Patrick Biggs

Sep 6, 2024 | acreagelife.com | Patrick Biggs

No matter what animals roam your farm, determining which feed to purchase can feel like a big task-like, what's actually in the bag? With a little knowledge, though, you'll understand feed-tag lingo. Feed tags are required by law for every bag of commercial feed. Here's what a feed tag tells you:1. Product name-An obvious but important piece of information. If a product is medicated, the word "medicated" 'will follow the product name. 2.

Nov 29, 2023 | biorxiv.org | Helen Smith |Patrick Biggs |Nigel French |ADAM SMITH

AbstractLevels of a predictor variable that are absent when a classification tree is grown can not be subject to an explicit splitting rule. This is an issue if these absent levels then present in a new observation for prediction. To date, there remains no satisfactory solution for absent levels in random forest models. Unlike missing data, absent levels are fully observed and known. Ordinal encoding of predictors allows absent levels to be integrated and used for prediction.

Nov 17, 2023 | acreagelife.com | Patrick Biggs

You want your own backyard animal paradise but aren’t sure where to start? Here are the three most important considerations for building any backyard paradise:FoodSome animals will depend on feed while others you’ll need to supplement—knowing the difference can save time and money. Chickens and pigs will need a feed to supplement their nutrition, in most cases.

Oct 28, 2023 | acreagelife.com | Patrick Biggs

Getting your animals ready for cold weather can be a daunting task – everything from shoring up their shelter to keeping water sources from freezing and more. But one thing you might not be considering is switching feed. Let’s talk about why you should adjust your feeding routine in winter and some things to look for when choosing the right feed. Why change feed in the winter? As the weather changes, so does an animal’s energy needs.

Aug 28, 2023 | nature.com | Joseph Guhlin |Jana Wold |Emily Koot |Patrick Biggs |Stephanie J. Galla |Lara Urban | +8 more

AbstractThe kākāpō is a critically endangered, intensively managed, long-lived nocturnal parrot endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand. We generated and analysed whole-genome sequence data for nearly all individuals living in early 2018 (169 individuals) to generate a high-quality species-wide genetic variant callset.