Monday 28 October 2019

3 Reasons Why Your Guinea Pig Is Scared Of You

October 28, 2019 0

If you have ever owned guinea pigs, you will know that they can be very nervous and shy.  Most pet owners will just work with the fear instead of curing it.  

Here is how you can gain your guinea pig's trust.  

Dark Brown Guinea Pig sitting on a table beside flowers

1.  You Intimidate Him


Think about even the size of your hands compared to your guinea pig.  Reaching your hands into your guinea pig space is obviously to freak him out.  As your pig is intimidated by you because of your size, you must act in a certain way. Start by gaining his trust. You can do this by hand-feeding his daily veg each day.

This should make him realise that your hands aren't a scary monster that's coming to get him 😂 At first, try to keep your hand as still as possible.  When you think he is getting more confident, start moving about a bit more.  

Eventually, you can start petting him.  If he gets scared, start at the beginning again.  


A brown guinea pig sitting in a field eating grass next to a fallen tree


2.  Your Not Practising Enough


To encourage your guinea pig to be confident and friendly, you need to spend time with him every day.  Multiple times a day actually.  If you don't have the time to spend with your pet each day, you shouldn't have one.  

Like any other pet, guinea pigs need lots of attention.  In fact, they love cuddles like any other pet IF you treat them correctly.  

Apart from working on his confidence while hand-feeding veg, you can take him for cuddles while you watch TV, sitting with him while he explores a new room or give him a treat to eat on your bed.  These things will help you to give him the confidence around you to become friendly.  

Of course, at this point don't pick the guinea pig up if he runs away from you.  Instead, let him come out of his enclosure by himself.  A lot of times, he won't care as much about being picked up if he's in a large space.  


Four different coloured guinea pigs in an outdoor run


3.  You Pick Him Up Every time


Just like many other prey animals, guinea pigs simply don't like being picked up or carried.  Being carried around means death in the wild.  So, obviously avoiding that is best for keeping trust.  

I personally use a pet carrier (with a treat inside) to move my guinea pigs around.  when you do need to pick him up (for emergencies, health checks or vet appointments) more slowly and make it as quick as possible.  

Three different coloured guinea pigs in an indoor cage with straw bedding


  *Disclaimer*  

I am not any type of animal expert but instead only an animal lover who wants to share her tips.  Please consult relevant animal specialists and do not only take my advice.

 The Rider's Pets

                                                                                                                          

Thursday 24 October 2019

How to stop your rabbit from being aggressive

October 24, 2019 0

Sometimes, rabbits are handed into rescues because of normal rabbit behaviour.  Unfortunately, almost every time it is our fault that our rabbit is aggressive.  

If your rabbit is biting all of a sudden or has turned nervous or stressed, you need to change the way you treat her.  

Here are 4 reasons why your rabbit is biting you and how you can change the behaviour.  

1.  Hormones


I will say this over and over again, your rabbit should be spayed/neutered.  Not only does it improve their health and help to reduce the number of rabbits in this world but it also helps their temperament.  Rabbits who aren't 'fixed' will have a huge amount of hormones in their bodies (due to not being able to mate) and will quickly become frustrated.  This can cause the rabbit to become aggressive and 'lash out' at you.  I have found that female rabbits are especially aggressive and territorial.  

I have a female rabbit that would attack me when I put my hand in her cage.  We got her spayed and she quickly turned into a sweet girl.  Rabbits do not want to be frustrated and angry.  I feel like not allowing either breeding (which shouldn't be done, there are too many domestic rabbits as it is) OR spaying/neutering is poor animal care.  


Peach coloured indoor rabbit exploring outside in a garden


2.  Territorial



When reaching into a rabbits cage, he may lunge, bite, kick or growl at you.  If this happens, it is important that you don't pick him up or pull him out.  Instead, open the doors and let him come out to play but himself.  I like to feed veg outside of a territorial rabbit's cage just to get him out.  

I noticed that my rabbit Bunnykins (she was adopted with the name, not my choice 😉) would attack me while I was cleaning her rabbit room.  I completely fixed this by letting her come out of the room before I touched her things.  Just learn to work around the aggression she that your rabbit is not seeing you touch 'his things'.  Eventually, he will realise that you aren't trying to take over his territory.  


A close up of a wild coloured rabbit lying down


3.  Scared



This is an obvious cause for aggression but it's important that you know about it.  Your rabbit can lash out at you if he is feeling nervous, scared or cornered.  Your job is to find out what is scaring him.  

It could be that he doesn't want to be picked up, you are moving too fast or that he is in too small of a cage (and therefore doesn't have room to run away, cage-free all the way😊).  It is really important that you fully bond with your rabbit before you start picking him up of taking him out of his house.  A rabbit who has bonded with his owner should not be scared of them.  


An alert black and white rabbit indoors standing up


4.  Hurt or Ill



If your rabbit suddenly became aggressive, it could be due to him being in pain or ill.  Prey animals are great at hiding any illness or injury they may have.  This will cause the rabbit to lash out 'suddenly'.  Bringing your rabbit to the vet for a check-up is essential for any aggression out of the blue. 

If it is due to these reasons, the meanness should go away once your rabbit is treated.  There is a possibility that you have accidentally hurt your bunny in the past while picking him up.  He could be worried that you will hurt him again.  Build his confidence slowly from petting, encouraging him to jump onto your lap to eventually picking him up.  Make sure you know how to pick a bunny up correctly.  


A light brown and white rabbit with blue eyes exploring outside.

Hopefully, this will help you with any aggressive rabbit you may own.  

I'd love to hear some funny stories about your angry rabbit experiences!  
*Disclaimer*  

I am not any type of animal expert but instead only an animal lover who wants to share her tips.  Please consult relevant animal specialists and do not only take my advice.

 The Rider's Pets

                                                                                                                          

Monday 21 October 2019

How to Choose the Best Animals for Your Homestead

October 21, 2019 0

Whether you own a hobby farm or a backyard homestead, choosing the right animals is important.  

You may need to choose the most profitable farm animals, the quietest animals for an urban homestead or the best animals for a non-meat farm (hint hint... you will be able to tell that I don't like animals being killed.  But I guess that's up to you 😶).  

Poultry



Chickens -  


Chickens are great for their eggs (and meat if you're into that, I'm not).  They can lay up to 300 egg per year (in their first year).  The best breed to get for this amount of eggs is the hybrid, golden comet.  These are the chickens that are constantly mistreated for egg production so, rescuing is the best option.  

They do best (and should be) free ranged but don't need a huge amount of land.  I currently have over 20 chickens (along with 18 ducks) on 3/4 of an acre and it's roomy.  

Laying chickens should be fed around 1/4lb of layers pellets per day (although you should just allow unlimited access) and fresh fruit, veg and herbs as a treat each day.  They will also forage for bugs all day long so can be co-grazed with other animals.  

You do need to worm them every 3 months to keep them healthy.  They will also need vaccines so they don't catch any diseases as chickens tend to get ill quite easily.  


I'd stray away from raising chickens.  There are so many out there needing homes, there's no need for anymore.  Also, if you are like me (refusing to kill any animal) then you will be overrun with cockerels.  
Orange colours hen with 6 yellow chicks drinking from a DIY poultry drinker


Ducks -


 Similar to chickens, ducks are great for eggs, bug control and much more.  They eat more than chickens, about 1/2lb per day although meat ducks eat waaaaaay more.  If you aren't using ducks for meat, learn from my experience and don't get 'meat' ducks.  Again, they need to be wormed every 3 months and should be given fresh fruit + veg, herbs, mixed corn and more to get a full diet.

Ducks STINK.  I cannot even describe the smell but unless you don't mind a terrible smell (and cleaning their coop out very often), I wouldn't choose ducks.  They also make a muddy mess where ever there is water so keeping them free-range in a field will cut down on the mud.  

Ducks are my favourite type of poultry due to them being SO hardy and never really get ill (and don't get most of chicken type illnesses).    Ducks are just the best poultry type.  



Geese/Swans - 


These are huge types of poultry who don't lay very much.  Swans are basically just nice pets and geese can be used as fancy lawnmowers.  

They obviously eat A LOT and can be very aggressive if you don't bring them up from chicks.  Geese are often used for meat but you can also sell both swan and geese eggs for eating or hatching.  


A large white goose standing on the edge of a huge pond in a homestead

Turkeys/Peacocks


Turkeys are obviously used for meat but they make great pets, good broody hens,  for selling their eggs to hatch AND guarding other poultry.  

Peacocks are only bought as expensive pets but you can easily get your money back quickly by selling their eggs for hatching.  Peacocks don't lay very much (less than 50 a year IF they don't get broody) and hens don't start laying until they are 2 years old. 

Be very careful if you hatch or buy peachicks as they are fragile to rain and cold weather.  


Guinea Fowl



I would say there are only two reasons you should keep guinea fowl, for eggs or as a guard.  You will not get the same amount of eggs as you would with a chicken but they will lay a decent amount BUT you will need to find them first.  Guinea fowl are very known for laid eggs all over the place.  

Many chicken owners will own guinea fowl as a guard or 'alarm'.  They will start calling or 'shouting' if a predator is nearby, so you can go outside to check.  


Quail


If other poultry is too much work for you OR you don't have much space, have a look at quail.  Quail lay a lot for their tiny size and start laying very early.  

They can be kept in smaller areas although they should still have a nice coop and run (please don't keep them in those tiny laying cages).  Quails don't have the same perching instinct that chickens do so it's best to put them into the coop every night by hand.  


Two quails in their coop standing on a quail tough feeder


Rumin



Sheep


These days, sheep are really only used for meat but they make great pets if you have the land!  Unless you have hundreds of sheep or very rare breeds, their wool is worth almost nothing in Scotland these days.  You can use sheep to milk as I have heard that sheep milk is a better substitute for cows milk than goats is.  


Cows


I don't have much experience with cows (yet 😉 got my heart set on a few pet highland cows) but they are great for milk.  Keep in mind that one cow will eat as much grass as 3-4 sheep so you will need enough land.  

If you are into the whole meat thang, cows are probably the most profitable livestock.  


A ginger highland cow lying down in a hilly pasture.


Goats 


Again, goats are usually used for milk or just pets.  They will pick at grass but definitely aren't lawnmowers.  Goats need constant access to hay and love to eat weeds, trees and bushes.  This means they could be used to clear land.  

You can also raise goats (they need to be bred to give milk) and sell them for profit too.  Goats don't need a lot of land which makes them great for a small or urban homestead.  


Three different coloured goats with their front hooves on the top of a stable door


Other Homestead Animals


Donkeys


If you are looking for a great protector for your homestead, look no further.  Donkeys are well known for attacking predators on your land.  Their calls are so weird that may animals are actually scared of them.  They have even been kept with bulls as their call stops the bulls fighting.  

Donkeys are great at keeping the grass down and are overall easy to keep.  They will need yearly vaccines and farrier appointments every 2 months (like horses).  They will also need yearly dentist appointments and wormed every 3 months.  

As long as you can keep up with these simple health steps, your donkey will be happy and healthy.  

Three donkeys standing at a wooden gate in the pasture.

Bees


Fresh honey sounds good to me.  You can start bee-farming on a small scale and build up from there.  Depending on how much honey your bees produce, you can also sell the honey to make some extra money.  

Pigs



Obviously, most people would keep pigs to butcher them.  I personally think that pigs make great pets on a homestead.  They will eat every bit of your leftovers and some breeds (like the Kune Kune) even eat grass.  Pigs overall make great pets or are great for breeding.  
A black kune kune pig in a grass pasture facing the camera.

Overall, every animal on this list can be incredibly helpful for any homestead.  You must pick the animals that are most suited to your homestead.  

You couldn't buy a cow with only 1 acre of land.  You wouldn't buy sheep unless you wanted a pet or meat.  

Also, remember that each animal has care needs that must be met.  These can be expensive, so choose wisely.  

Which animals on this list are your favourites?  Mine would have to be ducks, peacocks and sheep at the moment but I love them all 😂

*Disclaimer*  

I am not any type of animal expert but instead only an animal lover who wants to share her tips.  Please consult relevant animal specialists and do not only take my advice.

 The Rider's Pets

                                                                                                                          

Wednesday 19 June 2019

How To Act When Your Dog Goes Missing

June 19, 2019 0

When your dogs get lost it can be very stressful BUT do not panic.  There are things to do that will increase your chances of finding your dog.  

You must follow these steps to find your lost dog in time.  




1.  Familiar Smells


The first thing to do if you have lost your pet is to leave items that the pet will recognise with the smell.  Leave these items where your dog was last seen.  For example, you should leave the dogs bed, some of your clothing and your dog's food and water bowls.  If your dog CAN get back, he will hopefully smell out what is familiar to him and stay there.  It is also a good idea to set up a camera next to these items that you can watch from your phone.  You never want to far away in case your dog comes back.  




2.  Check Places That he Could Be Stuck


Most dogs who are never found are stuck somewhere and unfortunately, don't make it.  It is very important to look for wild animal holes, fencing that the dog could be tangled in and any other place where they may be stuck.  This is the step that you need everyone possible to help you search as a dog can travel long distances very quickly.  Your dog could even be stuck in a hunter trap or humane cat trap so it is crucial that you follow the next step to find out where the traps are.  




3.  Inform EVERYONE


Communicating with the right people is extremely important.  Phone all of the local vets, tell the police and neighbours.  It is also a good idea to tell every farmer around your area to avoid your dog possibly being shot if he's on the farmer's land.  Ask around for local hunters that you can contact to see if they have any traps in the area when you lost your dog.  If they do, ask for the location so that you can check each one.  

You can also phone any animal services around you such as the rspca or any private ones.  Some radio stations have a lost pets section as well and the newspaper.  Make sure your pet's face is EVERYWHERE.  

Have someone close to you make a facebook page and be constantly on social media while you are out looking.  



*Disclaimer*  

I am not any type of animal expert but instead only an animal lover who wants to share her tips.  Please consult relevant animal specialists and do not only take my advice.

 The Rider's Pets

                                                                                                                          

Monday 17 June 2019

3 Reasons NOT To Let Your Dog Off Lead

June 17, 2019 0

Your dog may be great off lead, never leaving your side and being friendly to people and other animals but do you know the risks?  Here are 3 reasons not to let your dog off lead.  


1.  Interrupting Other Dogs


Your dog may be friendly but others could be aggressive, nervous or in training.  Many off-lead dogs walk straight up to dogs who are on a lead.  This is not only dangerous to your dog but also could ruin the other dog's training or confidence.  It really disheartens me to see people let their dogs interrupt the training of other dogs.  Keeping your dog on a lead is not only safer but also more polite.  




2.  Easy to Run Away Or Get Lost


Yes, I know your dog may have an amazing recall and never leaves your side but accidents happen.  We see too many 'lost dog' posts on social media these days, you can bet the dog's owner wishes they had just used a lead.  Dogs can get spooked by loud noises and take off.  I know this first hand.  

I had my puppy on a lead (Hugo was about 8 months old and at least 40kg at the time) while someone's car was stuck in the mud in a huge field.  When the car was towed out, the car's exhaust was ripped off causing a huge noise.  Hugo got spooked and dragged me halfway down the field before I could stop him (the disadvantage of a strong breed like the bullmastiff).  Luckily he had a harness and lead on but dogs will bolt off in dangerous places or simply run into the woods and get lost.  

The woods can be dangerous for dogs, due to wild animal holes that they can fall into or even traps from hunters for wild animals.  The dog could either get stuck and CAN'T come back to the owner or sometimes worse.  

Again, I have some experience in this, unfortunately.  A family friends dog was allowed to wander all day.  The dog went into a wood and ended up being caught in a hunter's trap.  Long story short the dog died in the woods and wasn't found for months.  Yes, this family was very stupid for letting their dog wander BUT the same could happen to an off lead dog.  



3.  The Risk of Chasing Animals


We have all seen the terrible pictures online of sheep being killed by dogs AND the dogs being killed by the farmer.  I don't care how sweet your dog seems to other animals, it is not worth the risk.  Not only is it obviously horrible for the sheep but your dog could be killed too.  I have seen dogs shot for chasing sheep all around me (farms around my house).  

It is also possible for your dog to just chase a bird and end up lost or darting across a busy road.  He could chase and injury or even kill someone's pet cat too.  I know your dog is sweet as hell and you don't think he would ever do that but it's possible.  



*Disclaimer*  

I am not any type of animal expert but instead only an animal lover who wants to share her tips.  Please consult relevant animal specialists and do not only take my advice.

 The Rider's Pets

                                                                                                                          

Wednesday 5 June 2019

Why You Should NOT Let Your Chicken Hatch Eggs

June 05, 2019 0


Sounds weird right?  Broody chicken is the natural way of hatching eggs.  Chicks are definitely healthier and take to eating and drinking better than incubator-hatched chicks.  Chickens keep their chicks at a constant temperature and they protect their babies amazingly.  So what's the problem?  Well, let's just say my hens have had some technical difficulties that I need to talk about.  


1.  They Pick STUPID Places to nest


So, we have lots and lots of nesting boxes which are safe in our chicken coops.  We recently had an ex-battery hen who decided to jump the fence, go through our garden to our drive.  She then started laying eggs in a bush under our house window.  The problem came in when we couldn't find her one night and she had to stay outside (we lock our chickens up every night).  Luckily we found her the next day BUT it was one stressful night.  Why can't they just stay in a safe place?  




2.  They Can't Decide Whether They Want Chicks 


Yes, I really have gone through this.  My light Sussex Hen was sitting on around 10 eggs for over 2 weeks.  She then decided that she didn't want to be a mum and abandoned her nest to make another one!  what the heck.  So, I gave her some of my call duck eggs (instead of incubating them).  call ducks do not lay a lot of eggs so these were rare.  She incubated them for a week and gave up again, wasting my beautiful call duck eggs.  

 She wasn't done there.  This bloody hen then thought it would be a good idea to STEAL another hen's nest.  Luckily that mamma got her nest back and now has a cute little chick (the other egg must have died when her nest got stolen).  




3.  You Can't Keep an Eye On The Chicks



The only time EVER that I have had a chick die was with a hen.  Now, I know that hens are GREAT mums but I can't check the chicks enough.  When I am looking after chicks inside, they all start to eat and drink small amounts by day 2.  The problem is when you are not able to check that each chick under the hen is eating and drinking multiple times a day, deaths can happen.  

Obviously, I am a bit obsessive with making sure my chicks are thriving but it really is a disadvantage.  To counter this, I try to make sure my hens only have around 2 chicks so I can keep a better eye on them.   




*Disclaimer*  

I am not any type of animal expert but instead only an animal lover who wants to share her tips.  Please consult relevant animal specialists and do not only take my advice.

 The Rider's Pets

                                                                                                                          

Monday 3 June 2019

How To Train Your Dog To Stop Chasing Your Cat

June 03, 2019 1

It's Pretty well known that dogs chase cats.  It is not just because dogs are aggressive but cats run away from dogs, causing a prey drive spike in the dog.  This is an easy fix when both the cat and dog are allowed to meet properly to become comfortable.  



*The Post Contains Affiliate Links, Read About Amazon Affiliate Links here.  Every affiliate link on this page with be marked with stars*

1.  The Setup


It is important that you start your dog's training in a place that the cat feels comfortable.  This means the cat will be calmer and therefore the training will be smoother.  

You will then put your cat into a *safe pet carrier* so the dog can see and smell the cat without getting into it.  Lastly, you need to choose to train when your dog is in a relaxed, confident mood.  You will also have a *lead* on your dog and a *muzzle* if you think it is necessary.  




Train Your Dog To Be Calm Around Cats


Start by walking your dog around the room until he smells or sees the cat.  Use treats to re-direct his attention from the cat to you.  Your goal here is to get your dog to relax and ignore the cat.  When this happens, you can start to get closer.  Start with walking your dog past the cat (in its carrier) without stopping.  when he acts calmly you can let him stand and smell the cat.  If he becomes excited or aggressive then walk your dog away and repeat the start of the training again.  




Let Your Cat Walk Around Your Dog


Next, you're going to let your cat out of the crate.  Keep your dog on the lead and get him to lie down.  You want him to stay calm and ignore the cat or watch without reacting.  You need a helper to make sure the cat doesn't get too close at this point.  Have patience, you really want the dog to become bored with the cat, which might take a while.  




Let Your Cat Play Infront Of Your Dog


The number one reason why dogs chase cats is that the cat runs away.  You need to get your dog used to your cat running, jumping and playing.  The best way you can do this is to get someone to play with your cat while you hold your dog.  Again, your goal is for your cat to become boring to the dog.  




Repeat Training


Now that you have finished the first turn of training between the cat and dog, you basically want to repeat it for at least a week.  Letting your cat play in the room while your dog is on a lead.  You can start to slowly let your dogs lead longer/looser when you feel comfortable.  

When you feel that the dog is completely relaxed with your cat, you can allow them to sniff each other (with the dog on a lead).  When you eventually take the lead off the dog, make sure you are always in the room when they are together.  It will take a good few months until you feel completely comfortable.  

*Never leave the house when they are together*.  




*Disclaimer*  

I am not any type of animal expert but instead only an animal lover who wants to share her tips.  Please consult relevant animal specialists and do not only take my advice.

 The Rider's Pets

                                                                                                                          

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