How to use nutrition to heal sick horses.

Nutrition is vital for growth and development in horses, but sick horses also need a healthy plan to stay alive,healthy and recover fast. Sick horses can be difficult to manage if the proper combination of feed is not presented as certain conditions require restrictions of certain food groups to aid healing. Horses with respiratory diseases such as heaves and inflammatory airway disorder should be handled with care as these conditions are intensified with inhalation of particles. Feeding horses with these conditions will require altering typical feed or changing presentation of feed to reduce possibility of inhaling feed particles. Horses with these conditions can be fed using hay cubes or soak the hay for about 10-15 minutes before presentation. Horses can also be fed steamed hay,which will reduce the intensity of dust particles and also sterilize the hay by killing any pathogen in the hay. Hay can also be presented in pelleted form to reduce the chances of inhaling dust particles. When horses have chronic kidney disease ,the aim will be to avoid dietary protein but encourage the normal eating and drinking .Horses with chronic kidney disease fed on dietary protein will urinate excessively thus putting further pressure on kidneys thus protein is not recommended also the amount of calcium must be reduced so as to decrease the amount of substance the kidney must excrete in urine. The horse should be fed high quality hay or keep horses on pasture. Horses that have been off feed for a while or had feed that had restricted energy requirement are prone to hepatic lipidosis which is life-threatening. Horses must be encouraged to eat and a balanced ration presented. The feeding regimen must be aggressive to get the horse back in shape,this can be achieved by using hand feeding or passing of a nasogastric tube.

Horses: The benefits of boots and bandages in horses.

Boots and bandages usually for support and protection. Horses are active animals usually sporty,so its only logical to strap on boots when off to the field,sport track or generally when in transit. The extent of injury on limbs are also reduced when in boots as opposed to being bare footed. Bandaging works for support,protection and also as a source of pressure when horse is injured. Horse lovers and owners use bandages and wraps to apply pressure to a wound to stop bleeding by encouraging clotting and protect that wound from contamination. Wrapping a leg wound will reduce swelling as keeping the swelling down is the most important aspect of the healing process.

Study shows that kicks from shod horses can break bones.

Never stand behind a horse,never.This is one of the most ,if not the most common tip in equine class and on the field. The force of a horse kick can be fatal aside from bone damage,and its common knowledge that a kick from a shod horse will inflict more damage than from a bare foot horse. A new study by Swiss researchers has confirmed that a kick from a horse with metal shoes comes with a much greater risk of fracture to another horse’s long bones than a horse with plastic shoes,but with risk significantly minimized if the horse has no shoes at all. This is why its important to keep horses barefoot on the hind limbs when in groups on pasture .

Fracture: Tiny bubbles used to heal non-healing fractures in pigs.

Scientists have used a new procedure employing tiny bubbles to heal bones in pigs. The scientists embarked on research to find an alternative to bone grafts for bone fractures. These scientists have developed a much needed alternative to bone grafts that could help alleviate the long-term hospitalization, disability, and considerable costs to the health system associated with non-healing fractures. Bone injuries sometimes fail to heal completely resulting in nonunion fractures resulting in attempts to ensure healing by using bone grafts. The procedure is painful and most bone grafts donated usually fail to integrate. The researchers devised a two-step gene therapy method coupled with FDA-approved ultrasound and microbubbles that completely healed nonunion fractures in pigs within eight weeks of treatment. This technique is safe,minimally invasive but promoted complete bone healing.

How to use wasps and gall midges for aphid control.

How to use wasps and gall midges for aphid control. Parasitic wasps and gall midges are the cornerstone of a reliable aphid control strategy,as preventive or curative. This is very important for cucumber and gherkin growers to prevent losses. Biological control of aphids rests mostly on the introduction of parasitic wasps and gall midges. The female insects look actively for aphid hot spots to lay their eggs. When these eggs hatch, the larvae devour the helpless aphids.The parasitic wasps are always introduced as pupae. These need to be put on damp, shady spots between the crops to guarantee the best result. The parasitic gall midge Aphidoletes aphidimyza is a strong complementary weapon against aphids. In contrast to the parasitic wasps, the gall midge isn’t very choosy regarding its diet. “Its progeny eats literally every aphid species. more

How to use coconut coir (coco peat) to control weeds.

Coconut coir also known as “coco peat” stands alone as a quality substrate with unique properties. Its made from coconut husk in the heart of coconut country in Tamil Nadu India and Sri Lanka, coco peat is organic in nature, sustainable and renewable. Growing with coir is an eco-friendly choice that roots love, healthy roots mean healthy plants, no matter what you’re growing. The agriculture and horticulture industries have recognized that coir could be the perfect growing media, as it possesses the qualities that most plants demand: 1)Drainage. 2) Moisture Retention. 3) Aeration. 4) Neutral pH. Coconut coir is essential in hydroponics, the qualities that make it perfect for that application translate to containers of all sizes, gardens, raised bed gardens,microgreens, floriculture and more. The other advantage of growing with coir is that it keeps weeds away; Tom March,a farmer explains how to use them successfully on the farm. Tom does not want to bathe his crops with herbicides so on his 150 acre March Farm in Bethlehem Ct, he’s beaten weeds by laying weed barrier and growing his crops in grow bags. While it’s not uncommon to see grow bags used in a greenhouse setting, Tom likes the way he can control his growing environment both inside and out, with grow bags filled with coco coir peat growing media. Grow bags with coco coir peat help farmers control their crops in several ways. There is no need to till or mix soils, the coir is sterile in the bag which means no soil viruses, no fungus, and no undesirable insects. The crop is also elevated from the ground which reduces the encroachment of crawling insects. March Farms learned that weeds and the undesirable insects they may attract are no longer a factor. The overall operation is cleaner too. more

Dubai shops allow you to pay with cucumbers!

Dubai shops allow you to pay with cucumbers! On May 17, a collection of 35 Dubai restaurants and lounges will accept a cucumber as form of payment in exchange for a selected mixed beverage. According to their Facebook page, DXB Cucumber Day's aim is to transform “the humble green fruit into exchangeable monetary units." You don't have to pay money. You literally have to hand over a cucumber to your server. It is, however, limited to one cucumber per person. Benefits of cucumber are Check list of participating restaurants see