I present this as opinion because of political references in the content. The context of discerning the truth is the reason for posting it. Peter Peregrine presents compelling insights on the culmination of a long retreat from the scientific perspective on truth. “Because I said so,” is no longer simply a disciplining statement from a parent to a child it seems. Source: The … [Read more...]
Archives for March 2017
Wild pig meat goes USDA Prime
Producer Keith Mann slaughters, processes and sells wild pig meat on his South Florida operation, all signed and sealed by USDA. “We thought the market was ready and knew a lot of chefs would be interested. People instantly recognize the meat is packed with awesome flavor,” he says. Mann could sell every wild pig processed if he had market access. Even foreign markets in … [Read more...]
Bedding, bugs and teats
In spite of solid progress to lower somatic cell counts on dairies, many farms continue to struggle with clinical mastitis. In fact, clinical rates of mastitis have nearly doubled over the last two decades, from about 13 cases per 100 cows to 24, says Pam Ruegg. Cow-to-cow mastitis spread is not the core challenge today. Rather, herds must now deal with bacteria that live and … [Read more...]
Coprophagia season coming
As temperatures warm in parts of the U.S. so do the winter deposits of fecal material in yards and parks. For some dogs who are coprophagic, this is akin to an Easter egg hunt for tasty treats. This article offers some insight on the subject. Source: Clinician’s Brief, July 2015. (partial access) Coprophagia, the consuming of fecal matter, is a frequent complaint by dog … [Read more...]
Toxic teams hurt patient care
Ask sales reps about their in-practice or retail store experiences and you’ll likely hear about some pretty tense business settings. The dvm360 toxic team survey reveal that stressful environments not only hurt employees and dissuade animal owner visits, but the environment is harmful to animals as well. Source: Vetted, February 2017. Toxic veterinary teams are a problem, … [Read more...]
Software and gadgets enhance work and play
Technology plays a tremendous role in how animal health pros manage their days at work and home. This article reviews technology advancements that include drone security, video doorbells and key finders. It is followed by good automotive-related news and hacks. Source: Repertoire, February 2017. Pages 50-53. … [Read more...]
Who stays. Who goes?
Michelle Arnold, DVM, discusses considerations for culling cows from the herd. Twenty percent of gross receipts in a typical cow-calf operation come from the sale of cull animals. Paying attention to price seasonality and body condition scores is important before sending them to market. Source: Drovers CattleNetwork, February 23, 2017. Dr. Arnold offers this list of … [Read more...]
Pet food nutrition: protein hype and digestibility
Differentiating one pet food from the next gets harder every day. Nutritionists say regardless of what is in the prepared diet, getting essential nutrients in the ingredients actually absorbed into the body during digestion is most important. Recent studies dug into the issues of protein and digestibility. Source: Petfood Industry, February17, 2017. Two studies on pet food … [Read more...]
There are surprising benefits when keeping hens with horses
Casie Bazay shares her experiences with free-range chickens and horses. She describes a symbiotic existence that reduces flies, feed waste and breaks down manure so that it dries faster. Source: Horse Network, February 21, 2017. In addition to the bug-eating behaviors, Bazay shares these benefits: Chickens will eat the tiniest piece of grain or other feed dropped on … [Read more...]
March issue of JAVMA
There continues to be a lot of attention paid to probiotics. Among the papers in this issue is Use of probiotics in small animal veterinary medicine. Animal health pros will appreciate it as well as with the others presented. Source: JAVMA, March 2017. (abstract access only) … [Read more...]
I love you – the farm/ranch way
“I love you” may not be heard a lot by farm or ranch kids. Jenni Latzke with the High Plains Journal demonstrates why in her latest column. Source: High Plains Journal, February 20, 2017. To be fair, there’s not a lot of time for flowery words and overt display of affection. No one pauses mid-3 a.m. calf-pulling to look over at his spouse and say, "Margaret, you sure look … [Read more...]
Do you know your livestock breeds?
Here’s a fun test from the folks at Ag Daily. Find out if you know your livestock breeds as well as you think you do. Source: Ag Daily, February 23, 2017. Can you tell the difference between a Chester White and a Berkshire pig? Or spot which herd is Simmental and which one is Limousin cattle? INSIGHTS: If you want to get a full view of livestock breeds around the world, … [Read more...]
Leadership requires physical, mental strength
Effective leadership requires much – vision, strategic thinking, tactical skills and the list goes on. We sometimes overlook the physical and mental requirements to be truly effective. We previously focused on the physical health requirement and would like to move to the mentally strong leader. Source: Vet-Advantage, February 2017. Confidence is often described as being … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content – World’s first commercial Moraxella bovoculi vaccine now available
Addison Biological Laboratory, Inc. announces the approval of the world’s first commercial Moraxella bovoculi vaccine for the prevention of pinkeye in cattle. This USDA-conditionally licensed product is the first of its kind. The product features eight specifically different Moraxella bovoculi isolates and an easily syringeable adjuvant. Source: Addison Biological … [Read more...]