Pet & Animal

So in this episode of AskNorth40, we get into sheep pens with Shane- besides being really, really good looking, Shane breaks down some properties you want in a sheep pen. These properties are durability, portability and functionality. We are going to break these down further in the following blog, and then get into some more options on housing and caring for your flock. Building a Sheep Pen: Durability Most equipment for sheep is homemade. Like Shane suggests in his video, the pens need to be rugged enough to stand up to the wear they will see during shearing, lambing, weaning and everything else that comes with a flock but that ruggedness cannot sacrifice the flexibility needed for the many different pen formations you will typically see when managing a good-sized flock. Shane also writes about backpacking on a budget, right here. Sha... Read more

In the last couple years, gluten free and grain free diets have grown in popularity within the general public. These new diets originated for those with celiac disease, intolerance to glutens in general, or allergies to wheat. Somewhere down the line, it made its way into mainstream dieting and has remained popular. With this trend has come with a similar diet plan for man's best friend. Some might not be aware of it yet, but there is now grain free dog food available. Those who have seen the now available pet diet may ask themselves if it is right for their furry friend. Depending on the source, you may be inclined to believe that your dog should be on a grain free diet, perhaps mirroring your own choice to go grain or gluten free yourself. Just because you are on or need to be on a grain free diet doesn't mean your dog should be. Those... Read more

While animal health companies are riddled with hundreds of stats about how much healthier, heavier, and better your cattle herds will be using their product... so we asked Zoetis to prove it, and to our surprise they took us up on it. Next step was to bring on Vic Anderson and get him to go all Zoetis in 2016 on his cattle ranch on the Smith River in Montana. No real science here... this is just a real life, cattle rancher's experiment doing what Zoetis recommends for cattle health and productivity. And so begins North 40 Outfitter's Anderson Experiment... Money Talks Trying to get a rancher to spend more money can be, well, difficult at times. You combine that with the fact that if a rancher has had success in the past using his current methods and you are in for an uphill battle come time to try and get him to try something new. "... Read more

My daughter had always wanted chickens. Me, not so much. So imagine my excitement when she came home from school with a "free" chicken in her coat pocket. Thank you science lab. We found a cardboard box for a temporary home, then went to North 40 Outfitters for supplies and advice. Not wanting birds didn't seem like a good enough reason to make one live a life of solitude and loneliness, so we bought a couple fowl friends. I grabbed a chick from each bin. I'm the type of person that would much rather have a bouquet of wild flowers than a vase of roses. So began our small herd of birds, which I learned later is a "flock." We left with a feeder, waterer, heat lamp and chick feed.  If you'd rather order your chicken supplies online, and have them delivered to your door--here's what you need.  As the chicks got bigger, it was time to move ... Read more

Chick season is fast approaching and to help you get prepared we have put together a list to let you know what chicken varieties will be available in your area. Available varieties differ by store, so check out your location below to see what chicks your local 40 may have. ***And remember, this list is not a guarantee, but a helpful guide. It is possible for shipping dates to change or for varieties not to show up (due to bad hatches or other unforeseen issues). The best way to confirm chick dates and availability is to call your local North 40. Enjoy! Great Falls - Montana First due Date 3.1.16 Havre - Montana First due Date 3.2.16 Colville - Washington First due Date 2.11.16 Mead - Washington First due Date 2.22.16 Moses Lake - Washington First due Date 3.2.16 Spokane - Washington First due Date 2.17.16 Omak - Washington First due Dat... Read more

Calving season is just around the corner for the majority of our cattle producers in Montana, Washington and Idaho. If you need ear tags, we've got them online and available for delivery to your door, right here. Most ranchers have already made preparations and are mentally ready for the next few months of long nights and the challenges generally associated with calving in the northwest. While warm weather makes conditions a bit more tolerable for livestock and producers, the varying temps can also present their own set of challenges as well, but none are as critical to survival of new calves as colostrum. Colostrum Replacers and Supplements for Calves: Improve Immunity Colostrum supplement and replacer products are valuable tools to increase calf immunity when supplies are limited.  We recently added two colostrum products by APC Life... Read more

Why is this an "almost complete guide"? Part of the reason is that we are in the final stages of finalizing our chicken resources page where you can find all of our best tips, tricks, and even a helpful list to help guide what birds will be available at each North 40 location. We suppose the other part is because though we think of ourselves as experts in the chicken game, that also means we are humble enough to say we don't know everything. Seems like for every breed specific tip we can find and put out, there are two more "farm house remedies" we still need to learn- We still know our stuff though when it comes to little known chicken facts and help guides. Check out this awesome infographic we put together last year for "Tips to Sick Farm/Ranch Birds"- We are always looking to learn the latest (or the oldest) tips in the chicken game... Read more

I grew up with horses. I got my first pony, a black and white paint Shetland named Chico, when I was 2 years old. I wasn't tasked with his full care till a few years later. I remember from a very young age bringing leftover frozen water buckets in to thaw and taking a bucket of fresh water out every morning and night. My two younger sisters also got into horses, and with more horses came a bigger water trough. Can Horses Survive on Snow? We would fill the trough with a hose then drain the hose over the rafters to keep it from freezing and make sure the tank heater was doing its job. If it failed, that meant chopping the ice from the top so the horses could drink. Not ideal as horses don't like freezing cold water. The first time I heard tell from an old timer that horses can survive on snow, I was a bit hesitant to believe him. I mean, I... Read more

We asked around for people to share their horse knowledge and stories with us to be featured in the Equine Edition of our Emag this month. The following stories are from those featured in the N40 Knowledge Bits section of the Emag, showing us how they care for their horse friends. Kim Farman North 40 Employee - Spokane, WA Years of service 15 My horses are retired now; I've had two of them since they were six months old. They are 29 and 31 now, so they are my geriatric horses." Kim says this on our conference call in mid-December, and Drew and I both were blown away you hear about horse owners like Kim, but talking to them in person that's few and far between. "They are part of my family, my kids grew up with them, and now the kids are grown, so I get them up for easy trail rides around the land." As we had been writing about equine a... Read more

Your horse's health is extremely important, but it can be hard sometimes to know how to keep them happy and healthy. However, you can see the health of your horse by evaluating his body condition. The state of the horse's body is a very good indicator of your horse's health. Just what is the prime horse body condition? POOR Animal extremely emaciated. Spinous processes, ribs, tailhead and hooks and pins projecting prominently. Bone structure of withers, shoulders and neck easily noticeable. No fatty tissues can be felt. VERY THIN Animal emaciated. Slight fat covering over base of spinous processes, transverse processes of lumbar vertebrae feel rounded. Spinous processes, ribs, tailhead and hooks and pins prominent. Withers, shoulders and neck structures faintly discernible. THIN Fat build-up about halfway on spinous processes, transvers... Read more

What's the Right Feed for My Horse? Read more

  Echo, tack lead from the Great Falls store had this to say: "Grass is the only natural source of omega 3s that a horse will get when out grazing or out at pasture. And our grass here isn't the highest quality and can lack the necessary omega 3s a horse needs to stay in top condition. Flaxseed is one of the safest supplements you can add to a horse's diet and has a very high concentration of omega 3s. Add it for weight gain or to improve your horse's coat and skin condition." Full equine nutritional article from Nutrena available here. Ahhhhh- flaxseed, my old friend. Really quick: linseed and flaxseed are the same thing, so if you use linseed oil for anything, you're already on the flax bandwagon. Welcome. So, flaxseed is a good addition to your horse's diet? Established. How much? In what form? If you boil it does it really produ... Read more