But they can't claim all the credit; their rumen - the enormous (50-gallon) fermentation vat that breaks down what they eat - houses billions of bacteria, yeast and protozoa. These microbes are the real workhorses of digestion, using unique chemical reactions to turn tough cellulose into volatile fatty acids that the cow uses for energy. Talk about teamwork!
When a cow becomes sick, these precious rumen microbes can get sick, too, and even die. Understandably, this has a negative impact on the cow's digestion. One remedy to help a sick cow get back on track is a ruminal transplant. This is where new, healthy microbes from another cow are given to the sick one. This happens with the help of an animal called a fistulated cow.
この記事は Hobby Farms の Best of Hobby Farms 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Hobby Farms の Best of Hobby Farms 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Making Bucks from Clucks
These five reasons might be why you're losing money on your chickens.
Soil Testing
Whether you are new to farming altogether or you are leasing your farmland to a producer who is unfamiliar with the practice, becoming knowledgeable about the acts of soil testing and them applying recommended soil amendments based on soil test results provides tremendous advantages to the soil, plants, and your pocketbook.
Small-But-Mighty Hot Peppers
You don’t have to have a lot of garden space or an especially long growing season to succeed with hot peppers.
French Intensive Gardening
This permaculture system relies on soil improvement, raised beds, close spacing, companion planting, succession planting and crop rotation. Oui, oui!
FORAGE FOR FOWL
Consider these three cool-season forages as you plant your pasture with free-range poultry in mind.
Cut-And-Come Lettuce
Maximize your profits while minimizing time to grow and seed costs with this easy cut-and-come approach to growing lettuce salad mix.
Laying AN EGG
Maintaining correct male-to-female ratios and keeping flocks of younger breeding fowl will help ensure higher fertility and hatching rates.
20 COOP CONSIDERATIONS
Keep these 20 things in mind when designing a home for your chickens.
Get LOW in Spring
There comes a time when we all just want to start planting in our gardens again, and a low tunnel provides an earlier-is-better option.
Seed-Starting Soil Temps
Don't miss out on growing time by focusing only on the air temperature.
