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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.
Power Outages and Your Cold Foods
South Dakota is no stranger to power outages and power surges from weather events. Learn some key actions to take before, during and after power outages to keep your cold foods safe.
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.
The Challenges of Farming and Ranching: Identifying the signs of depression
When weather conditions impact farming and ranching, producers can experience large amounts of stress. A normal amount of stress can be productive; however, abnormal amounts of stress can be harmful both physically and emotionally. With the drought that is currently impacting producers, it is important to understand the signs and symptoms of depression.
Caring for Animals When the Power Goes Out
Power outages bring with them a different set of circumstances to every animal operation. Questions about animal care and animal health products in the midst of electricity loss should be directed to your veterinarian.
Cold Weather Management Options
Winter weather conditions impact cattle as well as the cattle producers. Cold temperatures combined with wind creates more stress and increased management to achieve similar animal performance.
How Does Cold Stress Affect the Energy Needs of Cattle?
Most beef producers understand that when the weather gets colder their cattle need more energy for maintenance. The questions are when do cattle start experiencing cold stress and then how much more energy do they need? Both the actual temperature and the wind speed interact to determine the effective temperature.