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.”
Johne's disease is one of the most insidious and economically damaging livestock diseases in Australia. There is no cure, no practical treatment, and infected animals can shed the bacteria silently for years before showing clinical signs. Here's what every Australian farmer needs to know about identifying, testing, and controlling Johne's disease in their herd or flock.
Read More →Summer in Australia is the season that tests every part of a livestock operation — animal welfare, water infrastructure, pasture management, and the personal endurance of the farmers managing it all. From December through February, much of the country experiences…
Read More →Berkshire or Tamworth — Australia's two most popular heritage pig breeds compared for meat quality, hardiness, temperament and pasture suitability.
Read More →A practical farrowing preparation checklist for Australian pig keepers — what to have ready before your sow gives birth, and what to watch for in the first 48 hours.
Read More →Scours in calves — neonatal calf diarrhoea — is the leading cause of death in beef and dairy calves under one month of age in Australia. Understanding the pathogens involved, the critical role of oral rehydration therapy, and how to prevent outbreaks before they start can dramatically reduce calf losses on your property.
Read More →Pigs are strong, persistent and surprisingly good at finding weak points in fencing. A practical guide to fencing options that actually hold pigs in Australian conditions.
Read More →A realistic cost breakdown for keeping pigs in Australia — purchase price, fencing, feed, housing and biosecurity registration costs for small producers.
Read More →Footrot is a contagious bacterial infection that attacks the soft tissue between the claws of sheep, cattle, and goats, causing painful lameness and serious production losses. Here's how to identify it, treat it, and stop it spreading across your property.
Read More →Drought is not an aberration in Australian agriculture — it is a structural, recurring feature of the continent's climate. Australia has the most variable rainfall of any inhabited continent, and multi-year drought cycles are a near-certainty over the lifetime of…
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