THE BACCHUS BLOG

LIFE ON THE RANCH

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Fri, 27 Sep 2019 15:07:50 GMT

The new season is a great reason to make and keep resolutions. Whether it’s eating right or cleaning out the garage, here are some tips for making and keeping resolutions.

Make a list

Lists are great ways to stay on track. Write down some big things you want to accomplish and some smaller things, too.

Check the list regularly

Don’t forget to check in and see how you’re doing. Just because you don’t achieve the big goals right away doesn’t mean you’re not making progress.

Reward yourself

When you succeed in achieving a goal, be it a big one or a small one, make sure to pat yourself on the back.

Think positively

Positive thinking is a major factor in success. So instead of mulling over things that didn’t go quite right, remind yourself of things that did.

WE JUST LOVE OUR BABIES

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 15:07:50 GMT

There are so many good reasons to communicate with site visitors. Tell them about sales and new products or update them with tips and information.

Here are some reasons to make blogging part of your regular routine.

Blogging is an easy way to engage with site visitors

Writing a blog post is easy once you get the hang of it. Posts don’t need to be long or complicated. Just write about what you know, and do your best to write well.

Show customers your personality

When you write a blog post, you can really let your personality shine through. This can be a great tool for showing your distinct personality.

Blogging is a terrific form of communication

Blogs are a great communication tool. They tend to be longer than social media posts, which gives you plenty of space for sharing insights, handy tips and more.

It’s a great way to support and boost SEO

Search engines like sites that regularly post fresh content, and a blog is a great way of doing this. With relevant metadata for every post so search engines can find your content.

Drive traffic to your site

Every time you add a new post, people who have subscribed to it will have a reason to come back to your site. If the post is a good read, they’ll share it with others, bringing even more traffic!

Blogging is free

Maintaining a blog on your site is absolutely free. You can hire bloggers if you like or assign regularly blogging tasks to everyone in your company.

A natural way to build your brand

A blog is a wonderful way to build your brand’s distinct voice. Write about issues that are related to your industry and your customers.

Kenyan Herds Saved by the Olor Africa's Buck Apron

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 15:07:49 GMT

Maasai herdsmen in Kenya have turned to an age-old contraceptive device, the "olor" the Spanish word for odor, to protect their precious goat herds from an ongoing drought. The olor is made from cowhide or a square piece of plastic, and is tied around the belly of the male goat. It prevents the bucks from mating with the female goats. The herdsmen are using the device to limit the goat population and ensure there are not too many animals grazing on sparse vegetation. "We don't want them to breed in this drought," says Mr Ole Ngoshoi Kipameto, a goat owner in Kajiado district.

The area, which is 80km (50 miles) from the capital, Nairobi, has received insufficient rainfall, making the landscape barren and forcing residents to move from place to place in search of pasture and water. In the Maasai community, livestock are often people's only assets and sole means of survival.

"We tie this hide under the belly of the buck for three months. After that we remove it and then they can breed by November when the short rains come," Mr Kipameto says. The rectangular piece of cowhide is passed over the buck's head and front legs and secured under the belly in front of the hind legs with a rope or elastic strap. "It looks like an apron," Mr Kipameto says. Peter Ndirangu, the area livestock officer, says the olor is very effective. "In the modern method, we advocate keeping the bucks separate from the breeding goats. But that is an added cost as you require two herdsmen - one for the bucks and one for the female goats," he says.

"This [device] will play the part of a herdsman." He says the device is very useful in keeping the herd numbers down and controlling when the goats give birth. "If they give birth during harsh conditions like now, the mothers - the does - are going to be very weak, they're not going to feed their young ones properly," he says. The device helps the herdsmen to restrict kidding to the period during and after the rains. If the rains fall in October and November, the dry landscape will turn green again and the herdsmen will be able to settle with their livestock. Until then, the herdsmen will have to employ the olor to protect their livestock and livelihood safe. Those who do not use it could face a hefty fine if their bucks are found guilty of impregnating another herder's doe.

By Ruth Nesoba

BBC News, Nairobi