Farm & Ranch

[AgriLife Today] Small Acreage Pasture Management meeting set for Feb. 27 in Wichita Falls

Published

7 years ago

February 13, 2017

NTFR

By: Kay Ledbetter

Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, [email protected]
Contact: David Graf, 940-716-8610, [email protected]

WICHITA FALLS – A Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Small Acreage Pasture Management meeting will be held Feb. 27 at the River Bend Nature Center, 2200 3rd St., Wichita Falls,.

The program, which includes a meal, will be from 6-7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public, said David Graf, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent for Wichita County.

Graf said this program will allow new and experienced landowners who have small acreage to ask questions about unfamiliar tasks and hear the latest information on things like sprayer calibration, proper pressure and nozzle tips, and how to properly use products that keep the environment safe.

“Our office gets many requests during the year on improving the grass in their small pasture or working on it to be more attractive,” he said. “They have questions on weed, mesquite and prickly pear control, including when, what and how to do those things correctly and effectively. This session is directed at those concerns.”

Session information will be provided by James Jackson, AgriLife Extension range program specialist in Stephenville.

He will discuss hands-on plant identification, control options for weeds and brush, and application techniques and equipment, as well as answer any questions.

For more information, contact Graf at 940-716-8610 or [email protected].

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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.