Iowa State Unveils Livestock Judging Circuit for 4-H and FFA
New livestock judging circuit offers awards to 4-H and FFA youth for summer 2006 contests.
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?Grazin? Days ? A Pasture Management Workshop? to be Held this Summer
A series of on-the-farm pasture meetings will be held around the state of Iowa for producers interested in installing a rotational grazing system.
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Insect Bites can Mean Lower Income for Pork Producers
Insect bites on a hog carcass can lead to higher trim loss and lower payment.
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Basic Farm Buildings & Farming Systems 

The basic unit of commercial agricultural operation, throughout history and worldwide, is the farm. Because farming systems differ widely, there are important variations in the nature and arrangements of farm facilities. The buildings on a farm generally consist of the farm family’s house, the dwellings of any resident hired workers, and the various structures and facilities for farming operations. This article deals with farmhouses and service buildings that can be classified as follows: livestock barns and shelters; machinery- and supply-storage buildings; buildings and facilities for crop storage, including fodder; and special-purpose structures.

The basic requirements for the farmer’s family are about the same as those of the urban family, but certain features of the farmhouse depend on the farm-life pattern. Because the farmer generally comes directly from the fields or the service buildings, with soiled clothes and boots, it is necessary to provide a rear entrance with a washroom or lavatory and clothes-storage space. For the same reason, many farmers prefer a dining place close to the kitchen or included in it. The house must include an office and a large food-storage place with ample refrigeration, including a freezer in many countries, as most farm families are large. There are usually three or four bedrooms.

Satisfactory modernization of old farmhouses is difficult in some cases, but if the available floor space is sufficient and the main walls strong, renovation can give good results. The cost of a new house must be proportionate to the farmer’s income; for this reason, farmhouses in underdeveloped regions have less floor space with a main room (kitchen and dining room), two or three bedrooms, a large washroom, and a storage place.

For a complete reading on Farm Management, please follow the link below:

“farm building.” Encyclopædia Britannica. 2006. Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service. 28  June  2006  <http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-67709>.

If you are deciding on purchasing farm storage buildings, visit Walters Buildings, one of the most recommended storage buidling manufacturers. Walters Buildings is the leading manufacturer of pre engineered metal and steel clad post-frame building for industrial, commercial, and residential uses. With nearly 50 years of manufacturing quality storage buildings and construction, we continue to keep our customers satisfied with innovative designs, skilled craftsmanship, and excellent customer services.

 

  

  

  

  

  

ALPACA SKIN PROBLEMS:

THE MYTH, THE MITES, AND THE MUNGE

By Mike Safley

I remember slowly bending over and grasping the front leg of a 6-month-old white alpaca: It was 1994 and I was trimming toenails. An immediate feeling of panic leapt into my chest as I discovered a bloody puss between her toes: Could this be foot and mouth disease, I naively wondered? I immediately called my vet, Dr Jerilynn Booher, and we pondered the problem. The female in question also had infected ears, hair loss, and small, puss-infused pimples on her nose. (It was not foot and mouth disease.)

I made a trip to Peru shortly after my discovery of the puss-infected toes and as I was browsing through the used book section in a small bookstore off the main square in Arequipa, I found a slim, dog-eared volume on Andean livestock husbandry: Instituto Veterinario de Investigaciones Tropicales Y De Altura (Ivita), edited by Dr. Manuel Moro S. and Dr. Saul Fernández Baca, and published in 1966.  I opened the book to a page that contained the photograph seen below (Ex. A), which pictured a more advanced condition of what I had discovered on my female.

 

 

Find out more about treatment for your alpacas with skin problems. This alpaca article is written by Mike Safley, the owner and Northwest Alpacas farm. Northwest Alpacas Ranch has been breeding elite alpacas for more than fifteen years. Our farm is home to more than three hundred suri and huacaya alpacas.

The breeders who favor standards believe the practice of animal breeding is the pursuit of perfection and view standards as useful guides in the quest for the ideal alpaca.

Very few alpaca breeders are neutral on the issue of breed standards; most fall into one of four schools of thought: 1. Absolutely in favor, 2. Wanting to learn more, 3. Apathetic or, “I don’t care what they do, I am going to breed to my own standard,” and 4. Absolutely and aggressively against breed standards of any kind. The breeders who favor standards believe the practice of animal breeding is the pursuit of perfection and view standards as useful guides in the quest for the ideal alpaca. The opponents of breed standards predict doom if standards are adopted, often suggesting that pressure from powerful figures involved in the industry is behind the effort to enact standards.

Read complete article: History of Alpaca Breed Standard and latest news, marketing and progress of the US alpaca community, please visit Ideal Alpaca.  The Ideal Alpaca Community is an online organization of alpaca breeders with collective purpose to raise genetically superior alpacas that produce high volumes of fine fleece.

 

 

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It’s Peak Season in Yakima Valley
With acres of orchards and sunny skies, Washington’s Yakima Valley is the place for finding fresh fruit at its best
You’ve Got Mail
Create casual and comfortable rooms using popular mail order and online resources
Simple Projects: Creative Floral Displays
Pair everyday containers with garden-variety flowers and plants to craft delightful arrangements that cost next to nothing
Something Old
Antiques and heirlooms can make a heartfelt statement in many modern-day weddings
Architectural Plants
Plants with “good bones” make designing a container garden easy

Livestock facility measure vetoed
DesMoinesRegister.com, IA – Jun 1, 2006 Tom Vilsack vetoed a bill Wednesday that he said would hinder the ability of state officials to control livestock operations that could pose a threat to the

YMCA eyes livestock building for soccer
The Register-Guard, Oregon – Jun 1, 2006 The deal could maximize usage of the livestock building while offering more indoor sports to local athletes of all ages, officials said.

Livestock report
Jackson Hole Star-Tribune, WY – May 29, 2006 aged pairs brought $825-$1100. Centennial Livestock Auction in Ft. Collins sold 900 sheep Wednesday. Compared to last week slaughter

China stops importing livestock from Vietnam
Xinhua, China – May 13, 2006 BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Ministry has warned Chinese business people and companies not to import livestock and relevant animal products from

Kenya: Meat Industry to Seek Regional Supplies
AllAfrica.com, Washington – 16 hours ago Kenya’s livestock sector is returning tremendous growth contributing over 10% to the country’s GDP. The sector’s growth, analysts

Iowa crops and livestock doing well, despite record heat
Brownfield, MO – May 30, 2006 by Jerry Passer. 92 percent of the Iowa corn crop has now emerged, about the same as a year ago and 6 percent ahead of the 5 year average.

Women protesters step in front of elephant convoy
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom – 13 hours ago As the transfer was about to begin Soraida Salwala, the founder of the Friends of the Asian Elephant, stepped in at the Livestock and Wildlife Hospital in

China not to import livestock from Vietnam in fear of foot-and
People’s Daily Online, China – May 13, 2006 Chinese Foreign Ministry has warned Chinese business people and companies not to import livestock and relevant animal products from Vietnam, as foot-and-mouth

11th Agri Day coming this weekend
Eureka Springs Times-Echo, AR – 15 hours ago The event will kick off Friday night with bluegrass music and concessions at the Northwest Arkansas Livestock barn. Saturday morning

It’s all-natural for owners of Mount Airy farm
Baltimore Sun, United States – 6 hours ago The ranch also raises sheep, pigs, chickens and Akbash livestock guard dogs — which protect the livestock from predators such as foxes and coyotes — as well