10 Great DIY Gift Ideas for Shelter Animals.

10 Great DIY Gift Ideas for Shelter Animals. Adopt Me Bandanas Wearing colorful bandanas is a great way for shelter pets to get noticed by potential adopters. Adding “Adopt Me” with fabric markers makes an even bigger impact. These gifts are easy to make and could very well help shelter pets find new homes. Instructions for making a bandana for rescue dogs at pethelpful.com reminds readers to use washable cotton or cotton blend fabrics for this project.

No-sew Pet Beds A no-sew pet bed is a great gift idea for shelter dogs and cats. The Anti-Cruelty Society in Chicago, IL offers instructions on how to make these beds using just fleece, a ruler and scissors. Shelters often use towels and blankets for the animals in their care but according to the Anti-Cruelty Society, homemade pet beds are the most comfortable for shelter animals.

6 Natural Remedies for Hemorrhoids.

6 Natural Remedies for Hemorrhoids.Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in your anus and rectum, which may be accompanied by unpleasant symptoms like itching, bleeding and pain. Hemorrhoids can have many causes, such as straining to pass bowel movements, obesity, extended periods of sitting on a toilet, pregnancy, anal intercourse and a low-fiber diet. They are rarely dangerous, but always visit your doctor to confirm if you have hemorrhoids and rule out anything more serious. The following natural remedies can help to quickly heal a flair-up and prevent a relapse. 1. EAT ENOUGH FIBER Research has shown that increasing your fiber intake will help lessen bleeding, pain and itching from hemorrhoids. Fiber helps to soften stool and increase its bulk, which makes it easier to pass and reduces straining. For adults younger than 50 years old, the Institute of Medicine recommends your daily intake of fiber should be 38 grams for men and 25 grams for women. If you’re over 50, it drops to 30 grams for men and 21 grams for women.

Effective fly control on a dairy farm.

Effective fly control on a dairy farm.When a dairy operation becomes infested with flies, herd health, comfort, productivity and the bottom line can take a severe hit.Flies can have a serious economic impact on dairy operations by interfering with cow health and profitability. Flies spread disease causing bacteria and other organisms that can lead to infections and lost productivity, costing the industry hundreds of millions of dollars in losses each year. For the most effective control of these costly pests, a comprehensive integrated pest management programme built around effective fly control products should be administered.

The effects of noise on cattle performance.

The effects of noise on cattle performance. Husbandry procedures cause the loudest sounds, especially if the metallic equipment is involved or if the work is performed in a hurried manner. The sources of noise can be technical devices, routine works (opening and closing doors, changing pens, washers, push carts, workers’ speech, feed dispensing), basal sound levels caused by mechanical ventilation and animals activities (climbing and chewing on fences). Aircraft overflights are also major sources of noise and can affect feed intake, growth, or production rates in cattle and other domestic animals. The severity of response to disturbance may, however, vary with species, group size, social groups, sex, age, vegetation cover, season, and distance from the aircraft. The exposure of farm animals to noise has been identified as a potential stressor not only in housing but also during the transport and at the abattoir. Animals are often exposed to acute noise levels before slaughter in lairages where noise is caused by ventilation fans and operational equipment. In some parts of the world, grazing cows are often equipped with a bell for several months, to ensure that farmers can locate their animals on the wide pastures. In this case, animals tend to decrease head movements to avoid generation of the sound. As a result, the feeding and ruminating durations are decreased because both behaviors include head movements.

Agritech : use of sensors for management of dairy cows.

Sensor value and viability for dairy cows. Biosensors and their use in animal health management is an emerging market gaining much attention around the world. But the efficacy can vary and farmers are sometimes hesitant to actually buy the sensors.

Sensors used to detect oestrus, lameness, disease and calving are being touted as the next big thing in dairy production. It is not known, however, if these sensor systems actually improve the health and production of dairy herds.

Sick or not? The green light will tell.

A US company has developed a bright green LED light, which is attached to the animal’s ear and is able to warn the farmer if an animal is sick.


Pulling cattle out of large feedlots for treatment can be time consuming, provided you even know these animals are sick.

Quantified Ag, based in Lincoln, Nebraska have therefore developed a light to attach to the cow’s ear that turns bright green when the animal is sick.

The concept has been tested in US feedlots and is set to launch commercially soon.

Danish test grass as protein source for pigs.

Danish test grass as protein source for pigs. In a project named ‘SuperGrassPork’, several partners in the Danish agribusiness are teaming up to figure out whether grass or clover could be a suitable protein source for organic pigs. The green sources could thus be a replacement for soybeans. To make sure that the pigs can actually digest the proteins, it needs to be extracted through refining. A technique to do so has been developed in the last few years. SuperGrassPork will develop a system for organic pig production, where a large part of the feed protein comes from locally produced clover grass. In earlier trials, pigs were observed not to reject refined grass and clover proteins, according to Seges, the advisory organisation of Danish Agriculture & Food Council (L&F).