The History of The Easter Bunny

easter bunny

Easter Sunday was originally created as a way for the Christian community to come together and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, as modern views continue to chime in and grow in popularity, the celebration of Easter has been altered. A fictional character known as the Easter Bunny has been used to brand the holiday. Now, what’s even more interesting is that the symbol of the rabbit has no ties to the Christian community. So, where did it come from?

Easter aka Eostra

Well, Pre-Christian Germany dates back to the 13th century. During this time, people worshiped several gods and goddesses. One goddess, in particular, is responsible for the branding of the Easter Bunny. Her name was named Eostra. She was the goddess of spring and fertility.

Add Rabbit, Bunny, Hare.

Ancient History has branded this animal as a symbol of fertility. These rambunctious little guys are known for their high level of energy, small bodies, and  perky set of ears.

Meet the Easter Bunny

Originally named Osterhase, this hare was brought to American when the German settlers started to migrate here. The concept behind Osterhase was to reward children for being well behaved. In exchange, they would receive bright colored eggs filled with chocolates and candies. As years continued to pass, people started to catch on and add their own personal twists. The holiday has turned into a family affair to include a big Easter dinner and an interactive egg hunt.

Spring, in general, marks a time of blossom. It’s also a pretty happy time of year.
The snow is melting, people and animals are coming out of hibernation, and we are blessed with the cuteness of newly born livestock. Keep your eye out for these furry little creatures as the continue to pop up around farms nationwide.
baby farm animals

Lisa Podwirny is the owner of Ketchum Mfg. Connect with her on Google+

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Purpose of Cattle Tags

Catttle Tags

What are Cattle Tags?

What could be seen as an added accessory — you know, bling, or earrings — cattle tags actually serve a far greater purpose. Farms can be a confusing place. Typically farms sit on a good chunk of acreage. And with that, the livestock is left to play and explore their land. Between chickens, cows and pigs, you can just imagine the chaos. Having a structured organizational system in place is important so that you can keep track of your inventory. Ear tags are an easy-to-use and simple solution for any farmer to implement.

What is the Purpose of Ear Tags?

When farm animals are born, they all look very similar. As they get older, they continue to mirror the image of their peers. Ear tags are a way for the farmers to identify who is who in their land of livestock. Think of it this with. Ear tags are similar to birth certificates. They let you know who your parents are, when you were born, what your gender is, and what vaccinations you have been given.

The Numbering System

Everyone has his or her own unique method of identification, but the most common system is the numbering system. With this system, it’s common to introduce both letters and numbers. The letter would represent the year of birth. For example, if the calf was born in 2012, it would be given the letter A, for calves born in 2013, B, and so on and so forth. The numbers following the letter could determine the litter, number born on farm, or gender. Each system is unique. Once an animal is given an identification tag, they are to rep that tag for their entire lifetime.

Other Uses for Ear Tags:

While cattle tags are the most popular, they are not the only animal to use this system. Any animal that is raised for profit is typically marked with an ear tag. Pigs, chickens, sheep, goats, and rabbits are common examples.

Animals can also be tagged for research purposes. Flocks of geese or endangered species may be tagged in order to determine migration patterns.

Lisa Podwirny is the owner of Ketchum Mfg. Connect with her on Google+

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The Benefits of Animal ID Tags

Here at Ketchum, we sell ID tags for many different animals. We make dog tags, cat tags, cattle tags, poultry leg and wing bands, and more. But what’s the purpose? It’s 2014, there’s probably some app you can download on your iPhone to identify animals, right? Not exactly. Check out these benefits of animal ID tags:

Auctions

animal_auction
We make plastic numbered tags that come in very handy for livestock auctions. If you’ve ever attended an auction, you know that there are a lot of people and a lot of animals. It would be virtually impossible to make order of it all without a way of identifying the animals. Our tags come in very bright orange, white, and yellow colors. You can order them blank or numbered; they’re perfect for any auction.

Accountability

When it comes to farm animals, accountability is VERY important. You need to monitor animals to make sure they’re healthy, you have as many as you think you do, etc. ID tags are at the root of the system when you’re keeping track.

However, plenty of animals won’t stay on one farm their whole life – they’ll more then likely get shipped around in the process before the grocery store. At that point, accountability is, potentially, even more important. If your animals need blood tests before they leave your farm, or they need to be checked for disease, it’s important to have all animals properly accounted for. Plastic ear tags, metal ear tags, neck tags, etc. are all humane ways to identify certain animals.

Lost Pets

dog_tree
ID tags can save your pet’s life. If your pet gets lost, an ID tag is really the only way it could be brought back to its owner. Put your dog’s name and your phone number on the tag, at the least. The person who finds your dog will be able to comfort them by name.

Other Uses

Our tags are so durable and high quality that they go beyond being useful for animals. We had our tags being used to mark the gate positions at a ski resort. After all, they are tags — they can be used to number anything!

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Recognizing & Caring for a Sick Pet

sick puppy

It doesn’t come as a surprise to any of us when I say that this winter has been brutal. We have faced piercing cold temperatures and have been pounded with snow. We also, have had some surprisingly nice days. It’s always a nice thing when the sun comes out, but its not nice when your head starts to pound and your nose starts to run. As adults, we know our bodies well enough to feel “sickness” approaching. Children are able to voice their concerns when they start feeling ill. But, pets? Do you know your pet well enough to know if something isn’t right? And how are you supposed to care for them when they are feeling under the weather. Check out these tips and be alert of some of the symptoms.

How to Tell if Your Pet is Sick

Vomiting:
Always a clear sign that something is not right with your pet. While it might just be something simple as coughing up that green grass they snuck in at the park, it could also be something a little bit more serious. As unappetizing as it may be, you must investigate the materials. Are there colors? Undigested food? Liquid only? These key observances will help aid your veterinarian into determining the cause. Same goes for diarrhea. As gross as it may be, pay attention.

Change in Appetite:
Whether an overly excited eater is suddenly not interested in dinner, or a super picky eater is suddenly eating everything in sight, a change in eating patterns can pose a serious problem. There could be experiencing a virus or have a digestive problem. Be observant, these poor guys can’t always tell us what they want.

Other Physical and Behavioral Symptoms:

– Watery eyes
– Unease of balance
– Ear discharge
– Irregular or lack there of bowel movements
– Excessive panting
– Coughing

The list is long, and the possibilities of physical and behavioral indications could be anything and may differ per breed/per pet. Trust your gut. If you think something is wrong, go to a vet. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

How to Care for Your Sick Pet

If your little guy or gal is under the weather you might want to make some small changes around the house to help nurse up a speedy recovery. If your vet gave you medications, make sure you know how to distribute them properly.

Quiet Time:
Personally, when I’m sick, all I want to do is bundle up in my coziest PJ’s and snuggle in my bed. Make a similar room for your pup. Clean up their area and fluff up their pet bed with clean, warm, and dry blankets. Make sure there is always fresh water available.

Bath Time:
Splish Splash, let’s take a bath. If your pup is down in the dumps or is not feeling ill, maybe a small sponge bath rinse is just what the doctor ordered.

After your pet heals, they will be full of energy and you can both get back to your daily routines!

Lisa Podwirny is the owner of Ketchum Mfg. Connect with her on Google+

 

(above photo taken from fox news)

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Understanding Accountability Tags

accountability tags

Accountability systems are used nationwide and for a variety of different reasons. A common example you can relate to is using an accountability system when taking a class field trip. Teachers will hand out name tags or passes to children prior to start of the field trip, collect the passes when they exit off the bus, and then hand the passes back to the students once the field trip is over. The passes that remain will alert the teacher of who is missing.

Typically speaking, if you are in charge of another human being… it is important to have some sort of tracking and accountability system in place.

The concept of this type of system is no different for firefighters. However, instead of going on field trips, these brave men and woman are fighting dangerous fires.

Each year over a hundred firefighters die in the line of duty. It is extremely important to stress personnel accountability on the fire-ground for safety purposes. Through out the years there have been many different types of systems in place. And as technology continues to evolve, different options continue to become available.

The most common method of a firefighter accountability system is the use of identification tags. Tags are simple, efficient, inexpensive, and can be customized. They also come in different colors to assign different roles. For example, using a two tag accountability system is very popular.

One tag is used to indicate that the firefighter is on the scene, while the second tag is used, like an “entry permit”, to account for the firefighters that enter a building. Upon exiting the building, this tag should be immediately retrieved by the controller of the scene.

When correctly placed, a solid system will help the incident commander know how many people are on the scene. They also allow tracking of what each firefighter is doing and where he or she is doing it. Fire-ground scenes without firefighter accountability tags in place can result in chaos and increase chance of death.

Lisa Podwirny is the owner of Ketchum Mfg. Connect with her on Google+

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