Farm & Ranch

AgriLife Today promoting hurricane safety for livestock

Published

7 years ago

May 16, 2017

NTFR

By: Paul Schattenberg

Writer: Paul Schattenberg, 210-859-5752, [email protected]

Contact: Dr. Andy Vestal, 979-862-3013, [email protected]

COLLEGE STATION – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts have produced videos and publications to help ranchers and other horse and/or livestock owners prepare for a hurricane.

“The week of May 7-13 is National Hurricane Preparedness Week and AgriLife Extension is helping promote it by reminding Texans to be mindful of what they need to do to be ready in the event of a hurricane,” said Dr. Andy Vestal, AgriLife Extension specialist — emergency management, College Station.

He said one way people can prepare for a disaster is to be informed by reading and following the advice in preparedness publications available through the Texas EDEN website at http://texashelp.tamu.edu, as well as the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Bookstore at https://www.agrilifebookstore.org/.

“Even with modern technology, it’s almost impossible to know any earlier than about a week out if a hurricane is heading your way,” he said. “That’s why it’s especially important for people who live in coastal areas and own livestock to start making preparations well in advance.”Vestal said hurricane season begins around June 1 and lasts through Nov. 30.

Vestal said those who own horses and other livestock will benefit from videos made by AgriLife Extension experts and available on YouTube.

The first is Evacuating Horses, which features former AgriLife Extension horse specialist Brett Scott. This video can be found at: http://bit.ly/2r3TnhV.

Two additional YouTube videos feature Dr. Jason Cleere, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist, College Station. Hurricane Preparedness for Livestock Owners: Video 1 can be found at http://bit.ly/2q6PLy7. Hurricane Preparedness for Livestock Owners: Video 2 can be found at 2http://bit.ly/2pBkQqq.

Vestal said the AgriLife Extension publication Hurricane Preparedness for Livestock Producers by Dr. Joe Paschal, AgriLife Extension livestock specialist, Corpus Christi, is also available on the Texas EDEN and bookstore sites.

“This guide shows how to help protect livestock from injury should a hurricane occur and briefly covers vaccinations, barn preparation, livestock evacuations, feed and hay, and water storage,” he said.

Vestal said additional AgriLife Extension hurricane-related resources can be found on Texas EDEN at http://bit.ly/2q8Lp8c.

“Texas EDEN and bookstore websites have additional information on disaster preparation and recovery, most available free of charge,” Vestal said. “There are also e-book format downloads for mobile devices for these publications. These materials contain useful information provided by the agency and other Texas A&M University System experts, as well as experts from state and federal agencies and the national land-grant university Extension system.”

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Find more stories, photos, videos and audio at http://today.agrilife.org

Farm & Ranch

Hazards of Backyard Poultry

Published

6 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.