Stuffed Animals

Bantam chickens are extremely curious and energetic birds by nature, hence you will have to be very careful with their food, water, and other needs to keep them composed. Take a look at the following points that will tell you exactly how to raise bantam chickens.

Food for Bantams
Although bantam chickens can survive on the same food as their keepers, they cannot survive on it for long. They need nutrition that is specific to their diet, which includes:
•Whole grains
•Greens
•Protein
As a regular diet, whole grains are the best sources of nutrition for bantams; an enough supply of it should be available in the coop all the time. You can also find chicken feeds available at various farm feed shops where you can choose the one according to your budget and requirement. Make it a point to feed only whole grains against cracked ones as the former is way healthier than the latter. One good thing about bantam chickens is that they can search for food on their own unlike other chicken breeds. This will help you when you are out and cannot feed your pet. It will save a lot of time for other activities as well as you don’t have to keep monitoring the food timings of the pet, a frequent check is important though. Let them roam around in a fenced area filled with grass, weeds, and fresh green vegetable leftovers to feed themselves. As far as protein is concerned, bantams can obtain protein from insects, worms, and bugs in the summer, however, in winter their diet should include soy, milk, fish, etc., to fulfill the protein amount. Water is the most essential thing for the survival of chickens as it is for all living things. They need lots of water, especially when laying. A bowl of water should always be kept near the door of their coop where they can get it easily whenever they want. Make sure that you clean up the bowl every day and fill it with freshwater to prevent any disease.

Shelter for Bantams Read the rest of this entry »

We all know that animals do not have the ability to use language as the medium of their communication. But, they do have other abilities of conveying messages to other animals amongst which use of body language is the most important factor. The messages can be of many types like conveying food location, calling for mating rituals, danger alarms, appreciation of good deeds like helping other animals in dangerous situations, etc. There are different types of animal communication, which will be looked at in this segment. Different species use different types of communication. There are two main types of communication in animals and consists of a few subtypes under them.

Verbal Communication

Sounds are one of the most common types of verbal communication in animals and the majority of the species use them as the medium to convey messages. Bats usually follow sound waves to communicate. They mostly rest in the morning and become active at night to search for food and do other tasks. All the birds communicate through their chirping and it is ultrasound waves that they use. Mammals, generally, make use of sounds to give calls to other members of their community. The smaller animals squeak and larger ones rumble. It is found out through studies that, an animal with the smaller head can produce really large sounds and also receive a greater frequency of sound! Whales are the perfect users of sound waves. They have a whale song, which they repeat after regular intervals.

Non-Verbal Communication

Facial Expressions
This kind of communication is mostly found in dogs. When they are angry, they show their teeth snarling and raise their ears. On the other hand, when they are frightened, they pull their ears behind with the mouth open. In birds also, when the parent bird brings food for the offspring, the ‘begging expression’ can be observed on its face.

Binomial Name: Geranoaetus melanoleucus
Distribution: South America
Diet: Carrion, squamates, burrowing owl and mid-sized mammals
Body Length: 24-32 inches; Wingspan: 58-79 inches
The Black chested buzzard eagle is also known as Grey Buzzard eagle or Chilean Blue eagle. The bird has a huge plumage and is heavier and powerful compared to the other eagles. The color of the plumage is gray, which has brownish and bluish tinge to it. The chest is black with small white dots on it. Black chested buzzard eagle has a short blackish tail. Trees and cliffs are common places for nesting. However, the bird has well adapted to nesting in cacti and bushes. This specie of eagles build new nests and perform their courtship ritual in flight. Considered to be a solitary eagle, it has a sharp vision and floats on thermal currents. With its sharp eyesight, black chested buzzard eagle can very well guard its territory.

Take Your Horse to His Enclosure: Introduce him to this place and just let him be! Once you have got him to your barn or pasture, let him get accustomed to the surroundings. Stay around him when he is exploring his new residence and don’t forget to feed him well. Let him know that you are going to be there for him.

Groom Him: Groom your horse slowly, especially in the initial stage. Horses are sensitive, they would understand your touch and your motive. Grooming as an activity will create a bonding between the both of you and help you connect.

Spend More Time with Him: The main step to get to know your horse better is by spending more time with him. He is like this new person you want to be friends with. The more time you will spend with him, the more you’ll get to know him better.

Observe How He Socializes with Other Horses: A horse is a highly social animal, hence observe how he gels with his other mates. Understanding this behavioral type will help you understand what’s going on in his mind when he behaves in an unusual manner. Also, it is believed that when a horse molds his behavior by adapting it from a trained horse he learns faster.

Be Gentle: Don’t yell or try giving him commands immediately, give him some time. Let him get used to your style of teaching and training. A horseman should know neither fear, nor anger. ~ James Rarey

Communicate Well: Horses speak in a different language but you can totally understand it, and that would require time. Talk to your horse like you would want to. Give him a name and call him with that often. Even when you are trying to talk to him use repetitive phrases like calling out the name of the horse food that he eats, and familiarize him with terms like walk, ride and race. It is said that, horses can’t talk in the human language but they can speak if you listen.

Take Time to Judge Him: Horses are really fast to respond to any stimuli. So take your time before to judge your horse and categorize him. The more you let them free you’ll understand their traits better. Once you know how he’d react in different situations, you can keep your tricks ready and use some strategies to influence him.

Understand Your Horse & His Personality Type: Horses are divided into two type of personalities overachievers and sensitive. Over achievers are usually horses who try to anticipate their master’s action and often react before even receiving the commands. These horses are highly independent and are often misunderstood by those who are new to horses. The art of controlling such horses lies in learning the act of dominating them. The other personality type is sensitive. Such horses are great followers of commands and allow to take charge easily. However, they are called sensitive because they can get upset for something as small as a loose shoe or a harsh command. You’ve gotta watch out, as they can get impulsive.

Gemsbok
It is also called an Oryx Gazella. They are a part of the antelope species. It is light brownish in color, weighs between 350 – 550 pounds, and grows about 4 feet tall. It has white and black patches on its face, rump and legs. They have beautiful long horns too. The male has straight horns which are curved outward, while the females have horns which are curved both outward and rearward. These animals are often hunted for their horns. They are really fast in running and can reach speeds up to around 35 mph.

Warthogs
They lie in the same species as a domestic pig. They have a flat face covered with warts, thus the name. They are not appealing in terms of their appearance. They have four rounded tusks, which make them look all the more ferocious. They are usually gray or black in color. They are approximately 2 meters tall, and weigh between 120 – 250 pounds. They have sparse hair on their back and a thicker mane. In spite of their aggressive appearance, they do not prefer fighting.

Gecko
In appearance, they resemble lizards. There are about 12 different families of geckos found in Namibia alone. The Barking Gecko, Day Gecko and Dwarf Gecko are a few of them. The interesting feature of the Barking Gecko is the interesting sounds that it makes. The Day Gecko is generally active during the day and it is found on the trees. The eyes of a gecko seem just like a pin point during the day, but they dilate considerably during the night.

Namib Long-eared Bat
Very little information is available on these species. They are endemic to the Namib Desert. They generally roost on the loose barks of the Acacia trees found on the banks of river Kuiseb. They have light brown colored fur, which is common for most of the desert animals. Their inner wing membranes are olive brown in color.

The Golden Mole
Now these are typical burrowing animals. Their eyes are covered with skin and fur. They have tiny ears. They use their sense of touch to sense vibrations and interpret any attack. They are about 8 – 20 cm in size, and they live underground.

Silver-backed Jackal
These jackals are reddish in color. They are also called Black-backed Jackals because of their silver and black colored back. Their tails are black and bushy, and they have reddish limbs. They are around 15 inches tall.