Our Animals

Naughty yet loveable, the Goodman family’s goats are not just pets but the raw and rather vocal talent in a cheesemaking success story.

When you have four cats, two dogs, a horse and 13 goats, vet bills are inevitable, but there is a way to save a lot of money.

Cattle on small blocks need a lot of feed going into autumn and winter. Here are some tips to keep them happy and healthy in the cooler months.

Some hens aren’t fussed on humans, while others think they rule the roost and don’t understand why they can’t live with you in the house. Research by a NZ-based animal behaviour expert is now available to show farmers how to make a hen’s life happier.

Rats are incredibly smart, and it can be difficult to reduce their numbers if they’ve learnt to avoid bait and traps. But science has discovered the one thing a rat can’t resist, and Sheryn Dean has successfully put it to the test.

It's time to make some tough decisions to make sure you make it through autumn. Here are some tips to ensure your pastures stay in prime condition.

Everyone has seen poultry dumped on roadsides and around parks , but it's a cruel practice that those who love poultry are trying to stop.

When you have a sick chook, it can be helpful to observe all its symptoms so a poultry expert or vet can give you the best advice.

It’s the start of a new sheep year and the breeding season, so start with tidying up the ewe flock before the rams go out.

What the Animal Welfare codes say you need to do to give your hen the best environment to keep her happy, healthy and productive.

At the first sign of an unusual egg – one without a shell, or those with ridges, pimples or strange markings – the popular advice seems to come from everywhere, but most of it is wrong, and worse, could cause more problems. This is why you need to understand the role of calcium.

At Farewell Spit NZ Life & Leisure staff Cheree Morrison and Jane Ussher saw nature at its most beautiful and most cruel.

A multi-tasking Kiwi with a passion for saving animals has set up a special sanctuary on her lifestyle block just outside Melbourne.

Get a handle on Facial Eczema this season by following these 12 tips.

With more commercial farms turning free-range, there are going to be exciting, more natural, scientifically-proven ways to fight diseases for all of us.

He blew up his first methane tank, built a boat in the shape of a saucer, and helped to design a super-efficient water blaster, but Coll Bell’s favourite inventions involve manure, and the more, the better.

Ensure your sheep are the happiest and healthiest they possible can be this summer with these helpful tips.

As temperatures and humidity rise, so do the creepy crawlies in and around your hen house. Listed below are some ways to be rid pests the natural way.

They may be on your property right now and they come in peace.

The government’s audacious goal of a predator-free New Zealand by 2050 needs to harness clever people and smart technology. Meet some leaders in the field.

Livestock being moved around a property can become unsettled, and that can be dangerous. Here's five ways you can keep things under control.

It may not smell the greatest, but your garden will thank you for using horse manure to help it flourish.

When you’re considering security options for your farm, you’re probably considering the obvious: alarm system, gate alarm, dog, automatic lights, security cameras, but have you considered the humble goose?

Regional councils around NZ are introducing new rules around farming, and you need to know how they may affect what and how you do things on your block.

Meet the Williamsons: global merino suppliers raising a tribe of small boys and creating real socks appeal in Omarama.

A West Virginian farmer has some handy ideas for creating chicken homes from an old desk.

If you’ve never vaccinated your livestock before and not lost any, you’ve been lucky. Vaccination is an easy, cheap and important way of keeping your livestock healthy, and alive.

Anyone can build a fence, but it's a science and an art to build a good quality fence.

Pigs are smart, engaging livestock, and they taste great too, but it pays to prepared for their specialist requirements before you take delivery.

Dr Sea Rottman will soon depart on an all-female expedition to Antarctica - just one of many adventures in her life.

It might seem an easy way to make money, but setting up a successful calf-rearing business is harder than it looks.

There’s a common theme running through Southland block of Margaret Cockeram.

One of the most economic ways to get a new breed in your coop is to get someone to post fertile eggs.

Part of the fun of owning a small flock is hatching eggs, whether by natural means or with a little mechanical intervention.