Rabies Awareness. Be Alert to Rabies While on Vacation

During prolonged droughts, rabies cases in the wild (raccoons, skunks, foxes, bats etc.) and in feral cats and dogs is known to increase compared to prior years. As the holiday weekend ensues, and many are going to campgrounds and parks and visiting friends out of town, be alert to the presence of rabies in multiple counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and take precautions to not be bitten. If a wild animal actively chases you, do not let the animal bite you.

Livestock can and do get rabies. Cases of reports in cattle have occurred in Pennsylvania in 2022. In their March report, two cows and a horse tested positive for rabies in the state. In the last eleven years, twelve horses have tested positive for rabies in New Jersey.

2022 NJ reported rabies cases by counties link: https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/documents/rabies_stats/rabcases2022.pdf

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/statistics/rabies-stats/

2022 PA reported rabies cases by counties. This map is from March 2022. Because in the course of a month, there has probably been a positve report of rabies in every county in Pennsylvania, assume rabies is present (still circulating in wild animals) in the county in September of 2022.  https://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Animals/AHDServices/diseases/Pages/Rabies.aspx

If you are bitten by any wild animal or feral animal or even a domesticated pet or livestock, it is recommended that you:

  • Report to the local police so they are aware.
  • If a wild or feral animal, also report to Game-wildlife regional office.
  • Go to the hospital and fill out a public health notification form. This form notifies the state public health office, and a nurse will call you to advise you of the rabies monitoring period and treatment protocol.
  • Notify your local doctor as soon as possible.
  • Also, call your state reporting number so that the record of the attack is logged in their database.

Pennsylvania hotline: (717) 772-2852 / ra-ahds@pa.gov

New Jersey hotline: Contact the NJ Public Health and Environmental Laboratories, Rabies Laboratory: via email: rabies.PHEL@doh.nj.gov or. via telephone: (609) 530-8416, 671-6418 or 671-641.

Rabbit Owners. Protect Wild Rabbits from Emerging Rabbit Disease

Pennsylvania has detected a case of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV) case in domestic rabbits in Western Pa. This follows on the heels of a New Jersey detection in March of 2022. RHDV has been evolving and spreading in pet rabbits since cases were first detected in North America in 2000.

Because this is an emerging disease, it is possible we can limit widespread infection in domestic and wild rabbits by practicing biosecurity measures at home and not releasing or disposing of domestic rabbits into the wild.

Example Timeline of RHDV1 Strain Detections in North America | and evolution into RHDV2 Strain

  • 2000 (Iowa)
  • 2001 (Utah, Illinois, New York)
  • 2005 (Indiana)
  • 2008 (Maryland)
  • 2010 (Minnesota)
  • 2016 (Quebec, Canada) detection of the more contagious RHDV2 strain*
  • 2018 (Ohio) detection of the more contagious RHDV2 strain*
  • 2018 (Pennsylvania)
  • 2019 (Vancouver, Canada) detection of a different strain of the contagious RHDV2 strain*
  • 2019 (Washington) detection of the more contagious RHDV2 strain*
  • USDA APHIS notice on 2019 outbreak link is here
  • In recent Canadian outbreaks of RHDV2, the death rate was close to 90%.
  • 2020 Outbreak of (RHDV2) associated disease occurred in the southwestern United States following its first detection in New Mexico in March
  • 2020 (New York City, 13 cases linked to a veterinary hospital) RHDV2 strains*
  • 2022 (New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, and Oregon)
  • 2022 (New Jersey)

* This new strain is able to infect a wider variety of rabbit species including wild rabbits.

If you notice these symptoms in rabbits, isolate them and contact your veterinarian and your state’s Division of Animal Health. If you see dead wild rabbits that lack explanation, contact your state Game and Wildlife Division:

  • Rabbits die suddenly without symptoms
  • Rabbits have a fever
  • Rabbits are uncoordinated, excessively excited, have convulsions, paddling, or paralysis
  • Rabbits have difficulty breathing just before death
  • Rabbits have bloody discharge from nose or stools
  • Rabbits have eye hemorraghes

To protect the wild rabbit population, do not release domestic rabbits into the wild and do not dispose of dead rabbits in the wild.

For more information about measures in New Jersey see the state press release: https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/news/press/2022/approved/press220513.html

If you are traveling between or through states, be aware of the interstate-intrastate quarantine regarding domestic rabbit movements in Pennsylvania. The PA “Interstate and International Order of Quarantine is applicable to all States, Commonwealths and territories of the United States of America and any foreign country in which the dangerous transmissible disease RHD exists or there is a reasonable suspicion it exists.”

New Jersey residence who suspect RHDV2, should alert the NJDA, Division of Animal Health at 609-671-6400. The 24-hour number to report a foreign animal disease to USDA APHIS VS Area Veterinarian in Charge is 866-536-7593.

Biosecurity measures rabbit owners can take regarding Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease can be found at:

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/fs-rhdv2.pdf

USDA APHIS Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Resources 

USDA (RHDV) Cleaning Guidance July 2020 

National Assembly of State Animal Health Officials (NASAHO) – RHDV Biosecurity Guidance 

NASAHO – RHDV Shows and Exhibitions Guidance 

 

 

Back-yard Poultry Producer Alert: HiPath Avian Influenza deaths in wild birds

On August 8th, 2022, The United States 2022 Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Wild Birds reported multiple confirmations of dead black vultures in Sussex County, NJ. Today, August 29, 2022, the media has released information that a hundred dead vultures were found in the vicinity of the Sussex Branch Trail in Lafayette, NJ.

Back-yard producers in Sussex County should review their biosecurity measures to prevent avian influenza from wild birds coming in contact with their flocks.

For more information and who to contact in the NJ Department of Agriculture if you have a death in your poultry flock, see the following post https://plant-pest-advisory.rutgers.edu/poultry-alert-review-implement-biosecurity-measures/

For more information on who to contact in the NJDEP if If multiple birds are found dead in a small area over a short period of time, please contact either 1-877-WARNDEP or Dr. Nicole Lewis (nicole.lewis@dep.nj.gov) for assistance. https://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/news/2022/04-19_avian_influenza.htm

Upcoming webinars and in person meetings for NJ producers (August 31 and September 26) https://plant-pest-advisory.rutgers.edu/upcoming-sessions-for-backyard-poultry-owners/

Information regarding driving into a quarantine zone in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania currently has a 10 km zone along the PA/NJ border related to this detection. https://plant-pest-advisory.rutgers.edu/driving-into-high-path-avian-influenza-quarantine-zones-in-pa-know-the-rules/

Your Input on Changes to the Next Farm Bill

House Agriculture Committee Farm Bill Review

“An integral part of the oversight and review process of the 2018 Farm Bill and further preparation for the 2023 Farm Bill is getting direct input from producers, stakeholders, and consumers on how various farm bill programs are working for them” – Click here to add your comments into the form posted on the House Agriculture Committee website with the option to answer the following questions:

  1. Which programs included in the 2018 Farm Bill do you think are performing well?
  2. Are there any new programs or ideas that you or the organization that you represent would like to see considered for the 2023 Farm Bill?
  3. Which programs included in the 2018 Farm Bill do you think could be improved upon or should be reconsidered?

Guidance on Farm Bill Sections.

“The farm bill refers to an authorization of mandatory and discretionary spending bills appropriated to provide assistance related to food and farms. It is a multi-year law that is primarily executed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and it governs a wide variety of agricultural and food programs” – Farm Bureau.org. Click here for a short summary and video on the history of the farm bill.

Title I, Commodity Programs. Under this authorization, USDA is reauthorized to provide and improve commodity and marketing loans, sugar, dairy and disaster programs. In addition to the links below for the farm bill overview, see the ERS link at https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-commodity-policy/title-i-crop-commodity-program-provisions-after-enactment-of-the-agriculture-improvement-act-of-2018/

Title II, Conservation. To read more about this title go to https://www.thefarmbill.com/title-2-other-conservation

or read more in https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/IF11199.pdf

Title III, Trade. To read more about this title go to https://www.thefarmbill.com/title-3-trade-programs

Title IV, Nutrition. To read more about this title go to https://www.thefarmbill.com/title-4-snap

Use the same website to scroll through each of the remaining titles:
Title V, Credit
Title VI, Rural Development
Title VII, Research, Extension, and Related Matters
Title VIII, Forestry
Title IX, Energy
Title X, Horticulture
Title XI, Crop Insurance. To read more about this title you can also go to https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-commodity-policy/crop-insurance-program-provisions-title-xi/
Title XII, Miscellaneous

Upcoming Sessions for Backyard Poultry Owners

August 31st. In person. Salem County Cooperative Extension Office. 51 Cheney Road. Woodstown, NJ. 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm.

The South Jersey Poultry Association invites small flock producers in South Jersey to their monthly meeting. Topics of discussion will be the ongoing HiPath Avian Influenza detections in wild birds in NJ and in wild birds and domestic flocks in neighboring states. Updating animal waste management plans and biosecurity plans to mitigate avian diseases, review of market costs and margins, price and availiability of pullets and related importation regulations will also be reviewed. To register, contact Melissa Bravo at melissa.bravo@njaes.rutgers.edu; or by phone at 856-340-6582. Past newsletters focusing on HiPath Avian Influenza will be available at the meeting.

 

September 26th webinar. 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm. Penn State University

Penn State Poultry Group. “Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has recently been detected in a small poultry flock in Pennsylvania and California and wild birds in several states continue to test positive for HPAI. The Penn State Extension Poultry Team would like to invite you to attend the Why Small Poultry Flock Owners Need to Stay Vigilant with HPAI to Protect Their Flock. We will discuss HPAI, the current outbreak situation, signs of the disease, where to get help if you suspect sick birds, and biosecurity measures you can take to protect your flock”. To register go to: https://web.cvent.com/event/8578bdc3-89d1-472a-9286-bc5f3b50db9d/summary

Economics of using drought-stricken crop residue for livestock feed

Livestock producers who rely on purchased feed have an opportunity in this drought to purchase standing dry corn fodder (field corn, sweet corn) to offset potential shortages in hay availability due to waning pasture production. Due to the variability in precipitation during silking, many areas in NJ have fields that have acres of good corn, so-so corn, and some really poor field corn as far as ear development. The stover value of these areas is worth considering as an alternative feed source.

Here is a checklist of questions to ask and sellers to answer to ensure the fodder purchased is fit for livestock consumption and priced accordingly.

Nutritional value of standing corn fodder. With the ear intact, the nutrition value of standing mature corn fodder will be less than 11% crude protein. Cattle need a feed intake of at least 7% crude protein content for their rumen to digest high fiber forages.If the entire crop is harvested and fed, a well-eared corn crop should meet this minimal requirement.

What is an acres worth of standing corn fodder yielding? An acres worth of six-foot-tall well populated standing bone-dry corn fodder can yield at least five tons of chopped corn fodder. The taller the corn and the higher the population, dry fodder yields can exceed 15 tons per acre. This is the same as saying exceptional silage corn harvested at 65% moisture will yield up to 30 ton per acre. Many fields of early planted longer day corn exceed seven feet in height. There is a ton of potential fodder out there if one can obtain it.

Doing the math. On average, NJ producers are purchasing hay to get them through 5 to 8 months until the next grazing season. With the drought, this is looking like 285 days’ worth of stockpiled feed is in order. At 35lbs/ DM intake a day, an acres worth of chopped corn fodder at 5 tons per acre (10,000 lbs.) can feed one cow for 285 days. An exceptional field (30,000 lbs.) can provide fodder for three cows for the same time period. In this scenario we are either grazing combined residue or chopping standing corn and feeding daily (grazing; or windrowed, chopped, or baled).

Current prices of standing corn with ear intact. Locally, hay yields have been impacted by the lack of rain, driving up prices. In South-Jersey, the bushel value of a well-eared corn crop in grazing value is at least $600.00 an acre. This value is comparable to the current market price of $300/ton premium alfalfa or alfalfa-grass (two ton per acre in yield) equivalency. Remember, with the ear, comes the energy that is lacking in hay rations alone.

Grains (corn, wheat, barley, oats) contain on average about 80% total digestible nutrients compared to just 42% in low quality to 58% TDN in high quality hay. To put that into perspective, if a 50 lb. bag of 17% minimum CP fitting ration containing 18% maximum fiber is costing $10.00/bag, its value is $400/ton and doesn’t come with 35 lbs. of fiber. The value of the corn still in the field is 7% CP; is 30% higher in energy; and has the additional value of the bulk of the daily fiber intake that drives cow rumination.

Cover crop planting deadline may incentivize dry fodder chopping. If soil moisture conditions remain poor, sellers may be incentivized to get rid of the biomass so they can plant winter wheat and barley in October to ensure a good stand establishment. Without soil moisture and adequate rainfall, traited corn stalk residue can take more than a year to break down. In high biomass fields (>6 foot tall), the amount of residue remaining impedes planting and emergence in no-till.

Value after combining. Without kernels, corn fodder with some leaves intact after combining can provide only about 5% crude protein but the cob, leaves and stalks are still providing more than 50% TDN. The equivalent value of combined corn fodder is equal to or slightly better than good wheat straw. But very poor-quality wheat straw may only have 22% TDN. Current regional market prices suggest post-combined corn fodder value (cob, leaves, stalk but no kernals) in NJ is worth $200-$300/acre if yielding one to two tons per acre. Or 33% to 50% of the bushel value of the crop per acre if yielding 100 bushels/per acre.

Value of low nitrates. April and May planted corn is the least likely to have high nitrates based on past precipitation patterns. These fields are ideally the ones to consider purchasing to graze or harvest as dry corn fodder and should fetch a premium if optioned to be harvested as corn fodder.

June and July planted corn has to be tested for nitrate levels. If no nitrogen other than starter was applied and no chicken manure was applied, early planted corn is least likely to have high nitrates. Any other scenario requires a nitrate test of the stalk and leaves. Nitrates and prussic acid accumulate in drought stressed crops that received nitrogen fertilizer or high amounts of high nitrogen containing manure and can kill livestock. In a year like this, do not feed recently frosted corn that was not already mature or dead (leaves brown and ear hanging) without first testing for nitrates if fertilizer or manure was applied during the growing season.

For more important information on the risks of drought induced nitrate poisoning, see https://plant-pest-advisory.rutgers.edu/feeding-nitrate-containing-forages/

Weed presence must be factored into decision. Fields with johnsongrass and shattercane are not only a risk for nitrate and prussic acid poisoning during a drought, but the weed seeds will pass through the manure. Before choosing to purchase a corn field for fodder, walk the field. Jimsonweed is also toxic in large quantities. Heavy infestations of pigweeds and common lambsquarters can also result in nitrate toxicity. Before grazing, determine the date of the last herbicide application and review the grazing and slaughter withdrawal language in the label for each product, as many broadleaf herbicides have 7 days to 8 weeks feeding restrictions since application. For a quick look, see the USDA fact sheet Appendix H. Grazing Restrictions by Herbicide.

 

Additional resources:

  1. Progressive Forage article by Melissa Bravo. Adverse weather impacts essential nutrient uptake
  2. Penn State Extension fact sheet on corn fodder

2019. Hay and Forage Grower article by Melissa Bravo. Quality corn stover in high demand