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Sore Mouth: A “Pox” Virus for Sheep
Just like in children or adults who contract the dreaded chicken pox, sheep and goats can catch their own similar “pox” virus called Sore Mouth, technically known as Contagious Ecthyma. This health problem is most recognizable by red blisters or thick brown scabs on the skin around the lips or muzzle area.
Importance of Lamb Nutrition Management to Avoid Acidosis
Acidosis (also known as lactic acidosis, grain overload, over-eating or grain poisoning) is a metabolic condition that most commonly occurs with lambs offered grain based diets, but can affect mature sheep.
Newborn Lamb Care Management
Proper newborn lamb care is a critical component of flock profitability. In the U.S. lamb mortality from all causes is approximately 20% with more than 80% of those losses occurring in the first two-weeks following lambing.
Using Corn Silage in Sheep Diet Formulations
Many Midwest producers have limited options for their primary forage source this year and, must utilize ear-less corn stalks as silage for their in livestock feeding systems. Despite the lack of ears on stalks in some areas the resultant corn stover silage is still expected to contain 80% of expected level of energy under normal growing conditions.
Small Ruminant Abortions: Cleanup and facility considerations
Sheep and goat producers in the upper Midwest rely on annual lamb or kid crops to maintain economic viability. Reduction in the lamb or kid crop due to abortion (premature birth) and stillbirths are a common occurrence on many farms. Some of these problems have implications for human health as well as animal health.
Dormant Seeding Wheat
Dormant seeding is when a crop is placed in a soil long before soil temperatures and/or moisture conditions are going to allow the seed to germinate and grow. This technique is commonly used for plants like native grasses and forbs. It is less common with grain crops.
The Difficulty in Winter Wheat Stand Assessments
From freak snow storms to sub-zero temperatures and on to a recent lack of moisture and a cool spring, the climate in South Dakota has left many winter wheat growers and agronomists wondering about the health of their stands.
Factors Affecting Wheat Production Decisions: Producer survey findings
Recent USDA data shows that during the past 3 years acres devoted to wheat production continue declining in both South Dakota and North Dakota (USDA, 2018). South Dakota wheat acres experienced a remarkable decrease of 31.5% during the past 3 years, compared with a relatively mild drop of 16.4% by North Dakota.
Water Use by Plant Stage
Over the growing season, solar radiation, air temperature and plant size are the dominant factors in determining evaporative demand and the rate of water use by wheat. Water use can vary dramatically on a day-to day basis, depending on climate and wheat health.
Split Application of Nitrogen in Winter Wheat
Adequate N early in the growing season is important to support healthy tillering and to give young plants the best opportunity to survive the sometimes-harsh South Dakota winter