Brooding Problems When Raising Quail

Chick's dying during the Brooding Process of Raising Quail is not necessarily your fault or caused by you doing anything wrong. If the eggs that the chicks came from were purchased quail eggs. There could have been a problem with the breeder's that produced these eggs.

The Breeder Quail may not be sick themselves but are carrying a disease. If they are carrying a disease this could be passed along to the chicks. It could cause them either not to hatch at all, or have very short lives. There is absolutely nothing you can do about this.

Another problem the Breeder Quail could have is not receiving the proper nutrition. This also will cause problems with the chicks. This is why your breeder's should be put on a breeder quail diet starting at least several weeks before breeding season. They should be kept on this diet through out the quail breeding season.

Then there are problems that you may be able to prevent. The quail chicks also need to be properly fed. I personally like to use a medicated quail starter food. This will help in preventing Coccidiosis, this disease will usually attack your chicks at the age of 2 weeks to 6 weeks of age. The medicated food is made to help prevent this.

Coccidiosis is found more in chicks being brooded on the ground or litter. You can help prevent this disease by maintaining a clean pen. Usually the cause of this disease is from the chicks eating droppings off of the floor. As you well know that is about all they do, so you have to do the best you can to keep their area clean.

Picking is always a potential problem when raising quail. During the brooding stage chicks are very prone to picking, toes, nose, back and tail feathers. This picking can and will result in death, if not controlled.

There are various solutions to this problem. One solution is using colored lights, blue is highly suggested although red will also work. The general thought on this, is just give them enough light to find their food and water. Another possible solution is to give them something to pick on other than each other. You could put in a small, leafy tightly bale of hay, this will sometimes help. If none of these solve this problem there is always the last resort of beak trimming.

I have been raising quail for 22 years and have written an ebook on the subject. "The Beginner's Guide to Raising Quail." http://www.howtoraisequail.com

Alpaca Farms

With strict regulations in place, countries such as Chile, Bolivia and Peru, don't allow significant exportation of their "national treasure" to foreign countries. However, alpacas continue to be growing business. Worldwide demand is high for alpaca fiber in the arenas of fashion and textile manufacturing.

Alpacas are slow to mature and their fiber is of the highest quality. The demand for alpaca products is greater than the alpaca farmers can supply. This means that prices for not only alpaca products, but the price of alpacas themselves will continue to remain very high. Alpaca farms can be a great investment for anyone who loves animals and has some land where they can pasture these gentle creatures.

When you decide to invest your future in an alpaca farm, you will receive tax discounts available to individuals who breed alpacas. There are more than 25 ways in which you can enjoy tax advantages if you decide to invest in alpacas. You may be eligible for tax write offs regarding the value of your outbuildings that house the alpacas, any machinery or equipment that may be involved in alpaca farming, breeding alpaca stock and items whose useful life exceeds one year. You can also enjoy a full write off on quite a few of your operating expenses such as medical costs, feed and the electricity for buildings housing your alpacas.

You need to be aware of the deferral of capital gains through the use of the compounding plan that protects your profits until you actually sell the alpaca. For information regarding this, you will need to speak to a trained accountant. Before you begin any business venture, especially one as unique as alpaca farming, it's recommended to talk with a professional.

When you compare the cost of keeping other types of livestock, you will find that alpacas are fairly inexpensive to maintain. Your initial investment in the purchase of the alpacas can be devalued over a span of five years. These robust little animals coexist easily with nature. All you need to provide them is fresh water, some room to roam with their fellow alpacas, a bit of hay and grain, fencing to ensure their safety, shelter from the elements and all the love you have to spare.

Many publications are available for you to learn more about the fascinating world of alpaca farming. You can find alpaca clubs where other aficionados will be more than happy to share the joys of owning an alpaca farm. You can find flexible ownership plans and all the advice and strategies you need to start your own alpaca farm.

Though precise tax rules will vary according to the kind of plan you decide to follow, the return on your investment is fairly high. Many sites on the internet offer detailed information devoted to the care and husbandry of alpacas. When you invest in an alpaca farm, you will find that these sweet animals can give you more than you ever hoped to receive, not only financially, but personally as well.

To find out everything you need to know about Alpaca Farms, sign up for my free course on Alpaca Farms, a Business Course.

Alpaca Farming

Many people are surprised to learn that the start up costs for alpaca farming are far less than many other franchises or home business ventures they may have explored in the past. In fact, you can begin a fully functioning alpaca farm with a beginning price tag of just $40,000. This initial investment will include a couple of alpacas of breeding age and the network you require to maintain your new acquisitions. Of course, this amount doesn't include the cost of the land where you will house the animals.

The average alpaca farmer who has operated a business for a minimum of four years or more, usually reports a return on investment that can range anywhere from 25% to an impressive 60%. There are many factors that can affect this figure. However, when you invest in alpaca farming, you are investing in a venture that has an established track record for high profits. This industry is also continuing to grow and will afford you larger profits in years to come.

The demand for the fiber from alpacas is growing more and more each day. When you shear your alpacas yearly, you can choose to sell it yourself or partner with an alpaca fiber co-op. When you choose a co-op as an outlet for your fiber, you will be assured of a simple channel that guarantees the sale of your fiber. These organizations are also dedicated to raising awareness of these creatures and the high demand for their fiber in the world of fashion.

Your alpacas are considered to be your inventory. However, unlike other types of business inventories, you alpacas are completely insurable. The low cost of premiums for insurance on your alpacas protect you from the loss of any animal. The insurance system work very much in the same way that the FDIC protects your savings when you place your hard earned money in a bank. Another advantage is that you can expect higher returns when you invest in alpacas.

Your alpaca should give you 13 to 17 years of a fully productive life. These animals can live to the ripe old age of 25, with the age of 30 not uncommon. If you take this fact into consideration when you practice breeding these animals, they end up becoming a productive source of income for more than half of their entire life. The female begins her breeding future at approximately 3 years old and continues breeding successfully until she is approximately 17. This gives you many years of a herd producing female. When combined with the ability to keep up to 10 alpacas on just one acre of land, you may quickly find yourself looking for more land to raise even more alpacas.

Alpaca farming can be a boon not only to your financial future, but your family life as well. Children can become as involved as you want when you decide that owning an alpaca farm is the right enterprise for you. You can invest in alpaca farming as a retirement alternative that will keep the money rolling in and the love between you and your alpacas flowing!

To find out everything you need to know about Alpaca Farming for free, visit our free Alpaca Farming Business Course.

Pygmy Goat Personality Profiles

Like most pygmy goat owners (or so I imagine, I hope I'm not the only person who does what I'm about to describe) I spend a few hours every week relaxing outside with our four pygmy goats (Charlie, Ella, Jack and Sally), scratching their backs when they're too lazy to bite at the irritant themselves, and quietly observing their bucolic existence.

I wonder what their pygmy brains are thinking as they wander around the pasture and walk along the pond. They seem quite intelligent, but so economical in their emotional expression that it's hard to draw clear conclusions.

I've paid some attention to four areas of pygmy behavior: language, battling, affection, and differentiation. These are not scientific analyses by any means, they are simply observations. Eventually, if generalized theories of pygmy behavior can be developed, it might be worthwhile to gather more concrete data in addition to the current set of notes. Nonetheless, as a casual prolegomena to a more rigorous codification of pygmy behaviors this may serve as a useful starting point for additional observation.

Their role in life as prey rather than predators seems to inform much of their behavior. As more than one veterinarian has told me, "A pygmy goat that acts sick is on death's door because they naturally hide any weakness." The weakest pygmies are always the one's that the predators attack first. Or, as Billy Crystal put it, "It's better to look good than to feel good."

On Language

So far I've found at least five distinct sounds. In general pygmy goats are pretty quiet, they make a little more noise than a cat and a lot less noise than a dog.

First, there is a separation call that they use whenever one goat wanders away from the herd. If two wander away then everyone wanders after and the herd coalesces before a warning call is needed.

Second, there is a recognition call generally associated with positive expectations. If I walk out of the house with a plastic bucket in my hand they know this usually means food and start calling out as they run to their shed. They'll also make this call if we're going for a walk, as they love to wander around the property.

Third, is a disapproving, somewhat insistent, call most often heard when their food is a little late. They know I don't get up on time every morning so it's muted at breakfast. But if their dinner isn't on the floor by 6 pm, they start lining up outside the sliding glass doors on the porch and interrupt the evening news with their complaining.

Fourth, there is a little "meep, meep, meep" call they make deep in their throats when they're readying themselves for battle. Supposedly, to a pygmy, this is deeply threatening and signals the incipient launch of a serious clobbering, but to everyone else it sounds ridiculous.

Fifth, and saddest, there is a very loud, higher pitched, continuous call which either means "I am hurt" or "I think I am hurt." Mostly we observe the "I think I am hurt" variant at toenail clipping time. Sally, in particular, kicks her legs in all directions and screams like a little baby as soon as the orange clipper is unsheathed. I'm the only one that has ever been hurt by this ritual as she once kicked just as I was turning the clipper, jamming the two razor tips into the palm of my hand. Sally was then able to observe my high pitched, continuous, cursing behavior.

Battling: Dominance Ritual or Good Clean Fun

Pygmy behaviorists associate battling with maintenance of the herd order. I'm sure there is an element of this, but they seem to really enjoy smashing foreheads. There is no obvious competition between Sally and Ella, but they'll stand on the porch, rear up on their back legs and just bash each other for 10 or 15 minutes; tails wagging the whole time. Their fur stands straight up on their backs, a traditional sign of anger, while they are battling, but it seems to be puffery more than enmity. The battle halts every 30 seconds or so if someone needs to bite an itchy foot or grab a slurp of water.

Social Affection and Herd Bonding

The pygmy's generous use of social affection to support bonding within the herd is one of the most endearing aspects of their behavior. As many people have noted, you can tell if a pygmy goat really likes you because they will stand on your foot when you approach them--or perhaps the grass is wet--they hate wet grass. They regularly engage in this behavior with each other. They chew on each other's ears, horns and collars, lay on each other when sunning, and rest their legs on each other's backs when they're gnawing at some spot on their paw. There is a lot of touching going on in pygmy land, but asexual in the case of our herd. The boys are all weathered so none of this is prelude to a dream.

Personality Differentiation

We only have four pygmy goats, so this is clearly anecdotal not dispositive, but I believe we can ignore any fear of specious anthropomorphism and conclude that these pygmies have personalities that are wildly differentiated and wildly entertaining.

Clearly Ella dominates the herd as the explorer, new things are her thing. Charlie dominates the herd with size and muscle. He eats first, eats the most, wakes the other's up when they're napping and generally acts like an ornery big brother. Given this, he still lets Ella lead when something new is afoot. Jack supports the herd by demurring to the others and just being a sweetheart. Jack is stalwart and undemanding, taking what life brings him. Sally is very independent, wanders off from the herd regularly, picks and chooses when to interact with the humans and exhibits a feisty streak that belies her small size.

One could go on, but clearly there is not one genetic mold stamping out identical neural pathways. These four, at least, exhibit a clear differentiation of personality that argues for a deeper understanding of the notion of will in non-human species.

Further Study

Additional work remains to be done in several areas, but time is money and pygmies are a parsimonious lot who pay little for unscientific monographs. Perhaps if the research dug a little deeper they would reach into their pockets farther.

Their intelligence relative to other pets would be a particularly fruitful area for more analysis. I remain baffled by their unwillingness to respond consistently to simple commands. Like cats, even though they seem to understand certain commands, they seem entirely disinclined to sit, shake or rollover. These commands seem to profoundly bore them; they're inherently good-natured about it and remain bemused, but resolutely aloof.

Copyright © 2007, Lotus Pond Media

Steven C. Grant is the Director, Business Development for Lotus Pond Media and the co-author of two children's books about pygmy goats: Meet the Goat Kids and The Goat Kids Explore the Woods. You can read more stories about the goat kids at http://www.goatkids.net, enjoy family photographs, purchase goat kids memorabilia, and sign up for the Pygmy Talk forum.

Pygmy Goat Auto Mechanics

Pygmy goats love to help, in their own little ways, with work around the homestead. Our little herd: Charlie, Ella, Jack and Sally are no different. As soon as I back out the lawn tractor Ella jumps onto the driver's seat. If I start cleaning out the shed Sally starts gnawing on the pitchfork. If I lay down in the driveway to look at a corroded muffler Jack starts using my back as a playground and Charlie nibbles on my tools.

The muffler finally rusted through on my Infiniti I30 after seven years and 135,000 miles and the goats wanted to get out there and help.

I mentioned three or four times to my family that I needed to crawl underneath and check things out before we involved any garages with "quote/unquote" real mechanics. They had been listening to the steadily increasing rattle of a broken support bracket and the even louder trumpet of a split pipe for three or four weeks so their sense of urgency was building, but I know you have to approach these events with equanimity (which is a fancy way of spelling laziness). I'd even gotten so far as to put the jack stands next to the car in the driveway and found some old jeans to rip into rags as a definitive indication that I would soon reach a point at which I might think about starting.

Okay, I had no way of knowing those jeans had been washed by my daughter with bleach and smooth stones forty times to give them that carefully cultivated "worn out" look. It's not like I wash the car with bleach and smooth stones. 135,000 miles of New York roads, with potholes big enough to hide wheelbarrows, were sufficient to provide a warmly contemporary worn out patina on the car.

So, after the jack stands stood guard for a week, and we used the van to run down and get a new pair of jeans, I guess my wife started to lose faith in the repair process. One rainy afternoon (that reminds me, I was ready to jump on that repair two or three times, but who wants to work in a muddy driveway on a rusted muffler in a pouring rain?) I got a call from my daughter asking if I wanted to spend $384 and just have the garage fix the muffler--that afternoon. She could tell by the tone of my querulous response that she was supposed to call her Mom with this estimate, not me.

The car had passed inspection one month before and now they wanted $384 dollars to wrap some bailing wire and duct tape around a pinhole? I suspect that $500 brake job had something to do with passing inspection. Is it just me, or does every inspection every year on every car end up in a $500 brake job? I'm starting to think this is just state sponsored baksheesh. The inspection is supposed to cost $37 dollars in New York, but somehow it always comes out to $537. As soon as there are $500 dollars worth of repairs then, magically, the inspected car--no matter how much lingering rot and devastation is present--seems to be roadworthy.

I could not bring myself to spend $384 dollars for a repair that I knew in my heart could just as easily cost $38.40 or $3.84. I used to work with a mechanic and, yes Virginia, there is a pinwheel in the back covered with random prices; sits right next to a set of sharpened darts. I vetoed the garage repair on the grounds that any idiot with a hammer and a torch could fix a leaky muffler and I was certainly a big enough idiot to qualify.

Next day I snuck out the front door with tools in hand. I couldn't go out the back door because the goats camp on the porch in our lawn chairs and I wanted to fix the car without any helpful pygmy paws. They have extremely keen senses and if they catch any movement, smell or sound they bound off to join the action.

I threw some cardboard over the gravel driveway, and jacked up the car. I turned on the compressor for the impact wrench and the jig was up with the goats. As soon as they heard the compressor crank up they knew the party was in the driveway. All four came dashing around the corner of the garage to lend a hand.

The goats started eating the cardboard out from under me. Then the goats started fighting over the cardboard because I was laying on most of it and all four of them wanted to eat the three square inches of cardboard that were showing right above my left shoulder. This meant the goats had to fight each other for who got to eat the cardboard. Which meant they had to scramble over my head to get a good running shot at bashing in the other goat's forehead. While Sally and Ella smashed each other's brains in, Jack focused on eating the cardboard.

Once I got positioned under the car, Charlie wanted to lie down next to me. He's so big, once he got settled in for a nap on the driveway, nuzzled right against my side, I couldn't get out from under the car.

Sally started crawling under the car to chew on the pipe between the catalytic converter and the muffler. She could only imagine that if this thing were so important I would spend hours staring at it and banging on it with all manner of implements it might also taste good. Ella was very concerned Sally might be nibbling something tasty Ella couldn't reach, so she started wiggling forward on her knees to join us under the car.

I had to get the goats out from under the car as it was balanced, somewhat precariously, on four 2x6's and two hydraulic jacks left over from a house remodeling project that didn't stay at the top of my list long enough to reach completion. If the whole set up started to tip I needed to roll out of there quickly. However, I knew I'd try to save the goats on the way out and that would probably mean all of us getting squashed under the car together. There are certainly worse things than dying under a car with screaming goats kicking at your head, but there's also a long list of less worse things.

Long story short, the total cost of the repair was $8.97 for a new gasket. A savings of $375.03. Of course, there was $5.00 of gas to get the gasket. Then $175 for the welder bought on sale at Sears, but which I will use many many times for all manner of house, lawn, and garden projects. I'm starting to draw sketches for an elaborate gateway arch over the garden entry that I can now weld together. Sure, welding classes were $227, but that shouldn't count because now I've got a trade that might come in handy if I'm ever traveling on the Siberian highway and need to fix a broken transaxle.

I also used my drill press, my compressor, my die grinder and an impact wrench (not cheap, but there's 450 foot-lbs of torque in that beast). The same principle applies; these are capital investments I'll be able to amortize over the next twenty years of repairs, and the goats are going to have so much fun helping me.

Copyright 2007, Lotus Pond Media

Steven C. Grant is the Director, Business Development for Lotus Pond Media and the co-author of two children's books about pygmy goats: Meet the Goat Kids and The Goat Kids Explore the Woods. You can read more stories about the goat kids at http://www.goatkids.net, enjoy family photographs, purchase goat kids memorabilia, and sign up for the Pygmy Talk forum.

Basics of Raising Goats

What do you need to start raising goats? Here are the basics of raising goats.

Ample pasture, preferably 1-2 acres per goat is recommended for grazing. Some people like to supplement with a bit of special goat grain available at your local feed store. A good quality hay should be on hand during the winter, and to supplement feeding during dry summer months.

Fresh water is essential for a healthy goat. A good way to provide water is simply a bucket, refilled each day; or a trough, or even an automatic water station. An automatic water station is great if you are worried about dirty water and constant supply.

Housing is the next essential. Again, this is according to personal preference and budget. A good goat house for raising goats can be as simple as a lean-to shelter or a large barn with feed and hay rooms and stalls.

Mineral and or salt lick blocks are recommended by many goat owners for overall health. Look for the specialty recipes for goats. When placing a mineral or salt block, try to place it in the goat shelter and on a block of wood or something similar so that it will stay dry. You don't want your salt dissolving into the ground!

Do not skimp on fencing! Although being the most expensive aspect of raising goats, you will want it to last as long as possible and still be effective. The recommended fencing is 4' high, red-top woven wire with 12" spacing. When installing, be sure to stretch the bottom wire to run directly in contact with the ground for the most effective barrier.

With the right equipment and care, raising goats can and should be a pleasure for you, your friends and of course, the goats, for many years.

The http://www.raising-goats.blogspot.com blog is a site dedicated to raising goats and goat care run by Andrew Rocuant and his goat farm located in the beautiful Missouri Ozarks. http://raising-goats.blogspot.com

4 Chicken Coop Plans for Bantams

Raising chickens has become a high demanding job amongst farmers. You may not think that keeping chickens, feeding them, breeding them and using their eggs for food would be practiced regularly as it was in the past. Sure, times have changed and there are now many chicken raising factories that have automated egg hatcheries and such, but the fundamental procedures of raising chickens grows more and more each year as the world's population continues to grow. Hence it is vital for a chicken raising farmer to understand these concepts and learn how to build a chicken coop.

For many of us who have a backyard chicken flock, one of the key issues we come across is finding some really good chicken coop plans for building chicken coops. There are hundreds of different breeds of chickens and as any experienced chicken farmer will tell you, it is not a good idea to keep certain types of chickens together in the same chicken coop.

The bantam chickens are the ones that do not grow any larger than one fifth to one quarter of the size of a standard chicken breed. They are known as the miniature classes of chickens and they are extremely cute and fun to watch.

While there aren't many chicken coop plans designed especially for bantam chickens, I have found through my experience raising chickens that bantams and standard chickens differ in other ways besides their size. Therefore I have put together some chicken coop plans tips that will help you build a chicken coop for these miniature fowls.

#1:

Build a chicken coop that is tall and has multiple long and high perches. Unlike large standard chickens which tend to hang around at the bottom of the coop due to their excessive weight, small bantams can easily jump up to the highest perches, giving your chicken coop plenty of space to keep more chickens. Build plenty of perches, nests and feeders so that the bantams can jump around from perch to perch and eat from any part of the coop.

#2:

Bantam chickens have tendencies to jump really high and some can almost fly across an entire field. Therefore you want to make sure that if your chicken coop has an attached chicken pen or chicken run, it is covered with a high net or its surroundings have really high fences. The last thing you want is for your bantam chicken to fly over your fence because they are not smart enough to jump back across.

#3:

Bantams can be quite feisty. As cute as they are, bantam roosters can become quite aggressive when their territory is threatened. You may want to separate the chicken coop into smaller compartments with chicken wire. Keep one rooster per every three hens.

#4:

Be aware of injured bantams. For some strange reason, I have had many of my bantam chickens get eaten alive by the other bantams. This may sound absurd but it is true. Chickens tend to peck at each other at times and if they draw blood, the other chickens will begin pecking at the blood and eventually killing off the innocent chicken. This is why you should remove any chicken that you notice has been pecked or injured and keep it in its own cage for a week until it heals.

By following the chicken coop plans above you should have an easier time raising bantam chickens in your backyard. Bantams can be quite adorable but they require a lot of maintenance and care if you truly want to get the best out of your chicken flock.

Are you confident enough yet to build your own chicken coop? Many people have had success building their own coop and saved a lot of money in doing so. These are only just a few tips to help you on your chicken raising endeavors. For detailed chicken coop plan and instructions you should try these
advanced chicken coop plans

Pygmy Goat Jealousy Can Be So Cruel

Promise you won't tell the other three, but Ella is "my" goat. We have four pygmy goats, Charlie, Ella, Jack and Sally and, just like human kids, all of them deserve equal treatment, but Ella has always shown a preference for me and I'm softhearted enough to reciprocate.

One of the ways that pygmy goats show affection is by standing on you. Whenever I take their morning grain out Ella is the only one that takes the time to walk over the top of my shoes. Charlie, the big male, is always too busy smashing into everyone that comes within 50 feet of his silver food bowl. Jack, usually the object of Charlie's long pointed horns is focused on frantically diving out of Charlie's way. Sally, our smallest goat, is just too fiercely independent to worry about the "humans." Some people theorize that pygmies stand on you to demonstrate their dominant position in the herd, but I refuse to accept this negative interpretation--although I have seen Charlie using Jack as a footstool to reach some tender leaves more than once. I think of it as a personal bond and Ella's way too small to get very far pushing me around--even if that was her objective.

Ella also loves to sit in my lap while I scratch her ears. She's about the size of a big fat cat and will come leaping out of nowhere to land in the middle of your lap. She's the only one of the four that enjoys this level of human contact, although, just like many cats, she only does this on her timetable and only when it's her idea. Clearly she loves the interaction and will just stare into your eyes and nibble at your hands begging to be scratched. And this is where that giant pygmy jealousy can be so cruel.

Ella's desire for interaction conflicts with Charlie's desire to be the goat with the most. As the biggest male, he wants the most food, the first drink of water, the freshest leaves and the head of the line when ears and backs are getting scratched. Charlie is very sweet to all the humans, but a total pain to the other three goats. We have to be very careful to maintain a friendly tone when we're shooing goats out of the doorway or Charlie will take it upon himself to help move everyone else back. Problem is, Charlie moves them with a sharp jab to the ribs from his horns. We're just trying to get the groceries in the doorway, not put a pygmy in the hospital because it crossed into some radius of punishment.

It didn't take Charlie long to figure out that when Ella is sitting in my lap his nose gets scratched about half as much. He also figured out that once Ella was up there I would prevent him from bashing into her; knocking her off my lap. So his new strategy was to set up a circle of attack about five feet around my chair and not let any goats into the circle. Jack and Sally accepted that half is better than none so they just sneak up to the back of my chair and expect that every once in a while I'll reach behind for them.

That leaves Ella doing a little dance just outside of Charlie's circle, waiting for an opening. Sadly, Charlie is lightening fast and very committed; often forcing Ella to jump up on a table and watch from afar. I always stop by Ella's perch and give her a little attention before I run to my chores. And sometimes, Ella still makes it through the slashing horns when Charlie is particularly engrossed in his own nose scratching or if Jack slipping around to the front of the chair distracts him. I'm not sure Charlie really craves the affection that much; he is willing to tolerate it to make sure that nobody else gets more.

I worry that Charlie's obsessive behavior is affecting his relationship with Ella when the humans are not around. Jack and Sally always hang out together and Charlie and Ella, as the lead goats, have a responsibility to maintain appearances for the rest of the herd. Surely Charlie's boorish behavior gives Ella plenty of ammunition to pay him back in a thousand small ways when we're not around. Maybe pygmies are above all this and forsake these petty games of payback and control for the sake of herd harmony.

Pygmy jealousy can be such a big ugly thing. I'll continue working with Charlie and see if he'll acknowledge that his insecurities are really at the bottom of this. Once he knows that we love all the goats equally--remember you promised not to tell him--then maybe he'll share the love.

Copyright 2007, Lotus Pond Media

Steven C. Grant is the Director, Business Development for Lotus Pond Media and the co-author of two children's books about pygmy goats: Meet the Goat Kids and The Goat Kids Explore the Woods. You can read more stories about the goat kids at http://www.goatkids.net, enjoy family photographs, purchase goat kids memorabilia, and sign up for the Pygmy Talk forum.

Pygmy Goats Save Charlie's Life

Charlie is lucky that pygmy goats have such strong and distinct personalities. Without a strong "selfish" streak, Charlie would be dead.

Charlie is part Alpine, part pygmy, so he's about twice the size of our other three pygmies. His childhood was quite sad for a bit; his sister became ill and died. He missed her terribly and withdrew into himself and his shed. He refused to go out to pasture and would barely eat the food in his shed. He nibbled on some hay, but left the grain alone. We could see him wasting away. Through all of this he was quite skittish. With great reluctance would he allow himself to be petted or scratched; preferring to sit on some straw in the corner and stare out at the world. Goats are herd animals and a solitary goat is a lonely figure indeed. Charlie was the saddest goat on the planet and seemed destined to quickly follow his sister to the burial plot beneath the big pine trees at the end of the house.

Then we brought home Ella, Jack and Sally. These three pygmies were insanely energetic and outgoing. About two weeks younger than Charlie, they would not sit, stand or walk--everything had to be done running at full speed. We penned them near Charlie for two weeks, so he could start getting used to the new herd mates, but kept their food, water and sleeping quarters separate so they wouldn't pass any diseases back and forth. At this point we were still expecting Charlie to succumb. He perked up a little when he saw the newcomers, but still seemed sad and ate very little. Ella, Jack and Sally to the contrary ate like little pigs; as fast as they could and as much as we gave them. We had to limit the amount of food to which they had access; overeating can be as deadly as Charlie's anorexia.

Once the quarantine period was up and we could put them all in the same pen, Charlie's personality saved his life. Charlie, sick as he was, was always very concerned about justice. Justice, in his mind, meant he always got more, got it first, and got it longer. We put the four of them in the pen together and tossed a cup of grain in their communal bowl. Charlie just stared for a few seconds as Ella, Jack and Sally dove in and started pigging out. You could see the goat wheels turning in his goat brain as he watched the three of them consume the same Purina goat chow that he had been completely ignoring for the past few weeks.

About six seconds in, Charlie leaped into the middle of the pack, shoved his face in the grain and started gobbling it down as fast as he could. It didn't matter if he liked it or hated it, he just could not stand to see the three of them eating something he was not eating. After a few bites he started shoving the other three out of the way--now he wanted to be the only goat eating the grain. Since he was twice their size this was not hard to accomplish. He'd charge at Ella and Jack would swoop in for a mouthful, furious Charlie would turn on Jack and Sally would snap up a quick bite.

Finally we gave up and split their food. One bowl for Charlie to protect with his life, and another bowl, much farther away, for the other three. Charlie was clearly going to live; now we just had to follow his rules. Charlie always got the silver bowl, he always got his food first, and he always got enough food so that all four would finish eating at the same time.

This quirk in Charlie's personality saved his life and carries over into almost all of his interactions. He always wants to be brushed first, wants his toenails clipped first, wants to be at the head of the line when we're taking a walk in the woods, and wants his ears scratched the longest. He also wants to be the best behaved. When we're kicking goats out of the house he's always the first to leave; and he never doubles back like Ella, running through our legs while we're throwing another goat out. When we're going for a ride he wants to jump in the van ahead of everyone else. When it's bedtime he's the first in the pen. But, he's not completely stuck in this routine. When we're meeting a strange dog for the first time, particularly a barking snapping big dog, he's happy to let Ella stand in front of him.

Charlie's personality demands that he act tough, and sometimes it looks lonely on top, but maybe he knows inside that this intense desire to be first in line also saved his life.

Copyright © 2007, Lotus Pond Media

Steven C. Grant is the Director, Business Development for Lotus Pond Media and the co-author of two children's books about pygmy goats: Meet the Goat Kids and The Goat Kids Explore the Woods. You can read more stories about the goat kids at http://www.goatkids.net, enjoy family photographs, purchase goat kids memorabilia, and sign up for the Pygmy Talk forum.

Fact About Raising Goats

Goats should be given many acres for roaming purpose in order to stay disease-free. Goats with restricted area will become unhealthy or may even die soon. You may not be successful in feedlot goats; they would not take stress and crowding. Unexpected problem would surely occur. Illnesses, climatic problems, broken fences, and these problems may occur at most inconvenient time as well, may be when you are totally exhausted. Do not breed for all markets it would generally results in failure, unless in case you have lots of acreages, cheap labor facility, and ton of money, you would not be able to produce quality breeding stock, show goats and slaughter animals. Each category is of specific kind and mutually exclusive for each other. If making the enormous dollar is your driving force, you are damned from the start. Focus on quality animals and sincere business dealings and the money would surely follow you.

Show goat and meat goats are two different type of animal. If in case you desire to raise meat goats, do not take any nutrition or management suggestion from show-goat people. Similarly do not try to make show goats into breeding stock or any commercial goats. If you find a deal which cheap bred does is in dead winter, then that deal is too good to be true. It is really tough to move them across the country under such conditions. Goats requite time to adapt themselves to new surroundings. You further need to use common sense when transporting and relocating them. Goats are delightful and very intelligent animals, but you need to remember they are not created to live inside the house with you. Forget the urbanite approach of raising goats. They prefer living outside and having a different social pecking order. A goat with big rumen should not necessarily be fat. A big rumen would have a good digestive factory. A goat is pot-bellied animals. Fat on a goat layers around internal organs and also forms "pones" or "handles", which you could grasp with your fingers at place like where the chest meets the front leg. If you could further pinch an inch of flesh at that particular point, the goat is likely fat.

Everybody should know that goats are not little cattle. Both goats and cattle are ruminants and that's the only similarity between them. A male goat always desires to reproduce his species in general and his lineage in particular. A buck in rut is called as a dangerous animal. He would look cute only when you were bottle feeding him. You really need to be careful around and always esteem the danger potential of breeding bucks. Bred does would kid in the bad possible weather. When sunshine changes to storms and the heat drops below freezing, the kidding process would then begin. Goats are mostly creatures of habit. If you have a goat, which frequently hangs its horns in fencing, that goat would stick its head in the same place time after time unless and until you fit those horns with a PVC pipe secured by duct tape. Goats are group animals. More so than any other stock, goats rely upon living together for safety. They have few usual defenses and many predators. Their line need not be perpetuated. Sell off the best of breeding stock and eat the rest.

Asai is a copywriter of http://www.goatdealer.com/standard.html He had written various articles in different topics on Goat sales. Contact him at asai.articles@gmail.com

Importance Of Mineral Supplements For Cattles

We have to protect animals that provide us with a living and provide the world with a safe, high quality food supply. They require a number of dietary mineral elements for normal bodily maintenance, growth, and reproduction. These requirements are based on the type, weight and age, as well as the rate of performance expected of the animal.

Mineral imbalances and/or deficiencies can result in decreased performance, decreased disease resistance and reproductive failure which results in significant economic losses.
Mineral supplements are not uniformly palatable. Other than dry matter intakes, daily water consumption and satisfying salt intakes, cattle have no known inherent ability to satisfy daily intakes of other nutrients including minerals.

Selecting the correct mineral supplement is important for maintaining healthy animals, and optimal growth and reproduction. Since high-quality forages and/or grains can furnish a large portion of the required minerals, producers should select supplements that will meet animal requirements and avoid excesses that reduce profits and lead to unnecessary mineral excretion.

Minerals essential to cattle nutrition are classified as macrominerals or microminerals, depending on whether they are found at levels greater than or less than 100 parts per million (ppm) in the animal's body.

The macrominerals required by beef cattle include calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chlorine and sulfur. There are 10 microminerals required by beef cattle. Seven of the 10 microminerals have established requirements and include iron, manganese, copper, zinc, selenium, cobalt and iodine. The microminerals chromium, molybdenum and nickel do not have an established requirement and are not normally added to mineral mixes fed to beef cattle.

Marr and Macgregor Feeds Ltd

Take Your Goat's Temperature

Sometimes your goat may not behave normally, in such cases the first thing you need to do is to take its temperature as that is the first thing your vet may ask you when you call for a treatment. Even if your goat is not running of a high or low temperature, this would give a clue to your vet as to what the actual problem could be. The normal temperature of a Boer Goat is 101°F to 103°F in the winter, spring, and even during fall. It is usual that your goat may have been basking in the hot sun all day and having 104°F temperature, anyhow it needs to drop rapidly once the goat gets out of the sunlight.

Taking a goat's temperature is same as taking a temperature of human baby body. You can use both digital and traditional glass thermometers, which may range from $3 to $6. The glass thermometers have a comfort loop in the external end for attaching a string. You need to be careful while using it because it has more chances of breaking it. For baby Boer goats, the most comfortable position is to just lay them across your lap. Do not force the thermometer into a goat, it need to slide easily when lubricated. Lubricating the probe end with oil or petroleum jelly would help ease insertion into the rectum. The position of thermometer needs to be inserted to half its length and hold it in the place for a minimum of two minutes. Digital thermometers would give you an alarm when it is through.

For larger kids, it's good to have somebody else holding the Boer goat in a standing or reclined position as you can take its temperature. For adult Boer goats, particularly ones those are not very tame, it might be easier to secure them with a lead or collar and rope to a gatepost, you might even need somebody's help to steady them until you insert the thermometer and obtain its reading. If in case your Boer goat's temperature is very high, your vet might prescribe the injectable product Banamine to lessen the fever and pain. For baby Boer goats it is best to crush baby aspirin into a powder and mix with a little amount of water. This helps to lessen the choking factor of a dry pill. Its one best thing to fight with a high temperature, but it's essential that you find out the reason for fever. A familiar cause of very high temperatures is respiratory infections (sometimes pneumonia). If you desire to save your goat, you need to treat both the temperature and the infection. Some antibiotics are very much accessible across-the-counter's goat supply stores - the most frequently used products are oxytetracyline and penicillin. Some causes of infection need to be treated with more costly prescription antibiotics such as Nuflor or Naxel. It's best to ask your vet for the right product and amount of dosage rather than just to experiment with over-the-counter products. We cannot complete this article without mentioning two more things about goat's temperature. First is that the high fevers lead to dehydration. It's significant to manage electrolytes to keep the goat hydrated. Second, a Boer goat kid with high fever need to be taken off milk until the fever is cure, till then keeps your goat hydrated with electrolytes. Electrolytes are significant for organ and muscle function, blood flow, and the removal of fluid waste.

Caution

A thermometer needs to be cleaned properly with an alcohol wipe after each use and secured it in its case. Do not use a dirty thermometer - even if several goats look to be suffering from the same sort of problem. Don't make the error of inserting an unclean rectal thermometer into a doe's vagina. Thermometers need to be stored at room temperature. Glass thermometers should to be "shaken down" before and after each use. Digital thermometers need to be rearranged according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Asai is a copywriter of http://www.goatdealer.com/premium.html He had written various articles in different topics on Boer goats for sale. Contact him at asai.articles@gmail.com

Teach Your Goat to Lead

Every animals need to at least learn to walk on a lead. It's much easier to mover individual animals from one paddock to another, if it walks silently - not fighting you every step of the way. It's better to put an animal on a trailer or truck when you sell it if you're not pulling and jerking, or worse lifting and carrying it. In case, your animal requires medical attention, your vet would greatly appreciate having a well-trained goat to treat.

Once the goat learns definitely we are not going to torture it again and again. You can put a lead on the goat's neck and tie it to a fence or gate. Remember never, ever leave your tied goat unattended; this could lead your goat with broken neck. While tied, you need to brush them, make them familiar to being handled. Further do rub your hands on their backs, up and down legs, and give them a good feel by tickling their bellies. You could also gently rub the neck the shoulders; this has a very cheering effect on the goat.

For smaller goat, you can put two pans of food on the ground about 30 feet apart. Walk up to the goat to the first pan of food. Just allow him to eat for couple of seconds and then take the food away and walk the goat to second pan. Repeat the same trip for few times, after that take a longer route from one pan to another. The advantage of this process is not to force the goat to go among the pans but to get them to want the reward. And through this process they learn how to walk.

When the training is over for the show and after the goat has mastered the art of walking, you can walk several yards then stop the goat and "set it up" so that it is standing "square". Through this you make you goat familiar to have others check their bite or inspect udders. Another technique is to put a long leash or rope on the goat permitting it to run from you with and you following. This is somewhat easier than dragging your goat behind you if you could keep up with the goat. Once the goat get used to you tagging along behind, slowly shorten the lead until the goat walks next to you.

Yet another technique is to use a big trained goat and let it be a trainer to a smaller one to lead by attaching the two together. To us, this is the anyhow a least effective method of training. If you try this technique, don't never leave your goat alone while tethered; they would get into all sorts of problem that may lead to injury or death. Once your goat is broken to lead, it does not forget. Teach them when they are young, and hold them when they are old.

Asai is a Copywriter of http://www.goatdealer.com. He had written various articles in different topics on goat for sale. For more information visit: http://www.goatdealer.com. Contact him at asai.articles@gmail.com

Millions of Wild Mustang Horses For $125!

Once upon a time there were millions of wild mustang horses roaming the Western plains. Today there are fewer than 50,000 wild horses roaming. Despite government regulations designed to protect them, due to limited resources, their numbers continue to decline.

In 1971 the Wild and Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act was passed by Congress to preserve wild mustangs, but it has had little effect. Despite the fact that these horses have survived through hundreds of years of harsh winter, having a very high birth rate, and few natural predators, their numbers continue to decline.

Unfortunately, the numbers grew too fast for the land to support them. There is only so much government land to support these horses and that is why, at certain times surplus animals are rounded up and adopted. The cost to adopt a wild mustang horse is $125 at a government auction.

Sadly up to 25% of these mustangs never find homes and are put in government sanctuaries in Kansas and Oklahoma. Only after not being adopted through five rounds of auctions, they are put in government sanctuaries. These government sanctuaries are full of older horses and are often overcrowded due to limited resources.

Fortunately there is at least one private sanctuary that is capable of caring for surplus horses. It is located in Hot Springs, South Dakota, and called Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary. It is now home to over 400 wild horses.

It is very expensive running this private sanctuary every year. Some money is brought in by tourists, numbering 11,000 every year. Another way they keep the costs low is with the help of dozens of volunteers, and the sales of colts.

An American icon, the Wild Mustang horse is starting to go away, but thanks to some private sanctuaries, and volunteers, many of there horses are finding homes. There are many ways for you to help preserve these horses, the first step is educating yourself about the problem.

Visit my horse website for more information: Wild Mustang Horses.

Small Scale Farming May Be Courting An Indefinite Sun Set

Samoe has decided to leave crop cultivation for good! Once bitten, twice shy. He has been bitten many times. Samoe is just among many young people abandoning small scale cultivation to try their hands in other things. Many factors are driving people away from their farms. Small scale farming is no longer a viable occupation and farmers in the third world do not have the resources to venture into high-tech and mechanized small or large scale farming. Facing environmental and economic challenges, small scale farmers now need support than ever before, if their farming is to become an attractive occupation and support the exploding population.

As many countries in the third world, especially Africa emerged from colonialism, many young people went to school to be able to get a white collar job and join the elite club that was emerging immediately after independence. And this was true for some time until the job market became saturated and industrialization stalled because of corruption, mismanagement, and international competition. One would think that since industrialization had stalled, agriculture was going to be the only alternative, but NO!

Agriculture in most of the third world countries is an economic sector that lack incentives. While countries in Europe and North America benefit from subsides and support in case of livestock deaths or crop failure due to natural factors beyond control of the farmer, no visible support is forthcoming in third world countries. This leaves agriculture as a fragile occupation, especially with global warming phenomena. Heavy rains have come pounding for as long as 6 months, at a time which is supposed to be characterized by short and light rains , and sometimes rains are not forthcoming when it is expected. As for Samoei, he had planted onions in 1998 but heavy rains made weeding to be a nightmare. He had planted beans towards the end of the rains but were scotched by the sun towards flowering. He had also tried planting tomatoes for several years later but had been completely destroyed by rains that went on pouring hard so long as the tomatoes were still alive, and stopping only when the plants were completely rotten. After having used all the scarce funds trying to spray the tomatoes, Samoe's shoes had become worn out completely. As if that was not enough, he had remained with a completely tattered trouser and one fairer one. When Samoe felt into the same misfortune this year, he decided packing to leave farming to become a scribe, the only visible occupation after a contract he had been given in a college came to an abrupt end, yet it was supposed to mature into a department.

Even if jobs are not forthcoming, small scale crop cultivation is not going to be a viable alternative. Young people in the third world are trying creative arts and the information technology sector. They are singing, acting, reparing computers and running computer cyber cafes. And still some are joining the relatively new, mysterious and fragile multilevel marketing which in most cases deals in drug products and promises fourth night riches. At least some young people are succeeding in entrepreneurship. And a question is inevitable. Who will continue courting peasant farming yet it is apparently ugly? Perhaps it may blossom to become Mrs. Earth Beauty. I doubt!

Apart from unfriendly climatic changes, crop farming is competing for attention with other sectors of the economy and it is losing. While few organizations may consider funding agriculture, land title deeds requirement may become a hindrance since young people who may want to try farming do not have. Most parents do not entertain the idea of loans. And due to many prohibiting factors, it becomes hard to confidently write an agricultural business plan to be given to a funding institution that may have reluctantly listened. Even if agricultural extension officers turn to become inspirational and motivational speakers, trying to tell people that farming is profitable, experience says otherwise. Perhaps small scale farming may be courting an indefinite sunset.

Losing a Horse

No, I don't mean lost in a pasture or stolen in the night, although those are bad things too. I mean passed on from this world, no longer here on the planet. If you like horses enough to spend a bunch of time with them, then chances are, at some point, you might have to deal with losing a horse too. A lot of riders start out with older horses. Some older horses are the best teachers of all.

Here is part of the process that can happen:

Step 1: Make extremely good friends with a horse that you take lessons on or lease or own. Spend countless hours over several years caring for them, feeding them, riding them, admiring their strength and beauty and wisdom.

Step 2: Get the phone call that they colicked severely while you were out of town and had to be put to sleep.

Step 3: Arrive to the barn the next day knowing that there will be no whinnying and nickering as you approach. Your friend is not there. You walk down the barn aisle needing to see the empty stall for yourself to believe that it is true. Today, there's no buckets to fill, no stall to tidy, no coat and tail to groom, no hooves to pick, no hungry mouth to feed, no idle legs to exercise, no soft nose to breathe on your shoulder, saying, "Hey, hi." The stall is empty and quiet. There is nothing more to do here.

Step 4: Experience many days, if not weeks, of loss and emptiness, sometimes as if someone kicked you in the stomach -- or the heart. Your mind rolls backwards to try to find the memories, the pictures, the mementos of the good times, but you can't think properly. Eventually, the pain will ease up, but nothing replaces the huge whole in your heart. You have lost a horse friend.

So, what can you do? Well, first of all, cherish the horses in your life while they are there. Take that photo, buy that halter or saddle pad you want them to wear, go to that schooling show or trail ride you wanted to try but were a little scared to, spend that extra time grooming or just staring at them. Enjoy them while they are there.

But what to do afterwards? No other horses are exactly the same. You cannot replace a lost horse, or dog, or person. But you can still have other horses in your life. Talk to other people who have lost horses, even if it is hard. Honor the horse you have lost. Maybe frame a nice picture of the horse and keep it near by. Remember or write down all that you learned and went through with this horse and thank the horse for his time. Keep something that belonged to the horse - maybe a horseshoe, a show ribbon, a lock of hair, something from the tack room. Remember that although the horse is gone from this world, part of them is still with you.

Visit other horses when you are ready. Find another horse you can ride. If you are still not ready, then visit the web sites on the Internet for grieving horse owners. Search on Horse Loss Support to get started. This might not have been a horse that you owned, but if you loved them and spent lots of time with them, it is the same thing. A part of them was yours.

How long do horses live? Well, that can vary just like anything else. Horses kept in good conditions with good medical and dental care and regular exercise and no other health issues seem to be living longer and longer. Most seem to live into their mid-20's and many make it to 30 and over. Colic and further complications can often be the final decision-maker about when it's time. No one can predict when it will be time.

Jennifer Allbright writes for [http://www.newtohorses.com] which provides information to new - comers on caring for, riding, and showing horses. The site offers a wide range of information from safety around horses and resources for horse items to specifics about dressage training and showing.

Multiple Uses Of Goat

Goats are truly useful both when they are alive and even after death, offering meat and milk as the skin offering hide. A charity is involved in providing goats to poor people in Africa. The main advantage was that goats are easy to manage than cattle and have multiple uses.

Meat

The goat meat is called chevon, which is similar to that of lamb meat. However some believe that it has a similar taste to veal or venison, it just depends on the age and condition of goat. It could further be prepared in a variety of ways with stewed, baked, grilled, barbecued, minced, canned, or even prepared into sausage. Goat jerky is another well-liked variety. In
India, the rice=preparation of Biryani uses goat meat to produce rich taste in rice. In terms of nutrition, it is lower in fat and cholesterol. It carries more minerals and lowers the total saturated fats than any other meat.

Other parts of the goat including organs are actually evenly edible. Special delicacies comprise the brain and liver. The head and legs of the goat are smoked and used to make exclusive spicy dishes and soup.

Milk and cheese

Goats' milk is more easily digested by humans and is mostly recommended for infants and people who face difficulty with cows' milk. The cured prepared with goats milk is much smaller and more digestible. Moreover it is in nature homogenized as it lacks the protein agglutinin.

Goat's milk when handled properly, from clean and healthy goats, in a best sanitary manner and cooled as soon as possible, the flavor is unremarkable and inoffensive. Further, it is required to separate the strong smelling buck from the dairy does, as his scent would rub off on them and would taint the milk. Goats' milk is then used to make well-liked cheeses such as Rocamadour and feta; anyhow it could be used to make other kinds of cheese.

Fiber

Cashmere goats produce best fiber, Cashmere wool is one of the best in the world. Cashmere fiber is extremely fine and soft, and grows under the guard hairs. Cashmere goat has been particularly bred to create a much higher amount of it with fewer guard hairs.

The Angora breed produces lengthy, curling, shiny locks of mohair. The locks continually grow and could be four inches or even more in length. Goats do not have to be slaying to crop the wool that is instead sheared in the case of Angora goats, or combed, in the case of Cashmere goats.

In South Asia, Cashmere is known as pashmina (Persian pashmina = fine wool) and these goats are known as pashmina goats. Since these goats in fact belong to the upper Kashmir and Laddakh region, their wool came to be called as cashmere in the West. The pashmina shawls of Kashmir with their complex
embroidery are very famous.

Skin

Goat skin used today to create gloves, boots, and other products, which require a soft hide. Kid gloves are trendy in Victorian times, and are still made today. The Black Bengal breed, local to Bangladesh, offers high-quality skin. The skin also used in Indonesia as rugs and local instrumental drum skin named bedug.

Other parts of the goat are also evenly useful. For instance, the intestine is used to create catgut that is still the favored material for internal human sutures. The horn of the goat that signifies wellbeing (Cornucopia) in too used to make spoons etc.

Tamil Selvi is a SEO Copywriter of meat goat buyer He had written various articles in different topics on goat sales and livestock. For more information visit: meat goat buyer Contact her attamil@searchenginegenie.com.

Pygmy Goats as Pets

You cannot, not love, a pygmy goat. These highly intelligent beings appeal to all the biological imperatives that make babies and Webster beloved by all--despite generally appalling behavior, excessive drinking and propensity to dirty diapers--well, Webster could be trained to change his own diapers, I guess, if it weren't for the excessive drinking. Pygmy goats have the out-sized head and feet, stumpy bodies and incalculable cuteness that flips our inner switches into "protect the baby" mode.

Its reward enough to simply sit, for hours, with a pygmy goat in your lap and stare into their eyes while they regurgitate the ingesta from their rumen and ruminate on it. Sheep and goats produce 10-15 liters of saliva per day to assist in the digestive process; along with 5-10 liters of belched gas an hour. You laugh, but compare this to a cow--these excessively large animals produce over 100 liters of saliva per day. The lovability spit limit is about 50 liters of saliva per day. Less than this and an animal is cuddly, more than fifty and an animal simply becomes too special to be hugged for extended periods. This saliva limit essentially divides the animal kingdom into pets and table gravy.

Still, these statistical invariants do define the limit of the pygmy's inherent pet-ness. They consume prodigious quantities of cellulose to drive this belching, spitting engine at maximum efficiency and, somehow, the results of this digestion must come flying out somewhere. Imagine. Just don't imagine the pygmy goat taking up residence next to you on the couch.

Fortunately their pellets are quite small and quite hard; little round objects that are easily swept off the back deck; not so easily plucked from the shag carpet. They cannot be housetrained because they are proud animals and proud of their output. Dogs will kick grass over their effluent and run away, goats will sleep on it. In fact, male goats urinate on themselves during the mating season as the smell drives the ladies crazy--in a good way.

Also, keep in mind that pygmy goats are prey animals; dogs and cats are predators. This distinction drives much of the goat's behavior. Goats are Zen-like in their calm alertness, but stoic and controlled in their responses. Their tails wag when they're happy, like dogs, but once they've signaled happiness they return to that state of quiet observation that defines much of their being. They don't keep wagging the stupid tail for hours on end, constantly demanding that the whole world know they're the happiest thing ever in the history of happiness and if you're not quite as happy as they are because you don't have a real job and your car needs new tires that you can't really afford, well, they just don't care.

Because goats are prey animals they always try to hide their feelings. Even when you love them so much it hurts and you just want to make a connection, any connection, but they just stare back at you. This prey psychology means that they will not tell you they're sick until its almost too late. A goat that acts sick is on death's door. If you're not really experienced, get them to the vet immediately because you only have a few hours before this beloved pet, who just won't share their emotions or acknowledge the depth of your feelings, is going to die any minute. Why are you waiting, get the car keys, grab the goat, run for the door, but know; it's already too late. You tried, but you'll always have that nagging doubt, did you try hard enough--just like your last marriage. Maybe it was her fault.

Anyway, enjoy your pet. Pygmy goats, like babies, are wonderful.

Copyright 2007, Lotus Pond Media

Steven C. Grant is the Director, Business Development for Lotus Pond Media and the co-author of two children's books about pygmy goats: Meet the Goat Kids and The Goat Kids Explore the Woods. You can read more stories about the goat kids at http://www.goatkids.net enjoy family photographs, purchase goat kids memorabilia, and sign up for the Pygmy Talk forum.

Moveable Chicken Coops - A Chicken House on Wheels

So... you've decided to take on the fun filled hobby of backyard chicken raising?

Excellent!

I'm sure by now you've bought a batch of baby chickens from your local pet store or expo center and brought them into your home with joy and excitement. Everyday you've fed them and played with them and enjoyed just watching them chirp and make a mess of themselves. For weeks you've sat there and watched them grow, but now you've realized that they are just too big to have inside your house in those empty milk cartons or fish aquariums that you were using to keep them in. You've figured it is time to build a chicken coop and I couldn't agree more.

The problem is...

You have a mesmerizingly, fully landscaped backyard in which you've poured in every last drop of sweat to grow and maintain and the last thing you want to do now is destroy your lawn by permanently building a chicken coop that will tarnish the aesthetics of your home and garden. At the same time, your small flock of chickens are growing and becoming way too large to keep indoors and since you've become quite attached to the little chicks by now, it would be much too painful to give them away. Well, the answer to your problems is quite simple...what you need is a Moveable Chicken Coop.

The Moveable Chicken Coop

Moveable chicken coops are like chicken coops on wheels. Literally. Though not so popular amongst the hardcore chicken breeders of the world which tend to build chicken coops of a large scale for hundreds of poultry and heavy egg layers, the moveable chicken coop was an invention my father created after a major storm, with hurricane like winds, hit our small town. After the storm knocked down some of our coconut trees and demolished most of our plants and livestock, my father needed to move the chicken coop to other parts of the yard in order to clean up the mess. Since it was an almost impossible task to actually lift up the coop with all its weight and relocate it elsewhere, my father came up with the genius idea of installing wheels to the bottom of the chicken coop so that it would be easily rolled to any destination in our yard. This idea was such a success in our everyday chicken raising lifestyle that from that moment on, every chicken coop we ever built was a moveable chicken coop.

Moveable Chicken Coop Perks

With moveable chicken coops, you will never have to worry about having a permanent structure in your backyard ever again. If you wish to keep your moveable chicken coop closer to your porch during the winter for easy access for feeding and cleaning, you can do so. If during the spring you would rather show off your beautiful sprouting garden to your friends and family without having your chicken coop in the way, tarnishing the beauty of your garden...no problem. Just simply roll your moveable chicken coop to another location in the yard where it's most fitting. Even if a major hurricane threatens your area, with a moveable chicken coop, you will easily be able to roll it to a safer position such as your garage if you have the space, or even inside your barn if you live in a farm house.

Wait!

Don't go slapping a pair of wheels on your chicken coop and assume to crown champion at the next chicken coop drag race. An efficient moveable chicken coop is designed with utmost care and planning. Learn how you can construct a well crafted moveable chicken coop here:
how to build a moveable chicken coop.

Dale Higgins has been raising chickens and poultry for over 20 years and is an expert in building chicken coops. You can visit his website here: http://www.mybackyardchickenfarm.com

How to Build a Chicken Coop - 6 Crucial Elements on Building a Chicken House

When building a chicken coop, it is suggested that you follow the guidelines below for a successful endeavor.

Element #1. - Appearance and Design:

Sketch out your design on a sheet of paper before you do anything else. Think of the colors you will paint the roof and chicken coop walls. Always keep in mind that if your chicken coop is clearly visible to your neighbors, (unless you live in a farm it will most likely be visible to your entire neighborhood,) it shouldn't ever serve as a distraction or defacement of its utmost surroundings. So make sure to design an aesthetically looking chicken coop so that your neighbors do not complain of its detracting appearance. Once finished, always remember to remove and dispose of any types of garbage or weeds from around your chicken coop. Try to maintain an appealing landscape around it to enhance its overall appearance.

Element #2. - Using Sound Judgment:

When designing your chicken coop structure, you must use sound judgment in almost every aspect of the way.

For instance, you want to use building materials in which the cleaning and disinfecting procedures will be quick and easy. The doors you install should open inwards, not outwards. You don't want your chickens roosting on your windows, so it is best to install sliding windows.

A question many people ask is how to build a chicken coop who's floors are easy to hose and spray down without much puddling? Well the secret to that is to slightly slope the flooring toward the door. This way, when you spray out the chicken coop, the water will flow out, hence solving your puddling problem.

Element # 3. - Protection from Hazardous Elements:

So you want to learn how to build a chicken coop with maximum protection?
Then listen up.

As you may know, a well built chicken coop will protect your chickens from hazardous elements such as bad weather (heavy rain, wind, hale, snow, cold climates, etc,) but they will also protect them from hungry predators, theft and injury.

So how do we accomplish that?

Easy. You want to build a draft free chicken house with windows and doors that can be opened and closed as needed. Make sure the windows and doors both have proper screening systems installed in them such as a heavy gage mesh wire. Building the chicken coop on a high yet well drained area with ensure the least amount of dampness of the coop. Be sure to build your chicken coop in an area that faces the sun which will help warm and dry the soil and coop itself after it rains.

To protect your chickens from predators, the best thing to do is to bury your outside runs with chicken wire all around the coop about 1 foot deep. This will prevent some very hungry predators such as raccoons, cats and even dogs from digging underneath it.

Strategy # 4. - Coop Ventilation:

You may be wondering how to build a chicken coop that will not only keep your chickens locked up and protected from bad weather and predators yet receive the proper ventilation it requires. If so, then you already understand the importance of draft free air movement from within the coop. Chickens, much like humans, need fresh air and oxygen. The same goes for the removal of unwanted excessive moisture and carbon dioxide. A chicken coop with ample air movement and proper ventilation will help remove the ammonia build up and dampness that may grow inside its walls.

Speaking of walls, the chicken coop walls should have proper insulation installed which will help keep the chickens dry. As long as chickens are dry, they can handle cold climates very well, but humidity plus cold weather will cause health issues for your poultry. Therefore, insulated walls are a must!

Strategy # 5. - Light Source:

If you want a good source of light and warmth for your chickens during the cold months of the year and a solid source of ventilation during the hot months, then be sure to install the chicken coop windows facing the southside where they will receive direct sunlight throughout the day.

On another note, if your goal is to raise chickens that will produce great eggs all year round, then you should look into an electrical source of light. You should be able to easily install an electrical light at the height of the chicken coop's ceiling which will help keep your chickens warm and help them lay better chicken eggs throughout the year. One ceiling light should be enough for a small scale chicken coop, for larger chicken coops though, try to install one electrical ceiling light per every 30 - 40 feet.

Strategy # 6. - Conveniently placed Wateres and Chicken Feeders:

Chicken feeders and waterers should be placed where your flock will have easy access to them. However, you have to becareful where you place them because chickens like to make a mess of everything they eat due to their chicken scratching instincts. I'm sure you don't want to see your chicken feed mix all over the coop floors so, to avoid this, place the chicken feeders at the height of the chicken's back. This way they will have to stretch their necks up to eat but won't reach the feeders with their feet. Same goes for the waterers. Just make sure to keep the waterers full of fresh clean water throughout the day.

There you have it folks. 6 quick and easy strategies that will show you how to build a chicken coop fast and efficiently. Whether you're building a large scale chicken coop or a small one, these tips should get you moving in the right direction.

Folks, did you know that the average american spends about $300 to build a chicken coop? Some even invest over 2 months of work trying to assemble the darn structure and in the end aren't even fully contempt with their product. Not very enticing is it? A great chicken coop plan can cut your time and efforts in half while saving you a vast amount money on building materials. To learn how to build a chicken coop with maximum benefits for your flock without investing a magnitude of your time and money , click here:
how to build a chicken coop.

Dale Higgins has been raising chickens and poultry for over 20 years and is an expert in building chicken coops. You can visit his website here: http://www.mybackyardchickenfarm.com

5 Simple Steps on How to Build a Backyard Chicken Coop

As you probably know, a chicken coop is an essential part of raising backyard chickens.
It will provide your flock with warm shelter and a safe place to eat and sleep. However,
not many of us want to invest in a pre-made chicken coop for many reasons such as:
inflated cost and the hassle of delivery or bringing it home. Therefore, I have written
this article to help you build a backyard chicken coop fast and easy. If you follow these 5 easy steps, you
will be able to construct a strong and durable backyard chicken coop that will provide excellent shelter for your chickens and keep them safe from predators.

Step 1: Plan Ahead of Time.

If you want to build a backyard chicken coop with the least amounts of setbacks, you must PLAN ahead of time. Some things to think about before beginning your construction are: How many chickens will inhabit the coop?, What size are the chickens, large standards or bantams? How many nests will you provide the hens with? How many feeders and waterers will you have available? How many windows will your chicken coop require to give enough sunlight to your flock? Will you be constructing a chicken run with easy access into and out of the coop? You see, there are various questions that need to be answered before you build a backyard chicken coop because you may find out too late that the coop you built was not sufficient enough to keep your chickens happy and safe.

Step 2: Choose your Terrain.

Once you have answered all your pre-building questions, the next step is to choose a terrain where you
will build a backyard chicken coop in. It is very important that you choose an area that is wide enough for your coop to fit with plenty of space around it for a chicken run or for you to maneuver around. You do not want to build a coop where you do not have easy access around its perimeter. Try to choose a terrain where it receives direct sunlight and far from heavy bushes or weeds where snakes, rodents, and other predators may reside in.

Step 3: Sketch out your Design on Paper.

When attempting to build a backyard chicken coop, do not go at it with a concept in your head. This can lead to disaster. Make sure you sketch out your coop on paper, even if you're not an artist, and cover every angle including a top view of the roof and a sketch of the inside. If this is your first time building a backyard chicken coop, you shouldn't go for an architectural masterpiece, but rather start out with a simple chicken coop first just big enough for your flock and as you gain experience, then go for something of a greater scale.

Step 4: Gather all your Materials.

Before you build a backyard chicken coop, make an effort to collect all the materials you will need so that you won't have to take unexpected trips to and from the hardware or lumber store. A good example of materials you will need are: wood (2 x 4), concrete cinder blocks, chicken wire or fence wire, insulation strips, and ofcourse nails, screws, saw and hammer. While these are your most common materials, only you
will know exactly what you need when you complete steps 1 and 3 and actually plan ahead of time and sketch out your coop design from every angle.

Step 5: Build it.

It is now time to build a backyard chicken coop. You have done all your planning ahead of time. You have chosen a terrain convenient to maneuver around with excellent sunlight and free from predators. You have sketched out your chicken coop design on paper and you have gathered all your materials. Now all you have to do is put it together.

Some things to remember: Provide plenty of ventilation through screened windows, bury your outside chicken wire along the coop's borders about a foot deep to prevent predators from digging in, and if you live in cold climates, make sure to properly insulate the roof and insides of the coop.

I hope these 5 steps will help you build a backyard chicken coop with greater ease and success.
However, these are only a few guidelines and there is so much more information you should learn before you actually build a backyard chicken coop.

To discover the wisdom and secrets on how to build a backyard chicken coop, visit longtime farmer and poultry keeper Dale Higgins's website: www.mybackyardchickenfarm.com.

Dale Higgins has been raising chickens and poultry for over 20 years and is an expert in building chicken coops.

Farm Pets and the 4H

Most kids growing up in the city do not know what the 4H Club is all about and most all kids who live in rural areas or in the country know all about the 4H Club. Teaching kids and teens the values necessary to live a good life is very important. The 4H Club teaches responsibility, integrity and real life skills in caring for animals.

Raising an animal to compete in the County or State Fair is a big deal to 4H Members who consistently turn out prize winning animals year after year. If you have kids or teens and you do not know much about the 4H Club then perhaps you should learn and help your children get grounded in the realities of life and responsibility.

Not every kid is able to learn the importance or responsibility of growing up on a farm, sometimes if you live near a rural area you kids can also become involved and learn these old fashion values that helped to build our nation. Our ancestors did not build the great country through poor work ethic or excuses. They did whatever it took to keep going; they did not have a choice.

Instilling this level of hard-work ethic and dedication in your children at an early age can help them grow up to be the kind of adults that you want them to be. I certainly hope this article is of interest and that is has propelled thought. The goal is simple; to help you in your quest to be the best in 2007. I thank you for reading my many articles on diverse subjects, which interest you.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

Is Game Shooting Acceptable in Modern Britain?

I believe Game shooting is acceptable, and indeed, needed in today's modern Britain.
I will attempt to prove this in the following essay, by taking the most favored anti-shooting arguments and answering them, point for point.

Game birds are released into the wild to die in huge numbers unnecessarily and unnaturally:
Game birds, in this case pheasants (as grouse shooting is entirely wild), are released into the wild after being reared in outdoor pens for several weeks. They are then given several months and weeks to acclimatize themselves to the wilds. The pheasants do wander onto roads, but so does practically any other animal, especially agricultural animals (sheep/cows on the road). They live a free life, and are free to go from the area at anytime, as the only thing holding them back, and indeed can hold them back, are the presence of game feeders. These game feeders not only feed the local wildlife and songbirds, and provide a source of food all year round.

It is a high probability that many of the woods used in rearing and the holding of pheasants would not exist today, as they would have been returned to farmland as they are unsound to the agriculture economy. In fact, a large proportion of Britain's hedgerows would not exist today if it were not for gameshooting. Those very same woods and hedgerows provide a HUGE increase in wildlife habitation for nature.

Gamebirds die in an unnatural and incredibly painful way:

Gamebirds, on nearly all counts, are given a free life, in which they are free to mate, eat, fly, and wander over the earth wherever they may please. And, maybe once a year, they a flown over a group of sportsmen, where they have more chance of being untouched by gunfire than any cow being used for meat has of escaping the abattoir. They have a better life than any cow or chicken, and more chance of surviving. Even when they have the unlucky odds, they often die as soon as they are shot, and if they are shot by an incompetent shot, who are often not allowed too shoot, their necks are broken almost instantly when they hit the ground. There are occasional times when a pheasant may be hit by a clipping shot, and will glide to the ground. These 'runners' are then retrieved (but not killed) by a gun dog, and will be killed humanly.

Game shooting only serves to irritate the communities and does nothing to help them:
Per annum, shooting contributes 1.3 billion pounds to the British economy. It helps this country with 1 300 000 000 pounds sterling per year. This is not a figure to be scoffed at. Gameshooting provides 70 000 full time jobs per year, not counting the amount of part time jobs it offers teenagers and young adults.

Thanks to shooting, two million hectares are actively conserved through the 250 million spent on conservation efforts in Britain alone. The equivalent of 2.7 million work days on conservation is provided by shooting and consequently we have a much wider amount of natural countryside and different habitats, as well as a method, indeed a vessel in which old traditions (not necessarily shooting) can continue and be passed down the generations.

Shooting has helped put Game firmly on the menu, with it being served in butchers and often supermarkets around the country. It has been served in high class London restaurants, and has been promoted by Famous chefs (Michel Roux, Brian Turner, Antony Worrall Thompson and Anton Mosimann).

When game is shot, the birds are nearly all retrieved, and put in a refrigerator trailer. They are not thrown away, or buried to rot. They are handed out fairly around the shooters and the estate larder and nearly every one of them is eaten.

Gamebird chicks are reared in huge numbers in cramped conditions:

Grouse chicks are reared on the moor, completely in the wild, so it is not applicable to them. Pheasant eggs are first hatched in large incubators, and then moved, as like any young chicks, to an area where the chicks are near heat lamps and plentiful food. Chick aggressiveness is not uncommon, but is usually cure when they, as poults, are released to the keepers across the country, to be grown in rearing pens. Of course, some keepers choose to rear their own chicks, and this is obviously slower than the other method.

In conclusion, I believe Gameshooting is justifiable and indeed, needed in today's Britain, to put another form of healthy food on the shelf (Indeed it has been proved Pheasant is an anti-depressant!) , and that game shooting is less cruel to the Gamebirds than an abattoir is too cows.

For another great article on hunting click here

Visit an Arowana Farm to Experience Excellence in Operation

For an Arowana enthusiast, there is probably no more exciting and educational experience than visiting a CITES certified Arowana farm. The owners, employees and affiliates of the world's top Arowana farms possess incomparable experience, knowledge, and resources. Even a few hours spent among the leaders in the Arowana industry can be an inspirational (and humbling) experience.

The Evolving Role of the Arowana Farm

Perhaps any commercial farm would hold interest to someone intrigued by the stock being bred. Yet few types of farms worldwide can boast the single-handed preservation of a species!

As a result of CITES classification of Arowanas as endangered species on the brink of extinction, innovative Arowana experts began relentlessly pursuing captive breeding more than two decades ago. As slow-maturing, temperamental mouth-brooders sensitive to captivity, this was no simple matter. Through trial-and-error and practical experience, effective breeding practices were eventually discovered. It was the success of captive-breeding that allowed the commercial trade of Arowanas to be reinstated.

Not only were captive breeding techniques developed on Arowana farms, scientific discoveries were made isolating the DNA responsible for prized varieties. This helped ensure and protect the quality of the breeding stock and the long-term survival of the best of the species.

Excellence in Operation

Arowana farms offer visitors a unique opportunity to witness first-hand some of the most innovative and highly profitable fish farming practices in the world today. The care given to maintaining breeding stock, managing breeding pairs, and securing and rearing young fry is difficult to comprehend until it is seen.

Arowana farming involves a painstaking commitment to detail. The fish demand uncompromising water quality conditions every moment of every day. They must be fed quality foods at appropriate times and receive appropriate supplements, as well. CITES certification requirements demand strict adherence to identification practices, micro-chipping, and paperwork. Absolutely nothing can be left to chance if the Arowana are to prosper and the farm is to succeed.

Some farms specialize in more than top quality Arowana production. Many conduct research and develop new and valuable Arowana care products. Commercial foods, vitamin and mineral supplements, water conditioning treatments and filter systems and media are just some of the products developed by farms. Seeing the practice behind cutting-edge technology is yet another advantage of an Arowana farm visit.

In addition to the breeding ponds, growing tanks, and exciting new Arowana care items, visitors to an Arowana farm enjoy a rare, up close look at a variety of Arowanas. Outside of a temporary Arowana contest or exhibition, there is no place on earth likely to house as many quality Arowanas in one place. Most farms specialize in breeding all three types of the Asian Arowana species. With so many on hand, visitors are given a rare opportunity to learn to spot quality as well as prized characteristics of each type of Arowana.

Planning Your Farm Visit

When you're ready for the trip of a lifetime, take the time to find a quality Arowana farm to visit. Communicate with a representative frequently beforehand to ensure you will be welcome and allowed admission. Discuss how in depth you would like your visit to be and arrive when you can best be accommodated. Remember you are a guest of very busy individuals engaged in an extremely complex operation.

If possible, try scheduling a trip to include tours of more than one Arowana farm. Many farms conduct breeding operations quite differently from each other, and you will benefit from the exposure to more than one expert.

Steven Yeoh is an avid arowana fish lover who is also involved with an asian arowana breeding farm. If you find his arowana information helpful, make sure that you sign up for his 7 days ecourse for the "New Arowana Hobbyists" at his main site as well as visit his very useful and informative blog.

Main site: http://www.arowana-care.com

Your Guide To Goat Farming

The goats produce two very important products in goat farming - the milk and the meat. In most of the large goat farms the goats are treated much like dairy cows as their accommodations are indoors and they are milked twice a day. Large farmers have more than 400-500 goats in their farms.

The breeding season for goats in farms is from August to March. The goat's pregnancy lasts for four months and they are generally bred once a year, so their kids are born between January and August. The female goats give birth to one to five kids and twins are to be expected.

A female goat in a farm can start mating after the age of seven to nine months while it can be milked when the goat reaches a year. Goats give birth easily, so no special help is needed. However, the farmers need to make sure that the kids nurse from their mother, if they don't, they should be fed from a bottle. This should be done right after the kid is born as this is when it receives the critical first milk which is called colostrum. After it is fed with colostrum containing minerals, vitamins and antibodies for a few days, the kid could be fed with milk formula or could nurse from its mother.

Breeding goats in a farm is quite similar to breeding cows. The kids of goats should be given a milk formula until they can be weaned; this is after they reach five to seven weeks of age. This is the time when the goats are then milked.

In a goat farm the females are given a two month period before giving birth, they need this time so that they could give nutrition to their kids after birth. As far as milking goats in diary farms is concerned, goats are milked twice a day, usually in intervals of 12 hours. The milk can be extracted by machine or by hand depending on the kind of techniques and work force the goat farm has. Another thing which makes breeding goats and cows similar is that the both use up to date diary production which should meet certain hygienic requirements.

If the farmer is interested more in meat production, then the kids of the goats should be nursed from eight to ten weeks. After that they are to be fed hay, grain and pasture until they gain enough weight, which can vary from 35 to 90 pounds.

When a farmer is breeding goats for their meat, he should consider the goats' breed and then decide what optimal weight the goats should reach. Different breeds of goat reach different weight. Goat farming might not be the first thing you considered when talking about farming, but it is a profitable and enjoyable business activity.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning pets. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting Goat Farming [http://www.petsnewsonline.com/pets--animals/pet-news/your-guide-to-goat-farming.html]

History And Information About Alpacas And Alpacas Wool

In regard to the domesticated llamas and alpacas, they were separated in the time of the Incas according to color: and if by chance one in a flock was born of the wrong color, it was eventually put into another flock.

- Charles Darwin

Alpacas, one of the tamed and undomesticated South American camelids species are known for their quality fleece or wool. Having a resemblance with llamas, alpacas are categorized into two breeds; the Huacaya and the Suri. Huacaya breeds are identified by the presence of dense and wavy sheepish fiber while the Suri ones mostly possess silky fibers that offer less resistance to cold in comparison to the Huacaya fleece or wool. Huacaya breeds are found commonly than the Suri species. However, Suri fleece is admired by the spinsters all around the world.

Alpacas have an interesting history which dates back to the ancient Andean mythological times. According to the Andean mythology, alpacas were believed to be related to "Pachmana" which referred to the Earth mother. The natives of the Andes Mountains reckoned alpacas as a gift that had been bestowed at the Ausangate Mountains in Peru.

During the Spanish Colonial rule in Peru, alpaca fiber was deemed to be a necessity for the Inca civilization. The Incans utilized alpaca fibers in manufacturing roofs, bridges, and clothes, etc. Moreover, alpaca fibers had been used as a form of currency during the Spanish reign. In 1834, alpaca fleece was rediscovered by Titus Salt who used it to weave alpaca clothes which then became the favorite wear of the royal line. Thus, Titus brought a great industrial revolution through the usage of alpacas in interlacing clothes. In the world of today, England is counted as one of the leading producers of alpaca yarns and clothing. Moreover, a number of North American and Australian regions are also involved in the breeding of Alpacas and production of the Alpacas wool.

Alpaca fibers, commonly known as alpaca wool are available in diversified shades ranging from
Browns and whites to maroon, peaches and grays. The wool is flexible and can be stained with any dye, thus generating an array of colors. The alpaca fibers comprise of tiny air pockets which makes them good thermal insulator. It possesses a high tensile strength and a lustrous appearance. Clothes being made from alpaca wools do not have an unpleasant smell due to the absence of any grease, oil or lanolin in the fibers. It is capable of resisting solar radiation and abrasion. Moreover, it can be merged with other synthetic fibers, thus producing new types of clothes.

Due to the durability of the Alpaca wool, it is considered to be the best material for making fabrics, holding high demand in the textile industry. Various steps involved in the fabrication of Alpaca wool including the weaving, spinning, combing and finishing process are similar to those involved in the manufacture of wool being derived from other animals.

Owing to the increased requirement and demand of the Huacaya and the Suri Alpaca wool, alpacas are now bred in several countries including United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Sarah Rahman is a student pursuing studies in the field of Mass Communication. She has a passion for writing and is currently working as a freelance writer rendering writing services to the national and International clients. You may get in touch on ali.sarah7@gmail.com or you may pay a visit to http://sarahrehman.blogspot.com