If you are considering purchasing a farm or thinking about adopting a rescued farm animal like a pig, chickens, a cow, or a donkey, taking proper care of the animal or animals is essential. Farm animals rely on their owners to provide adequate food and water, to keep their health in check, and for their general wellbeing. Don’t know where to start? Here is a guide to caring for farm animals.
A Warm Bed
Providing proper shelter for your animals is crucial. Ensure that you provide a shelter that is suited to all weathers and temperatures—farm animals need protection from the cold but also from the heat of the sun.
You should also make sure that the shelter has appropriate bedding for each animal. Barley straw makes good bedding for donkeys, and sawdust and grass clippings may suffice for chickens. Do your research and make sure your animals have a comfortable and secure shelter.
Fresh Air and Exercise
Much like people, animals thrive when they have time to spend outside. In the wild, animals would spend all their time outside, and you should try to replicate that.
If possible, give your farm animals room to roam, even if the weather takes a turn for the worse. Sheep have a naturally woolly coat, and many goats grow thicker coats in winter, so they tend to be okay in colder climates, but for animals like donkeys and horses, you should have coats and covers on hand.
A Balanced Diet
When you’re responsible for farm animals, you need to ensure that they’re eating the right mix of nutrients and minerals. Many animal feeds on the market contain synthetic or processed materials, but opting for a natural feed can have huge benefits for your animals’ health. Natura Feed provides all-natural animal feed with excellent nutritional value.
You should also make sure that your animals are hydrated. Provide a constant supply of freshwater, and remember to replace it often to avoid contamination.
Medical Care
As is the case with domestic pets, farm animals require regular and high-quality healthcare. As well as immunizations and frequent check-ups, you should practice proper horn and hoof care and consider blood tests to check for diseases such as avian flu and salmonella.
Find a veterinarian you trust and have them make regular visits to your farm animals. You should also keep a close eye on your animals and call for medical assistance if something doesn’t seem right.
Good Hygiene
It is absolutely essential to keep your animals and their environments clean. This will reduce the risk of infection and disease, and there are legal requirements and standards that must be followed if you are raising animals for meat or dairy production. The FDA states that farmers must “take all measures reasonably necessary to identify, and not harvest, produce that is likely to be contaminated.”
Here are some basic hygiene standards to adhere to:
- Replace animal bedding regularly
- Replace animals’ drinking water regularly
- Clean up animal feces regularly
- Keep all farming equipment in a sanitary condition
- Ensure that farmers and other farmworkers wash their hands frequently
Keeping your farm animals in good health will benefit you, as the animals will be healthier and will produce better-quality meat or dairy products. It will also give you peace of mind that your animals’ level of wellbeing is high.
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