Farm & Ranch
AG Elsewhere: Montana- Branding Season
By Jean Stimpson
“May is our month for branding and taking cows and bulls out to pasture,” Montana rancher’s wife Jean Stimpson said. “Branding is one of our favorite times of the year. Friends, family, food and fun. We all help each other.” Stimpson shared that branding is a social event as well as a working one, “We all get to reconnect after a long winter, catch up with each other on news and happenings, and eat.” On the Stimpson’s ranch they brand around 320 head. Stimpson herself cooks and feeds between 30 and 50 people who come to help. “We typically have 18 to 20 guys and eight to 10 women, countless kids and anyone that wants a job gets one, sometimes even if you don’t want a job you get one. The women help wrestle, give shots, brand and rope right along with the men. Kids wrestle and some rope too,” Stimpson elaborated.
Farm & Ranch
Hazards of Backyard Poultry
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.
Farm & Ranch
Ag Elsewhere: Wyoming
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.
Farm & Ranch
Ag Elsewhere: Montana
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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