Farm & Ranch

The Forbidden B Word- Bloat

Published

8 years ago

February 20, 2016

NTFR

By Jessica Crabtree and Dr. Jered Harlan

Pastures of green wheat across the countryside are full of grazing cattle. Most days they appear happy and healthy. Other times cattle will suffer from a multitude of problems associated with being turned out on wheat. One that is easily detected and requires immediate attention is bloat. To be more accurate, bloat may be either free-gas bloat or frothy bloat. Bloat typically shows its evil head when temperatures warm and moisture levels increase and growth of lush grasses or legumes increase drastically.

Bloat is initiated by a rapid release of plant cell contents that are quickly broken down and fermented in the cattle’s rumen. The accumulation of gasses in the first two compartments of the ruminant’s stomach, the rumen and reticulum, is a direct result of the fermentation process. That gas is normally released by belching (eructation in technical terms). To read more pick up the March 2016 issue of NTFR.

Here Dr. Jered Harlan is preforming a rumenostomy, a more permanent fix for a bloat. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Jered Harlan)

Farm & Ranch

Hazards of Backyard Poultry

Published

7 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.