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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615 answers in Home & Lifestyle — page 26 of 26
Alpacas can be kept and enjoyed, but not as house pets in the way a dog or cat is: they are herd livestock that belong outdoors on pasture with their own kind. They should never be kept in fewer than three, because a lone alpaca is a stressed alpaca, and they need secure fencing, shelter, annual shearing, and regular…
Feed a pet pig a measured ration built on pellets formulated specifically for miniature pigs, split into morning and evening meals, with low-sugar vegetables and limited forage making up most of the rest. Add only small amounts of fruit as an occasional treat, keep fresh water available at all times, and never…
Get permission in writing before anything else: a lease that names the animals, the numbers allowed, and who repairs fencing and pays for damage, because a verbal yes from a landlord can evaporate at renewal. Then check local rules, since many areas restrict poultry, ban roosters, or set distance rules for livestock…
Plan on about one acre of grazing for two donkeys, split into smaller paddocks and rotated, plus a dry standing area and a shelter that sits outside that grazing acre. Donkeys do not need rich pasture and often do better on rough, sparse grazing, because lush grass raises the risk of obesity and laminitis in a species…
For a starter flock of six hens, plan a set-up total of $570 to $1,370 before ongoing feed costs. That breaks down as a coop at $300 to $700, a secure run and fencing at $150 to $350, six birds at $30 to $120, feeders and a drinker at $40 to $90, and first bedding and feed at $50 to $110. Building a coop yourself or…
Give the horse its own stall of about 12 by 12 feet and house the goats separately, with their own pen, low feeders, and a gate a goat cannot climb or slip through. Store hay and feed in a closed area neither animal can reach, keep water available in each section, and leave one spare stall or pen as quarantine space…
A dry winter stable comes from stopping water getting in, giving it a way out, and removing wet bedding daily. Clear gutters and fix roof leaks, grade the ground so puddles drain away from the door, and keep the floor slightly raised above the yard. Use absorbent bedding banked at the edges, lift droppings and wet…
Plan for a pig of 150 to 300 pounds or more, not a lap-sized adult. So-called miniature and pot-bellied pigs keep growing for several years, and there is no true teacup pig that stays tiny; a pig sold as tiny is usually very young, underfed, or bred from parents shown before they were fully grown. Expect a solid,…
Chickens do not attract rats by themselves, but the feed, spilled grain, eggs, and shelter around a coop can. Rats come for easy calories and safe hiding places, so scattered pellets, feeders left full overnight, and feed stored in thin sacks invite them. Store feed in a sealed metal bin, feed only what the flock…
A donkey should not live alone; donkeys form strong pair bonds and usually become stressed, vocal, withdrawn, or destructive without an equine companion, ideally another donkey whose size and temperament suit them. A goat, sheep, or calm horse can help in some cases, but none replaces the grooming, play, and resting…
Goats need a shelter that is dry, free of draughts at goat height but still ventilated, with a roof that sheds rain and a raised, dry floor bedded with straw or shavings. In mild climates a sturdy three-sided shelter facing away from the prevailing wind can be enough; in cold, wet or snowy weather goats need an…
Fence a goat enclosure with woven-wire or no-climb wire about 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 metres) high, pulled tight on well-braced posts, with mesh openings no larger than about 4 inches so heads and horns cannot wedge. Add an electric offset wire inside for goats that climb, rub, or push, and use tighter mesh or a low…
Each goat needs at least 15 to 20 square feet of dry shelter space and roughly 200 to 250 square feet of outdoor pen as a bare minimum, but goats do far better with more — around a quarter to half an acre of browse for a small herd is a healthier target. They also need climbing structures and strong fencing, not just…
Plan on roughly 3 to 4 square feet per standard hen inside the coop plus 8 to 10 square feet per hen in the run, which adds up to 11 to 14 square feet per bird in total. Six hens therefore need about 18 to 24 square feet of coop and 48 to 60 square feet of run. An owner can share a profile for the flock with relatives…
Usually no. A healthy, fully feathered adult chicken that has acclimated as the weather cooled is well insulated by its own feathers and typically handles cold better than damp or drafts. A heat lamp adds a genuine fire risk in a dusty coop full of dry bedding, and birds warmed all winter suffer more if the power…
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