Farm & Ranch

Meanwhile back at the ranch…

Published

6 years ago

May 25, 2018

NTFR

By Rayford Pullen

The bi-annual solstice will be occurring June 21 this year and is expected to occur at 10:07 a.m. Hopefully it will find you spending quality time with your family and friends as this is also the day we receive the most sunlight of the entire year. With daylight saving time in effect, you’ll be maximizing your fun in the sun.

We completed our first and only round of artificial insemination of our cows in early May and then turned our bulls out to clean up the ones we missed. Our bulls will remain out until the first of August or so and then put back into the bull pasture until December when we will be cleaning up our fall calving herd after their one and only chance to be bred artificially. I mention the one and only chance because of our need to keep our calves coming as close together as possible for management and marketing purposes.

While we prefer our spring calves to be born in February and March and our fall calves to be born in September and October, we will inevitably have those that will calve in the next 30-day period.

To read more pick up a copy of the June 2018 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.

Farm & Ranch

Hazards of Backyard Poultry

Published

4 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.