Farm & Ranch

[AgriLife Today] Three-part beef cattle production series offered to Central Texas producers

Published

8 years ago

January 11, 2016

NTFR

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas Beef Council have teamed up to present a special Beef 706 program, a three-part series of hands-on sessions focusing on beef quality management and marketing opportunities. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin)

By: Blair Fannin

Contact: Kara Matheney, 979-277-6212, [email protected]

BRENHAM – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas Beef Council have teamed up to present a special Beef 706 program, a three-part series of hands-on sessions focusing on beef quality management and marketing opportunities.

The program is available to beef cattle producers from Austin, Brazos, Burleson, Fayette, Lee, Waller and Washington counties. Session one will be held Jan. 19 at Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction in Brenham. Session two will be held May 17 at the Texas A&M University Animal Science Teaching and Research Center in College Station, and session three will be held June 6-7 at the Rosenthal Meat Science and Technology Center.

The checkoff-funded program is designed to help producers maximize profits and have a better understanding of the production process after their cattle enter the feedyard, according to organizers.

At the Brenham session, industry experts will discuss factors affecting feeder calves.

“Producers will then choose a calf to monitor through the production system at the following two sessions,” said Kara Matheney, AgriLife Extension agent for Washington County.

Session two will give producers an inside look at the feeding industry and see the progress of their feeder calf chosen in the first session. Producers will also learn more about factors impacting feedyard performance, Matheney said.

Session three will allow producers to see their finished cattle and participate in a hands-on exercise that takes their chosen fed cattle from session one through the harvest, grading and fabrication process.

In the final session, industry experts will discuss the cattle’s value highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of marketing cattle on a grid versus a live basis.

Cost of the program will be $50 per participant. To register for this program, contact the following AgriLife Extension county offices: Austin County – 979-865-2072; Brazos County – 979-823-0129; Burleson County – 979-567-2308; Fayette County – 979-968-5831; Lee County – 979-542-2753; Waller County – 979-826-7651; or Washington County – 979-277-6212.

For more information, visit http://www.TexasBeefCheckoff.com or call 800-846-4113.

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Farm & Ranch

Hazards of Backyard Poultry

Published

1 week 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.