Farm & Ranch
Charlie and the Ultimate Cowboys’ Dogs
By Martin Aldridge
Katfish and Lacy are in constant motion as they drive a small group of cattle across a pen. There’s no barking, no fuss, until one of the cattle decides to take off in a different direction. That’s when Lacy flashes in and snaps at the flank of the stray, who lashes out with a rear hoof that doesn’t connect while quickly returning to the herd.
Katfish and Lacy are members of a new type of herder, Hangin’ Tree Cowdogs, and they are simply driving the cattle in whatever direction Charlie Trayer decides to walk. After completing their training exercise, they are rewarded with three words: get a drink. The two dogs happily jump into a large metal water tank.
Trayer is owner of Charlie’s Cowdogs, and scenes like this are repeated endlessly at his ranch near Seymour, just southwest of Wichita Falls. To read more pick up the April 2015 issue of North Texas Farm & Ranch.
By Barry Whitworth, DVM
Having backyard poultry is a popular agriculture enterprise. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 0.8 percent of all households in the United States have chickens. People keep chickens for a variety of reasons with table eggs being one of the more common reasons.
Unfortunately, some of these poultry producers are not aware of the hazards that come with keeping poultry because many times they carry pathogens but appear healthy.
Chickens are carriers of several zoonotic diseases. These are diseases that can be passed from animals to humans. According to a recent survey in Pennsylvania, a majority of backyard poultry producers were aware of the dangers of avian influenza. However, this study also revealed that far fewer producers were aware of the risk of possible exposure to Salmonella and Campylobacter.
The lack of knowledge about the hazards of raising poultry likely contributes to the continued issues of Salmonella outbreaks associated with backyard poultry. In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,072 illnesses of Salmonella linked to backyard poultry, and 272 of those patients required hospitalization. Oklahoma reported 43 individuals with the disease.
To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Tressa Lawrence
Babies are tucked away in every nook and cranny. Many ranchers across Wyoming have baby animals popping up all over this time of year.
By Lindsey Monk
Another load of grain in to keep feeding the calves until the green grass can really start popping.
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