Farm & Ranch

The Dr. McDonald Column

Published

7 years ago

July 31, 2017

NTFR

By Steve McDonald, DVM

He’s dead now. He died several years ago of heart failure, I think. He was an old man who brought cattle in for me to work on. I used to dread seeing his truck and trailer pull into the clinic parking lot for two reasons: first, his cattle were of the type that tried to run over or away from you, and they didn’t care which one they chose to perform.

Second, Grady was totally without fear and would unhesitatingly climb into a pen with a cow showing murder in her heart. I guess he was not aware that at 80 plus, he was too slow to escape when the animal charged him.

To avoid this from becoming a disastrous consequence, I instructed our staff to be especially vigilant when Grady was afoot in the pens; not allowing him to open gates or enter into any pen with an agitated animal.

It was a tall order. Grady had been around cattle all his life, and he knew what to do. He was eager to help. He was just, at his age, a little slow on reaction time to be safe. Over the years, we had several close calls with Grady leaving a gate open, and him narrowly escaping being run over by an irate cow.

It finally happened. Grady brought in a Limousine bull with a swollen jaw and a sour disposition. We unloaded the bull, put him in the head gate, examined him, and discovered he had a broken jaw. There was nothing we could do for him, so we made ready to load him back on the trailer. His attitude was very combative.

To read more pick up a copy of the August 2017 NTFR issue! To subscribe call 940-872-5922.

Farm & Ranch

Hazards of Backyard Poultry

Published

3 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.