Our Animals

The very first drink your newborn animals have are the most important of their lives.

It may be unsightly, slow-witted and produce an intolerable noise, but the guinea fowl is a useful addition to any lifestyle block.

If you want happy, healthy chicks, it starts with choosing the best eggs.

The fight to save teeny, tiny Sadie-Baby.

It is almost impossible to tell if a chick is male or female at hatching.

This unusual coop is also a feature of the landscape at night.

A healthy, hardy, delicious flock comes down to one key choice.

Looking for the perfect chicken coop design? You can find both inspiration and envy in this one.

It happens to all of us – here's how to deal with your chook losing a nail.

You can pay for a professional soil test, or assess it yourself with some close observation.

A Kaikōura couple finds their purpose in stalking — and saving — the banded dotterel. They’ve been winging it for seven years.

Before the winter chill settles in, make sure you and your farm are well-equipped with this handy checklist.

They’re often mistaken for stuffed toys, but Valais Blacknose sheep are real and spreading their cuteness around New Zealand.

Some creepy crawlies might invade your home this winter, while others are accidental visitors.

Water is the number one nutrient for poultry, and it's crucial to keep it clean.

A seaweed-rich diet may be the key to reducing burps in cattle.

Being a responsible cat owner also means protecting our native birds.

They’re delightful little creatures, but you need to be careful about how you share the love.

Long-time poultry writer Sue Clarke answers your queries on poultry health.

Spraying weeds is easy, but it turns out organic methods can give you the same results if you do it right. Here are 16 practical ways to control weeds without using chemicals.

Here’s how to fight one of the most frustrating problems for poultry owners that’s so small, it’s hard to spot.

Vitamins are a tiny part of your flock’s diet, and if they’re missing, the signs can be confusing.

Flystrike is easy to prevent, but vets still see it far too often.

A little lamb survives the seemingly unsurvivable.

Jodi Roebuck has been mob grazing sheep for more than 10 years.

There are few things more beautiful than a peacock strutting his stuff, fanning a full, bejewelled, iridescent tail. Don’t be sucked in, says Ross Lawrenson.

The decisions you make about how you manage your sheep now have a big influence on the lambs you'll get in spring.

Two cute pigs are too greedy for their own good.

These tiny birds are the easiest and most efficient producers of eggs and meat you can raise.

With the number of lifestyle block owners rising each year, many of them new to farming, it’s important to know where to find reputable advice and help.

A natural waste product from the mussel industry is now a health supplement for happy hens.

If beehives aren’t your thing, there are a few simple strategies you can use to encourage another beloved pollinator to find a home in your garden.

Prepare to bee amazed.

Scientists have shown it’s possible to potty train cows, which can help with reducing greenhouse gas emissions.