Family-Owned farm located in Albany, OH

Different Types of Fencing for Keeping Farm and Ranch Animals Safe

June 29, 2017 0 Blog, Fencing

Installing a fence on a farm or ranch is time intensive and costs money. You should choose your type of fencing carefully to make sure it is worth the time and money you will put in. The type of fencing you need will be determined by your animals, space, time, and budget. Consider the different types and which one will suit your purpose best.

Wood Fences

In earlier years, wood was the best option for fencing. It was hard and lasted long without too much maintenance. Today, this type of wood is no longer available. Fence-building wood is softer and requires a lot of maintenance. A good wood fence can last up to 20 years with a diligent and regular maintenance schedule.

Woven Wire Fences

This is a type of fence that many farmers and ranchers prefer. It is very good for keeping sheep, pigs, and chickens contained. They cannot fly or dig through it or climb it. Woven wire fencing is less dangerous for horses and other animals because they are less likely to get tangled in it. If you have any of these animals, woven wire fencing might be your answer. These fences can last up to 20 years with little maintenance. Areas with heavy snowfall may have a shorter life span for these fences as the snow weighs it down.

Electric Fences

Electric fencing is another good option. It keeps animals in or intruders out without harming them. A well-installed electric fence has great flexibility and does not require a great deal of maintenance. Livestock receives aggressive responses when challenging a herd leader. The electric fence’s short bite of shock has the same effect without harming the animal. It is very important that an electric fence has a good quality energizer. Poor quality or cheap energizers can harm your animals or cause fires.

Synthetic Fences

Synthetic fencing has gained a good reputation in the last decade or so. In previous years, it had a reputation for being unreliable and easily damaged. Today, PVC and other synthetic materials are used for fencing. The great thing about synthetic fencing is that it gives when an animal runs into it. There is a low danger of entanglement and it reduces injury. Synthetic fences might be a bit costly to install, but their longevity is worth it.

Barbed Wire Fences

Barbed wire fencing has been used since the 1850s to help keep animals contained where wood was scarce. Barbed wire is not an ideal material for fences as they tear up clothes and flesh no matter what you do. It is also dangerous for the animals because they can get stuck easily. Some animals get so badly injured while struggling to get free, that they need to be euthanized. Some places require barb wire fences and do not allow other types. Check to see if there are restrictions in your area before installing a fence.

This should guide your decision on fencing materials. The purpose of your fencing installation and the type of animals on your farm or ranch will tell you which material is best to keep your animals safe.

Infographic by: www.longfence.com

The Benefits of A Self Build Cattle Ranch

June 13, 2017 0 Blog, Info

Benefits of a self-build Cattle Ranch:

No wonder that with the increasing population, concern for security and a societal satisfaction, people tend to move towards living in flats. Residential societies and houses that are pre-build may be an option for the last resort but self-build homes are homes that you have dreamt of.

Self-build homes are the homes that you get to build as per your whims and specifications. Be it a house or a bungalow, in the city or near the beach, or in the suburbs. You can get to build the house you’ve always wanted without any scope of compromise, although budget may be trivially exceeded, yet you get value for money. And we at Sjcattle Company are willing to understand your lifestyle, your weather preferences, conveyance from work conditions and give you the best of what you want. The flexibility a self-build ranch can provide range from selection among numerous designs, living styles, area sizes, to incorporation of eco-options in your new house so you can live in a clean area lifelong. The 5 Benefits of a Self Build Home are discussed below.

A Perfect Location and Area:

A self-build Ranch gives you the chance to have a house in the location you want.

· Location preferences can depend upon your need to be close to the market, or in a rural setting, or on the outskirts of the city or near your place of work.

· While houses may not be available always in the setting that you require, but the knowledge of vacant plots in such areas can be well utilized to build a house.

· This gives you a suitable conveyance, neighborhood and easy access to market.

Design and Specifications:

Give yourself the privilege of living in self-designed house.

· Have yourself built a bungalow or villa, or choose from amongst the multifarious designs that architectures provide, keeping in mind the essential requirements of a well-designed home.

· Kids usually have some preferences too regarding design, color, ambiance of their rooms. They can get their ideas implemented too.

· Every room will be built according to your lifestyle choices, and the services of interior designers or architects can be availed of for this purpose.

· Various colored lightnings to brighten up the living areas can be your preference too.

· The materials you choose depending on the climatic conditions can be incorporated well.

While pre-build houses don’t provide the flexibility of going up or down on budget given the fixed rates, in self-build houses cost comparisons can be made thereby achieving maximum in minimal cost.

Value for Money:

As talked aforesaid, you get to choose among different cost alternatives rather than just accepting what the builders offer you. A self-build plot of land can be acquired in the desired area. And the designed house can be further built, which comes to be near about the costs of purchasing a house. While the qualitative satisfaction is always much more in this era.

Taxation Benefits

A self-build house provides the owner an advantage of reclaiming VAT, if any, paid on the materials purchased. The VAT will be paid in full on all the articles purchased and recovered at the completion of the project, fully. Further, the house that is self-build, does not get charged under capital gains if it is sold by the owner. Hence these two advantages make it a valuable option too.

Lifestyle Features:

Create a perfect lifestyle for yourself, through choices among the stonework, paint, home décor, etc.

· You have the satisfaction of living in a house, that is exactly the same, considering the portico, living room, kitchen, balconies, study area, rec center, etc. a personalized experience to give you lifelong pleasure.

· If you want a lifestyle in the country away from the city noise, living peacefully with your kids,  or near the outskirts of the city where you have an easy access to market and eateries.

· All you need is an available plot of land and we recommend www.plymouthbuild.co.uk as the building advisers and contractors to do the rest.

Environmentally Friendly Building and ECO Cattle storage for your Herd:

· With the increasing tension the environment and instances of increasing pollution, it has become a necessity to have a clean place to live that counters the effect of toxic materials or gases. Self-build lets you choose materials accordingly.

· Lawns and gardens are as per your requirements.

· Also, the security system can be customized to provide you with better security.

5 tips for raising healthy cattle naturally

February 28, 2017 0 Blog, Breeding

With the market being saturated with farm raised cattle, many people are now focusing on raising healthy cattle naturally. People have become more cautious about their health now, and they prefer grass-fed meat instead of those from farm raised cattle. Here are some tips for raising healthy cattle naturally.

Choose the calves carefully

You should first find a good supplier of quality animals. It is wise to purchase older feeders or calves that are weaned already. You can find these by visiting farms and local feed mills.

Provide good shelter

You should make sure that the shelter you provide for the cattle is draft free. The shelter shouldn’t be tight. There should be enough room for the moisture from respiration to escape; otherwise, there will be health problems.

The land must be suitable for grazing

You should find out the carrying capacity of your land. You should only keep enough cattle that your pasture can support properly. You should split your pasture to two camps at least. This way you can rotate your herd.

Feeding options

You need to buy feed for your cows. Cattle need lots of nutrients to produce quality meat and milk. You should feed your cows fresh grass. You can also get cattle feed from your local livestock store.

Breeding hack

When you breed cattle, you should keep the cattle in a healthy environment. If mistakes are made before the breeding, then there can be significant problems in the entire process. If you overfeed or underfeed the cows, then the health of the calf may be at risk.

Healthy cattle will give you meat and milk. They will be ideal livestock. Raising cattle naturally is not only a source of clean and healthy food, but also can be a good source of income.

5 diseases that occur because of factory farming

February 28, 2017 0 Blog, Health

Industrial livestock operations are on the rise. These operations confine thousands of farm animals in tightly packed facilities. They are treated harshly in these facilities. They form of raising cattle to give rise to the following diseases.

E. Coli

It is an intestinal pathogen that can infect food in the form of fecal matter. The E.Coli food poisoning occurs from animals. It can invade the bloodstream and cause death.

MRSA

This bacterium is responsible for difficult-to-treat infections in the body. They are resistant to antibiotics. The pigs are said to carry this pathogen. It is widely present in the pig farms of Canada. Millions of live pigs are sold to the U.S market every year. So, it is prevalent in the U.S now as well. Deaths due to this now even exceed those from HIV or AIDS.

Mad cow disease

Beef cattle are often fed animal byproducts that increase the risk of mad cow disease in humans. It first appeared in the 1980s. Eating animal byproducts, a form of cannibalism causes infectious neurodegenerative diseases in the livestock.

Salmonella

Every year thousands of people fall ill due to salmonella infected eggs. This is a bacterium that is resistant to antibiotics. So, once this bacterium enters the body, it is hard to treat.

Obesity

Obesity is a major health problem that occurs due to factory farming. Obese people have more risks of diabetes, strokes and heart attacks. The rate of obesity is increasing around the world

The way we choose to treat animals have global health implications. You should avoid eating meats of cattle that are raised in factories to avoid having the above diseases.

4 reasons why you should eat grass-fed meat

February 28, 2017 0 Blog, Info

The chemicals and pesticides in the non-organic foods make them weak. These foods contain fewer amounts of nutrients. Similarly, grass-fed meat is better than gran-fed meat. These are some good reasons why you must eat grass-fed meat.

They are higher in omega-3 fatty acids

Grass-fed animal meat has two to four times more omega-3s compared to the grain-fed meat. The longer cattle are fed grains, the lower the quality of the meat becomes. Omega-3s are essential for the functioning of our body cells. They help to improve the heart, blood, and genetic function.

They have higher CLA that helps to burn fat

Meats that are grass-fed are very rich in fatty acid ‘conjugated linoleic acid’ or CLA. This fatty acid increases the metabolism of your body, controls the cholesterol level, boosts immunity and even fights cancer. It helps to lose weight and increase the muscle strength.

They have lower amount of saturated fats

The saturated fats that are found in grass-fed meat are stearic acid, myristic acid, and palmitic acid. The grass-fed meats contain less palmitic and myristic acid that helps s to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

They are better for the environment.

Many cattle eat in feedlots. The diet contains corn, grains, cereal, stale bread, chicken feathers, soy, etc. The cow waste that results from this diet causes the greenhouse effect. The factory-raised cattle are produced using pesticides and fertilizers. These leave carbon footprints. The grass-fed cows, on the other hand, have a symbiotic relationship with the land where they graze. They encourage new plant growth by clearing pastures. They also help develop productive soil with their nutrient-rich manure.

Though grass-fed meat has so many advantages, it only makes 3% of the total meat sales. People should be more conscious about their health and eat grass-fed meat.

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