Receiving Show Pigs: Getting Off to the Right Start

Getting your show pig off to a good start is one of the most important aspects for feeders to consider. The “receiving” phase is one of the most stressful times in a show pig’s life, so steps need to be taken to ensure the transition from the breeder’s farm to your barn is as easy […]

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Gut Health Impacts Behavior

So far in our Gut Health Series we have covered the implications of good gut health on digestion and absorption, as well as its correlation to immunity. However, research has proven that good gut health also has a profound impact on animal behavior. Often taken for granted, the proportion of good vs bad bacteria in […]

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It All Starts With Good Help and a Great Mineral

In an era when fads come and go and trends change with the seasons, Greg Beatty believes in keeping the basics of livestock nutrition at the core of his feeding program. Beatty Club Lambs, located in Indiana, Pennsylvania, flushes about 30 ewes in the late summer and fall, prioritizing a flush program to generate consistency […]

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Anxious Animals :: Reducing Stress in Your Show Animals

Your palms are sweaty and your mouth is dry. It’s your first time giving a speech in front of a crowd this big. You’re prepared, but your anxiety rises and your stomach flips and flops as you walk on the stage with all those spotlights shining on you! Or think about when you started a […]

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Livestock Nutrition 101: Sheep

Q&A with Nick Warntjes, Associated Feed and Supply 1. What makes up a ‘balanced’ feed ration? A balanced feed ration supplies the proper amounts and proportions of nutrients needed for a specific purpose or stage of an animal’s life. While a show lamb diet might have different specs than a lactating ewe ration, all diets […]

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Getting Your Show Calf Off to the Right Start

Every year about this time I get a little anxious. I recall my experience as a junior, and how the old show heifers were out to pasture, curious why they didn’t get to come in the barn every day. At the same time every afternoon, the mail carrier would deliver a brand new pile of […]

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