About the Author

Rebecca Sanderson

Rebecca grew up in a small town with a backyard full of animals. She graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho with a Bachelor's degree in Exercise Physiology. Her background in health and nutrition gives her a unique perspective on animal husbandry as well as the ability to read those awful research papers to find the needed information. In addition to writing, Rebecca also works as a certified personal trainer.
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Articles by Rebecca Sanderson

Selenium Deficiency and White Muscle Disease in Goats
March 5, 2020 · · Health

With kidding season around the corner, it’s time to talk about selenium deficiency. Selenium deficiency in goats can cause white muscle disease in goats, also known as nutritional muscular dystrophy.

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Malta and the (Seemingly) Never Ending Diarrhea
February 10, 2020 · · Health

Malta should have been healthy in every way, and seemed so except for her diarrhea. Malta suffered for nine months before an unconventional treatment finally cured her completely.

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What are Confinement Operations?
February 10, 2020 · · Feed & Housing

Not everyone has enough land for pasturing their herd. Even if they do, often it is more profitable to farm the land with crops than it would be to let an animal herd graze it. That doesn’t mean that they can’t have animals.

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A Miraculous Rescue from the Flood
February 10, 2020 · · Ownership

The San Clemente Island breed of goats have only about 800 left in the world. When a flood endangered 40% of them, a miraculous story of their rescue ensued.

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Natural Cultures in Your Food
February 10, 2020 · · Home Dairy

While our modern world often favors packaged starter cultures for consistency, natural cultures of bacteria and yeasts have been used for thousands of years to make or preserve food.

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How to Make Kefir Water and Milk Kefir
February 6, 2020 · · Home Dairy

There are different types of kefir you can make, each with options regarding how often you desire a new batch. Here is a tutorial of how to make kefir water and milk kefir, as well as different variations.

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How to Make Kefir
December 9, 2019 · · Goat Notes

Kefir is a probiotic-rich milk drink similar to thin yogurt. Traditional kefir is made from cow, goat, or sheep milk, cultured by kefir grains composed of polysaccharides, bacteria, and yeast living in symbiosis. It is not possible to harness these in nature like with sourdough yeast; they must be acquired from someone who already has them.

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Livestock Guardian Dog Breed Comparison
October 1, 2019 · · Ownership

If you are considering a dog for your herd, consult a livestock guardian dog breed comparison and research the individual traits to find what will best suit your specific needs.

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Can My Goat be Part of a Pet Therapy Program?
September 5, 2019 · · Kids' Corner

Pet therapy programs are currently taking off. People everywhere are realizing the benefits that can come from interaction with animals. Therapy animals come in many forms such as dogs, horses, llamas, rabbits, and yes, even goats.

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