Free, plain-English guides for Australian goat, alpaca, sheep and poultry keepers — from first-time owners to experienced producers.
Breeds, care, feeding, health and housing guides.
Explore guides →Huacaya and suri guides — care, fibre and shearing.
Explore guides →Commercial, heritage and pasture breed guides — care, feeding and health.
Explore guides →Practical sheep management and lambing guides.
Explore guides →Chicken, duck and small flock management.
Explore guides →Pastures, fencing and farm infrastructure.
Explore guides →Compare 12 goat breeds across meat, dairy, fibre and companion categories — every breed rated for heat tolerance, drought hardiness and beginner-friendliness in Australian conditions.
Vaccination programs, internal parasite management, drench resistance, FAMACHA scoring, and biosecurity protocols for Australian goat keepers.
Merino, Dorper, Poll Dorset and more — compare Australia's most important sheep breeds for wool, meat and dual-purpose production across different climate zones.
Pre-lambing nutrition, paddock preparation, assisting at birth, neonatal care and colostrum management — a complete lambing guide for Australian conditions.
Shearing timing, fleece skirting and classing, fibre testing and micron measurement, and Australian marketing channels from co-ops to direct artisan sales.
From ISA Browns to Australorps — compare laying breeds, dual-purpose birds and heritage breeds suited to Australian backyard and small farm conditions.
Print-ready checklists to keep your animals healthy and your property running smoothly.
A quick daily and monthly health assessment guide for your goat herd.
PDF Download FreeEverything you need to prepare before, during and after lambing season.
PDF Download FreeDaily, weekly and seasonal tasks for healthy backyard and small-scale flocks.
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“We bought our first three alpacas last spring with zero idea what we were doing. The VelvetFields care guide walked us through everything — shearing timing especially saved us, we would have left it too late and had heat-stressed animals.”
“The goat health guide is the most practical thing I have read on barber's pole worm management. Stopped blanket drenching and started using FAMACHA scoring like the guide explains — noticeable difference in our herd within one season.”
“Free checklists got us started, then we bought the full sheep guide before lambing season. Worth every cent — clear, practical, written for Australian conditions instead of generic overseas advice that doesn't account for our heat.”
Paterson's curse is one of the most widespread and economically significant weeds in southeastern Australia, toxic to horses and causing liver damage in cattle and sheep with prolonged consumption. This guide explains the biology of the plant, how to identify it, its toxicity to different livestock species, management and control options, and what to do if you suspect livestock have been affected.
Read More →Chickens, like all livestock, hide illness well in the early stages — by the time an animal looks obviously sick, it has often been unwell for some time. Knowing the early warning signs makes the difference between catching a problem in time and losing an animal unnecessarily. This guide covers the key symptoms that indicate a chicken needs attention in Australian conditions.
Read More →Bloat kills cattle fast. A healthy steer can be dead within two to four hours of the first visible signs on high-risk pasture. This guide explains the difference between frothy bloat and free-gas bloat, which Australian pasture types and feeding programs carry the highest risk, how to prevent bloat before it happens, and exactly what to do when you find a bloated animal.
Read More →Pigs, like all livestock, hide illness well in the early stages — by the time an animal looks obviously sick, it has often been unwell for some time. Knowing the early warning signs makes the difference between catching a problem in time and losing an animal unnecessarily. This guide covers the key symptoms that indicate a pig needs attention in Australian conditions.
Read More →Australia runs more sheep than any other country on earth, and the breeds that have shaped our national flock — from the Merino that built the wool industry to the Dorper that transformed prime lamb production — are a direct product of selection pressure from our unique and challenging conditions. This guide covers the most important sheep breeds in Australia, what each is suited for, and which suits your production system.
Read More →Cattle, like all livestock, hide illness well in the early stages — by the time an animal looks obviously sick, it has often been unwell for some time. Knowing the early warning signs makes the difference between catching a problem in time and losing an animal unnecessarily. This guide covers the key symptoms that indicate a cattle needs attention in Australian conditions.
Read More →Every sheep in Australia that moves off its property of birth must carry an approved identification tag. The National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) underpins traceability from paddock to plate, and getting identification right protects you legally, commercially, and in the event of a disease outbreak. This guide covers approved tags, the colour coding system, state requirements, and how to apply tags correctly.
Read More →Sheep, like all livestock, hide illness well in the early stages — by the time an animal looks obviously sick, it has often been unwell for some time. Knowing the early warning signs makes the difference between catching a problem in time and losing an animal unnecessarily. This guide covers the key symptoms that indicate a sheep needs attention in Australian conditions.
Read More →Grass tetany kills quickly and without much warning. A cow that appeared healthy at morning inspection can be found in a paddock in convulsions or already dead by afternoon in high-risk conditions. This guide explains what causes grass tetany in Australian cattle, which cattle and pasture conditions are highest risk, how to recognise it early, and how to prevent it with magnesium supplementation.
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