Ag-Visors

Some people do not like the small ruminant class but, they are fun to work on. You do not have to have an elaborate set of handling facilities. Most can be handled by hand or with large flocks, a 12” ally way will work just fine.

Being prepared for a disaster is not an exact science. “You can’t be prepared for all disasters,” explained Dr. Rick Blubaugh, D.O., Emergency Department. “You can however have a few things stored on hand to serve you for the first few hours.” Inside Dr. Blubaugh’s Emergency Preparedness Pack you’ll find: basic bandages – to stop bleeding, a notebook with important phone numbers and contact information, flashlight, extra batteries, radio – to learn where triage and help centers are located, soap and water – infection greatly decreases when you treat wounds quickly, emergency blanket or parka to stay dry, early planning also ensures you have necessary medical information when you need it. “An emergency situation, whether an accident you have suffered or a natural disaster that has you leaving your home on a moment’s notice, is not the time to try and organize this information,” explained Cindy Gaddie, director, Skaggs Quality Improvement. “You should have it organized and ready should you or your family members need it immediately.” Your medical record creates the foundation for planning your care and treatment; serves as a means for doctors, nurses and others caring for you to communicate about your needs; is a legal document describing the care you received; and is a tool for you or your insurance company to verify that services billed were actually provided. Start with the most current medical information and work back. “Tell emergency contacts (family or friend) where they can quickly find this information,” explained Gaddie. “Update your information anytime you have a change, such as a surgery, change in medication or allergies, etc.”

Fall is here and we are all dealing with typical sickness in our animals. We are also dealing with some sickness amongst ourselves. Those that are around school age kids know all too well about this. All summer long the kids were at home and in different areas of the county.

We all know what “worrying” mean as we do it every once-and-a-while. However, “worrying” also has another meaning sometimes referred to as “dog worrying.” As one dictionary starkly defines it, “to seize, especially by the throat, with the teeth and shake or mangle, as one animal does another,” “to harass by repeated biting, snapping, etc.,” “tearing to pieces [a] carcass.” Not only dictionaries but the law speaks about “dog worrying” and whether you own farm animals, tamed wild animals or dogs you should be aware of what these laws permit and do not allow.

With fall here, most are looking at weaning calves and getting them ready for market. At this time we have nothing that is 100 percent against respiratory infection in animals. With stockers and feedlots it is the number one problem. We loose more calves to this one disease complex than any other.

In a new Tax Court case, Freddie and Edith Stromatt, won on the question of whether their cattle activity was to be treated as a business (T.C. Summary Opinion 2011-42).

Well, now that we have Trich in the area and laws to try and protect us; how do we prevent the disease? Management, management and more management. I will try and explain this in this article.

Under the IRS hobby loss rule if you have losses in connection with any farming activity, whether livestock, horses or crops, the IRS may suspect that the activity is engaged in as a hobby rather than a business, particularly if there is a history of losses.

"Do I really need a business plan?” We hear this often around the bank from customers, and agricultural business customers are no exception. Customers and potential customers come into our lobby seeking information about a loan to expand their farm, purchase new equipment and so on. The correct answer according to how we make our loan decisions is:  “Certain circumstances would require one, yes, but not all. Generally, loans for larger amounts of money or more complex projects do need one, but smaller amounts do not.” Although aspects of a typical business plan may not apply to your particular farm or ranch, they are still an important tool and resource for your everyday operations.

Since the first of the year Arkansas has had an explosion of Trichimoniasis cases in bulls. In talking to Dr. Pat Badley, Arkansas’ state veterinarian, he informed Ozarks Farm & Neighbor of 50+ confirmed cases in northwest Arkansas. In Oklahoma they have had 45 positive cases in northeastern Oklahoma, also. Therefore, you can see the alarming rate of infection in our area.