Farm & Ranch

Ag Apps Seminar Set For July 22

Published

8 years ago

June 2, 2016

NTFR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, June 2, 2016

Contact: Fred M. Hall,

Tarrant County CEA,

Ph: 817.884.1946;

email: [email protected]

Producers are finding their smart phones are becoming an important part of farm management. “Accessing farm records and management tools make truck and tractor cabs a vital part of the farm office” notes new Tarrant County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent Fred M. Hall. The program will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday July 22 in the conference room at the Tarrant County Resource Connection. The facility is located at 1100 Circle Drive, near Interstate 20 in Fort Worth. AgriLife Economist Dr. Bennett and Austin Miles with Nobel Foundation will walk through some of the newest and most popular agricultural apps plus Miles will demonstrate some things you might not have known your phone can do. In addition, Hall will demonstrate some of his favorite apps. Agricultural apps are promising easier record keeping and calculations for everything from calculating how much chemical to put in the tank to formulating least cost rations with commodity ingredients. “But do they give you answers that are useful for your farm?” asks Hall. The program will cover all aspects of using smart phone applications in agriculture. This will include some ‘hands-on” time so bring your phones and be prepared to ask questions. Registration is $25, which includes hand-outs and materials, lunch and two general category continuing education units for Texas pesticide license holders. The deadline to register is July 20 and registration can be done on-line at: http://agrilife.org/urbantarrantag/program-registration

For more information contact your local Extension office, in Tarrant County the Extension Office number is 817.884.1946.

-30-

Farm & Ranch

Hazards of Backyard Poultry

Published

5 days ago

April 21, 2024

NTFR

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.