Fat cows, massive pigs, and obese sheep were prized as proof of their owners’ success in breeding for size and weight. Gentleman farmers used selective breeding to create quick-growing, heavy livestock. Along with breeding, new farming and feeding practices also produced larger animals. Rich farmers participated in agricultural competitions and read new research. They were called “improvers,” since they tried to improve on existing animal breeds. Methods such as feeding cows oil cakes and turnips for a final fattening up before slaughter became widespread. Even Queen Victoria’s consort Prince Albert became an improver, showing off his prize pigs and cattle.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/britain-cows-pig-sheep-paintings-livestock

I want to have my own diary sheep for fresh milk but in south Florida it seems to be rare and hard to find.

I added a link to a video through Google Drive I hope it works if not I’ll upload somewhere else since I can’t here but basically I posted something here a bit ago about our cow Fern at the animal farm I work at since she mounted me twice and I was curious about what it meant… I’ve been a little nervous going into the pen since this is what she does sometimes when I’m inside, not outside of it and I never can tell if she’ll stop or not lol what does it mean!??? I can’t tell if she does it because she doesn’t want me there since she might not like me, or if it’s because she’s happy to see me because I groom and give her love all the time. Plz help!! She’s the only experience I have with cows and I watch alot of vids on instagram and they run to their owners all the time in what seems like good nature so I just want to make sure she is okay with me.

Central Arkansas, will deliver
For sale
2years and younger

Call +1 (501) 690-9454

My dad has 8 goats, 4 of which are offspring of original group. He says we can't have the young males stay because they'll impregnate their closely related females. Would that really produce a viable pregnancy? They're like semi feral pet goats and it seems like they're all a bonded family. They also live with an old female donkey. Splitting them up seems cruel. Keeping them together could be cruel.

My dad has 8 goats and needs to trade or sell males somewhere besides the auction. More of a pet goat situation but they're not really pets. It's hard to describe but Dad says the males have to be traded or sold before they impregnate their closely related females. Is that right, first of all? And if it is, what can we do to avoid taking them to auction where we don't know what will happen to them?

Hi, we are planning a new run-in for our 2 highland cows (heifer and steer). Looking for recommendations for incorporation of a small chute/head gate into the plan. Since we are only at 2 cows, the run-in would be 12 x 24 at most, probably. Thanks

Hello! I'm looking into getting a Boer goat to show for FFA at fair, for market. It would be my first time showing and owning a goat, so I was wondering what to feed. I am planning on getting a wether, and I'm not sure if I should feed once/twice a day, or keep hay available 24/7. Also, does anyone have any recommendations for minerals or grain to feed my goat?

Hi, has anyone here used animal nutrition/feed enzymes from Advanced Enzyme Technologies?

I’m considering using them in poultry feed and wanted to get some simple feedback on product quality, consistency and overall experience.

Would appreciate any reviews from people who have actually used them.

We’re SCAD students researching the experiences and challenges of cattle and livestock farming.

If you work with cattle or livestock, we’d appreciate you taking our short survey. We’re also looking for people open to a brief follow-up interview.

Thank you!

I’ve been selling beef, pork, lamb direct to consumer for 5 years now. I’ve never had a good way to tack purchase price, feed and hay costs, sales price, and final profit - and I never really knew what to tell the tax man in April. I’ve created an app to help me and I think it would help others as well. Here is the link:

https://TakeStock.farm

You enter your animals, track the costs to feed, assign buyers and send invoices, track when payments are made, and see reports showing your overall profit and tax picture.

I hope you find it helpful! Please leave me any feedback you have.

Out door, locked in Florida so needs to be sturdy. Been thinking about the ants and every other bit of mud that will get tracked into something that lays on the ground. but still don’t want the consistent downpour to ruin the hay. Ideas appreciated!!

Have my guy here and he’s got some major skin issues. Can’t see too well into the photo, but he just itches everywhere. He’ll itch himself till he’s got wounds. His skin gets flaky and dry, his coat just falls right out, leaving all these scabs. And he also gets hives sometimes, but definitely rolls an ant piles all the time. I’ve been told Dex, and some other things. He’s on Benadryl and it’s not doing too much. The creams and the silver spray go on every single day, and still haven’t been the solution. Looking for opinions or ideas on what to do with this one, cause I don’t really wanna have to have him on steroids all the time!! Delete if not allowed!

Hey! I really want to buy a piglet but I don’t know where to find one. Where can I buy a baby pig? For reference I’m in Lafayette Indiana but I’m willing to make a drive.

Hey! I really want to buy a piglet but I don’t know where to find one. Where can I buy a baby pig? For reference I’m in Indiana but I’m willing to make a drive.

Allow me to lay it all out, and bear with me please, I’m not new to the field but I am still learning.
Anywho,
A 2 year old, heavy bred dorper cross starts showing signs of potential toxemia.
About 8 weeks prior to this ordeal she was unfortunately attacked by a dog. We were able to treat her (LA200) and nurse her wounds back to health (cleaning, kote, fly spray) and through the whole recovery she did very well. Strong fight, staying with the herd, eating, drinking, running.
Shortly after she was recovered (picture scabs and scars but nothing you wouldn’t think couldn’t heal without help), she took a turn.
I found her isolated, standing with an arched back and seeming a little uneasy on her feet. But still hard to catch at this point, I hit her with the whole medicine cabinet except LA200 since she’d had so much of it at this point. I drenched her with b12, calcium, nutridrench and gave her some hay topped with dyne and fresh water. Over the next two days she continued to go downhill. I could feel baby inside and it seemed alive and well and not trying to come out yet.
She began to sort of tiptoe and move sorely and with very very small steps. We’ve been getting insane rains lately so I treated it as foot rot though her hooves looked great.
Well not even a few hours later, I get back from a job and find her on her side. I walk over, am able to get her on her feet (it took some support but she was able to hold herself up), and then went to fetch some penicillin to try. When I came back out maybe 5 minutes later, she was choking on a foamy yellow substance, seemingly aspirated.
I didn’t know what to do for her at that point and she’d lost all her fight, so I went inside to get my gun. By the time I’d come back out she was dead on the ground.

Now I know this isn’t an ideal situation and it’s hard to read. I feel terrible and I’m just looking for potential answers on what it may have been so I can handle it differently should it arise again.
Does anyone have any ideas on what may have happened?

Taking over my grandpa’s old farm. I have an unused feedlot that can hold around 400 head. I am thinking about taking in 100 heifers to feed this winter for my neighbor. How much should I charge for yardage?!?! Help!