Cold Weather for Pets and Livestock

Monthly Safety Blasts are produced by the Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention and Education. When record cold, with ice and snow hit, as part of Animal Emergency Preparedness, animal owners should be aware and ready to protect their pets and livestock and do the proper things to help them through this unusual cold spell.  Following are a number of concerns and recommendations: Our animals, especially indoor/outdoor pets, probably do not have an adequate winter coat for protection in these very low temperatures. Hypothermia and dehydration are the two most probable life-threatening conditions for animals in cold weather.   Wet conditions and wind-chill add greatly to the cold-stress for animals (and people). Pets should be brought inside or into protected covered areas, provided with plenty of bedding and food and drinking water.  Livestock should be provided with wind-break and roof shelter, and monitored for signs of discomfort (extensive shivering, weakness, lethargy, etc.) It is very important that livestock be provided extra hay/forage/feed as up to double the calories for normal body heat maintenance may be needed in extreme cold. It is critical that animals have access to drinking water.  Usual water sources may freeze solid in low temperatures and dehydration becomes a life-threatening factor.  Many of our animals, especially the young, may not know how or be unable to break several inches of ice to reach water.  In general, animals tend to drink less in extreme cold, risking dehydration.  Research with horses shows horses drink more water if it is warmed during winter weather. Adding a warm sloppy bran mash, sloppy moistened beet pulp or soaking pelleted feed in warm water is a good way to add water to your horses’ diet and provide some “comfort food” in the cold weather. Special attention should be paid to very young and old animals.  They may be less able to tolerate temperature extremes and have weaker immune systems. Many professionals and organizations are available to assist you in recommendations and health care for your animals: Pet owners should check with their veterinarian, animal control or humane societies for additional tips and assistance. Horse and livestock owners should check with their veterinarian, the State Veterinarian, or their Agriculture Extension Agent for additional information and assistance. Please take the extra care to provide for your pets and livestock a cold period. This article was reprinted with permission from Clemson Cooperative Extension.  The original document can be viewed at http://www.clemson.edu/extension/ep/cold_livestock.html.

Mare/ Foal Workshop & Back to Basics Horse Shortcourse

COLLEGE STATION -- Mare owners seeking information on broodmare management and raising foals will have an opportunity to attend a oneday program focusing on just that at the 13th annual Mare/Foal Workshop on Feb. 24, 2011 at Texas A&M University.

The workshop will be held at the Louis Pearce Pavilion. This location will allow for a hands-on approach to some of the workshop topics. Information on broodmare and foal nutrition, the estrous cycle, foaling care, as well as basic reproductive function, detection of estrus and signs of foaling will be discussed. Health care and restraint of mares, as well as some foal handling and neonatal care also will be addressed.

This one-day workshop is designed for mare owners. It is not intended to be a Breeder’s school and will focus more on mare management than on breeding procedures. The information will be useful for the mare owner, regardless of how many mares they own or manage. Instruction will be provided by equine faculty from both the Equine Science Section of the Animal Science
Department and the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Back to Basics Horse Short Course

A “Back to Basics” Horse Short Course for all horse enthusiasts will be held Feb. 24-25 in College Station. The event is sponsored by Texas A&M University and Texas AgriLife Extension.

Live training demonstrations will begin at 7 p.m. on the Feb. 24, focusing on starting young horses. Starting at 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 25, there will be presentations and live demonstrations on various topics of interest to horse owners, including health
care, nutrition and feeding management, selection, evaluation and ending with basic and advanced training techniques for performance horses.

Pre-registration is preferred. Registration includes printed materials, light breakfast and noon meal. Program begins at 8:00 a.m. with registration. The cost for each of these  Equine Owner Education Workshops is $40.00 and online registration will
be accepted through Feb. 13, 2011. Late online registration is $50.00 and will be accepted from Feb. 14 through Feb. 18, 2011. Registration at the door is $60.00 per workshop. You may register for both workshops for a total of $70 prior to Feb. 13, or $90 from Feb. 14 through Feb. 18. Registration at the door for both workshops together is $100. For more information,
contact Dr. Dennis Sigler or Teri Antilley at (979) 845-1562, or <dsigler@tamu.edu> or see the webpage  http://animalscience.tamu.edu/academics/equine/index.htm and click on Equine Workshops. For registration information, please visit AgriLife Extension Conference Services at http://agrilifevents.tamu.edu/.

Cedar Creek Watershed Agricultural Workshop to Outline Water Quality Solutions

CONTACT: David Waidler, Texas AgriLife Research 972-952-9689 d-waidler@tamu,edu
Officials with Texas AgriLife Extension, Texas AgriLife Research the USDA-NRCS and the Texas State Soul and Water Conservation Board will conduct a free full-day workshop in Able Springs on Friday February 11, 2011.


The workshop will take place at the Able Springs Fire Department located 8 miles north of Terrell at 30000 F.M. 429 North. Producers within Kaufman, Van Zandt, Rockwall, and Henderson County are invited to engage in presentations on soil fertility, pastureland erosion and nutrient conservation practices, brush control, riparian health, and feral hog abatement.
The workshop begins at 8:30AM and is scheduled to conclude at 5:00PM with a barbeque lunch compliments of the North Central Texas Water Quality Project. The Texas Department of Agriculture has approved 5 hours of CEU’s for private pesticide applicators and 5.5 hours of CEU’s for Certified Crop Advisors.
“The future of water quality for Cedar Creek Lake depends on the stewardship of the watershed agricultural producers,” said North Central Texas Water Quality Project Watershed Coordinator, David Waidler. “This workshop will assist with informing local farmers and ranchers of how we can work together.”
This workshop is made possible with funding from the USDA-NRCS as well as a Clean Water Act nonpoint source grant awarded to the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center - Dallas by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Other key partners supporting watershed protection efforts include Tarrant Regional Water District and the Kaufman County Soil and Water Conservation District.
For more information on the meeting and to register for the event please contact the Kaufman County AgriLife Extension Office at 972-932-9069 or e mail sbburden@ag.tamu.edu.

TAHC Officials Urge Awareness of Global Foot and Mouth Disease Threat

NEWS RELEASE
Texas Animal Health Commission
“Serving Texas Animal Agriculture Since 1893”
Dee Ellis, DVM, MPA ● Executive Director
P.O. Box l2966 ● Austin, Texas 78711 ● (800) 550-8242 http://www.tahc.state.tx.us
For more information contact the Public Information office at 1-800-550-8242, ext. 710 or at bonnie.ramirez@tahc.state.tx.us
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 3, 2011

AUSTIN – The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) reminds Texas producers, marketers and veterinarians that maintaining a Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) free U.S.A. requires constant awareness and vigilance. Anyone involved with livestock needs to recognize the general signs of FMD and how to report suspicious symptoms. FMD is not contagious to people, but the viral disease that affects cattle, hogs and other cloven hoofed animals is characterized by the presence of vesicles in the mouth, or on the muzzle, teats and feet. The FMD virus can accidently be carried on people’s clothing, footwear and vehicles from one farm location to another.
“In today’s world where people travel and trade so much internationally, we need to remember that the introduction of FMD to Texas livestock is an ongoing threat. Producers should always be aware of who’s coming in contact with their livestock and where those people may have been previously,” said Dr. Dee Ellis, Texas’ State Veterinarian. The introduction of FMD would create severe economic and trade implications for Texas producers, added Dr. Ellis.
The TAHC and United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) have created state and national response plans for dealing with high consequence animal diseases such as FMD if introduced. The TAHC and USDA routinely partner with other federal agencies as well, to help prevent the intentional or accidental introduction of foreign animal diseases or foreign pests into the United States. The TAHC works closely with the various Texas livestock industries also, to maintain viable contingency plans in case FMD was introduced into the state.
Vigilance and sound biosecurity practices are the best first-line of defense against FMD. Good practices include:
• Understanding the animal disease status of foreign countries when visiting farms or ranches
• Thorough cleaning and disinfection of footwear and other clothing after foreign travel
• Following USDA APHIS and US Customs & Border Patrol restrictions for import of animal products
• Controlling international visitor contact with Texas livestock species and agriculture facilities
FMD is present in a number of continents including South America, Africa and Asia, with recent outbreaks occurring in South Korea, Japan and Bulgaria. FMD was last diagnosed on U.S. soil in 1929.
Suspicious symptoms can be reported to the TAHC year-round, 24-hours-a-day by calling 1-800-550-8242. For more information on FMD or other infectious diseases, producers are encouraged to contact their veterinary practitioner, call their local TAHC office, or visit the TAHC website.
Founded in 1893, the Texas Animal Health Commission works to protect the health of all Texas livestock, including: cattle, swine, poultry, sheep, goats, equine animals, and exotic livestock.

Ag trading in Chicago surges 37 percent amid commodities boom

Agricultural trading at CME Group soared 37 percent in January, as growing concern over shrinking grain supplies and rising global food prices fueled an expanding commodities boom.
An average of 1.05 million grain, livestock and dairy futures and options contracts changed hands each day last month at CME, compared with 768,162 during the same month in 2010, the Chicago-based exchange operator said in a report on Wednesday.
Corn futures rallied 52 percent in 2010 and continued climbing this year, reaching a 30-month high today at $6.74 ½ a bushel. The gains reflect a disappointing U.S. harvest, rising demand from ethanol makers and dry weather that hurt crops in Argentina, one of the world’s biggest corn and soybean exporters.
Hedge funds, Wall Street banks and other speculators, seeking better returns than what traditional investments such as bonds and stocks may generate, stepped up buying in commodities over the past year.
Grain and livestock rallies are rooted in basic supply and demand fundamentals, said Jack Scoville, an analyst with Price Futures Group in Chicago.
Speculators “are a big factor, but so is the news,” Scoville said. “We have had weather problems create shortages of grains, or at least perceived shortages, in many parts of the world. That has caught the attention of the speculators and they have bought, with reason.”
“Plus, we have a lot of weather uncertainty,” Scoville said. “So, even though speculators are the primary sponsors of the rally, they have solid reasons to buy and hold and have been doing so.”
Corn futures continued to lead the agriculture trading upswing, with January volume averaging 299,149 contracts each day, up 41 percent from the same month a year earlier and up 54 percent from December. Corn is CME’s most actively-traded agricultural contract, comprising about two-fifths of ag volume.
At today’s close, March corn futures rose 1 ¾ cents to $6.67 ¾ a bushel, up 6.2 percent so far this year.
Livestock trading also increased over the past year, as smaller herds and improving beef and pork demand sparked price rallies.
CME live cattle futures trading averaged 59,088 contracts a day during January, up 25 percent from a year earlier and up 66 percent from December. Lean hog futures trading averaged 43,993 contracts a day, up 24 percent from January 2010 and nearly double the December level.
Agricultural contracts account for about 7 percent of total CME trading. For all CME products, including contracts based on 30-year Treasury bonds and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, January trading averaged 12.3 million contracts a day, up 9.4 percent from a year earlier.

Fort Worth Stock Show

During the month of January, many livestock enthusiasts participate in the Fort Worth Stock Show, through competition or simply as a fair goer.  This year Rockwall County had several producers exhibiting their stock as well as marketing their stock to interested parties. 

In the Goat Show, High C Farms exhibited a couple of entries.  Coming back from the National Meat Goat Show last year with the Champion Female, High C Farms exhibited a young doe, and a young billy.  These two entries showcased High C's breeding program.

JSS Shorthorns had two entries in Fort Worth.  Exhibited by grandkids, these Shorthorn females will return to the Farm as breeding stock when the grandkids have finished showing them.

Circle M Farms exhibited a string of Simmentals and Angus.  Highlights included two Division Champions, three first places, and four second places.

Congratulations to each producer for their accomplishments.

First Posting for Rockwall County Ag News

Rockwall County is the smallest County in the state of Texas.  That being said, it still has production agriculture that is diverse and profitable for local producers. This blog will showcase some of the production agriculture in the county as well as recognize producers for their accomplishments.

This blog should help you learn about Extension education in the county as well as provide insight to production agriculture.