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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372 answers in Young Pets — page 16 of 16
Handle a foal in short, frequent, calm sessions beside the mare, working the same order each time: hands over the whole body, a halter fitted and removed briefly, a few led steps beside the mare, and feet touched, then lifted briefly, always ending while the foal is still relaxed. Keep the same handlers throughout,…
Watch for a chick that has separated from the group, is chirping plaintively, or sits hunched and silent while the others move between heat, feed, and rest. Check in order for chilling, overheating, a blocked vent, and trampling, then correct brooder temperature and confirm the chick can reach feed and water. A chick…
Socialize goat kids through short, frequent, gentle handling from the first days, lifting their feet briefly during each session and letting kids approach people voluntarily rather than chasing or cornering them. Have different calm people offer feeds and scratches, so kids learn that people in general are safe, not…
Set drinking water up as a controlled station: a heavy shallow drinker standing on mesh over a tray, with water deep enough for ducklings to clear their nostrils and eyes, and starter crumbs placed beside the water so they can wash each mouthful down. After drinking, or after any supervised dip, they go straight back…
Set the brooder up and warm it before the chicks arrive: a draught-free box or pen with dry bedding, a guarded heat source at one end holding 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit (32 to 35 degrees Celsius) underneath it, and open floor at the other end where chicks can cool down. Place chick drinkers and a shallow feeder at…
A lamb feeding well shows a clear set of signs: a rounded belly after suckling, a warm mouth when you check it, its tail wagging while it feeds, and contented rest close to the ewe afterward rather than restless wandering. The worry set is equally clear — persistent crying, butting hard at the udder without settling,…
Start with colostrum in the first hours of life, then give small warm feeds at body temperature, fed head-up, typically totaling around a fifth of body weight across the day, with exact amounts for this kid settled from professional advice based on its weight. Several small feeds a day at first is the usual pattern,…
Most pullets start laying at about 18 to 22 weeks old, though slower-maturing heritage breeds may take longer, and a young hen raised as daylight shortens may wait until days lengthen again before her first egg. The signs of point of lay arrive in the final week or two: the comb and wattles grow and redden, the hen…
Goat kids need a fast, warm start above all: colostrum within the first hours of life, a dry draught-free pen, and close watching for the weak, chilled or rejected kid who will not compete to feed. Dam-raised kids need their mother's udder and milk supply checked daily; bottle-raised kids need measured feeds little…
Feed for steady growth, not fast growth: good forage stays the base at every age, with a growth-formulated feed added to supply the protein, calcium, phosphorus and trace minerals that hay alone often lacks. Weigh or condition-score regularly, keep meals measured rather than free-choice concentrate, and resist pushing…
Set the brooder up before the chicks arrive: a draft-free, predator-proof box or pen with a heat source at one end holding about 95 degrees Fahrenheit in the first week, then dropping roughly 5 degrees a week as feathers grow. Cover the floor with large-flake shavings over a non-slip base, offer chick starter crumble…
In the first hours, your job is to watch more than handle: the foal should stand, nurse, and take in colostrum promptly, and the mare should pass the placenta, so call your vet if any of those milestones slip. After that, build handling in short, calm sessions with the mare nearby: touch all over, fit a soft foal…
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