Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
By Rayford Pullen | [email protected]
I was really worried we would miss spring this year because we missed the rain in February, March, and the biggest part of April, but low and behold, it arrived. Our pastures finally turned green and our cattle started putting the weight back on they had given up over the winter due to the lack of grazing from our planted winter annuals and our native winter pastures. In the not-so-distant past, I recall realizing that we had indeed missed spring because of one of the frequent droughts that seem to pop up from time to time in our part of the world.
Around our place, all the calves have been vaccinated for blackleg, IBR and dewormed with a white wormer. Their mommas and daddies received lepto-vibrio with the mommas and daddies two and under receiving a white dewormer. One thing we did run into was ear ticks on mainly our yearling heifers. There were a lot of them on the backs of the ears and inside the ears. We used an ear tick spray for those inside the ears and a pour-on down the back for those on top of the ears. Now, with the abundance of forage we have been blessed with, it’s time to enjoy watching our cattle bloom and the fruits of our labors pay off.
To read more pick up a copy of NTFR magazine. 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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