Farm & Ranch

The Dr. MbDonald Column – I coulda been sued!

Published

7 years ago

December 14, 2016

NTFR

By Dr. Steve McDonald, DVM

I was traveling down a seldom used road on my way to a ranch for a day of bull fertility testing. There, about 30 yards off the road, was a cow. The dead calf with the swollen head was several feet behind her, and she had prolapsed. She was lying there, obviously exhausted. I did not know who she belonged to, but by the brand of beer cans lying alongside the gate I made a guess.

I decided to stuff her prolapse, since it was fresh and I would be unable to reach who I thought was the owner for the rest of the day. She made no attempt to rise, and I was able to replace her uterus in short order. Since I wasn’t sure who the owner was, I duct taped a business card to her bum.
I went on to spend the remainder of the day testing bulls. I told the cowboys there what I had done, and one of them mentioned that if she died, the owner would certainly waste no time giving me a call, and if she lived the card would certainly “fall” off.

To read more pick up a copy of the December 2016 NTFR issue. Call 940-872-5922 to subscribe!

Farm & Ranch

Hazards of Backyard Poultry

Published

6 days 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.