Darn Deer

Poor wheat! Our wheat pasture has bare spots but it is not from cattle or not growing well. Dad went out to the wheat field the other day and counted 97 deer grazing our wheat field.  That’s almost as many wheat pasture calves we own in all!

[1]

My dad informed himself on the deer issue in our county.  From recent studies we have found out that the average weight of a doe has gone down from 120 pounds to 68 pounds. It is a dramatic decrease in weight is it not! The population is so high that there is not enough vegetation for all the deer to get enough groceries; therefore, the average weight for deer is on the decline. Every hunter is worried about getting the big buck, but then the small bucks breed their bad genetics into the deer population.  I have been noticing that in the past few years I have been seeing less massive bucks and moor smaller framed bucks. I guess the positive side to the now smaller deer is that if you hit one in your vehicle the damage will be less. Hahaha!

[2]

Just this morning my brother was on his way to work and he waxed a deer hard core causing a lot of expensive damage! 

So those who think deer have a right think about a car hitting a deer and it coming into the vehicle harming or even killing the passengers inside.

                For the deer population to get back down to the correct number about 1900 deer need to be killed in the county. If you are wondering what will be done with the deer if the hunters do not want the meat; the meat will be gathered in certain towns. In each town there will be a refrigerated truck trailer waiting for the unwanted deer to be stored in. When the trailers are full a near buy prison will use the meat for the inmates so no deer is going to waste!

Well until next time good hunting!

Sources-

1.       South delta hunting club. “deer in the cross hairs.” Photo.  southdeltahuntingclub.com2008.    

12-3-2010 http://www.southdeltahuntingclub.com/Deer.html

2.       My safety sign. “deer on the road.” Photo. mysafetysign.com 2010.

12-3-2010 http://www.mysafetysign.com/Crossing-Signs/Deer-Crossing-Signs.aspx

Fallow up

Have you ever felt bad when a change in weather occurs? Cattle feel the react the same way as humans would. You can get a runny nose and so can cattle.

 

[1]

In my last post I talked about pneumonia which is a respiratory infection, this post is more so a fallow up to it. There are many other respiratory infections other than pneumonia. Bovine Respiratory Disease [2], BRSV [3], and many more are infections in the respiratory system that are very contagious even can cause death! Once the animal has come down with a respiratory infection, it is the beginning of a very strenuous process of doctoring the animal. Keep an eye open for more that may come down with the same sickness. The medicines you will need to get the animal heeled up are not cheap! Prices for medicine rage any where from $50-$700 dollars a bottle. Expensive necessity! If you were thinking that, you would just let them either recover or die on their own think about this. If the cow that is sick is weighing in at about 950 lbs. and has a calf still on here she will more than likely bring any where from $800-$1250. If you let her die, you have lost a good amount and if you do not have, the meds to doctor the next you can loose a lot of money quick fast and in a hurry!

[4]

Most of the infections can be treated with Nuflour Gold. A bottle of Nuflour cost about $130. Not to bad when $130 is against a $1000 cow. Take you pick. The weather can be more than just cold, rainy, snowing, or just hot. Weather can be the worst nightmare for any farmer rancher or people who just do not like the cold. Keep your eye to the sky![5]

[6]

Sources_

[1] http://www.clipartoday.com/clipart/cartoon/cartoon_266435.html

[2] http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/ah_beef_04.pdf

[3] http://calfranch.com/Disease/Calf%20Respirtory.html

[4] Andy. “Guide to Make Money.” Photo: 7-24-09. 11-17-10. Retrieved from: http://www.uk2.net/blog/guide-to-making-money-online-pt-1/

[5] http://www.weather.gov/\

[6] Bradi.“The winter sun, just above the horizon creates a red sky.” Photo: 6-16-08 11-17-10 Retrieved from: http://www.wjon.com/ShareYourWorldPictures/Pictures61662208/tabid/5848/Default.aspx

The weathers toll on animals

Have you ever felt bad when a change in weather occurs? Cattle feel the react the same way as humans would. You can get a runny nose and so can cattle.

In my last post I talked about pneumonia which is a respiratory infection, this post is more so a fallow up to it. There are many other respiratory infections other than pneumonia. Bovine Respiratory Disease [2], BRSV [3], and many more are infections in the respiratory system that are very contagious even can cause death! Once the animal has come down with a respiratory infection, it is the beginning of a very strenuous process of doctoring the animal. Keep an eye open for more that may come down with the same sickness. The medicines you will need to get the animal heeled up are not cheap! Prices for medicine rage any where from $50-$700 dollars a bottle. Expensive necessity! If you were thinking that, you would just let them either recover or die on their own think about this. If the cow that is sick is weighing in at about 950 lbs. and has a calf still on here she will more than likely bring any where from $800-$1250. If you let her die, you have lost a good amount and if you do not have, the meds to doctor the next you can loose a lot of money quick fast and in a hurry!

Most of the infections can be treated with Nuflour Gold. A bottle of Nuflour cost about $130. Not to bad when $130 is against a $1000 cow. Take you pick. The weather can be more than just cold, rainy, snowing, or just hot. Weather can be the worst nightmare for any farmer rancher or people who just do not like the cold. Keep your eye to the sky!

Hot or Cold

These past few weeks have been grueling for my sinuses. One week it has been cold and the next it is hot! I wish it would make up its mind! For cattle the trend of being hot one day and cold the next, can cause respiratory diseases that can be fatal. Pneumonia a fast acting respiratory infection is common during a period like this. Once a calf has taken to the infection many antibiotics and vitamins will be needed to help boost the animal’s immune system.

[1]

Pneumonia can be a very fast assassin. The animal can be fine one day and the next it could be barely walking. A few signs of pneumonia are downed head, white mucus from the nose or even a dry and pealing nose due to fever, constant coughing, and an un-fresh look about the cow, [2]. If you run across a cow that has the symptoms it is a good idea to gather it up a doctor it ASAP. Meds needed to get the job done are Baytril[2], Banamine, Neuflour, vitamin B-12, each being an antibiotic to fight respiratory disease.

[3]

                Pneumonia is not only hard on the animal but the owner too. If the animal goes through many vaccinations and still does not come through, it will be a big loss for the cattle owner. Between the medicine and what the what the calf is worth the farmer can lose anywhere from $100-$1000 just from one loss. The most vulnerable conditions for a calf to catch pneumonia are poor air, vitamin deficiencies, and castration. 

[4]

When Pneumonia is caught soon enough it is an easy fix and the animal will surely recover, but if caught to late it could be a long-term problem of respiratory problems or even death! Stay on top of things a check your cattle regularly.

 [5]

1)      http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2010/04/09/usda-report-boosts-cattle-prices/

2)      http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm136815.htm

3)      http://www.ekinos.com.ar/new_ekinos/productos_veterinarios.php?lab=9&prod=262

4)      http://www.planbooktravel.com.au/region-images/NT/central-australia/central-australia-400x272/ooraminna-station-cattle-muster-dusty-setting.jpg/view

5) http://www.sodahead.com/fun/dead-cow-and-the-vet/blog-70571/?link=ibaf&imgurl=http://images.clipartof.com/small/12934-Dead-Cow-Lying-On-Its-Back-Its-Feet-Strait-Up-Clipart-Illustration.jpg&q=dead%2Bcow%2Bfrom%2Bpneumonia

Blister Bug Poisoning

Sad to say this past weekend I had a horse die. We are not sure what happened but we went through a spell a few months ago where blister bugs were very very thick.

[1]

If a blister bug were to get into hay or feed and be eaten by an animal it could be a silent assassin [2]. There are a few ways to find out what happened but to spend that kind of money on a deceased horse isn’t worth the trouble or the expense.

[3]

When the animal eats the insect it can cause very intense ulcers in the stomach and intestines and will cause the animal not to eat; not eating will cause a rapid weight lose so if the animal were to recover from the insect  full recovery would be years down the road. If the animal is weighing less than it should other illnesses will set in and make the road to recovery even more vigorous. So the owner is pretty much in a no win situation. A few signs we had in this case was rapid weight loss, loss of appetite, and a combination of handing head on inactiveness.

A few tips [4] when feeding your animals; check your feeds you provide and check the hay you put out. A lot of times you will get a cut off hay during the thick movement off blister bugs, and when the hay is baled up, usually the bug will be swept up a baled. I think this was how my horse ingested the bug.  Also when you are feeding in any sort of trough, be sure to check for the bug. It is very easy to dump the feed and go on about your business, but if you animal gets a blister bug [5] you will wish you had paid attention.

 [1] Candee, Mary. "Close up bug shot." Photo. N.A. October 26, 2010. Retrieved form: http://brp-journal.blogspot.com/2009/06/more-adventures-with-texas-snowbell.html

[2]http://microvet.arizona.edu/AzVDL/infoAlerts/blisterBeetle.html

[3]

[4]http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef102.asp

[5]http://www.petmd.com/horse/conditions/digestive/c_hr_blister_beetle_poisoning

 [6]
N.A. “Danger symbol”Photo. Feb 15, 2006. October 26, 2010. Retrieved:

 http://www.sxc.hu/photo/468735

Is it True? You can decide.

Some people say that animals can sense [1] whether a storm is coming, or a climate change is in the works. I personally think that animals can tell, I think this because when we are getting ready for a winter storm we always have to search the hills of our pasture to find our cattle. Usually I will find our head in the southern most part of our land in low spots with tall hills and many shrubs. I know if I were an animal and I could sense a bad storm blowing in, I would try to find cover from the northern wind!

   [2]

“Plenty of studies have shown that some animals can sense major changes in the weather. Worms, for instance, are known to flee rising groundwater. Birds are known to be sensitive to air pressure changes, and often hunker down before a big storm. In Florida, researchers studying tagged sharks say they flee to deeper water just before a big hurricane arrives. They also may be sensing the air and water pressure changes caused by the big storm.” (Can animals predict disaster?) Studies have shown that animals can predict the weather. Stranger behavior in your animals gives away that there could be some sort of weather disturbance [3] coming in.

[4]

In addition, I have noticed even though the winter months are not here yet, animals start growing a thicker coat. This is an obvious sign that some sort of cooling in the temperature is in the near future. I have noticed already that many of our horses’ coats have been thickening every week and now in this week’s forecast[5] there is going to be a strong cold front moving in to the area  a cooling things down quite a bit! So from my horses’ coat, I have concluded that yes, animals can predict the weather! So pay attention to your animals they are smarter than you think.

[6]

[1]http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/can-animals-predict-disaster/tall-tales-or-true/131/

[2] Cybastean. “Cattle and looming storm.” June 16, 2007. October 19, 2010. Retrieved from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cybastean/561411522/

[3]http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=339644

 [4] Auto News. “weather map.” March 13, 2007. October 19, 2010 retrieved from http://www.blowupmyride.com/?page_id=4

[5]http://www.weather.gov/

[6] Mitchell, E. “Worlds ugliest dogs”. 2008. October 19, 2010. Retrieved from: http://blog.seattlepi.com/filmhound/month.asp?blogmonth=6/1/200

Gone with the Wind

Gone with the Wind

Wind it is an Ac in the summer and a nightmare in the winter! The wind has always been a major issue in the central U.S. The wind can have a major influence on the way winter crops and cattle produce. If the wind is blowing hard like it normally does,  and you have just planted your wheat, the top soil will blow off along  with the seed you paid for; Not a good thing! In addition, if you have a winter storm blow in and the wind is howling you can lose cattle in a white out or they could freeze; not a good thing either.

[1]

Sheltering cattle through the winter can be a very tough and tiresome job. Cowboys rarely get sleep in this time because usually the operation is calving out first time heifers. First time heifers are cattle that have not been calved out and 90% of the time, cannot have the calf by themselves. Therefore, the hands have to do a check every hour depending on how close the heifers are. The wind can be a major problem to a newborn calf. The calf just being born will have after birth left, which will freeze and cause pneumonia and can very easily kill the calf.

[2]

When the wind is up and the rainfall is down many wheat pasture crops a blown out and the rancher is out of ground for the winter. The solution to this problem is either sell your heard or find more pasture that isn’t gone and try to lease the country, but most of the time if you lose your pasture you probably won’t have the funds to lease more wheat ground. You probably did not think wind could do so much costly damage for a rancher. So next time the wind is up think of the hard workers trying to keep their lively hood running and give them a few prayers. This is what every rancher prays fore!

[3]

[1]Leiker, Dave. “ Black cattle.”Photo. Kansasphotos.com5Febuary 2009. October 11, 2010. Retrieved fromhttp://kansasphotos.com/wp/2009/02/page/46/

[2]Amateur Photo. “Newborn calf.” Amateurphotoart.com October 13, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.amateurphotoart.com/pics.asp?pCat=farm&crntPage=2&oldPageNbr=1&maxPageNbr=8

[3]Zadelew. “white cattle heard on wheat pasture.” April 29, 2006. October 13, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/59526103@N00/137649071/