Could a Newt Kill a Chicken?
Every now and then I run across a newt, either wandering in the backyard or curled up in some corner of the garden. Here in Tennessee I’m always delighted to spot a bright orange Eastern newt. It never occurred to...
Preventing Deer Worm Infection in Goats
Meningeal deer worm infection requires the presence of both white-tail deer and gatropods (slugs or snails). So it stands to reason that at the top of the list of suggestions for preventing deer worm infection in goats and sheep is...
Treating Deer Worm Infection in Goats
No controlled studies have determined the best treatment for goats and sheep infected with meningeal deer worm. We know more about deer worm in llamas and alpacas (camelids) than in goats or sheep. The recommended method for treating deer worm...
How to Recognize Deer Worm Infection in Goats
Knowing how to recognize deer worm infection in goats can be tricky, because not all goats are affected in exactly the same way. Further, signs of deer worm infection can resemble a number of other diseases of goats. But being...
Deer Worm Infection in Goats and Sheep
White-tail deer are a common sight on our farm. But seeing one grazing in our goat pasture gives me the willies. Why? Because white-tails can shed a hair-like nematode that causes deer worm infection in goats. In the days when...
Humanimal — Ways Animals Are Like Humans
Search the web for the word Humanimal and you will find links describing all sorts of things. Some of them are: a video game, a hard rock band, several music albums, a horror movie, and a documentary. Also: a British...
Grow, Harvest, and Use Naturally Sweet Stevia
An herb that grows in the garden and can be used as a sugar substitute sounds too good to be true, so of course I had to try it. Naturally sweet stevia has now taken its place on my list...
Do Chickens Mean What They Say?
Animal behaviorists all agree that the various sounds chickens make have meaning. But they disagree on how to interpret the meaning. Some believe chickens speak a language, similar to human language. Others question whether chickens mean what they say. They...
How to Grow Ginger in Your Garden
Ginger seems like an exotic spice from a faraway place. I used it for many years before realizing how easy it is to grow ginger in your garden. My moment of epiphany occurred one year when crystallized ginger inexplicably became...
Do Chickens Speak a Language?
Chickens make a lot of different sounds, and every one of them means something, at least to another chicken. But do chickens speak a language? Do they convey information in the same way humans do with words? Do chickens, like...