. Some farmers don’t want their does to get pregnant — maybe because of their age or their traits — or … Read more

On average, how long do pigs live? The answer to such a question in regards to any animal, not just pigs, is often dependent on a number of factors. Some of the key determinants of how long an animal lives are factors such as: Typical living conditions Types of food it consumes and overall nutrition Care it receives What are the threats it faces If the breed is generally disease-resistant Pigs come in two classes. … Read more

Have you ever wondered how cold is too cold for goats and how to keep goats warm in winter? While they are technically cold-hardy animals that can survive low temperatures, some temperatures are unhealthy for them. Frostbite and hypothermia are concerns for goats in winter, especially the doelings and bucklings. A healthy adult goat can survive in temperatures as low as 0° Fahrenheit (-18° Celsius) and as high as 100° Fahrenheit (38° Celsius). However, when … Read more

Learning how to get rid of hay belly in goats could help make your herd healthier. Although not quite as deadly as goat bloat, hay belly can be a nuisance and, without the right remedy, could lead to malnourished goats. Hay belly is a condition that is more common in Boer, Nigerian dwarf goats, and Pygmy goats. Even though Pygmy goats tend to have large bellies that make them look pregnant, it’s important to ascertain … Read more

There are a lot of skills that go into raising healthy goats. Learning how to trim goat hooves happens to be one of those necessary skills. The best part is that once you know what to do, it isn’t that difficult. You should inspect and maintain goat hooves regularly, every 4 – 6 weeks. However, a lot depends on the breed, goat age, and types of surfaces the goat walks on. Below are the necessary … Read more

If you randomly picked any sheep farmer and asked them how much does a sheep cost? There’s a good chance that you will get an answer as random as the farmer giving it. Many factors go into determining the price of livestock, and sheep aren’t an exception to this rule. Now, if you got a bit more specific with the question and asked something along the line of “how much do adult Suffolk sheep or … Read more

Red Wattle pigs, also known as Red Pigs, Red Wattle or Red Wattle hogs, are a pig breed that is unique to North America. That makes this pig extremely valuable genetically as a heritage breed (breeds raised by our forefathers). This reasonably large pig is known for its excellent foraging activity, hardiness, and rapid growth rate, making it one of the best species to raise for pork or meat production. For good reason, farmers across … Read more