Livestock
All Livestock Content
Creating a Secure Pork Supply Plan
African Swine Fever and preparing for foreign animal disease outbreaks is at the forefront of people’s minds. Your state animal health officials offer guidance for participating in the Secure Pork Supply (SPS) Plan. Let’s take a closer look at the critical steps in developing a personalized SPS Plan for Continuity of Business.
Cattle Confinement Facilities: Management Considerations
Confinement barns provide some advantages to both the animals and caregivers compared to outside pens or pasture systems.
Get a Jump on Your PQA Internal Site Assessments
Spring is coming fast, so before planting gets underway take some time to conduct an internal site assessment as part of the PQA Plus Site Assessment criteria.
Reviewing Humane Euthanasia Protocols
Unresolvable health problems and injuries occur in pigs in every swine operation and having a plan in place to humanely deal with these issues is critical. This includes having a written protocol for timely euthanasia.
Preparing for a PQA Plus Site Assessment
The PQA Plus site assessment is an on-farm evaluation of a production site by a qualified PQA Plus Advisor. A review of standard operating procedures and office records, including caretaker training, animal observations, and the facilities will occur during the site assessment.
Pig Barn Turnover Rates: Challenges & Costs
Employee turnover is inevitable, but how managers respond to it and learn from it determines the resiliency of a pig barn’s future and the level of productivity that is achieved.
Tips for Feeding Poultry Wisely
During the March 1st Animal Care Wednesday Webinar, we learned the basics of feeding poultry. Brett Kreifels, Extension Assistant-4-H with University of Nebraska-Lincoln, explained the nutritional requirements and basic feeding tips to help ensure the health and well-being of chickens.
Test Emergency Backup Systems in the New Year
Animal care starts with having confidence in facilities and ventilation systems that safeguard health in all weather conditions. Testing emergency backup equipment at the start of a new year is a good preventative practice.
Let’s Talk BQA Assessments
Simply put, BQA assessments are a review of a farm or ranch by an assessor that helps managers benchmark their current level of cattle care and discover areas they may be able to improve.
How Much Room Does a Pig Need?
Let’s take a moment to consider one of the animal observations from the Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA Plus) Site Assessment and its impacts. Recommendations exist in facility planning books about the square footage for an animal at each phase of production.