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You’ve all heard the saying, “If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is.” With maximizing antler size being the main concern for many whitetail deer herd managers, there is a nutritional practice that is becoming more common every day. Managers will take a complete ration and then blend or cut that ration with commodities perceived as nutritionally dense or top dresses that are often deemed as miracle pills for increasing antler size. Some pay insane amounts for rations that are simply over-priced because they believe the social media hype that your average antler size will be...

There comes a time in every chicken’s life (usually around 14 – 18 months old) where they start to lose all their feathers, look gangly and downright ugly. But don’t be alarmed! This is a natural process that occurs annually. This process is called molt. What is molt? Molt is the natural shedding of feathers and regrowth of new ones. This usually happens in the fall as day length shortens. It is the chickens way to refresh old feathers and grow new ones for the coming winter. Molt happens in an expected order, starting at the head, down the back, breast and...

Minerals are an important part of the total ration for cows and calves. They are necessary for reproduction, health, growth and milk production. In most areas, minerals are not adequate in the forage or concentrate and must be provided. Many times, that is in the form of a free-choice product in a mineral feeder. It’s a common thought that cows will regulate themselves on mineral and will eat the amount they need, but there are so many factors impacting intake that you can’t depend on the cow to balance her own needs. Two factors that can be easily adjusted are...

While recently reviewing farms feed program, the manager explained that some of her horses only received 1 pound of grain per day. She felt their weight was good, but yet they appeared to be lacking something in their diet. She was wondering what type of supplements she could add. When we looked at the tag on her feed, the problem was obvious. Her feed was designed for to be fed at a rate of 0.5 – 0.75 pounds per 100 pounds of body weight. This means that to provide proper fortification for a 1000 pound horse, she would need to...

We all love to walk with our dogs. It is a great way to get exercise and to bond with your pet. However, some of us live in places where dogs cannot always get the exercise they need due to city living or small backyards. There are also many dogs that need more intense exercise than they can get just by walking. For most of us, running for a couple of miles with the dog is out of the question. The solution - consider biking with your dog. This way of spending time with your dog is becoming more and...