Skip to content Understanding Nutrition for Working Horses May 4, 2019April 7, 2017 by farmingmag Performance, racing and high-strung light breed horses often require high-energy feeds to maintain healthy body conditions. Horses are grazing animals designed to obtain nourishment by eating fiber-rich forage. With the domestication of horses, meals have evolved to include a combination … Read more
WRAPPING UP BALES May 4, 2019March 1, 2014 by farmingmag Livestock producers who are considering wrapping bales have a number of questions to ponder. The first: Why think about wrapping bales at all? For haylage production, if there are no silos available, wrapping bales is a less expensive alternative for making a 15 to 20 … Read more
TRAINING DRAFT HORSES May 2, 2019August 28, 2014 by farmingmag Like workhorses of decades ago, drafts used for farmwork are responsible for helping farmers complete any task around the farm, from pulling wagons to tilling fields to operating horse-drawn equipment.Photo by Gregory Johnston/thinkstock.com. Often referred to as “gentle giants,” draft horse breeds are known for … Read more
Breeding Goats April 19, 2019March 17, 2016 by farmingmag At what age are does ready for breeding? Should you keep or rent a buck? What are the advantages and disadvantages of keeping a buck and does together? What happens during kidding? Dot Perkins, educational program coordinator, agricultural resources, University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, answers … Read more
Do Drafts Need Shoes? March 10, 2019September 9, 2015 by farmingmag Do draft horses need shoes? “It depends,” said Doug Butler, founder of Butler Professional Farrier School in Crawford, Nebraska. Traditionally, draft horses naturally have strong hooves and don’t need shoes. However, years of selective breeding focused on cosmetics rather than conformation and utility has … Read more
Beef: Purchasing Cattle Through the Auction Barn April 16, 2019November 10, 2014 by farmingmag My extension colleagues and I often get calls from landowners hoping to get into the beef business. After much discussion, and after we’ve hopefully convinced them that they need adequate fencing and handling facilities, they may be ready for cattle. I … Read more
Light breed horses are most often bred and raised to become saddle horses. Originally, draft horses, were bred and raised for working in the fields, transporting people and goods and working in the woods. While many draft horse owners today continue to use their heavy horses for similar types of work and/or for competition, there … Read more