Farm & Ranch

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch

Published

5 years ago

May 10, 2019

NTFR

By Rayford Pullen

The lady at the local newspaper office took the ad for “cattle for sale,” and with a bewildered look on her face asked the other ladies working there if they had ever seen cattle with little ears, but no one had. One had actually seen goats with little ears at the stock show, the Lamancha breed she thought, but she wasn’t sure.

When asked why she would even ask that question, she replied that a gentleman had come in to place an ad for 10 bred heifers for sale, mostly black with a little ear and she had never seen or heard of cattle with little ears. I guess we do speak a different language in this business.

With the weather extremes seen around the county this winter, we’re pretty lucky to live in this neck of the woods. While we had a long and wet winter, spring is now here and bringing with it the grasses and legumes we have been longing for. This also was the first time in my lifetime our pastures and fields were too wet for the grasses or cereal grains to grow.

To read more pick up a copy of the May 2019 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.

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.