Deer hunters already put a fair amount of thought into what their local wild deer are eating. Whether planting food plots or setting up salt licks, they research what food and supplements will attract bucks and distract them long enough to line up a perfect shot. Yet when you’re raising deer, you not only […]
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The last few years have been a struggle for pork producers all over the country. Everything from closed processing plants at the beginning of the pandemic to increased transportation costs, supply-chain snags and labor expenses in 2021 forced hog farmers to repeatedly make tough choices. With all these extra burdens on hog farmers, every […]
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Consumers expect more and more from their animal feed. Whether raising healthy and productive livestock for market or boosting the wellbeing and happiness of their pets, people want to know they are purchasing high-quality feed ingredients. Though there’s a good deal of art that goes into mixing up the right feed product recipes, there’s […]
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Farmers have felt the real impact of extreme weather events—especially from intensifying cases of severe heat and drought. As a result, many are ready to act. For example, this year’s Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll shows that over half of the respondents were worried about the impact of climate change on their operations, […]
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There’s an oft repeated myth in popular culture about the cast iron stomachs of goats. Though they’re willing to try plenty of high-roughage foods, they’re not the trash compactors that people imagine them to be. Just like any other animal on your farm, you need to be careful about the type of feed ingredients […]
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The first two weeks of a calf’s life are critical to their lifelong health and resilience. In the first 24 hours, calves depend on four quarts of high-quality colostrum to impart key nutrients and antibodies that spur development and jumpstart their immune health. But this first day of nourishment isn’t a catch-all. The quality […]
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In the past, sheep nutrition was hindered by the land available to shepherds and farmers, who were always at the mercy of the quality of local silage and land. Now, a purchase from your trusted feed supplier can provide your flock with feed supplements that enhance their performance and enable them to overcome any shortcomings […]
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Whether you are raising foals and yearlings or trying to keep high-performance or elderly horses at their best, you know that feeding them grass or hay only goes so far. Your horses need the right blend of macro and micro-nutrients, staying within healthy limits without triggering any harmful side effects. That can require you […]
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Genetically modified organism; it’s a very polarizing term. To some, the idea of altering the gene structure of plants and animals is unsettling, evoking an image of science experiments gone wrong. Others see responsible genetic modification as a continuation of the husbandry and horticulture that began thousands of years ago with selective breeding and […]
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With very few exceptions, chickens can (and shamelessly will) eat almost anything. The challenge for commercial farmers is less about avoiding toxic food, but finding nutrients in the right proportion for optimum health. One ongoing debate revolves around the quantity of polysaturated fatty acids to include in your flock’s diet. In the right amounts, […]
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