Have you ever stood in your garden wondering what’s wrong with a plant—or looked at a canning recipe and felt unsure if it’s truly safe? Maybe you’re a new landowner trying to make environmentally sound decisions, or simply want to grow better agricultural crops this season. Whatever your question, UConn Extension is here to help—with […]
Livestock, Dairy, Equine, & Poultry Handling
SPRING is in the Air: Ideas of How to Prepare
After a long season with little color, when Spring arrives it’s great to see the greening of the grass and blooming flowers. Horses shedding definitely is another reminder. As a horse owner, when you think of the word SPRING, it can help bring to mind some tasks to focus on.
Extreme Weather Preparedness for Livestock Operations
Extreme weather poses a significant risk to animal operations. Keeping livestock and farm families safe requires preparation before an extreme weather event. Work closely with local service providers to develop a comprehensive plan. Stay alert to changes in weather and take action early to prepare for emergencies. Preparing in advance can help to mitigate the negative effects of natural disasters. This factsheet is designed for livestock owners or managers seeking to prepare operations for severe weather events.
Livestock Summer Field Workshops
It’s that time of year again: Tri-State SARE Summer Field Workshops Join us for one, two, or all three! Wednesday, May 21 – Finicky Farm 9:30-12:30; 664 Millers Falls Rd. Northfield, MA 01360 We invite you to join us in touring this sheep and goat operation. Get a look at the grazing management, stockpiling and […]
Pasture: Planning, Seeding, and Sacrifice Areas
It is important to prepare prior to designing a pasture by considering the use of the pasture, land resources available, seeding (including what to seed), design, and location of sacrifice areas. A sacrifice lot will help prevent over-conditioned horses by reducing pasture intake as well as protecting land resources. The expression ‘Failing to prepare, we prepare to fail’ is never more true than when it comes to pasture management.
Conditioning to Prevent Fatigue, Injury and/or Lameness in the Horse
It might be observed at the end of a horse show, event or trail ride. A horse is lathered, huffing and looks exhausted. Is the horse exercise-intolerant? No, most likely it just has not been properly conditioned. Conditioning is defined as getting one’s muscles into better shape through graded exercise. Age, genetics, and nutrition play major roles in conditioning.
Help us Reach All Communities During UConn Gives
Donate today to help ensure UConn Extension can continue to provide trusted knowledge and resources to residents across Connecticut. Through the Reaching All Communities with UConn Extension fund, we ensure that vital programs reach those who need them most. Make a Difference – Donate Today! Impact of your gift One way this fund helps Connecticut families is […]
10 Tips for New Poultry Owners: Promoting Healthy Flocks and Families
Raising domestic poultry can be a fun and rewarding experience. There are several steps to establishing and maintaining the health of your flock, family, and environment.
Backyard Poultry: A Quick Look at Raising Healthy Birds
Raising backyard poultry is an increasingly popular endeavor, providing fresh eggs, meat, and companionship, while contributing to a sustainable food system. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced poultry owner, it is essential to understand the fundamental aspects of poultry selection, housing, health management, and biosecurity to ensure a healthy, and productive, flock.
Basic Equine Dental Care and How to Detect Trouble
All horses should receive a complete dental exam, at least yearly, starting from their first year of life. By the time most horse owners recognize that a horse is having trouble eating or is losing weight, that horse’s teeth may be severely abnormal. Proper dental care from the beginning of the horse’s life can help eliminate problems before they start. Seek an experienced equine dentist or equine veterinarian to undertake these necessary horse care issues.
Colic: Its Risk Factors and Prevention
Colic refers to any type of abdominal pain. There are many things that can be done to help prevent horse colic issues. By being aware of the risk factors and implementing these preventative measures, the horse can avoid this painful and costly disorder.
Developing a Biosecurity Plan for Your Livestock or Poultry Operation
A biosecurity plan is a proactive protocol for maintaining the health of animals and people that interact with production or hobby enterprises. The goal of biosecurity is to prevent the introduction and spread of disease-causing pathogens within and between groups of animals and humans. The factsheet integrates a ‘One Health’ approach and is intended for use by livestock operation managers, hobbyists, and others that work closely with poultry and livestock species. The best practices included in this resource may apply to any of the following: chickens, ducks, cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, and other domestic livestock.
Insulin Resistance in Horses – Does It Matter?
Insulin resistance is defined as a reduced sensitivity of the body’s cells to insulin’s facilitation of glucose uptake. This article discusses equine insulin resistance including its causes, effects, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
Strategic Deworming and Preventing Reinfestation
As spring and warm weather approaches, horse owners typically consider deworming. Recent discussion has centered around how horse owners should switch from rotational deworming–or time-based deworming with the same drug–to strategic deworming also known as targeted or selective deworming. Following that will be consideration of ways to prevent reinfestation of horses that were dewormed.
Attention Backyard Poultry Owners!
Attention Backyard Poultry Owners! Following proper biosecurity and food safety guidelines is key to keeping your flock and food safe. While Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is a serious concern, it is not a food safety issue as long as you follow recommended precautions. ✅ Always cook poultry and eggs to a safe internal temperature (165°F). ✅ […]
Final two Livestock Producer Listening Sessions
There’s two more producer listening sessions from 10am- 2pm, hosted by UConn Extension’s Diversified Livestock Extension Field Based Specialist, MacKenzie White. Join her to share your needs, challenges, and aspirations as a livestock producer in Connecticut. The next session is virtual, on Thursday January 23rd, 2025. Use https://s.uconn.edu/livestocklisteningsession to join! The final session is Tuesday […]
How Horse Enthusiasts Can Help Protect Water Bodies
Time on the water, either with or without horses, is often restorative and a fun way to cool off. A horse owner’s thoughts may turn to dreams of riding on the beach or swimming with horses. However, here are some considerations of horses around water bodies.
Equine Management: To Blanket or Not to Blanket
To blanket or not to blanket? Some scientists from Norway decided to give horses the chance to answer that question. In a paper entitled Horses can learn to use symbols to communicate their preferences, scientists taught 23 horses three different symbols that either meant ‘take blanket off’, ‘put blanket on’ or ‘no change’.
Enjoying the Winter with Your Horse
One of the benefits of living in places that experience true winter is the ability to enjoy the changing seasons. By being properly prepared, there is no reason not to enjoy winter horseback riding. Here are a few tips for being prepared, using the letters from the the song Let It Snow for inspiration.
Mosquito Borne Diseases: Eastern and Western Equine Encephalomyelitis and West Nile Virus – Prevention is Just a Vaccine Away
Mosquitoes cause three of the major diseases that affect horses today. Eastern and Western Equine Encephalomyelitis have been around for many years and can be caused by mosquitoes or arthropods, and by now you have probably heard of West Nile Virus that recently emerged and became a problem in the last few years. Knowing the cause, clinical signs, treatment and prevention of these diseases are important, since letting these diseases go untreated can lead to the demise of your favorite horse.
Lighting and Your Horse
Circadian and circannual regulation in the horse refers to the internal timing in the equine athlete. A circadian rhythm lasts approximately 24 hours and exists under constant conditions. It can be synchronized by external signals (light/dark the most important) and is endogenously (within the body) generated. It is unaffected by changes in temperature. Feeding and exercise schedules are secondary cues that help synchronize circadian rhythms.
Horse Management and the Land in the Fall
Fall can often be a busy season as temperatures drop, trees change colors and leaves fall and crisp, cool air often leads to more time outdoors. It’s also a great time for land, home and horse owners to consider dealing with not only leaves, but drainage issues, acorns, and storm preparedness. It is a great time to take a look around and assess the horse-keeping situation and be sure that acorns, leaves and drainage don’t cause issues. It is also a great time to get ready to deal with whatever Mother Nature may bring in the time and seasons to come.
Workshop: Pasture Based Systems Sustainable Livestock Production
Join UConn Extension for a tour of Pat’s Pastured, a Rhode Island pasture-raised livestock and poultry farm that serves both retail and wholesale customers. Following the tour, owner Pat McNiff will lead a presentation and answer questions regarding the economic analysis and decision making involved with growing, harvesting and marketing his products to ensure the […]
Safely Trailering and Loading Your Horse
In order to have a successful trip with your horse, there are some safety considerations involved. It is important to know how to safely load and trailer your horse. Unsafe trailering and loading can lead to accidents and health concerns.
Reducing Storm Damage to Your Barn
Buildings need to provide a safe environment for workers and animals. Historically, agricultural buildings were considered of low importance, so structural load reductions of roughly 20% may have been applied in the design. If there were no engineered building prints or structural inspections, the owner assumed responsibility for building design.
How to Prepare for Equine Disasters
We have all watched the evening news and seen horses stranded in floods or have heard about the latest barn fire in our communities. First, some shocking statistics. Every year, floods in the United States cause $2 billion in damage and animals risk death from hypothermia or drowning. Annually more than 300,000 people are driven from their homes by floods.
Fire Safety – Prevent, Prepare and Take Action!
Fire safety may not be a thought on every horse owner’s mind, but it should be in order to prevent tragedy from occurring. It seems like every horse owner knows stories of horrific barn fires and you certainly don’t want to be the next one!
Flooding Preparedness for Horse Owners
Flooding is a year-round threat for horse owners and one of the most common ones that we face. This publication provides information on the two types of floods, factors to consider, and items needed in an equine disaster kit.