Farm & Ranch

The Dr. McDonald Column – Heifer on Fire

Published

7 years ago

July 3, 2017

NTFR

By Steve McDonald, DVM

We watched a video the other day of the movie, “The Hunger Games,” in which the heroine paraded around in a dress that was on fire. Somehow she wasn’t burned by the flames. My mind raced back nearly 30 years to one of the first bovine Caesarian deliveries I had done.

In central Texas there are two calving seasons, both six months long. The heifer showed up in mid-July with an oversized calf lodged up and several thousand horn flies buzzing around her body. It was a very heavy infestation. Not only were they tormenting her, but they’d be quite the source of infection if they got into the proposed surgical site. That was a sure thing as soon as I opened her flank to perform the C-section.

Being that we were a mixed animal practice, we had Adam’s Flea Spray, which is a dandy insecticide that will kill just about any kind of bug it comes in contact with. It came in an easy to use spray bottle.

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

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.