How-To Library

Thinking of starting a small hobby farm or hobby farming? Check out these tips and ideas from Southern States on shelter, soil, management, fencing, and more.

Even if you have taken the time to store hay and silage for the coming months when grass is sparse, you still have more preparations to make. As the temperatures start to dip, it’s time to reevaluate your fall cattle mineral requirements.

After a summer full of scorching temperatures and few rainy days you may wonder how hard did the drought hit the United States this year? The answer is hard, especially in the nation's corn belt where most states experienced extreme to exceptional drought statuses.

Whether you’re bringing up a swine herd or just a couple of hogs, follow these five techniques to keep your pigs happy on the farm. N.C. State University Swine Nutritionist Eric van Heugten says that different life stages require different nutrients. “The greatest bang for your buck would be to go to at least two diets: One for young pigs and lactating sows, and one for older pigs and gestating sows.”

Minerals make up a small (but extremely important portion) of dry matter consumed by beef cattle. When it comes to selecting the appropriate mineral for your herd it’s important to look at a number of factors.

A cow that doesn’t produce a calf each year is a profit drainer rather than a profit gainer for any cow-calf operation. In an ideal world, each cow in your herd will be pregnant for 285 days and then breed back within 80 days, giving you a calf every year (within every 12 months). To accomplish this feat, your cow needs to be at the top of her nutritional game.

Have you considered raising beef cattle? Before you bring the first head of cattle onto your land you must determine what type of operation you want to run. The two most popular types are cow/calf and stocker operations. While both operations will require pasture and feeding systems, cattle-handling equipment and loading (transportation) facilities, planning for your specific operation will make life easier once the cattle arrive.

Proactively managing your pasture through the summer can help provide quality nutrition for your livestock all season long and next season, too. Let the pasture experts at your local Southern States store help you make sure the grass is always greener on your side.

Determining whether or not to creep feed calves is one of the most complex economic decisions a producer has to make.

The best way to handle any emergency situation that may arise with your horse is to think like a scout and be prepared. A well- stocked barn medicine chest will let you immediately start treating your horse’s injury or illness, instead of running around the barn looking for items you need.