Bacon is always a favorite, at least it is for me! Since you are raising your own pork, you should raise a pig that will give you more of your favorite cuts, bacon being at the top of the list, of course. There are a lot of pig available. What breed of pig can you…
You can look at pigs and see them laying about, rooting around then laying about again. What is it that pigs do all day? Do they really spend that much time laying around? Pigs spend 75-85% of their time laying around and/or sleeping, 5-10% of their time eating, 2% of the day drinking and the…
If you have the chance to raise some Jersey calves for butchering steers, should you do it? What about the cows, are cull Jersey cows good for beef? Jersey and Jersey cross cattle are great for beef. Jersey steers are friendly, cost less to purchase (as a calf or a finished steer) than a beef…
Sheep are becoming much more popular for small and large farmers, alike. Demand for lamb is high and sheep grow well on grass, an excellent match for you to make some money off of your pastures this year! To use that grass, which sheep should you get? As a beginner, it’s important to get good…
The thought is repulsive, a pig eating her own babies, yikes! But, does it happen? Do sows eat their own piglets, if so, how often and why? Sows will eat dead (stillborn or crushed) piglets, this is normal. Certain nervous sows will “savage” piglets, meaning attack live and otherwise healthy piglets, hurting them or killing…
Thinking about using A.I. for your herd? Whether you have one cow or quite a few, A.I. has some distinct advantages over running a bull and a few drawbacks that you need to know about before you decide how to breed your herd this year. So, should you try A.I. this year, or is it…
You’ll hear a lot of differing opinions on raising pigs. To some folks, raising pigs is the greatest idea they have ever had! A freezer full of amazing meat and a huge step toward knowing where their family’s food comes from. On the other hand, some folks feel that raising pigs is the worst idea…
You’ll come across plenty of information out there regarding which pig breed you should get. Maybe too much information, since the more you look, the more confusing it gets! Every breed organization touts the growth and quality of their genetics and most folks with a few litters of pigs for sale will say those pigs…
Maybe you’d like to try multi species grazing with your cattle or maybe you are just wondering if you could simplify your chores by putting other animals with the herd? Great news! There are some animals that will work well with your cattle! There are also a few species combinations that are definitely not a…
You don’t hear much about salt, when you are looking into what to feed your pigs. Do pigs even need salt, and, if so, how do you know the amount of salt to give them? Pigs need salt in their diet. Growing pigs need their daily salt intake to be .25% of their ration, while…