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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449 answers in Health & Vet Care — page 10 of 19
Hereford cattle are famously hardy beef animals, but their white faces create the breed's signature weakness: eye trouble. Irritation and infection of the eye surface are common in sunny, fly-heavy conditions, and unpigmented eyelids leave older Herefords more open to growths and cancer on the eye and eyelid itself.…
Hanoverians are athletic warmbloods bred for dressage and jumping, and their health watch-list follows that job: joint cartilage problems that can appear while a young horse is still growing, stiffness and arthritis in hard-worked joints later on, an upper-airway condition that makes a whistling or roaring noise at…
Gypsy Cobs are sturdy, good-natured horses, but their heavy feather and easy-keeping build bring a familiar set of problems: swelling and thickened skin in the lower legs, sore or crusty pasterns hidden under that feather, itchy mite irritation that makes a horse stamp and rub, and steady weight gain that raises the…
Dutch Warmbloods are prone to developmental joint problems in young horses, including bone and cartilage lesions that show as joint swelling and uneven growth, and to the tendon and suspensory strains of serious sport in adults. The breed population also carries warmblood fragile foal syndrome, a serious inherited…
Duroc pigs are prone to leg and joint trouble linked to their very fast growth, respiratory disease in poorly ventilated housing and stomach ulcers associated with finely ground rations and irregular feeding. Their red skin also burns more readily than darker breeds where shade is short, and heat stress is a real…
Dorper sheep are hardier against parasites than many wool breeds, but they are still prone to barber's pole worm burdens, digestive emergencies on rich feed, and urinary stones in rams and wethers. Their shedding hair coat reduces flystrike risk without removing it, and fast-growing lambs can outpace their mineral…
Dexter cattle are prone to two inherited conditions linked to their dwarf heritage, chondrodysplasia and a defect that causes calves to be born with severe fluid swelling, so breeding choices and testing matter greatly in this breed. Everyday Dexter problems are more ordinary: easy weight gain on good grass, udder…
Canadian Horses are famously hardy, and their main health problems come from that thriftiness: they gain weight easily, so obesity, equine metabolic problems and laminitis on rich pasture are the leading watch items. Beyond weight, owners monitor the usual hard-working horse risks of hoof wear, dental ageing and joint…
Boer goats are prone to internal parasites, foot rot in wet conditions and digestive emergencies linked to rich feeding, including bloat, grain overload and urinary stones in wethers. Their fast growth also means kids and heavily muscled adults can struggle when minerals or energy fall behind demand. Pale eyelids,…
Berkshire pigs are prone to piling on weight, which then strains legs and feet, and to the respiratory infections that move quickly through pigs kept in stuffy housing. Heat stress is a serious warm-weather risk because pigs cannot sweat effectively, and skin trouble can flare where bedding stays damp. A Berkshire who…
Belgian Draft Horses are prone to a muscle condition that causes tying-up episodes, shivers in the hind legs, and chronic swelling and skin trouble in their heavily feathered lower legs. Their sheer mass also loads joints and hooves, so cracks, thrush in deep feet and stiffness in older horses are common watch items.…
Angus cattle are generally hardy, but owners watch for pinkeye, foot rot, bloat on lush pasture and grass tetany in nursing cows, alongside a handful of inherited defects that responsible breeders screen breeding stock for. The breed's black hide also absorbs heat, so cattle standing bunched, panting and off feed in…
American Saddlebreds are watched most closely for lordosis, the early swayback that can appear in young horses of this breed, and for strain injuries linked to their animated, high-stepping way of going. Hock and stifle soreness, back discomfort under saddle and lower-leg wear show up in hard-working show horses,…
Alpine goats are most often troubled by udder infection in milking does, internal parasites, sore or infected feet in wet ground, and urinary stones in wethers fed rich grain. Pregnant and freshly kidded does can also struggle with energy and calcium shortfalls around kidding, showing weakness or loss of appetite.…
Alpacas are commonly prone to internal parasites, skin mites that cause intense itching and thickened skin, and dental problems as incisors and cheek teeth overgrow or wear unevenly. In regions with low winter sunlight they can run short on vitamin D, especially crias, and in hot humid weather they face heat stress…
Akhal-Tekes are generally hardy desert-bred horses, but owners commonly watch for sensitive, fine skin that sores or reacts easily, hoof problems where thin walls meet dry or changing ground, and difficulty holding condition on some individuals. Young growing horses also need care against developmental joint strain,…
A healthy Wyandotte chicken is round, active, and composed, with tightly laced feathers, a low rose comb sitting snug to her head, and clear eyes. She should forage and dust bathe with the flock, eat well, and walk soundly on clean legs. Because her dense plumage hides weight loss, feel her keel regularly, and check…
A healthy Silkie chicken looks like a walking powder puff, with soft silkied feathers held fluffy and clean, a dark walnut comb, and bright eyes visible under the crest. Because that famous fluff hides a lot, pick her up regularly: feel for good weight, part the feathers to check skin for mites, and confirm all her…
A healthy Saanen goat is calm, bright, and productive, with clear eyes, upright ears, and a clean white or cream coat over a lean dairy frame. She should eat hay eagerly, chew cud, pass firm pellets, and, if milking, give milk that looks smooth with an udder that softens evenly after milking. Pale inner eyelids, a…
A healthy Rhode Island Red is bold and busy, with deep mahogany feathers lying tight and glossy, a rich red comb, and bright, watchful eyes. She should forage confidently, eat well, and lay eggs with strong shells on a fairly regular rhythm if she is in lay. Her yellow legs should look smooth, and she should stride…
A healthy Pygmy goat is bright-eyed, sturdy, and eager at feed time, with a short glossy coat over a compact, muscular body. He should move freely on short legs without stiffness, chew cud while resting, and pass firm pellets. Pygmy goats round out quickly, so feel his ribs regularly rather than trusting the broad…
A healthy Plymouth Rock chicken is calm but active, with neat black-and-white barred feathers, a bright red comb and wattles, and clear eyes. She should forage, dust bathe, and scratch with energy, eat well at the feeder, and pass firm droppings with white caps. Feel for steady weight under those broad feathers and…
A healthy Pekin duck is active and sociable, with clean white feathers, bright eyes, and a smooth orange bill free of cracks or discharge at the nostrils. She should walk with a steady waddle rather than limping, swim and preen so her feathers shed water instead of soaking through, and eat eagerly. Check the bottoms…
A healthy Nubian goat is animated and vocal, with bright eyes under those long, low-hanging ears, a sleek coat, and a strong appetite for hay and browse. Check inside the pendulous ears for wax buildup or odor, feel for good covering over the ribs, and confirm she chews cud and passes firm pellets. Her curved profile…
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