Farm & Ranch
Bull-Mania
By Phillip Kitts
Traditionally the winter months brings a slower time of year for the rodeo world. As the world of technology and capability changes, the more it has brought these colder months to be an influential part of the rodeo season.
In the recent years, large to small communities have begun to recognize the immense value of utilizing indoor facilities to host rodeo events. These venues and events are seeing a consistent growth in both crowd and competitor numbers, which not only generate great revenue for all, but they also provide a great sense of community.
New Year’s Eve displayed a great example of this growth and community. To understand the impact an event can have, let’s go back 26 years and the beginning of an era.
Klamath Falls, Ore., is a large agricultural community in the southeast corner of Oregon. Not a big community, but through the years the city survived on a balance of the farming and ranching community as well as the logging and tourism industry. Klamath Falls always had a rodeo influence. As part of the Great Northwest Rodeo Association, the consistent draw to their yearly rodeo has always been fair. In 1991 Jaimie Berg recognized that other than the once a year rodeo, the local fans were left out in the cold for a majority of the year because there were no other large-scale rodeo events.
Jory Markiss at Bull-Mania. (Photos by Phillip Kitts, Avid Imagery Rodeo Photography)
Bushwacker entering the arena at Bull-Mania.
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.
By Tressa Lawrence
Babies are tucked away in every nook and cranny. Many ranchers across Wyoming have baby animals popping up all over this time of year.
By Lindsey Monk
Another load of grain in to keep feeding the calves until the green grass can really start popping.
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