Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile, back at the ranch…
By Rayford Pullen
It is time to turn the page and begin a new chapter we’ll call 2017, full of hope, promise and opportunities. Let’s just hope we recognize these when they are presented and use them as we continue down the cattle trail.
The recent cattle market reminds me of a cartoon I saw many years ago where the cowboy was visiting with his banker and the banker tells him he has good news and bad news regarding his loan.
The cowboy is all ears as the banker tells him the good news is “the cattle market is higher” but the bad news is “it’s not high enough.” This is where we seem to find ourselves when it comes to income versus overhead and our ability or inability to show a profit, which leads us to making decisions regarding our own operations.
As seed stock producers, we find ourselves in the precarious position of trying to do what’s best for us and our customers when it comes to investing in genomic testing and using the current technology available to us to hopefully enhance our ability to make sure we are producing the kind of bulls our customers need and or want.
To read more pick up a copy of the January 2017 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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