One good thing about a serious drought is that it makes people in both town and country realise that if it doesn’t rain, how very vulnerable we humans are, especially farmers who rely on pastures to make a living. Suddenly people are realising that water is a lot more important than oil – and that … Read more
Cattle, farming, husbandry, stockyards for cattle, loading ramps basic principles, helpful construction suggestions, stand off and feed pads By Dr Clive Dalton Loading rampsHaving to build a set of yards for handling and loading cattle on to trucks can be an expensive exercise, but there is no avoiding it unless you can use your neighbour’s … Read more
How to euthanise sheep, slaughter without pain, methods, correct shooting, throat cutting, blow to head, operator safety By Dr Clive Dalton If you have to euthanise (kill) a sheep of any age in New Zealand, it’s important to study the MAF Code of Animal Welfare No. 19 on “Emergency slaughter of farm livestock” because the … Read more
Four-wheeler ATVs are top of thieves shopping lists this spring, and it seems that the market cannot be satisfied. I saw a lovely little two-wheel-drive ATV recently in very good order that had been bought “from a mate” for $300. Even though it’s low powered, you have to wonder about its history. People leaving suburbia for … Read more
Chopping down trees for firewood on small farms is always good fun, but it can also be a very dangerous exercise for lifestyle farmers with little or no experience. The problem is that like driving a car, few people will admit to their lack of experience with chainsaws. If you want proof of this, note how many … Read more
Personal hygiene is especially important at lambing time for both humans and sheep. Public health officers report that New Zealand has the highest number of campylobacter cases per head of population in the world, and rural people are most affected because of the large number of animals around. Campylobacter is one of a group of … Read more
Cattle, farming, husbandry, meat, killing, slaughter of stock, farm meat for home consumption, the law, good practice. By Dr Clive Dalton Home killing on the farm
By Dr Clive Dalton The time of the bulls! Complacency kills Handling facilities for bulls Peak danger time Fight of flight Disclaimer This material is provided in good faith for information purposes only, and the author does not accept any liability to any person for actions taken as a result of the information or advice … Read more
It’s very simple – you either take chainsaw safety seriously or you are an accident waiting to happen. Yet it’s surprising how many people who own, and happily use a chainsaw, don’t seem to understand this. Don’t be one of them. The situation seems to be different (ie worse) in New Zealand as trees grow so … Read more