News Update
October 9, 2017
Minimize Three Main Types of Stress
The definition of stress is the sum of reactions that influence an animal’s homeostasis, explained Reinaldo Cooke, associate professor at Oregon State University. Cooke detailed the implications stress may have on female reproductive systems on Aug. 29 at the 2017 Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle (ARSBC) symposium in Manhattan, Kan.
Cooke began by defining homeostasis as any action that takes you outside your comfort zone. Anything that takes you away from a comfort zone is a type of stressor. He described three main types of stress:
- Physiologic stress is when an animal gets sick or catches a disease.
- Physical stress is applied if an animal receives an injury.
- Psychological stress happens when an animal senses fear.
When the body encounters stress, two systems are engaged, he said. Sympathetic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) response are engaged to bring the body back into homeostasis.
As soon as an animal is faced with stress, the body begins to produce cortisol at a higher rate than it produces epinephrine.
“Cortisol goes up and stays up much longer than levels of epinephrine,” said Cooke. “It is the main link between stress and productivity in livestock.”
Continue reading this Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA article online.
Ag Community Relief Raising Funds
for Barbed Wire Fencing for Montana
Thousands of miles of barbed wire fence was destroyed in Montana this past summer due to one of the worst wildfire seasons on record. With millions of acres burned, Ag Community Relief has established the “Western Wire Roundup” in an effort to help western ranchers rebuild.
Having already sent twelve loads of hay to the region, Ag Community Relief will be collecting donations during the next few months to send a full semi-tractor trailer load of Sheffield barbed wire fence (560 rolls), that meets or exceeds ASTM Class 1 standards, to the farmers and ranchers affected by the wildfires. Stockmen’s Feed Bunk, a ranch supply company based in Boise City, Okla., sold fencing supplies to the ranchers of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas at cost after spring wildfires destroyed over a million acres in those three states. They have agreed to do this again for the ranchers of the Northern Rockies. For information on how to sponsor a roll of wire for $50 or to make a monetary donation towards this project, visit https://www.agcommunityrelief.com/product-page/barbed-wire-roll-donation. Also search for them online at #agcommunityrelief and #farmershelpingfarmers.
For more information, read the Ag Community Relief release online.
Antimicrobial Stewardship Guidelines for Bovine Practice
Cattle veterinarians are committed to preserving the effectiveness and availability of antimicrobial drugs, which is the essence of antimicrobial stewardship. The American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) has created a document, “Key Elements for Implementing Antimicrobial Stewardship Plans in Bovine Veterinary Practices Working with Beef and Dairy Operations,” to provide bovine veterinarians with best practices for designing, implementing and monitoring antimicrobial stewardship programs with their clients.
“These guidelines provide the important elements for working with beef and dairy operations to reduce the need for antimicrobials and to use them appropriately when necessary,” explains veterinary pharmacologist Virginia Fajt, Texas A&M University, who chaired a special AABP task force to craft these guidelines. The task force included veterinary and pharmacology experts in the feedlot, cow-calf and dairy sectors. “These guidelines include some of the key components from the elements of antimicrobial stewardship in human medicine published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” she adds. “Additions and modifications were made so the elements are practical and applicable to bovine practice.”
Learn more in the AABP news release online.
Wind Generation Benefits Farmers,
Rural Communities and the Environment
U.S. energy production is undergoing rapid transformation, with substantial impacts to the agriculture and rural economies. Many farmers already produce renewable energy by growing corn to make ethanol and soybeans for biodiesel. Now, more farmers and ranchers are harvesting the wind blowing over their land to make electricity.
Large wind turbines increasingly dot the countryside, and, like ethanol and biodiesel production, wind energy is yet another example of how agriculture is becoming a significant provider of renewable energy.
Many of the roughly 500 manufacturing facilities and wind turbine technicians are located in rural areas.
From the late 1800s through the 1930s, farmers used wind to pump water, grind grain and, to a small extent, generate power for self-sufficiency. Although most are no longer functional, old metal windmills still stand as quaint symbols of farm life before the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 paved the way to extend electrical service to rural America.
In recent years, about $143 billion has been invested in U.S. wind energy, and the investment is growing.
Read the full AFBF news release online.
Local Ranching Event Scheduled for Oct. 10 in Gatesville
The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) will host a ranch gathering on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017, at the Texas Station Event Center in Gatesville, Texas. The event allows local cattle producers to learn about TSCRA’s recent activities and network with other cattle raisers in the area. Registration will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by a complimentary beef dinner.
The event is free and open to the public.
TSCRA Special Ranger Marvin Wills will be on hand to provide a law enforcement update and offer ranchers information on how they can keep their livestock and equipment safe and secure. Attendees will receive an update on the 85th Texas Legislative Session and recent government affairs activities, including private property rights initiatives and federal tax reform prospects. Other areas of interest to cattle raisers and the community will be discussed, as well.
Please RSVP to 1 800-242-7820, ext. 192, or rsvp@tscra.org.
The Texas Station Event Center is located at 4105 S. Texas 36, Gatesville, TX 76528.
The ranch gathering is sponsored by Elanco, Capital Farm Credit, Westway Feed Products and official Arrowquip dealer Buzbee Feed and Seed.
All members of the press are invited to attend.
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