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  1. Jea

    Moving an outdoor rabbit inside

    We used to have more than one rabbit and they lived in a big 12'x24'outdoor shelter and dug warrens that they lived in all winter. But, then a swarm of rats moved into those warrens and we had to hard-ware cloth their entire floor and switch to bales of straw for them to create tunnels in during...
  2. Jea

    Bees are just all over the pigs water barrel nozzle

    We noticed that there are just bees all around where they drink water. They have a 55 gallon barrel with a metal nozzle sticking out for their water. it works great, but now it's got bees all over the nozzle. We went in last night and washed the nozzle and all around the nozzle in case there...
  3. Jea

    Lump on side cheek of nubian goat - anything I can do?

    I have a nubian who just developed a cheek lump. It's not in the throat, it's right on the side of the face. We're going to call the vet on Monday, but is there anything we can do? Do these tend to just go away on their own or do they always require intervention?
  4. Jea

    When a pig has attitude

    We have 3 pigs, two barrows and a gilt. They are each about 250lbs. Two of them are very social. Barking at us, laying down for belly rubs, and just very happy pigs. One of them, the biggest, seems mean. He seems to challenge us if we go into their area. I think he's the alpha of the group and...
  5. Jea

    Anything you can put in the pig yard to make it less smelly?

    The snow just melted here and the pig yard is very muddy, so its not easy to move the manure because its all a big mess. Anything that you can treat the ground with the reduce the smell?
  6. Jea

    Rabbit enclosure is infested with big rats

    So, we knew something was eating the rabbits food this winter, and we started to fill feeders in the morning so the rabbits would eat during the day and there would less attractant at night. I thought maybe there were some mice possibly getting into their enclosure to still get to the droppings...
  7. Jea

    Can a pig jump a hog panel?

    We have used cattle panels to this point for the pig yard, and they worked well, but hog panels are attractive as we extend their area because you can step over them. Will full grown pigs jump over hog panels?
  8. Jea

    Using Barn Lime on Pig toilet area?

    My pigs are big now, and they make a lot of manure. Plus, they urinate so much that it's a mucky mess and hard to just shovel up and bring to a compost area more than once per week. I was thinking of sprinkling barn lime on the area throughout the week to reduce the odor until we can get to it...
  9. Jea

    Electric fencing for pigs - what do you think?

    We are devising a new plan to add a lot of new fencing in the spring. Our area is so wild and wooded, so adding any fencing is a combination of clearing enough path to get in the area workable, and then adding the panels (we've been using cattle panels or hog panels for extending our fencing in...
  10. Jea

    Does anyone else just have hunters coming through their property during the season?

    We just had a guy this morning that was walking through the property and the dogs went wild. We post no trespass signs but every year we still have these guys just walking through and ignoring them. Usually the leave quickly if we yell or if the dogs are going too crazy. We've let our neighbor...
  11. Jea

    Predator Pig - caught and ate a squirrel

    Our female pig must have had a lucky day because she was in her back paddock (which is a brushy area that we've opened up to give the 3 pigs more space) and came running out with a squirrel in her mouth (only the tail was hanging out.) We tried to get it off of her, but she wasn't letting it...
  12. Jea

    How to suggest a new toilet area be chosen by your pigs?

    I have 3 big pigs in 2 open areas, one closer to my home and one farther away. They have selected their preferred toilet region to be right at the gate where we walk into the pig area. Each week we shovel it all up and move it farther away to a compost pile, but during wetter seasons its...
  13. Jea

    Trying to figure out cups of food per pig per meal

    Our Idaho Pasture pigs are now 28 weeks. They are pets and have become the personality of our little farm. We've been feeding them 2 cups each per meal (4 cups a day each.) I just read that for their age they should get the equivalent of 10 cups each per day but I'd love to know the optimal...
  14. Jea

    Safe way to reduce weight on fat goats

    I have fat goats. The wethers have been described as obese and the does as chunky. I need to start bringing their weight down, but I want to do it safely. I have 4 goats. I typically feed them 2x per day, I give them each a cup of alfalfa pellets and a fresh flake of hay in their feeder. I was...
  15. Jea

    Using pigs to clear brush

    We live on a heavily wooded and wild acres. We thought the goats would be good with brush clearing but ours never like to leave their yard and if we can get them over to the brush they just stand there. We were thinking that pigs might do well, but can you put them in a temporary pen in a brushy...
  16. Jea

    Goat and chicken people starting with our first pigs

    Hi: We're about to get our first pigs (4 potbelly pigs) and I wanted to see if our plan made sense for their yard and shelter. We're building a small saltbox with a covered patio for them to get shade (no trees in this yard) and we were planning to carve 1200 sq of a fenced section of goat area...
  17. Jea

    Interlocking rubber mats on sleeping benches?

    HI: My goats have a goat house with 4 sleeping benches and that is their favorite place to sleep and hang out. Because of that, it's constantly a mess. We scrape off the goat droppings to the floor to rake them up, but in the morning the benches are covered and they are just laying on top of...
  18. Jea

    When is a mineral block ok?

    I have two young doelings (4 and 5 months) and 2 wethers (4 months.) We bought a big southern state mineral block for ruminants. Is it ok to just let them have at it, or do you have to wait until they reach a certain age before you would put that out for them?
  19. Jea

    What treats can you give wethers and does?

    Our goats LOVE animal crackers, but I don't want to give them animal cracker if they're bad for them. Can you let me know what you give as treats, and if you give different treats for males vs female goats? My kids love to go out and give them treats and sometimes their friends will be over...
  20. Jea

    What do you use to control flies in the goat house

    The biting flies are in the goat house, and although the fly strips catch some of them, it's hot and they seem to be particularly bitey. I am sure the goats are suffering with them. What do you use to control flies in the goat living area that won't hurt the goats?
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