Farm & Ranch
Ranching Down Under
By Samantha Hall
In the early 1900s Australian stockmen started using what is now known as the Australian Stockwhip. It originated from the English hunting whip and evolved into the whip still used by stockwomen and men all over Australia today to encourage stock such as herds of cattle and flocks of sheep to keep moving during gathering or when sorting in the pens.
A whip is the Australian equivalent to a Texans rope; cowboys and girls carry one all the time. The stockwhip is also a mandatory piece of equipment during Australian cow horse challenges.
Unlike the Florida cow whip some of you may be familiar with that is made from inexpensive nylon, the Australian stockwhip is five and one half to six feet long and is braided from red hide, green hide, and often Kangaroo hide. Kangaroo hide allows the whip maker to produce a much finer braid that Kangaroo hide whips are renowned for.
To read more pick up a copy of the December 2016 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922!
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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