Farm & Ranch

#FarmLife

Published

6 years ago

August 6, 2018

NTFR

By Corsi Martin

I once read that the average American throws out $1,400 in wasted food every year. That is $1,400 that could have been spent on a family vacation, more groceries, a lovely gift for your spouse, a down payment on a car, or a large chunk of credit card debt paid off.

The stereotypical notion that everyone who lives in Texas is either a farmer, rancher or rides their horse to town is obviously a pretty far-fetched one because let’s be honest; not everyone can afford a farm or ranch. The idea of people riding their horses to town is at least half true. All jokes aside, farming and ranching is a family-oriented operation more times than not. It takes a lot of time and money to build a functioning farm, and the profits are typically scarce in cases of small wheat farmers. Young people are starting to realize the financial consequences of maintaining the family occupation. Since the market is so unpredictable and fluctuates often, it is not a steady income.

However, in today’s world, what with all of the hippy lifestyles and the desire to be self-sufficient and financially sound, small ranching has become popular among millennials. You see, when most people think of a ranch they think of horses, cattle, pigs, etc. And for the most part, they are right. Horses and cattle cost much more per head and are expensive to maintain. When a loss occurs, it’s not something that can afford to be shrugged off. It’s a plummet to the bank account and a blow to the confidence in your career.

To read more pick up a copy of the August 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.