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When hiking alone or with friends, the Boy Scout motto “be prepared” could not be more relevant. In the wilderness, anything can potentially go wrong - from unexpected injuries to severe changes in weather conditions. For those who like to hike with their dogs, planning ahead and being is a necessity. Whether you are a day hiker, or a multi-day, extreme terrain hiker, here are some guidelines to help make hiking with your dog safe and enjoyable. 1. Health and Stamina: Prior to deciding to hike with your dog it is important to consider his ability to handle physical exertion....

Cattle need only minimal shelter. During calving it is nice to have a place where the cow and newborn calf can get out of the elements for a day or two. It is good to have a place where they can find shade in hot weather and wind break from the cold. A corral or dry lot must be available to keep the animals in when irrigating and when the pasture needs a rest from grazing. Good fences are important to ensure safety and good relation-ships with neighbors. Electric fences are useful for managing your pasture and should be sufficiently...

Socialization is the process of preparing a puppy to be comfortable with interactions with people, other dogs, other species and the outside world. Ideally this should take place during the sensitive period between 3 and 14 weeks of age. This is the period when puppies benefit most from exposure to new or strange stimuli and they show a willingness to explore and play with little fear when encountering new people, animals, objects and experiences. Puppies deprived of these experiences will have a significantly increased risk of developing into adults with fear, aggression and arousal issues. The idea being to stop...

Summer has arrived and your spring chicks will be approaching puberty. Assuming they’ve enjoyed good food and care, the young hens, called pullets, begin laying sometime between their 16th and 24th week of age. You can anticipate the arrival of eggs soon! Discovering a hen’s first egg from your own hand-raised chicks is a thrill. Pullet eggs are tiny and look like gems in the nest. If your pullets are over 16 weeks of age, now is the time to switch them to a Nutrena layer feed, as laying hens need special nutrition. Producing eggs places great nutritional strain on...

It can be quite alarming when a poultry owner gets a consistent five eggs, daily, from five hens, only to find just one egg for a few days. This sudden drop in egg laying takes us all into detective mode – are they hiding the eggs? Are they sick? Below you’ll find some of the most common reasons for decreased egg production to put your mind at ease and hopefully get your girls laying consistently again. Why do hens stop laying eggs? Molt. At 15-18 months of age, and every year thereafter, chickens will replace their feathers. Feathers will fall out to make...