Education Farm-Style

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Who is learning, networking and gaining? You, the producer.

Healthy Poultry Begins with Care

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"When it comes to using poultry products, it is important that producers follow all instructions,” said Jeff Smith, sales and marketing representative with Cackle Hatchery in Lebanon, Mo. “If proper care and instructions are not followed, the results could be deadly for the animals.”

Fencing to Meet Your Needs

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With the increased adaptation of grazing systems has come some innovative approaches to fencing, as producers seek efficient and economical ways to temporarily section off fields. Fortunately, there are a variety of options.

Taking Control of Weeds

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If you control weeds in your pasture, the cows will thank you for it. Dr. Kevin Bradley, University of Missouri professor and researcher in the Department of Plant Science, told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor their studies have found if half a field is treated with herbicide, that’s where the cows will congregate. “The cows preferred to stay on a herbicide treated portion of a pasture anywhere from 1.5 to 5 times more than they stayed on the portion of the pasture that was not treated,” he said. The researchers ran their test at three Missouri sites, monitoring the animals with GPS tracking collars. “That's a first step for us in being able to say you can show a lot of things on paper,” said Bradley.

Choosing the Right Water Source

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For some ranchers a good pond, according to University of Missouri Extension southwest region livestock specialist Eldon Cole, “is as good as they would need.” But with many producers rotating cattle to different pastures, Cole told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor, “you can’t just pick that pond up and move it.”

Parasite Control

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According to Dr. Darren Loula, DVM Christian County Veterinary Service, LLC in Missouri; “Deworming cattle eliminates internal parasites that primarily reduce performance in beef and dairy cattle. Parasites reduce an animal’s appetite, decrease milk production, lower weaning weights, suppress the animals immune system making them more susceptible to disease and decreasing the response to vaccination, and may hinder efficient reproduction. Severe cases may result in significant disease and even death.”

New Life to Old Poultry Houses

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All livestock markets alter production practices through the years. One such change in the poultry industry is that large poultry houses that 20, 30 or 40 years ago were in full swing are now abandoned because of new standards that required new buildings to house the birds.

Choosing the Right Water Source

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The drought provided some opportunities to work on ponds. “Some people were able to get in and rebuild the shorelines to a healthy 3:1 slope, and perhaps excavate some of the sediment that had accumulated over the years in their pond basins,” noted Dr. Marley Beem, assistant Oklahoma State Extension specialist for Natural Resource Ecology and Management. “It's very difficult to do any sort of construction work when the pond is full, and maybe a lot of people are in that situation now; they've kind of let things slide by and missed that opportunity."

Strengthening Old Structures

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As spring gets under way, the weather is perfect for completing those unfinished projects around the house or farm. What about that unsightly shed or dangerous barn that you have been meaning to renovate? Now may be the time, but what things should you consider first?

Vaccination Protocols

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Cattle producers in the Ozarks went through a period of time where subscribing to pre-weaning vaccination protocols were valued, notably because of how highly they were rewarded at the sale barn. Everyone jumped on board to add value to the calf crop, and, it was a good opportunity – the markets responded, and higher prices were paid for calves that had some guarantee to not get sick once they hit the feedlot. But, as time wore on, some producers became disappointed in the prices they were receiving for preconditioned calves. As Eldon Cole, University of Missouri Livestock Extension Specialist, put it, “They didn’t see those vaccinated calves bringing a great deal more than cost of the vaccines, time and labor. People got disillusioned, and in the mean time we’ve seen cattle bringing higher prices whether they’re vaccinated or not.” And this is a problem.

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