Farm Animals and Horses｜The 5 Most Common Fatal Mistakes Owners Make (plain-language version, written for readers with no formal schooling) | Evidence chain

FAQ

Why is suddenly changing a horse's feed or giving extra grain so dangerous?

A horse cannot vomit, so when its belly goes wrong it can only endure. Suddenly giving a lot of grain, suddenly switching to a new batch of hay, or letting it eat its fill of soft spring grass can all bring on colic or make the hooves so inflamed and painful that the horse does not dare walk. Change feed slowly and give grain in small portions spread out; if the horse rolls on the ground, keeps looking back at its belly or stops passing droppings, get a veterinarian at once.

ウマの飼料を急に変えたり穀物を多く与えたりすると、なぜそれほど危険なのですか。 — ウマは吐くことができず、お腹に問題が起きても耐えるしかないからです。急に大量の穀物を与える、急に別のロットの草に切り替える、春の柔らかい草を好きなだけ食べさせる、そのいずれもウマの疝痛や、蹄の炎症による強い痛みで歩けなくなる状態を招きえます。飼料の変更はゆっくり、穀物は少量ずつ分けて与えてください。ウマが地面で転げ回る、しきりにお腹を振り返る、糞が出ない場合はすぐ獣医師を呼んでください。

Why is suddenly changing a horse's feed or giving extra grain so dangerous? — A horse cannot vomit, so when its belly goes wrong it can only endure. Suddenly giving a lot of grain, suddenly switching to a new batch of hay, or letting it eat its fill of soft spring grass can all bring on colic or make the hooves so inflamed and painful that the horse does not dare walk. Change feed slowly and give grain in small portions spread out; if the horse rolls on the ground, keeps looking back at its belly or stops passing droppings, get a veterinarian at once.

Can I give goat minerals to my sheep?

No. Goats need far more copper than sheep, so a mineral supplement formulated to a goat's requirement will poison sheep with excess copper, and in severe cases they can die. When keeping sheep and goats at the same time, the minerals must be chosen and fed separately.

ヤギ用の鉱物飼料をヒツジに与えてもよいですか。 — いけません。ヤギに必要な銅はヒツジよりずっと多く、ヤギの必要量に合わせて配合された鉱物飼料をヒツジに与えると、ヒツジは銅が多すぎて中毒し、重い場合は死ぬこともあります。ヒツジとヤギを同時に飼うときは、鉱物飼料を別々に選び、別々に与えてください。

Can I give goat minerals to my sheep? — No. Goats need far more copper than sheep, so a mineral supplement formulated to a goat's requirement will poison sheep with excess copper, and in severe cases they can die. When keeping sheep and goats at the same time, the minerals must be chosen and fed separately.

What is most easily neglected when keeping backyard chickens and bees?

Regular hive inspections, isolating new animals first, and reporting unusual deaths. A chicken house that is too crowded and poorly ventilated, or new birds mixed in without isolation, can let avian influenza bring down the whole flock at once, and it can also infect people. With bees, if varroa mites are never checked for, the colony may collapse before you notice.

裏庭でニワトリやミツバチを飼うとき、最も見落とされやすい務めは何ですか。 — 定期的な巣箱の点検、新しい動物をまず隔離すること、異常な死亡を見つけたら届け出ることです。鶏舎が過密で換気が悪い、新しいニワトリを隔離せずに混ぜる、といった状況では鳥インフルエンザが群全体を一度に倒すことがあり、人にうつることもあります。ミツバチではバロアダニを一度も点検しなければ、巣が気づかないうちに崩壊するおそれがあります。

What is most easily neglected when keeping backyard chickens and bees? — Regular hive inspections, isolating new animals first, and reporting unusual deaths. A chicken house that is too crowded and poorly ventilated, or new birds mixed in without isolation, can let avian influenza bring down the whole flock at once, and it can also infect people. With bees, if varroa mites are never checked for, the colony may collapse before you notice.