4,777 answers about horses & farm animals
Horses and farm animals run on routine — feeding schedules, hoof and health care, safe fencing and calm handling, in all weather. This page gathers the horse and farm animal library of KinsLe Answers in one place, organized by topic from daily care to travel and senior animals. Every answer is original, written by KinsLe, and tied to a real KinsLe feature.
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687 answers in Choosing & Adopting — page 4 of 29
Ask the farm vet to build your Thoroughbred's baseline around his history: any racing or training past, known injuries, and how his joints, tendons, and feet look today after a trot-up. Ask how to feed a breed that often struggles to hold weight — forage quantity, condition scoring, and what weight loss should trigger…
Ask the farm vet to establish your Quarter Horse's baseline: overall condition and weight, heart, lungs, and gut sounds, a trot-up for soundness, his teeth and likely dental schedule, and which vaccinations and worming his workload and region call for. Ask specifically about the breed's easy-keeper tendency — how to…
Ask whether the Dorper sheep shed their fleece cleanly, how often feet are trimmed, and what parasite management the seller follows through the year. Ask about lambing history for ewes, growth and condition on the seller's pasture, and whether any sheep have needed repeated treatment for feet or worms. Ask to see the…
Ask whether the Muscovy ducks are calm around people, whether wings are clipped or the pen is covered, and whether drakes have lived peacefully with hens and other poultry. Ask what they eat, how broody the hens become, and whether any bird has shown breathing trouble, leg strain, or aggression at feeding time.…
Ask how the Khaki Campbell ducks are kept day to day, whether the hens are laying reliably, what they are fed, and whether the flock has shown illness, leg trouble, or feather loss. Ask about age, sexing accuracy, and whether ducklings were raised with access to bathing water and clean bedding. A helpful extra…
Ask a Pekin seller about age and sex, what the ducks are fed, and the condition of their legs and feet, because fast-growing Pekins put real strain on their legs and diet matters early. Ask whether ducklings were raised with proper water access for dipping their heads, how the flock is housed at night against…
Ask a Wyandotte seller about the birds' age and sex, whether hens are already laying, what the flock has been fed, and how the birds have been housed and handled. Wyandottes are hardy, rose-combed, dual-purpose birds, so ask specifically about laying rhythm, temperament in a mixed flock, and whether the parent stock…
Ask a Silkie breeder how the birds are sexed, because Silkies are notoriously hard to sex until they are months old, and many sellers can only offer straight run or older, confirmed birds. Ask whether the line is bearded or non-bearded, how broody the hens are, and whether the breeder selects for the breed's dark…
Ask a Saanen breeder about herd health testing, the dam's milk volume and lactation length, and how the herd copes with strong sun, because this large white dairy breed produces heavily and sunburns readily. Ask whether the goat is registered, how big the parents mature, and whether a doe is sold open or bred, and to…
Ask a Rhode Island Red seller whether the birds are heritage stock or the lighter production strain, because the two differ in size, laying pattern, and lifespan despite sharing a name. Ask whether the birds are sexed or straight run, how the parent flock lays through winter, and what temperament the roosters from the…
Ask a Pygmy goat breeder whether the goats are true registered Pygmies or small crossbreds sold under the name, because the breed is a specific, stocky type with its own registry. Ask the mature height and weight of the parents, what herd health testing is done, and whether a male kid is wethered or intact. Ask how…
Ask a Plymouth Rock seller whether the birds are the barred variety or another colour, whether they are heritage or hatchery stock, and whether you are buying sexed pullets, straight run, or laying hens. Ask how the parent flock lays, how broody the hens tend to be, and how the birds handle cold, since this…
Ask a Nubian breeder about herd health testing, the dam's milk production and butterfat-rich milk, and how noisy and heat-tolerant this particular line is, because Nubians are famously vocal. Ask to see the parents' long ears and overall size, whether the goat is registered, and whether a doe has been bred and to…
Ask a Nigerian Dwarf breeder about herd health testing, registration papers, and the mature height of the parents, because this miniature dairy breed has a size standard that matters. Ask what the dam milks like, including how long she stays in milk and how her udder handles hand milking at this smaller scale. Ask…
Ask a Leghorn seller whether the birds are sexed pullets or straight run, how old they are, and when laying is expected to begin, because a Leghorn's value is its early, heavy egg production. Ask whether the flock has been vaccinated, what the parent flock's laying record looks like, and whether these are calm…
Ask a LaMancha breeder for the doe's or kid's herd health testing first, especially what the herd is screened for and when, because dairy goats pass problems quietly between generations. Ask about milk records for the dam, how the distinctive tiny ears run in the line, and whether horns were removed or left on. Ask…
Ask a Kunekune seller about the pig's age, parentage, and adult size, and whether this pig is being sold as a pet or as breeding stock, because the paperwork and expectations differ. Ask what the pig eats now, since Kunekunes are grazing pigs that do poorly on rich feed alone, and ask what health care, hoof care, and…
Before getting a Gloucestershire Old Spots pig, ask the breeder how the litter was raised and fed, because this traditional orchard breed fattens readily and a piglet's early diet shapes its lifelong condition. Ask to see the sow, ask about the bloodlines behind the litter and whether the pigs are formally recorded,…
Before getting a Boer goat, ask the breeder about the herd's disease testing and parasite history first, because those two answers decide whether your new goat thrives on your land or struggles from the start. Ask what the goat eats now, whether its feet have been trimmed regularly, how it was raised — dam-reared or…
Before getting a Berkshire pig, ask the seller about the pig's age, parentage, and whether the litter was bred for temperament as well as growth, because a Berkshire's handling as a piglet predicts your daily life with a very strong adult. Ask what it eats now, whether it has been wormed and had its feet and teeth…
A Wyandotte is an excellent first chicken, especially in a cold climate, because this round, densely feathered American breed pairs steady laying with a calm, unflappable temperament. Its small rose comb resists frostbite better than tall single combs, and hens sometimes brood and mother chicks well. Wyandottes mature…
A Toulouse is a good first goose for a beginner with real space, because this large French breed is calmer and quieter than most geese and grazes contentedly rather than roaming. Toulouse geese are heavy, slow to mature, and need grass, bathing water, and secure night housing, since their size and placid nature leave…
A Suffolk is a workable but not gentle first sheep, because this big British meat breed grows lambs fast and efficiently, yet the ewes are large, strong, and less docile than classic beginner breeds. Suffolks need good pasture or generous feeding to fuel that growth, sound feet on clean ground, and confident handling…
A Rhode Island Red is a good first chicken for a confident beginner, because this hardy American breed lays generously, shrugs off weather, and largely looks after itself. The hens are bold and busy rather than cuddly, and the roosters can be assertive, so a flock kept for small children to handle is better built…
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