Farm & Ranch
What is anaplasmosis?
By Jessica Crabtree and Dr. Jered Harlan
Anaplasmosis typically appears in fall months. Why you ask? It is because symptoms of the disease appear 21 to 45 days after infection, after fly season in late summer. Anaplasmosis has been prevalent more in the southern states.
What is anaplasmosis? It is a vector-borne, infectious blood disease in cattle caused by the rickesttsial parasites – Anaplasma marginale and Anaplasma centrale. Vector-borne are diseases that are transmitted among their human, animal or plant hosts by arthropods, usually insects, but also even surgical instruments. It is also known as yellow-bag or yellow-fever according to thecattlesite.com. Simply put, it is an infectious disease of cattle that causes destruction of red blood cells. Once infecting the blood cells, anaplasmosis causes severe anemia. It is mostly spread by ticks.
A document from the Texas Agriculture Extension Service about anaplasmosis in beef cattle, printed in 1992, divided the disease into four stages: incubation, developmental, convalescent and carrier. Incubation starts with infection of Anaplasma marginale and lasts until one percent of the animal’s red blood cells are infected. To read more pick up the February 2016 issue of NTFR.
By Barry Whitworth, DVM, MPH
With the prolonged drought, most pastures in Oklahoma end up in poor condition. With the lack of available forage, animals may go in search of alternative foods.
If oak trees are in the pastures, acorns may be a favorite meal for some livestock in the fall. This may result in oak poisoning.
Oak leaves, twigs, buds, and acorns may be toxic to some animals when consumed.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Tony Dean
There are a handful of grasses on North Texas grazing lands ranchers need to know, not because they are highly desirable, but rather because they are not of much value. I call them “decom” plants, which is am acronym for “Don’t Ever Count On Me.” Silver bluestem is a “decom” grass.
Silver bluestem is a perennial which grows in all areas of Texas. It can survive in almost all soil types, and in full sun conditions or in semi shade. It grows up to three feet tall and is easily recognized with the presence of the white fuzzy seed head. Also, one of the identifying characteristics of Silver bluestem is a bend in the stems at each node, causing the plants to take on a rounded shape as they mature.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Rayford Pullen
Fall is here which means winter is closing in on us and before we officially get into winter, we need to make sure our factories are either producing or will be producing in a few months.
We have been pregnancy testing our cows this fall and if they are not bred or nursing a calf, we are bidding them adios. With annual costs somewhere between $900.00 and $1,000.00 per cow, those cows not producing a live weaned calf are costing us quite a bit.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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