Farm & Ranch
COVID-19’s Effect on the North Texas Cattle Market
By Judy Wade
When the sales volume at Wichita Livestock Sales went from an average of 1,100 head on March 11 to 970 head on March 18, owner-operator Billy Easter didn’t think too much about it. Farmers had just pulled their wheat pasture calves off and sold them, and rains had gotten erratic, making getting cattle to market difficult.
Then came the pandemic orders, and it began to make sense.
“We are an essential business, so after one week, we resumed our sales, putting in some new regulations,” Easter explained. “We lost some buyers because they were afraid to come at first, but we are back up to our usual 50 to 60 buyers—some order buyers and some local ranchers—each week.”
To read more pick up a copy of the June 2020 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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