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Farm & Ranch

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch…

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By Rayford Pullen | [email protected]

You can almost see spring from here, and for me, that’s a good thing after all the cubing and haying and calving in cold weather. The next four months, March through June, approximately 120 days, will be the best of the best regarding forage quality which results in the best gains, the most milk produced and the best time to get those spring calving cows, which actually calved during the middle of winter, rebred and putting that 150 or so pounds back on that we normally lose during the winter.

While fall born calves around here normally weigh five to six pounds less than our spring born calves, we have been fortunate this year that birthweight has not been an issue with our first calf heifers. February and March is when the majority of our spring calves are born which is important because we want them to be able to take advantage of all the wonderful forage we have in the spring and give our cows time to recover from winter and rebreed before we reach the dog days of summer, hot and dry, when forage quality declines rapidly.

To read more pick up a copy of the March 2021 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.

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Farm & Ranch

Hazards of Backyard Poultry

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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.

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Farm & Ranch

Ag Elsewhere: Wyoming

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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.

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Farm & Ranch

Ag Elsewhere: Montana

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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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