Farm & Ranch
Ranchers, more than cowmen, but stewards of the land
By Lindsay Allen
Dr. Larry Redmon, professor and associate department head and extension program leader for the department of soil and crop sciences at Texas A&M University, said a cowman’s number one goal when it comes to his soil is protecting this valuable resource from erosion loss. While some soil erosion may be natural, an accelerated form of erosion is not.
Removing any protective layer from your pastures, such as trees, thick leaf layers and dense grass, which all protect the soil in its natural state, could speed up the erosion process. Poor grazing management is another area that could take a toll on the soil and increase erosion. Redmon said appropriate stocking rates are critically important when it comes to providing the necessary levels of forage residues remaining in the pasture in an effort to reduce and protect the soil from erosion loss.
When taking soil samples and tests, Dr. John Lory, University of Missouri Extension, recommends the sampling area be divided into pastures that have similar characteristics and should not exceed 20 acres. To read more pick up a copy of the September 2016 NTFR issue.
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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