On many farms and ranches, the livestock is the bread and butter of the operation.
As a caretaker, farmers and ranchers want to do whatever it takes to keep animals safe and secure, to prevent illness, injuries and losses that can be both heartbreaking and costly.
Ozarks Farm & Neighbor recently checked in with University of Missouri Extension Livestock Specialist Eldon Cole on this subject.
One simple way to ensure the safety of your cattle and other livestock is to keep your farm or ranch clean and maintained.
“Old trash dumps create a problem if the discarded item is toxic to (livestock),” said Cole. “They may lick on old batteries and oil, for example. Wire and other items could get wrapped around their legs, or they could step on nails or screws if allowed access to the dump.”
Maintaining perimeter and interior fencing, as well as chutes and corrals, also keeps livestock safe.
“Maintain your corrals and working chutes as there can be lots of dangers like getting legs caught, puncture wounds, etc. as they go down the chute,” Cole advised. “Just keeping perimeter fences in good repair may help prevent cattle from getting on the highway and causing a wreck.”
Fencing off dangerous areas keeps livestock out of trouble when owners aren’t around.
“Cattle sometimes may actually fall in old, abandoned wells, sinkholes or caves,” noted Cole. “Fencing or filling in should curb that.”
Electric fences are becoming more and more common on farms and ranches, due to their convenience and lower costs, but caution still needs to be used when using electric fencing in certain areas. Cole suggests “watching the electric fencing carefully around water tanks. Problems don’t arise very often but care needs to be taken so they (cattle) don’t get a jolt when taking a drink.”
There can be dangers to your herds when they are grazing out in the pasture as well. Observing what livestock is eating can help you prevent bloating or in some cases, poisoning.
“Some legumes are prone to bloat cattle, so we recommend caution when turning them into a lush, damp field with red clover, alfalfa or ladino clover in it,” Cole said. “On the pasture side, there are a number of plants, according to the literature, that are toxic to cattle. Fortunately, cattle are smart enough to avoid them entirely or just nibble on them.”
He went on to say that potential livestock “killers,” such perilla mint, should be mowed down and eradicated when possible, and that while plants like poison hemlock can kill, the low amount in pastures in the Ozarks doesn’t typically make it a cause for major concern.
During calving, kidding or lambing season, farmers should drive carefully if their animals are giving birth in tall grass and being checked with a pickup or an ATV. It’s not unheard for a newborn to be run over by a vehicle in this situation.
There will always be a long list of potential hazards for livestock on a farm or ranch, but with some extra care, you can eliminate many dangers.
“Farmers just need to be astute observers and watch for potential problems,” Cole recommended.
