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.
← All Horses & Farm Animals topics
409 answers in Feeding & Nutrition — page 17 of 18
No. Kitchen scraps alone will leave chickens short of protein, calcium, energy, and the balanced vitamins a complete poultry feed is formulated to provide, and laying hens feel those gaps first in thin shells, fewer eggs, feather loss, and poor condition. Scraps work well as a small extra, roughly a handful per bird a…
The best feed for hoof health is not a special bag but a forage-first diet: good hay or pasture as the bulk, topped up with a ration balancer or a correctly fed fortified feed that supplies biotin, zinc, copper, and quality protein. Easy keepers get those nutrients from a balancer without unwanted calories, while…
Safe treats for most horses include carrot pieces cut lengthwise into strips, cored apple slices, a little banana, and treats made specifically for horses, all in small handfuls rather than bucketfuls. Cut round or whole items instead of offering them intact, because a whole apple or a thick carrot coin can lodge in…
Feed for the hoof he now has to grow and walk on: forage first, low in sugar and starch, with a ration balancer supplying adequate protein and amino acids plus balanced zinc and copper and biotin. Cut sweet, starchy bucket feeds and watch lush grazing — excess calories and sugar make a transitioning horse heavier and…
Build the diet on good forage, then fill the gaps hooves actually grow from: a ration balancer or youngstock feed supplying quality protein and amino acids such as methionine, plus zinc, copper, and biotin, which hay and grass alone often provide poorly. Keep growth steady rather than fast — excess calories and sugary…
A goat's daily diet is forage first: pasture and browse where you have it, plus good grass hay freely available, should make up the great majority of what she eats. Add loose minerals formulated for goats, offered free choice, and constant clean water. Concentrate feed is a supplement, not the base, and is needed…
Ducks and chickens can share a run, but their feeding needs to be set up separately. Ducks need water deep enough to dunk the whole head, because clearing the eyes and nostrils that way keeps them healthy, and they foul drinking water fast, so their water station belongs apart from the chickens' where the run allows.…
Expect months, not weeks, because new hoof wall grows down slowly from the coronary band at roughly a quarter to a third of an inch a month. You may see a smoother, better-connected band of new growth at the top of the hoof within six to eight weeks of a feed change, but replacing the whole wall takes around nine to…
Fit comes first — straps checked by hand, the pony breathing and drinking, nothing pinching — and the muzzle is introduced gradually over days, in lengthening supervised periods, because a pony thrown into full grazing hours will spend them fighting the straps. The muzzle is worn for grazing hours, with daily…
Feed for weight loss forage-first, never by starving your horse. For many overweight horses, vets commonly guide total forage to around 1.5 percent of bodyweight a day, weighed dry, with hay soaked and drained to reduce sugars, concentrates cut out, and grazing limited or muzzled. Use a slow feeder so the smaller…
Often not, because forage comes first: most horses on decent pasture or good hay, especially with a ration balancer fed at its full recommended amount, already have their vitamin and mineral bases covered. The decision should come from looking at the forage itself, including a hay or pasture analysis where available,…
Check water at least twice a day in freezing weather, break ice promptly, and consider a heated waterer or a spare you can swap in while the frozen one thaws indoors. Animals drink less when water is icy, and dehydration can sneak up quickly in winter. KinsLe's Care Teams let you set twice-daily winter water checks…
Yes, most farm animals need free-choice minerals formulated for their species, because forage alone often falls short on things like salt, calcium, and trace elements. Use species-specific products — for example, sheep are sensitive to the copper levels that are fine for goats and cattle, so sharing one mineral across…
Sheep and cattle are grazers built for grass pasture, supplemented with hay when grass is dormant, overgrazed, or snow-covered. Rotating pastures, avoiding overstocking, and watching for toxic plants in new fields all help keep grazing safe and productive. With KinsLe's Care Pass, the neighbor watching the farm during…
Pigs do best on a balanced commercial pig feed formulated for their age and purpose, which covers the protein and minerals they need to grow well. Some produce scraps can be an occasional supplement, but salty, moldy, or meat-containing scraps are risky, and local rules may restrict what can be fed. As portions shift,…
Goats are browsers who thrive on forage — pasture, brush, and good hay should make up most of their diet, with grain used sparingly for growing, pregnant, or milking goats who need extra energy. Sudden feed changes and too much grain can upset their sensitive stomachs, so introduce anything new gradually. With Family…
Laying hens do best on a complete layer feed available all day, with fresh water, a source of calcium like oyster shell for strong shells, and grit to help them digest. Treats and kitchen scraps are fun but should stay a small part of the diet so they don't crowd out balanced nutrition. KinsLe's Care Teams let you…
Many horses need a little more forage in cold weather, because digesting hay actually helps them generate body heat. Colder temperatures, wind, and wet conditions all raise calorie needs, while reduced pasture means hay quality matters even more. In KinsLe, you can pose follow-up winter-feeding questions to Kimmy —…
Learn to body-condition score by feeling over the ribs, withers, neck, and tailhead — ribs should be easy to feel but not sharply visible, and you shouldn't have to press hard to find them. Photographing and scoring your horse the same way every month makes slow changes much easier to spot. Verified QR ID Pet Profiles…
Horses often sort through hay and leave the stemmiest, least tasty parts, but consistently refusing hay can also point to dental discomfort, poor-quality or moldy hay, or simply being overfed. Check the hay for dust and mold, watch his body condition, and mention a sudden change at his next dental or vet visit.…
An average horse drinks roughly 5 to 15 gallons of water a day, and more in hot weather, after work, or when eating dry hay. Fresh, clean, unfrozen water should always be available, and a sudden drop in drinking is worth paying attention to. Through your KinsLe Messenger thread on KinsLe, anyone on your horse's care…
If your horse does get grain, splitting it into two or more small meals a day is gentler on the stomach than one large feeding. Keep meal sizes modest, feed at consistent times, and make any change to the type or amount gradually over a week or more. KinsLe's Care Pass can hand your usual boarder, only while you are…
Many easy-keeping horses in light work do just fine on good forage plus a vitamin and mineral balancer, with no grain at all. Horses in heavier work, growing youngsters, and hard keepers may need the extra calories grain provides, but adding it without a need can lead to weight gain and excitability. If her workload…
Pasture is fresh growing grass your horse grazes on his own schedule, while hay is cut, dried forage you provide when grass is scarce, dormant, or limited. Both count as forage, which should be the foundation of the diet, but rich spring pasture can be much higher in sugar than most hay. Family Sharing on KinsLe lets…
Can't find your question? Ask it here. We answer reader questions in KinsLe Answers — and we'll email you when yours is published.
KinsLe is launching soon — and the waitlist hears the date first. Join for launch updates and first access when the app opens.
We email you about the launch. Unsubscribe anytime.