It’s that time of the year when rodents move inside to escape chilly weather. They can damage buildings, walls, contaminate food items and transmit diseases to people and pets. It is important to take proper precautions to keep them from entering. Choose and consider the best ways to keep the rodents away. It can be natural or chemical. Source: The Outdoor Wear, October … [Read more...]
Kid approved chicken chores
The Centers for Disease Control continues to warn people to stop cuddling and kissing backyard poultry because chickens may spread salmonella. The warnings are warranted, but chickens are excellent starter animals for homesteaders or home-produced food enthusiasts. Kids enjoy the birds too. Patrick Diggs, PhD, shares chicken chores kids can help with and reinforces the CDC … [Read more...]
5 facts about the labor shortage in agriculture
Labor shortage trends continue to be prominent in the news. The problem is not only for city workers, agriculture is facing challenges, too. Jenny Shaffstall shares five issues affecting ag businesses’ ability to find qualified workers. Source: Ag Web, July 27, 2021. Link. The June Ag Barometer from Purdue University found nearly two-thirds (66%) of respondents said they … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – October 14, 2021
Last week’s. . . . . . most read post LED technology helps locate cows needing attention. Link. . . . AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin - Oct 7, 2021. Link. 7 animals that can harm dogs Source: Outside Resource, July 28, 2021. Link. Good reminders for fall as food resources begin to diminish and young animals strike out on their … [Read more...]
Scours treatment. Dealing with dehydration.
It’s generally not the gut infection that causes scours that kills the calf, it’s dehydration. Regardless of the cause of scours (whether bacterial, viral, protozoal or something else), dehydration and the resultant acid-base imbalance is often what kills the calf. Dehydration, the loss of electrolytes and decrease in pH in the blood (metabolic acidosis) are the three biggest … [Read more...]
Should we let cattle swim?
A group of beef cattle experts discuss the pros and cons of letting cattle have free access to ponds in the summer. Among the concerns were water quality, bank erosion, mastitis and foot rot. Overall, the risk of health challenges for beef cattle in ponds is low, and when considering investments in the herd, fencing off the pond is a low priority on my list of recommendations … [Read more...]
Temple Grandin: Looking back, looking ahead
Emphasizing the people side of the cattle business, Temple Grandin, PhD, recently told Wagyu breeders that all the technology you can buy won’t replace actually looking at your cattle. (Equipment) makes handling a lot easier. (But) equipment doesn’t replace management.” – Temple Grandin, PhD Source: Drovers, October 8, 2021. Link. Of the many lessons that COVID taught, … [Read more...]
Rooster talk. Vocalizations have meaning.
Dispelling the myth that roosters only crow in the morning, Ana Hotaling explains the complexity of rooster vocalizations. They differ from the morning cock-a-doodle-doos, when claiming territories or when it’s chow-time crow. They let out high-pitched shrieks when danger is perceived and crow when its time for bed too. Source: Hobby Farms, September 29, 2021. Link. Often … [Read more...]
Asian longhorned tick found in Georgia
The Asian longhorned tick, an invasive species, was recently positively confirmed on a cow in north central Georgia. The ticks can cause severe anemia and tick fever in livestock. If an animal has one tick it’s probably our common Lone Star Tick. If a cow [or other animal] shows up with hundreds of ticks on it, we’re going to be very suspicious that we’re looking at an Asian … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – October 7, 2021
Last week’s. . . . . . most read post Highlights from the 31st Carthage Swine Conference. Link. . . . AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin - Sept 30, 2021. Link. Goodbye Google: 7 privacy-first search engines everyone should try Source: Fast Company, September 29, 2021. Link. Jared Newman offers search engine options that remove the … [Read more...]
USDA vaccine candidate successful in blocking ASF
One of the USDA African swine flu vaccine candidates has been shown to prevent and effectively protect both European and Asian bred swine against the current circulating African strain of the virus. Source: Feedstuffs, September 30, 2021. Link. A major step for science and agriculture, a commercial vaccine for ASF virus will be an important part of controlling ASF in … [Read more...]
LED technology helps locate cows needing attention
Complimentary Commercial Content Allflex Livestock Intelligence, a livestock portfolio of digital products within Merck Animal Health, introduced new ear tag technology featuring a light-emitting diode last week. The AllFlex V2 monitoring ear tag allows for precision cow management in the pen. Different LED light patterns indicate individual cow needs based on critical data … [Read more...]
Beef up your momma cows
Feeding pregnant cows with a balanced ration will yield calves with more muscle mass. The nutrition part of gestation is critical! It matters the entire time due to fetal changes throughout gestation.” - Ruel "Buzz" Iliff, DVM Source: BEEF, October 5, 2021. Link. Cows can’t handle fetal development entirely on their own. They need a balanced ration for the entire gestation to … [Read more...]
Caring for molting chickens
Molting starts with the head and works its way down to the tailfeathers, says Marissa King. During a molt, the flock is working hard making sure new feathers will offer just as much warmth and protection as old ones. She offers some tricks to help a flock’s molt go smoothly. Molting can be a very painful and stressful time for your chickens.” Source: Hobby Farms, September … [Read more...]
Public agritourism and cuddly animals have inherent disease risks
Greg Cima provides a call to action for veterinarians working with clients whose operations or activities include sharing live animals in public settings. Pathogens are an occupational hazard in animal agriculture. Zoonotic risks are inherent in public venues and interactions. Animal shedding of E coli O157:H7 and Salmonella organisms is highest in the summer and fall, when … [Read more...]
Bot flies annoy cattle, horses, pets and humans
The last days of summer weather often spark more bot fly activity before the first frost wipes out the egg-laying females. Bot flies are chunky, beelike flies usually with rounded heads and rarely seen. Like other true flies, bot flies have only a single pair of wings. There are six important species of bot flies that affect the U.S. livestock industry: Hypoderma bovis, H. … [Read more...]
Highlights from the 31st Carthage Swine Conference
An emphasis on people, training, culture, retention and advancement are key priorities for today’s swine producers according to Claire LeFevre, DVM. She summarizes priorities from presentations at the swine conference. Source: National Hog Farmer, September 28, 2021. Link. Presenters discussed using the TN Visa Network which allows professionals from Canada and Mexico to … [Read more...]
Nuisance birds on the horizon
Birds like European Starlings will soon descend on feedlots and dairies, often roosting in nearby towns. Flocks ranging from 1,000 to 100,000 birds start showing up in October and will stay through March. The goal of a bird eradication program is to make the birds so uncomfortable that they don’t want to be there. One starling will eat about a penny’s worth of feed per day.” – … [Read more...]
University of Florida’s Ram Test and Sale kicks off new program to grow sheep and goat businesses
The University of Florida will hold its first Ram Test and Sale event this Saturday as part of new program to grow the sheep and goat industries in the state. This initiative is made possible by a gift from one of the state’s sheep farmers. The gift also supports upgrades to the UF/IFAS Sheep Unit in Gainesville and will allow researchers to expand the UF sheep and goat … [Read more...]
Getting started with goats for milk
The popularity of self-sustaining food production on small acreages or large backyards includes rabbits, poultry and goats. Heather Smith Thomas writes about raising goats for milk and how their short generation makes goats a great project for 4-H kids. Dwarf goats don’t produce the volume of milk of large goats but their milk is high in butterfat and makes good cheese she … [Read more...]
University of Missouri project studies increasing prevalence of chronic wasting disease
Chronic wasting disease has been spreading throughout the United States for decades, despite efforts to contain it. Since it was first discovered in Colorado in 1967, the disease has been identified in deer in 26 states, and the Midwest has recently seen a particularly sharp increase of its prevalence. Researchers at the University of Missouri have found chronic wasting … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – September 23, 2021
Last week’s. . . . . . most read post Survey: Workers ages 18 to 44 want payday more flexible. Link. . . . AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin - Sept 16, 2021. Link. Forget a pre-flight drink. Pet an airport therapy dog. Source: Washington Post, September 17, 2021. Link. Sure, you could drown your travel anxieties at the airport bar or … [Read more...]
World Dairy Expo starts Sunday
Complimentary Content World Dairy Expo kicks off Sunday and runs through October 2 in Madison, Wisconsin. Animal health pros will be among the representatives of the 650 companies exhibiting this year. Educational sessions and one of the world’s best-known dairy cattle shows will also take place. Safe travels to those attending. Source: World Dairy Expo. Link. World Dairy … [Read more...]
Comparing beef and dairy bull fertility
The increased use of beef sires on dairy cattle has raised questions on the relative fertility of beef versus dairy sires. Since 2008, dairy producers have had access to sire conception rate data. Similar information has not been available in the expected progeny differences published for beef sires for which a different scoring is used. A 2020 study by McWhorter et al. … [Read more...]
Ditch the stink. Mitigate ammonia.
Ammonia in chicken litter can be a health issue for birds and a neighborhood nuisance. too. It is a concern, regardless the size of the poultry operation. Backyard poultry raisers sometimes get behind doing chores as fall activities, shorter days and having kids back in school make maintenance more difficult. Jeremy Chartier discusses how to make the ammonia stink go … [Read more...]
Mycotoxins threaten calves and heifers, too
The 2021 harvest season will no doubt include the dangers of mycotoxins. These toxic substances are produced by molds growing on crops, either before harvest or in storage. Mycotoxins have long been associated with cow problems. New research has quantified the effects on calves and heifers. Source: Dairy Herd Management, August 4, 2021. Link. Researchers identified the … [Read more...]
Cattle feed can be deadly for horses
A long-running court case serves as a reminder to be vigilant about the source and content of a horse's grain. Twenty horses there were poisoned by a mistaken delivery of cattle grain laced with the antibiotic lasalodic in 1999. All the horses colicked and five died. Source: EQUUS, July 25, 2021. Link. Lasalodic and monensin are two common cattle-feed additives that are … [Read more...]
Toxic, invasive poison hemlock is spreading into gardens, yards, parks across U.S.
Poison hemlock, which resembles Queen Anne’s Lace, is often spotted along highways, in fence lines and on the edges of farm fields. Recently, populations of this toxic and invasive plant have exploded in parks, yards and gardens across the country. Poison hemlock spreads and grows its footprint during late summer and fall. Each plant produces up to 30,000 seeds that ripen … [Read more...]
11 million-plus animals may be affected by ransomware attack
NEW Cooperative in Fort Dodge, Iowa, was recently hit with a ransomware attack that forced the farm and feed supply operation to take systems offline. Blackmatter, the group allegedly behind the attack, is demanding $5.9 million to provide a decryptor. NEW Cooperative claims its software powers grain production and feed schedules for 11 million animals. Source: ars TECHNICA, … [Read more...]
Advancements in regenerative agriculture
The agriculture industry is under constant scrutiny. This includes animal health, crops, chemical use and overall resource stewardship. Even the pet side of animal health is a consideration as so many ag product components feed a growing pet population. We’re sharing an example of how Cargill’s decade-long investment in sustainable agriculture supports partnerships to enable … [Read more...]