Farm & Ranch
The Dr. McDonald Column – “Hell’s Full of Mules”
By Steve McDonald, DVM
“Hell’s full of mules.” This was a common opinion shared by early day frontiersmen as they traveled the great distances across the American West. Mules could pull harder and longer than horses and do it on less feed and water. Their endurance was legendary, routinely performing feats that would kill a horse. The 20-mule teams used to haul freight across California’s Death Valley in the late 19th century were used because no horse could have done it. Mules are said, especially by the people who like them, to be smarter than horses.
The famous mule rides at the Grand Canyon are because mules are both sure footed and bereft of suicidal tendencies. I have sutured and bandaged many hundreds of horses in my career, but have only seen a hand full of mules with lacerations. To read more pick up a copy of the September 2016 NTFR issue.
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.
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.
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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