Horticultural Research
Injured Kangaroos and pouch young
No matter how carefully the shooter aims, some kangaroos will not be killed outright. Wounded kangaroos must be dispatched as quickly and humanely as possible.When killing a wounded animal a brain shot may be impractical. For example, the accurate placement of a shot in the brain may require capture and restraint of the animal; this would increase suffering and be inconsistent with the objective of sudden and painless death. In such circumstances a heart shot may be the most humane means of dispatch. In some special circumstances, where a wounded kangaroo is encountered, it may not be practicable to shoot the animal, as at a practical range the acceptable points of aim may be obscured, and at a close range the use of a high powered rifle may be unsafe. In these special circumstances a heavy blow to the skull to destroy the brain may be the most appropriate and humane means of dispatch. Read the rest of this entry »
Conserving the Kangaroo
Threats to Survival
European settlement of Australia has worked against the survival of many native animals, including some species of kangaroo, in four main ways: fire patterns have changed, domestic stock have grazed large areas of native habitat, new predators have been introduced, and land has been cleared. Each of these factors has had a major, though different, effect on the habitat of our native species.For example, the various hare-wallabies have:
lost much of their food and shelter because burning patterns have changed, with grasslands being transformed into grazing lands for sheep or cattle, or turned into farmland;
had to compete more and more with introduced species, such as sheep, cattle and rabbits, for the remaining food;
had to deal with massive wildfires, fuelled by a build up of forest debris, and with introduced predators, such as the fox and the cat. Read the rest of this entry »
The Family Potoroidae
Family Potoroidae
Potoroids are smaller macropods and were once called the rat-kangaroos. Some, such as the Musky Rat-kangaroo (Hypsipymnodon moschatus) of the north Queensland rainforests are no bigger than a rat, and others grow to the size of a rabbit. Potoroids have an unusual diet – of mushrooms, roots, and insects. Mostly, they live in dense undergrowth and make nests from material carried by curling their tails around it. An exception is the Desert Rat-kangaroo. Even though it has not been seen since 1935, the Desert Rat-kangaroo (Caloprymnus campestris) lived in one of the hottest, driest and most exposed areas in Central Australia.Many of these small species have been badly affected by European settlement. Their preferred habitat has often been cleared for farming, and they have had to deal with the effects of many introduced animals, such as the fox, the cat and the rabbit. Two species of potoroids (there are nine known in all) are already extinct. Two more now survive only on coastal islands and another is rare. Read the rest of this entry »
The family Macropodidae
Macropodidae
There is no real difference between the kangaroos and wallabies that form this family – other than size. Wallabies are generally smaller species, with none weighing over 25 kilograms. Wallaroos (or euros) prefer a habitat of steep, hilly country. On the other hand, the larger kangaroos prefer open flat plains, woodland or open forest.Members of this family are generally grass and leaf eaters, able to convert dry grass into energy-giving glucose. Their ability to thrive on such a poor diet explains their success at living in so many parts of Australia. Read the rest of this entry »
The Kangaroo Family
Kangaroos are Australia’s best-known animals. Since they were first seen by European settlers – who were amazed at such strange animals – a lot has happened to these unique creatures. There are now more of some kangaroo species, generally the larger ones, than when the European settlers arrived. Other species are gone forever, made extinct by surroundings that were changed too much for them to survive. Many of less well known surviving species are also decreasing in number and may become extinct if we do not take the necessary actions. The following information gives general facts about kangaroo biology, the different species, where they are found and what is bieng done to protect them. Read the rest of this entry »
FACTORS AFFECTING HUMPBACK WHALE POPULATIONS
Largely because of their tendency to frequent coastal waters, and their habitual return to the same regions each year, humpback whales have been exploited by commercial whalers all around the world. Humpbacks were hunted for their oil, meat and whalebone. Most populations were drastically reduced in the early part of the 19th century, leaving only between 5 and 10 per cent of the original stock remaining. In the North Pacific, it is estimated that as many as 15,000 humpbacks existed prior to 1900. Read the rest of this entry »
Grazing Management
Grazing is very much at the heart of everything we do on the farm. Grazing management is given top-priority. Many people call what we do “Extended Grazing” as our grazing season is considerably longer than that of many “conventional” farms. However this is a term that I no longer prefer to use as it suggests a bolt on approach. Whereas the reality is that grass and its efficient utilization by grazing is very much at the centre of everything we do and all other decisions revolve around this. Read the rest of this entry »
The Cannons – Dairy Farm
My name is Jason Rankin and I would like to extend to you a very warm “virtual” welcome to our farm which I farm in partnership with my father.The farm is situated near the top of the Ards Peninsula in County Down, Northern Ireland. Being surrounded by water on three sides (to the north Belfast Lough, to the west Strangford Lough and to the east the Irish Sea) the farm has very temperate climate moderated by the gulf stream. Being about as far east as ou can get on the Island of Ireland it is also relatively dry with an annualrainfall of only 32 inches (low for Ireland). Read the rest of this entry »
Promotes Cow Bonding
Blanketed calves have been proven to stay closer to their mothers during storms. These grey, wool blankets are designed to minimize any wool smell and the open-ended cover guarantees that cows will nurture their blanketed calves day and night. Read the rest of this entry »