Farm & Ranch

[AgriLife Today] Progressive Agriculture Safety Day set May 20 in Denton

Published

7 years ago

May 16, 2017

NTFR

By: Paul Schattenberg

Writer: Paul Schattenberg, 20-859-5752, [email protected]
Contact: Jessica Kimbro, 940-349-2882, [email protected]

DENTON –The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office for Denton County and others will present a Progressive Agriculture Safety Day for youth from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. May 20 at the North Texas Fairgrounds, 2217 N. Carroll Blvd. in Denton.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.

The cost is $5 per child, which covers lunch, snacks, event speakers, a T-shirt and bag of safety materials.

“This fun-filled day, presented by the Denton County Ag Committee, is open to third- through fifth-graders,” said Jessica Kimbro, AgriLife Extension agent for 4-H youth development, Denton County. “Event activities will include demonstrations and discussions on several safety-related topics.”

Kimbro said topics will include ATV, vehicle, farm equipment, lawn equipment, fire, electricity, food, chemical, water and sun safety. There will also be instruction on emergency response and a mobile learning barn.

To register, complete the registration and release and consent forms at http://bit.ly/2pFF4QI. Return or mail the completed forms with payment to: AgriLife Extension Denton County, 401 W. Hickory St., Suite 125, Denton, Texas 76201. Make checks out to Ag Demo Fund.

The deadline for registration is May 17. Space is limited to the first 250 who register, so attendees are requested to complete and return the forms as soon as possible.

For more information, call 940-349-2894.

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Farm & Ranch

Hazards of Backyard Poultry

Published

2 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.