our farm our experts our quality our history horses horses dairy dairy goats goats cattle cattle backyard poultry backyard poultry swine swine rabbits rabbits wildlife wildlife exotics exotics show animals show animals behind thecheckerboard our farm our experts our quality our history findanswers purinamerchandise business link login retailers nearby animals speak louder than words . animals speak louder than words . feed greatness . it s our commitment at purina . and when it comes down to it words aren t needed . because if there s greatness on the inside it shows on the outside . animals speak louder than words . feed greatness . it s our commitment at purina . and when it comes down to it words aren t needed . because if there s greatness on the inside it shows on the outside . animals speak louder than words . stories from our farm for nearly a century at the purina animal nutrition center we ve been learning what helps our animals reach their full potential . and we know if it works for us it ll work for other people too . lee dickerson ph.d.how to reduce stress during cattle weaning when will my chickens lay eggs purina animal nutrition expertwhat s your secret weapon to battle dairy c. . . kelly vineyard m.s. ph.d. feeding horses for a shiny coat purina animal nutrition experttop 5 showmanship tips from the experts larry varnerbalancing deer nutrition see all articles information from our experts animal experts from the purina animal nutrition center share their knowledge . q is it necessary to wash the eggs after gathering them a eggs are laid with a protective coating which helps keep bacteria out . it is best if this is not disturbed . excessive washing can force bacteria through pores in the shell and into the egg greatly reducing its chance for successful incubation and hatching . if washing is necessary it should be gentle and quick using water only . this water should be warmer than the egg and the eggs should be dried and cooled as quickly as possible . find more answers q what about particle size a conventional mineral particles are so small that they often blow out of the feeder and won t allow water to pass through them . however wind and rain storm cattle minerals consist of larger particles that stay put and allow the water to easily pass through . find more answers q at what temperature can cold stress impact the growth and health of dairy calves a at a temperature of 60 degrees fahrenheit we may be comfortable but our calves start to divert energy away from growth and immune function to regulate body temperature . calves become cold stressed at fairly moderate temperatures because they have a higher surface area to bodyweight ratio than older animals . find more answers q how can supplemental feeding impact more than the fish it is meant to feed a at first glance supplemental feeding seems to benefit only those fish such as bluegills sunfish hybrid striped bass catfish minnows and other species that directly consume the feed . however feeding fish also supplies nutrients to the water which enable phytoplankton to grow . since phytoplankton are at the very bottom of the food chain they affect all the animals above them . find more answers q why is it important for ruminant animals such as goats to be able to burp a the rumen produces a lot of gas from the fermentation of food and ruminant animals normally get rid of this gas and avoid bloat by belching . if something blocks the escape of gas from the rumen however the rumen will begin to expand . you will notice a large bulge on the animal s left side as if it had swallowed a soccer ball . find more answers q can anything help alleviate polysaccharide storage myopathy pssm in my horse a pssm horses can remain asymptomatic for years average age of first appearance of symptoms is 6 years until there is some change in their schedule such as being laid off due to injury or not getting regular exercise due to weather . regular daily exercise for horses with pssm has been shown to produce a dramatic decrease in serum ck following exercise . adjusting to a lower starch higher fat diet will further support these efforts . for some horses improvement may be evident within a few days of the new diet and exercise program . others will take longer to metabolically adjust and show a change for the better . find more answers q how can i keep my rabbit comfortable in summer heat and humidity a rabbits are unable to sweat ; they can only dissipate heat by panting but they aren t very efficient at it so they can easily become overheated . rabbits will often reduce feed intake during hot weather to reduce the heat produced by the metabolism of food . help your rabbit survive the summer by making sure it is always in the shade and has plenty of air movement around it even using a fan . plenty of cool fresh water is a must . in extreme heat put a sealed plastic bag full of ice in your rabbit s pen . switch gradually to a more nutrient dense feed at the beginning of summer to help maintain production weight gain or lactation when rabbits reduce intake due to heat . find more answers q should i feed my show pig oat groats a you might have noticed some folks feeding rolled oats oat groats along with their regular show pig feed . it might be a good idea to offer a small amount of oat groats 1 2 lb . each day with the pig s feed to increase the particle size of the total diet . this is a good idea as the pig is less likely to suffer from ulcers although many pigs perform very well and are never fed oat groats . it is a personal decision . find more answers q why can t i just switch right away a species such as guinea pigs and rabbits have very delicate digestive systems that rely on a consistent diet . changing a diet immediately or providing too many treats at one time can cause a disruption to the ecosystem of microbes in the gi tract and lead to gi upset . pets such as birds and guinea pigs are very finicky eaters . birds especially are very attuned to the shape size and color of their food . switching a bird s diet abruptly may lead to digestive upset or worse your bird will stop eating completely . you can change your pet s diet you just need to do it slowly . find more answers q what can happen when a piglet is weaned a during the first week of weaning pigs may or commonly if this does not occur every time have a reduced growth rate which is related in part to low and variable water and feed intake . additionally the newly weaned pig s immune and digestive systems are still maturing making the piglet more susceptible to enteric antigenic challenges nutritional or microbial which can also cause a reduction in feed intake . find more answers q should i not feed corn to deer then a in addition to being low in protein and minerals corn is very high in starch and the rapid consumption of 2 to 3 pounds by a deer not used to it is enough to cause serious problems . if you must feed corn it is best to use a spin feeder which will minimize the amount provided and the speed with which the deer can consume it . small amounts of starch do provide valuable energy and can actually improve the digestion of forages by optimizing the microbe population in the rumen . find more answers purina animal nutrition llc . all rights reserved . privacy & terms ca supply chains act home about us news events contact us business link login home news events about us contact us privacy & terms ca supply chains act species behind the checkerboard find answers business link login purina animal nutrition llc.all rights reserved .