Farm & Ranch

Meanwhile back at the ranch…

Published

6 years ago

February 25, 2018

NTFR

By Rayford Pullen

This has been an expensive winter to own cattle from a supplemental feed perspective. As of February 1, we had already purchased our total used during the winter of 2016-2017, and if that groundhog is right, we have another six weeks of winter, which will translate into more feed required.

The drought this past fall and now well into winter has resulted in little, if any, winter grazing. So here’s to hoping spring will be arriving soon.

It seems I have a few friends each year who lose calves to a clostridial disease we call blackleg, due mostly to the fact they did not vaccinate. My observation has been that the calves you find with blackleg are dead, had been doing really good, weigh in the 400-pound range and may be close to a water source. In all my years I have only seen one calf that I knew had blackleg that was alive.

This problem can usually be avoided with just a basic vaccination program, which includes a blackleg vaccination when calves are two to three months old. If we have late born calves that are at least walking, we will vaccinate them regardless of their age, and recently published articles have indicated that unlike conventional thinking, calves under two months old will also get immunity.

To read more pick up a copy of the March 2018 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.