Whether you are raising livestock and poultry for sale, to make products, or to cater to your own table, keeping them in good condition and health is crucial. However, as anyone with experience taking care of livestock knows, this can be easier said than done. Indeed, there are many factors to consider if you want to keep your charges healthy when raising poultry and livestock. The good news is you can read on to find the most important ones.
Make sure they have access to the right food and clean water
It may seem like a no-brainer, but when it comes to making sure that your animals stay healthy. Providing them with suitable foods and a constant supply of clean water is crucial. Of course, these are also things that can get easily overlooked. Especially when you;re caught up with all the tasks that need to be done when running a busy farm.
To prevent this from happening it’s well worth doing your research on the best quality and types of food available for your animals, ahead of time. Also, remember that water feeders can easily become clogged or dirty. Bacteria and viruses can get into your animals’ water from the source too. With that in mind, there are a few things you need to do.
The first is to make sure that you have a schedule for not only filling up your animals’ water feeders and troughs but also for cleaning them out regularly. Be sure to use animal-safe cleaning products and rinse well before refilling them.
Also, it’s a smart idea to make the entire water system that you are using as robust as possible. This means using covered tanks so files and other bugs cannot get into the water supply, as well as investing in copper pipe to transport the water from one location to another. The reason is that copper pipe is naturally antimicrobial and so bacteria will not be able to grow in it. Both pollute your animal’s drinking supply.
Get them checked by a vet regularly
Getting your flock, or herd checked by a veterinary professional regularly is also a good idea if you want them to stay as healthy as possible. Unfortunately, many people wait until there is an obvious problem before calling on the skills of their vet.
However, by being proactive and scheduling regular check-ups you can often catch issues before they grow into something much more serious that could affect the health of your animals as well as the viability of your end product.
Ensure they have enough space to thrive
Lastly, most people that work with animals know the healthiest and happiest ones are on farms where they are have space to roam. Yes, it’s true that not all farms work on a free-range basis. However, it is also worth noting that you can charge more for free-range produce in the marketplace. If you are raising animals for your own consumption it only makes sense to give them the best life possible. They are part of your food chain.
