Picking Up After the Storm On Pasture-Based Livestock Farm

Matt Poore,
Extension Beef Specialist, NCSU Department of Animal Science

Pasture-based beef, dairy, sheep and goat farmers need to be diligent in checking livestock, repairing damaged infrastructure, and looking for possible hazards in pastures caused by storm damage. Whether the storm was a severe thunderstorm, a hurricane, or a tornado, storm damage can cause acute injury and further damage to livestock if tending to animals and pastures is made a low priority in the recovery process. At a time when there often is damage to personal property including dwellings, outbuildings, and other non-livestock facilities, sometimes the livestock and the pastures take a lower priority. The health and well-being of livestock should be the second priority after the health and well being of farmers and their families.

Immediately after the storm subsides, producers should assess damage both to their infrastructure and their livestock. After they are sure friends and family are out of peril, they should check their pasture infrastructure to make sure that cattle or other livestock are in the pastures they were in before the storm, and that none of the animals are injured. If animals were injured by flying debris, the farmer should contact a veterinarian immediately if the injuries were severe. If conditions are so bad that livestock need to be evacuated, producers should contact their local extension agent, veterinarian, or emergency management officials.

Next, they should check to make sure waterers are operational and that fences are up and intact. If livestock are watered in a pressurized system and power is out, the producer should make haste to use a generator to restore power to the well system, or to provide another source of water (whether that be creating an emergency opening in the fence into a pond or stream, or by hauling water to the animals).
If hauling water, make sure the amount delivered to the animals is adequate. Adult lactating beef cows of average size need to be provided at least 25 gallons per day of fresh water, while dairy cattle would require more. Mature sheep and goats will need 1-3 gallons per day (depending on their size). Cattle in particular may be dangerous when very thirsty. If cattle have been deprived of water for 24 hours or more, producers should take great care when filling water tanks or restoring water flow to small tanks. Cows are likely to fight aggressively to get to the water source, and the cattle or even the farmer may be injured in the struggle.

If electric fencing is in use, producers need to check the power level to make sure the system is operational, and if the power is out, they should restore emergency power to the fence energizer. The perimeter fence should be checked to make sure fallen trees or branches have not downed the fence. If fence damage has occurred, farmers should make every effort to get trees or branches off the fence and
should make temporary repairs to keep livestock from wandering out of the pasture. More permanent repairs can be made later in the recovery process. If the system is electric, putting up temporary polywire and temporary posts may be the quickest way to restore the perimeter.

After assessing damage to the livestock and infrastructure, producers should assess other potential hazards caused by storm damage. Debris blown into pastures such as insulation and other building materials (common following tornadoes) may be eaten by livestock, leading to digestive upset and possibly death.

As producers check pasture infrastructure and scout for debris, they should also look for downed wild cherry tree limbs (or fallen wild cherry trees) and immediately either fence them away from livestock or remove them from pastures before livestock consume them. PRUSSIC ACID POISONING FROM CONSUMING WILTED CHERRY LEAVES FOLLOWING STORM DAMAGE IS A VERY COMMON CAUSE OF DEATH IN CATTLE, SHEEP and GOATS. This is an especially great hazard if pastures are short and livestock are hungry, because they may rapidly consume a large amount of the toxic material.

Another potential poisoning that may result from late summer or fall storm damage is acorn poisoning. If there are oak trees in pastures and storms knock many of the green acorns down at one time, livestock may consume enough to be poisoned. As producers scout pastures for damage, they also should be aware of the potential for acorn poisoning. They should note which pastures have the highest levels of acorns, then take steps to keep animals away from them. As with cherry tree poisoning, the greatest risk is when livestock are hungry and pastures are grazed short.

Finally, farmers should make sure livestock have adequate forage or feed, and should check mineral feeders to ensure animals have access to dry mineral (and are consuming the targeted amount). When farmers are hit by storm damage, there is much to think about and sometimes farmers neglect to follow normal management practices once they see that livestock are not injured and that infrastructure is intact. It is very important for animals to continue to have access to adequate forage and mineral supplement. If there is extensive damage to infrastructure, it may be most convenient to confine livestock to one pasture and feed hay until repairs can be made.

After Hurricane Floyd hit the east coast in 1999, livestock specialists and veterinarians received numerous reports of livestock with various health problems for several months after the storm. Investigations of these situations by local livestock agents did not reveal specific issues caused directly by the storm, but rather that some livestock were undernourished because farmers had so many other problems to deal with. In a great many cases, the livestock had no access to a mineral supplement and were suffering from deficiencies. Many mineral feeders had been blown all the way out of pastures, the mineral present was soaked and hardened so that livestock were not consuming it, or minerals had simply not been put out. Trace minerals (including zinc, copper and selenium) are deficient in many areas of the country and are important for the animal to be able to deal with stress and immune challenge.

Storms are an inevitable part of life, and managing damage means more than just cutting trees off fences and making sure livestock are not injured. Immediately following the storm the safety and health of you and your family comes first, but remember to continue to protect the safety and health of the animals you care for as part of your livelihood.

Schedule of Events- Fall 2011

September 5- Labor Day; State/County Holiday- Extension office will be closed

September 10- Greene County Goat Show; part of the Carolina Youth Meat Goat Circuit.  Call Eve to register by September 8.  Spectators welcome.

September 23 & 24- Lenoir County Fair Youth Livestock Shows at Lenoir County Fairgrounds.  Registration deadline September 21.

October 13-23- North Carolina State Fair, Raleigh

October 29- NC Sweet Potato Festival, Snow Hill; Chicken and Rabbit Show 10 am

November 5 - Equine Dentistry Educational Series and Clinic at the Lenoir County Cooperative Extension office between 6:00 pm and 8:000 pm.  To register, contact Craven County Cooperative Extension at (252) 633-1477

November 11- Veterans Day- State/County holiday- Extension Office will be closed.

November 17 – Southeast Regional Pork Conference; Lenoir County Extension office.   Call 252-527-2191 to pre-register.  Registration fee is $5 per person. You will receive 6 hours of CEC and a delicious meal.

Getting your Goats Ready for the Breeding Season

Submitted by Margaret Bell, Livestock Agent-Jones & Craven County

Written by: Jean-Marie Luginbuhl, NCSU

Extension Sheep and Goat Specialist

Breeding is a very important aspect of any meat goat operation. But, preparing the breeding does and buck(s) for the breeding season could have a large influence on the outcome and the profitability of the operation. 

Will body condition influence breeding success?

As the breeding season approaches, producers should be concerned with the body condition of their breeding does. Goat should not be allowed to become too thin or too fat. Failure in reproduction, low twinning rates and low weaning rates will result if does are too thin. Overly fat does can suffer from pregnancy toxemia, but fat does are rarely a problem.

The term body condition refers to the fleshing of an animal. Simply looking at an animal can easily be misleading. Rather, animals should be touched. The easiest area to feel and touch to determine the body condition of an animal are the rib areas, on either side of the spine, by running a hand over those areas and pressing down with a few fingers. In doing so, one is able to determine the amount of fat covering the ribs. In general, does in good condition will have a fat thickness of not more than 0.03 to 0.05 inches over the backbone. Other areas to monitor are the shoulders, the tail heads, the pins, the hooks, the edge of the loins and the backbone. Practice makes perfect, thus use your animals to get a feel for it. An easy way to start is to select a few animals that are over conditioned and some others that are thin to get a feel for extreme body condition. Then introduce a small group of animals and compare their body to the animals having extreme body condition. Producers should develop an eye and a touch for the condition of their animals and strive to maintain a moderate amount of condition on their goats.

One should also be concerned with the body condition of the breeding bucks. If bucks are overfed and become too fat, they may have no desire to breed does. Because of the increased activity and decreased feed intake during the breeding season, breeding bucks will most probably lose weight. Therefore, they need to be in good body condition and physical shape before the season starts.

Body condition is also used to determine whether flushing will be of benefit to breeding does. Flushing means increasing the level of feed offered to breeding does, mostly energy, starting about one month prior to the introduction of the bucks. By increasing the amount of feed offered, does will put on weight. This in turn will signal to the body that the doe can afford to raise several kids and ovulation rate and litter size will increase. Increasing the level of energy offered to does should continue throughout the breeding season and for approximately 30 to 40 days after removing the bucks for adequate implantation of the fetuses in the uterus. Does in extremely good body condition will tend not to respond to flushing. On the other hand, does that are in relatively poor condition, that is on the thin side, as a result of summer pastures of poor quality, high worm loads, late kidding of twins or triplets, will respond favorably to flushing by improving their body condition.

Flushing can be accomplished by moving breeding does to a lush nutritious pasture 3 to 4 weeks prior to the introduction of the bucks. This cost-effective flushing method or “feed flush” or “green flush” is underutilized in the Southeast where forage is abundant. Another method is feeding ½ lb/day of a high energy supplement. Corn is the grain of choice for flushing; whole cottonseed is another low cost, high energy supplement. The goal being to increase the intake and body weight, breeding does should be grouped according to their body condition and fed accordingly to first improve their body condition, then to maintain it.

What other measures will increase reproductive performance?

Several other important measures will affect breeding indirectly, such as trimming feet, the grouping of animals, deworming, using the “buck effect” to synchronize does, and vaccination.

1. Trimming feet. Feet and legs should be examined closely for sores, overgrown hooves and sources of strange smells that could be associated with infections or foot rot. Start trimming the feet of your animals several weeks before the breeding season to make sure that they will be in top shape during that period of increased activity. The buck in particular will cover a lot of territory. A lame buck will cover does only sporadically, or might give up altogether. Similarly, limping does may not let bucks breed them.

2. Grouping of animals. Goats are very social animals and should be grouped together several weeks before the breeding season so that the pecking order of the animals is established. Forming groups just prior the breeding season will disrupt the pecking order of the animals. The fighting that will ensue to establish a new pecking order within the newly-formed groups will be a source of stress and will influence reproductive performance.

Young does should have reached approximately 70 to 75% of their estimated mature body weight to be bred successfully without adversely affecting their mature size.

3. Deworming the breeding does and the buck(s) before the start of the breeding season is an important management tool. If flushing is planned, it is advisable to deworm prior to flushing. Wormy does will not increase their body condition during the flushing period and therefore flushing may not increase ovulation rate. In addition, wormy does will not breed well or may not breed at all, or may conceive and abort later.

4. The “buck effect”.

Keeping the does away from bucks is important in the development of sound breeding programs that should be paralleled with feed resources and market demands. The best approach to separate does from bucks is to develop a secure buck pasture. The buck pasture should be far enough from the breeding doe herd, otherwise scent emitted by glands located behind the base of the bucks' horns will induce estrous in does. Due to this "buck effect" does will come into heat approximately 7 to 10 days after the introduction of the buck. It is a good strategy to use to naturally synchronize breeding does at the start of the breeding season.

5. Vaccination. Although some producers have had no problems so far without implementing a vaccination program, it is recommended that goats be vaccinated against overeating disease (enterotoxemia) and tetanus prior to the start of the breeding season.

Is the buck ready for breeding?

Bucks may be easily overlooked but one cannot assume that they are reproductively sound.  A buck that was sound one year may not be the next. The results of using a reproductively unsound buck will be reduced kidding rates and profits. It is a good idea to watch bucks for normal urination and also for signs of sexual behavior as the breeding season approaches. For a more thorough breeding evaluation, immobilize the buck and examine the testes. They should be roughly the same size, fairly firm to the touch and devoid of lumps. The presence of testicular abnormalities could indicate that the buck is unsound for breeding. Next, examine the sheath (also called the prepuce) and the penis if you can protrude it. It requires some experience to push the prepuce down to reveal the penis. The penis should be checked for sores and the pizzle (the thin worm-like process at the end of the penis) should not be hard anywhere. The presence of hard, small lumps could be an indication of urinary stones (a condition also called urinary calculi). A buck suspected of reproductive problems, whether in its testes or any part of the penis, should be examined by a veterinarian before allowing it to breed does.

Don’t Wait Too Late For Your Winter Pasture

 by: Emily Herring- Pender County Livestock Agent

            As of right now, the last thing on everyone’s mind is winter pastures with the warm days and the warm nights that seem to follow.  But now is the perfect time to prepare your pastures for the winter.  The importance of a winter pasture is going to be even more important this winter due to the drought we have experienced this summer.  Local hay is going to be short and the need to sustain your own animals will be greater. 

         For this article, the focus will be on winter annual ryegrass with the best dates being September 1- September 30, and the possible dates being September 1- October 31.  But first things first, be sure to take representative soil sample of the field you want to seed/overseed with ryegrass and get that sent off to the lab for results as soon as possible. OR if you have taken a soil sample within the last three years those results can be utilized for gaining information about the pH.  The recommended pH level for winter ryegrass is 6.5 which is the same as Bermuda and Fescue.  The pH is the most important part of the equation when establishing pastures of any kind.  Once this is completed and the results come back, apply the nutrients as the soil test indicates.  Keep in mind if you are using an old soil test report and you have already applied lime at the recommended rates then lime may not be necessary and the other nutrients may not be the same for ryegrass as for other grasses. 

         Next, decide on the ryegrass seed that you want to plant.  While at the store deciding on the different seed, be sure to look at the label on the seed bag for germination rate, percent of the desired seed, inert matter, and weed seed.  Compare the different varieties of seeds based on those seed labels to make a logical decision on the right choice based on high germination rate, high desired seed, and low inert matter and weed seed.

         Getting the field (seedbed) ready to plant should be the next step.  If there is a substantial amount of yield left on the perennial summer pasture be sure to graze it down to keep other grass competition down when seeding with ryegrass.  If

grazing is not an option, mowing the perennial summer pasture down is another way.  By doing either one of these methods it’s called overseeding and it’s a good option to keep a warm season stand of grass while utilizing the land for winter grazing.  If overseeding is your preferred method, then seeding by a grain drill will be the most beneficial way of establishment.  When deciding on having a pasture that is solely ryegrass (no other grass being present, like Bermuda) then total elimination of weeds will be necessary by applying roundup (glyphosate) at the recommended rates on the label for the weeds being controlled.  Getting the seedbed prepared will be necessary by lightly disking and lightly packing the soil back.  After this is completed, then broadcasting seed can take place with a light drag to cover the seed.  When dragging over the seed keep in mind the seedbed needs to be clean and free of debris because it can cause more soil to cover the seed therefore making the chances of germination lower.  

 After deciding on the ryegrass and getting the field prepared, plant at the recommended seeding rates of 30-40 pounds per acre when broadcasting it and at 20-30 pounds per acre when drilling.  The planting depth should be at only ¼ inch to ½ inch deep.  Good seed-soil contact needs to be met when planting ryegrass but special care needs to be taken to make sure the seed is not too deep.  The most common problem seen when trying to establish pastures is planting depth and planting hen the soil is too dry.  Adequate moisture needs to be in the soil when planting any type of seed. 

When the ryegrass is getting established, keep livestock/horses off of it until it reaches 6-10inches in height and then grazing can be allowed until ryegrass is 3-4 inches in height.  When this level is met animals should be moved off the pasture to another area and fertilization with nitrogen is required for optimum re-growth.  If overgrazed more than 3-4 inches, then grazing on the pasture will be a one time occurrence and money will be wasted. The total amount of nitrogen in the entire growing season is 80-100 pounds per acre so split applications of nitrogen after each grazing segment should not amount to more than 100 pounds at the end of the life cycle of the plant (until April). 

Don’t wait too long to get your winter annual pastures established, remember the possible recommended dates for planting annual ryegrass is September 1^st until October 31^st.  Waiting too late into the fall can affect yields greatly and reduce the chances of a stand. 

Understanding the New Swine Transportation Law

by Eileen A. Coite, Wayne County

Have you heard of House Bill 432, better known as the “Transportation of Swine”?  If you produce and market swine in North Carolina, and transport hogs on public roads, you will want to be familiar with the details of this new law as of June 27^th, 2011.  The law takes effect October 1, 2011, and will very likely be a concern of some small and mid-sized swine producers.

Most producers identify all animals on their farm with some form of identification, whether an ear tag, tattoo, ear notch, or combination of these.  However, after October 1, each animal that is transported either to another farm or a processing facility must be identified with a method approved by the State Veterinarian.  Producers are invited to give input to determine which methods will meet requirements of the law, but also be of little hassle, cost, and inconvenience to them.  In fact, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture Veterinary Division will be providing tags for identification, free to producers. Producers may contact the NCDA office to order these tags.  

What has caused the need for this legislation?  Feral swine is the sole purpose for this law.  This new law is not intended to trace animals back to a particular farm, but is only intended to distinguish between domestic and feral swine. Feral swine have become a major problem in North Carolina, and identification of domestic swine is critical to identifying those that are transporting feral hogs. 

It is important to note that even though the law is in effect October 1, 2011, the State Veterinarian’s office will be using this first year to educate producers and not penalize those unaware.  However, anyone that is found blatantly conducting illegal activity and transporting feral swine will be fined, at a rate of $5000 per feral hog being moved.  This is why identification is so critical.  

For more information on the Swine Transportation Law, to order tags, or give input to the State Veterinarian’s office, producers are asked to call 919-733-7601 and ask for someone in the livestock section.  Additionally, producers may be added to an email distribution list to stay in tune to any changes, notices and items of interest with regard to this law.  Anyone interested should send an email to Joe.Web@ncagr.gov and request to be added to the “swine ID distribution list”. The NC Wildlife Resources Commission can give details on trapping and/or hunting feral swine, which is legal for anyone with a hunting license.  For more information on this, please contact the NCWR Commission or visit http://www.ncwildlife.org/hunting/index.htm

Fecal Egg Counting Service Available

by Eve Honeycutt, Lenoir & Greene Counties

For those producers who are battling drug resistant parasites on their farm, or if you just want to know whether or not you need to de-worm your animals, I will now offer fecal egg counting as a free service at the Extension office. 

 All you have to do is collect a fresh sample of manure- less than 30 minutes old.  Use a plastic zip-top bag to collect the sample and bring it to the Extension office.  If you can't get to the office right away, refrigerate the sample and bring it to the office as cool as possible without freezing.  I can perform the fecal egg counts at your convenience, in less than 30 minutes.  Knowing your worm load before you use a chemical de-wormer can help you determine if you need to de-worm at all, or help you choose the best product. 

If you are planning to bring a sample, please call me at least one day in advance to check my schedule and make sure I will be in the office that is most convenient for you.

Common Cattle Diseases and Treatments

By Eve H. Honeycutt

Extension Livestock Agent, Lenoir and Greene Counties

There are many common cattle diseases that occur in eastern North Carolina cow/calf herds.  Below is a discussion of two of these diseases, possible treatments, and advice on veterinary care.

PINKEYE

Pinkeye is one of the most common diseases in cattle.  It can affect all ages of cattle and it is highly contagious.  Multiple strains of bacteria can cause the disease, and it can be difficult to determine which one is the culprit in your herd.  In the early stages of pinkeye, the animal will be very sensitive to light, and you may see a bluish spot on the lens of the eye, followed by watery discharge.  Once the animal has pinkeye, it will be bothered easily by vectors such as flies, dust, and tall grass seedheads. 

Treating Pinkeye:

Pinkeye can be treated with over the counter medication such as LA-200 or penicillin.  If these treatments do not improve the eye, a vet should tend to the eye in order for the animal to recover.  Over the counter treatments or home remedies that involve powder, sprays, or salt should not be used due to the irritating nature of these products.  Cancer eye should not be confused with pinkeye, since cancer eye is much more serious and usually is first noticed by lumps or bumps growing around the eye.  Animals with cancer eye or pinkeye should not be taken to a stockyard in order to safeguard the human food supply and prevent other animals from contracting the diseases. 

CALF DIARRHEA/SCOURS

Calf scours is one of the most common diseases in newborn calves.  Contrary to popular belief, it is impossible to tell what bacteria is affecting the animal based solely on the color of the feces.  However, a good guess can be made about the possible bacteria present based on other factors.  If the scours occurs in a calf less than 10 days old, the bacteria present is probably E. Coli, Rotavirus, or Coronavirus.  Cryptosporidium is a protozoa that can cause scours in calves at 5-35 days of age.  Salmonella is severe bloody diarrhea and a high body temperature.  Calves less than 21 days old will not be troubled by Coccidia because of the incubation period of the disease in the calf’s body.  When treating calf scours, it is important for the animal to continue to drink (or be forced to drink) milk to prevent further dehydration and provide adequate nutrition.  Because of the diarrhea, metabolic acidosis may occur which will cause the animal to breathe heavily.  If the calf is lying on the ground and willing to accept your intervention, then it should be treated.  If the animal readily gets up to follow its mother, even with diarrhea, then it will most likely recover quickly.

Treating Calf Scours (Clell V. Bagley, DVM, Extension Veterinarian, Utah State University):

There are a variety of fluid and electrolyte formulas available and most will work to some extent. Consult with your veterinarian about his choice and why. If the products are not working, re-evaluate with him again. Some formulas also contain a gel substance which helps to add bulk and may absorb some toxins (poisons) from the gut. Most calves with scours tend to be acidotic (their system is too acid). It will help these calves to receive electrolytes that are alkaline (basic) in nature for 24–36 hours. After that they should be changed to non-alkaline electrolytes.

If being used with or near milk feeding, an acetate form should be used. If this is not a problem them bicarbonate or lactate can be used. The use of systemic antibiotics by injection may also be of benefit if a bacterial infection has become generalized in the calf’s body. The major problem encountered in treatment with fluids and electrolytes is that producers give too little, too late. Plan to give 2 qts., 2–4 times per day. Determine the frequency of treatment needed by the amount of dehydration present; this is evidenced by sinking of the eyes and elasticity of skin on the neck and withers. Don’t mix the fluid and electrolytes with milk; that prevents curd formation and the milk is then of no benefit. If you are feeding milk, wait for 15–20 minutes before giving the fluid and electrolytes.