Have you ever felt that shiver crawl up your back after you pull off your sock and there IT is – thick, black, shiny and fattened on your blood? The next repulsive thought is how to get it off. Leeches didn’t always suffer from such a poor image – in...
If you are still coming to terms with the concept that monkeys are our ancestors, then you will be surprised to see a lungfish in the family tree. The lungfish occupies a unique place in evolution, some experts believing it to be a link between the fishes and the land...
Newcastle disease was first reported in poultry in Java in 1926 and later spread to Newcastle in England where it was first named. Warning Vet authorities and the NSW Department of Agriculture have urged bird enthusiasts to cancel all bird and poultry shows, pigeon...
Pat Parelli is an American horseman with a philosophy of natural horsemanship which has won admiration worldwide. His theory is based on the prey-predator concept. Pat Parelli says horses evolved as prey animals, that is they were animals which were hunted then eaten...
Classic mistakes made by many riders get horses offside before the rider is even mounted. This is according to Pat Parelli, an American horseman whose natural horsemanship philosophy has won admiration worldwide. He says holding a horse close on a tight rein makes it...
Having an aviary in your backyard can be a wonderful experience as it is a sanctuary for birds as well as somewhere to unwind after a stressful day. An easy-to-build aviary can be constructed from treated pine logs and wire for under $500. This style of aviary can...
Last week on Burke’s Backyard we showed you how to build an aviary in your backyard. However, some people may not be inclined to attempt constructing something themselves. Well there are ready-made aviaries in a range of colours, styles and sizes available from...
One of the world’s most specialised careers would have to be chicken sexing. Melbourne man, Bob Martin, has spent sixty years studying and practising vent-sexing. His book, The Specialist Chicken Sexer is a fascinating documentation of this obscure but vital...
Freshwater eels, those big brown slimy things you accidentally hooked when fishing the river with grandpa, deserve a longer look. To get to those fishing holes in creeks and rivers, each eel has travelled about 5000km from its spawning grounds 300m below the Coral...
Over the last century, enormous developments have occurred in dogs. There are over 160 breeds of dogs available in Australia and the colours, sizes and shapes are truly a great achievement. Despite what most dog clubs claim, modern dog breeds virtually all started...