Could you call it a farm without animals? Most farmers raise animals for a variety of reasons. Some want to have some company when they’re out in the field while some animals, while others need these animals to assist with daily tasks, such as ploughing the field or herding sheep in the right direction.
Of course, animals will need food, water, a roof over their heads, and a clean place to sleep in. Most of the time, farms and many facilities that do house livestock won’t give all of these necessities.
Although it might seem like a daunting task trying to give animals food, water, and good hygiene, it’s simpler than most people think. It won’t necessarily take you an hour to provide the necessary amount of care to one animal.
Whether it’s livestock or farm animals that help with farmers’ labour, no one can deny that animals should be treated with respect and care, especially since they provide sustenance or help us with our daily tasks.
So what are some basic ways of treating farm animals with care? Here are some important ways of taking care of animals.
Invest in High-Quality Equipment
One of the best ways of ensuring that your farm animals are protected from the elements is by investing in the necessary tools and equipment that they can ‘wear.’ For instance, horses might need good horseshoes for an added amount of durability when galloping. If there are cows on your farm that produce milk, you might want to invest in some cow milking machines that are comfortable for these cows.
If you’re looking for effective and highly farming equipment, you might want to consider using plough parts that can fit well with your farm animal or your farming tractor. Having the right farming equipment for ploughing can make the process smoother and more manageable. Plus, you won’t have to worry about your farm animals getting overburdened by work.
Nutrition
Most of the time, farmers will work in-tandem with nutritionists and vets to have the right formulation for animals’ nutritional needs. Each animal is unique in their way, so there’s no be-all-end-all for nutritional needs.
It’s important to note that animals’ nutritional needs are also determined by several critical factors, such as age, health conditions (sickness, pregnancy), and other factors. For the most part, nutrition will play a key role in livestock that produce animal products, such as milk production in cows and goats.
Medical Attention
Everybody gets sick, including animals. Although most animals do have a strong immune system, veterinary care for animals is a must. Even in rural areas, there’s bound to be someone who can provide healthcare services to farm animals.
Given that most farm animals will be in close vicinity of other animals, diseases can be easily transmitted. It’s essential to get your farm animals vaccinated as soon as possible. There are a variety of different conditions that can be transferred from one species to another. For instance, dogs can get canine parvovirus just by sniffing the faeces of an infected animal.
Comfort
The last thing that you want is your animal being stressed out since this is counter-productive. A comfortable animal is quite productive. For instance, cows given the right amount of comfort and attention tend to produce more milk. As most of us know, more milk means that you’ll have higher yields.
Since the climate of New Zealand can vary, it’s only essential to regulate the temperature of most of your facilities to a comfortable temperature. In some cases, farmers will place massive naps to encourage these animals to take much-needed naps for comfort.
Shelter
Lastly, shelter should always be a priority for farm animals. There’s a common notion that farm animals can live outside, but it’s easier to take care of livestock clumped up as a group when they’re sheltered indoors. The shelter is also a great way of staving off predators such as wolves and dingos.
Most of the time, dairy farmers will need to separate cows from young calves so that the younger generation can transition towards hays.
Overall, you don’t necessarily need to provide over-the-top luxurious care for your farm animals. Other than there’s no need to splurge, these animals are used to living off basic sustenance. However, it’s still important to give them the right care and respect that they deserve.
After all, farm animals also have emotions, and it’s best to give them enough space to interact with other animals and space to do their own thing.
