Farm Help

One relief we enjoy as the weather gets cooler is the lessening bother of flies and ticks infesting our cattle herds. However, there are some insect pests that are just coming into their prime during the fall and winter. Lice populations increase during these colder months. Bill Doig, former Livestock Specialist with the University of Missouri, recommended some basic operational practices to reduce your risk from these cold weather pests.

Body Condition Scores, BCS, are the numbers used to “suggest the relative fatness or body composition of the cow," according to Animal Science expert, and University of Arkansas Extension specialist, Dr. Shane Gadberry. A good BCS for a cow should fall somewhere from five to seven, if she is at her optimum condition.

Cattle feeding conditions vary by location. One yard might be knee-deep in snow, while the other is dealing with piles of mud. Record high temperatures might cause heat stress in one area while cattle in another region are enduring torrential rainfall. 

One relief we enjoy as the weather gets cooler is the lessening bother of flies and ticks infesting our cattle herds. However, there are some insect pests that are just coming into their prime during the fall and winter. Lice populations increase during these colder months. Bill Doig, former Livestock Specialist with the University of Missouri, recommended some basic operational practices to reduce your risk from these cold weather pests.

Hay quality is important. Yet many producers rarely test their forages for digestibility, moisture and other measures of quality such as protein, vitamin and mineral content. If you plan on growing your own forage crop, either to use personally, sell outright, or if you are buying forages, knowing its nutritional value is key in balancing livestock rations and getting a fix on its dollar value.

The poultry industry and their growers have always set the pace for advancements in agriculture. From tunnel barns to computerized systems; the industry has continually searched for innovative ideas to save money and energy. With so much of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) monies being allocated to energy improvements and lessening our impact on the environment, it seems natural that the poultry industry would again be at the forefront. Reducing energy consumption and costs for poultry growers by replacing incandescent bulbs in poultry houses with dimmable, high-intensity LED (light emitting diode) bulbs are becoming one popular way to make changes in lighting, and save money.

As their operations head into the winter, ranchers need to keep an eye on meeting the nutritional needs of their cows.

When discussing the animal rights, animal welfare and animal liberation movements, it is common to draw from many schools of thought. As producers, staying informed as to what the buzzwords of the animal rights movement are, and understanding the threat to animal agriculture that exists within the discussion of animals and ethics, is vital. There has been concern over the Study of Animal Rights program at Drury University in Springfield, Mo., developed by two $1 million grants given by Bob Barker.

Holistic and alternative medicine and treatment methods are growing in popularity for both humans and animals.

As their operations head into the winter, ranchers need to keep an eye on meeting the nutritional needs of their cows.