Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
By Rayford Pullen
Spring is just around the corner, and I’m so excited I can hardly stand it. Going into winter with limited hay, very little winter grazing because the soils were super saturated and a cattle market that needed some help, we’re now at the time of year when we can scale back on supplemental feed and enjoy the green grass and legumes that will soon be putting on their Sunday clothes.
While this is March and we are right smack dab in the middle of calving out our cattle, it’s hard not to get excited seeing all the little ones doing their tricks in the pastures, driving their mothers crazy, especially when they run in packs. I guess that’s why we enjoy what we do so much: it’s the little things that make us smile.
While we hope to complete calving by the end of March, we always have a few stragglers that wait until April, and the occasional May calf.
To read more pick up a copy of the March 2019 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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