December 15, 2022

Finish the Fight Against Scrapie: Brains Needed!

Finish the Fight Against Scrapie: Brains Needed!

For more information, please call: 609-241-2236.

The United States is nearing the goal line after a 70 year battle against SCRAPIE, a fatal disease that affects the brain of sheep and goats. Sheep and goat producers can help the USDA achieve this goal. The current program has been very successful to drastically reduce the amount of scrapie in the US. One of the most difficult aspects of an eradication program is making sure that the last few cases of the disease are found.

The most recent two cases of scrapie found in the US were sampled at slaughter but could not be traced back to a farm origin. One of these cases was a sheep in Wisconsin in 2021 and another was a goat tested in Indiana in 2019. Because these animals did not have adequate records and identification to find where they came from, it is likely there are still farms with cases of scrapie. For a country to be declared free of scrapie, international standards require a certain level of testing among all sheep and goat populations within a country. No samples can test positive for classical scrapie. The samples we need to test are brain and a lymph node.

Each year every state is given a minimum number of samples to be collected based on the breeding sheep and goat populations. This assures sampling represents the different populations. In fiscal year 2023 (October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023), NJ needs to sample 31 mature (>18 months) sheep and 23 mature goats. As of the end of November we only collected 2 sheep samples and 1 goat sample. We continue to ask for help from our New Jersey small ruminant industry to obtain these samples. If a producer has an adult sheep or goat that dies, that must be euthanized, or is being culled please contact USDA, APHIS, Veterinary Services at 609-241-2236. There is no charge for the collection or testing of the samples. Producers may be eligible for official plastic tags as long as our supplies last.

Scrapie is in the same family of diseases as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) and chronic wasting disease of deer and elk.

Please contact for more information:

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Uncategorized
August 22, 2022

Feeding Nitrate Containing Forages

Whenever a summer drought limits forage production, nitrates can accumulate in plants. Adequate forages are essential for feeding ruminants and other herbivores. Forages provide an excellent source of nutrients, fiber for proper rumen function, and make use of renewable forage resources. Corn silage produced under drought conditions is often low in energy. Feeding drought-stressed forage high in nitrates is challenging, but with good management and some proper precautions can be successful.

Forage nitrate accumulation is most commonly seen in corn silage, but can occur in other plants as well.

Plants known to  Plants believed not to
accumulate nitrates accumulate nitrates
Corn/corn silage  Alfalfa
Johnson grass  Fescue
Ryegrass Orchardgrass
Small grains Timothy
Sorghum Bermuda grass
Sudangrass Native grasses
Some weeds (Pigweed)

Nitrates are most likely to accumulate when plants are stressed. This may coincide with high nitrate levels in the soil after release of nitrates from organic matter or manure, or as a result of heavy applications of fertilizer. During periods of drought plants will continue to take up nitrate, but moisture stress will reduce conversion of nitrate into protein in the plant. Anything that reduces the rate of plant photosynthesis or protein biosynthesis will result in greater nitrate accumulation; frost, low temperatures, cloudy weather, and herbicide applications can all result in greater plant nitrate accumulation.

Since moisture is required for nitrate uptake, the greatest nitrate accumulation during a drought will occur following rainfall. When this happens, forage should not be harvested at that time nor should animals be allowed graze. Concentrations of nitrates are generally highest in stalk tissues and lower in leaves and vegetative tissues. One strategy for management is to set forage harvesters to cut higher on the stalk so that higher nitrate material is not harvested.

Ruminant animals convert nitrate to nitrite and then to ammonia in the rumen and detoxify the nitrate. But, if nitrate levels are high enough, nitrite will accumulate in the rumen and be absorbed through the wall of the rumen into the blood supply. When this happens nitrite combines with hemoglobin in the blood and converts it to methemoglobin, which will carry little oxygen to the tissues. When methemoglobin reaches toxic levels death occurs due to oxygen deprivation.

Contact your veterinarian if you suspect nitrate toxicity. The only reliable method to determine if nitrates are a problem is to test the forage in question. Contact your local County Extension Agent or the New Jersey Department of Agriculture Division of Animal Health for more information.

Pointers for Forages and Feeding Management when Nitrate is a Concern

1. Avoid the application of high amounts of nitrogen fertilizer or manure late in the season to avoid increased nitrate uptake and plant accumulation.

2. Harvest when nitrate accumulation decreases in plants, typically as plants mature.

3. When harvesting raise the cutter bar to avoid higher nitrate levels in the lower stalk (about 8-10 inches); the greatest level of nitrate accumulation is in the lower stalk.

4. Don’t allow animals to graze and don’t harvest forages following heavy rains. After a heavy rain is often the period of greatest nitrate uptake.

5. Pay attention to proper silage management, moisture content, packing, and length. Drought-damaged corn can be chopped at ¼ to ⅜ inch in length. The silo should be filled quickly and packed as tightly as possible in order to exclude oxygen.

6. Order of feeding priority: Silage > Hay > Grazing > Greenchop. Ensiling will destroy 40-60% of nitrates. Therefore, silage crops will have the lowest levels of nitrate due to bacterial destruction. Producing forage for dry hay does not destroy nitrates. Greenchop will be the most risky to feed. If nitrate levels are high enough, ensiling may be the only way to salvage the forage.

7. Never feed forage containing greater than 1.5% nitrate. Ruminants can be adapted to high nitrate levels by slowly increasing the level of nitrate containing forage in the diet. Animals can be fed forage containing <1.5% nitrate if slowly adapted and provided the forage is only a portion of the diet.

8. Mix with other feeds when feeding. Diluting with concentrates and nitrate-free forages can help accomplish this.

9. When grazing nitrate-containing forages, feed animals prior to turning out to graze to ensure dilution of nitrates.

10.  Fall freezing can cause increased nitrate uptake.

11.  Use of a silage inoculant during ensiling may increase the destruction of nitrate.

12. Supplement with Vitamin A. Previous research has shown that forage containing high levels of nitrate may be low in vitamin A or with reduced Vitamin A availability.

13. Test water supplies for nitrates.

14. Test forages whenever nitrate accumulation is likely due to drought.

Some of the information in this article was taken from Rutgers Cooperative Extension Bulletin E291 Nitrate Management.

For more information see:

Nitrate QuikTest for Rapid Detection of High Nitrate Levels in Forages

Progressive Cattleman: Nitrate Contamination in Cover Crops

 

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock
July 21, 2022

Can we implement a quick fix for heat stress? 

 After seeing a recent heat stress article appearing in the Plant and Pest Advisory,  I was reminded of the need for heat stress management for animals.  The following article appeared in the pages of the Hoard’s Dairyman magazine.  Steve Martin from DNMCMILK give some good guidelines for managing the dairy herd.  Click on

Heat Stress Management in the Dairy Herd 

to see the article.

MARTIN, DNMCMILK,  July 21, 2022(c) Hoard’s Dairyman Intel 2022

“The best time to strategize about heat stress mitigation is early spring when there is still some frost on the ground in the mornings. Or better yet . . . planning for next summer’s heat abatement plan could be done in the previous fall when the shortcomings of the current cooling strategies are fresh on everyone’s mind. However, that doesn’t mean that when we are in the thick of the summer stress we can’t implement new ideas. The goal during these times may be attempting to maintain feed intake during heat stress.”

To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.
(c) Hoard’s Dairyman Intel 2022
July 21, 2022

Filed Under: Uncategorized
September 8, 2021

Water, Water, Everywhere

Water, Water Everywhere We’re Gonna Get Wet; Such is the refrain in a video that my kids used to watch.  This year we have had plenty of water.  Water is the most important nutrient that we give our animals and the most abundant, cheapest, and least understood of all nutrients required for livestock production.  We usually become concerned with water only when it is in short supply or when flooding results in contamination.  My colleague, Salem County Extension, Melissa Bravo has written previously about flooding and I refer the reader to her comments submitted on September 3rd.

Tropical storm Ida brought extreme flooding to many parts of New Jersey.  In addition to the tornado damage that had devastating effects on many farms, there is the destruction of feed and forage supplies that accompany flooding.

If feed grains or forages stored as hay or silage were flooded and remained underwater during Ida for even a short period, they are probably destroyed.  Feed grains such as corn, oats, or barley will quickly spoil when wet and may result in the production of mycotoxins.  This rotten feed is worthless, may be a risk to animals, and is fit only for the compost pile or other disposal.

How about hay or silage?  These are no different.  They will spoil and may likely produce mycotoxins or other toxins just like feed grains.  They will have to be disposed.

The bottom line, do not feed any spoiled feed grains or purchased feed mixes, or spoiled hay or silage to animals.

What about pasture?   Pasture that has been rained on, even the rain from tropical storm Ida should be edible, provided that flooding did not occur.  Any feed or forage that was in a flood plain, and/or remained under flood waters is a contamination risk.  The risk is not from feed and forage spoilage as described above, but from any toxins that may be associated with the flood waters.

I suggest caution about flood water contamination of pastures.  What was upstream from the flood waters?  Storm water that flooded its banks and ended up on your river bottom land may contain heavy metals or pesticides or dangerous debris, or you or a neighbor may have applied pesticides that resulted in runoff contamination.  Perhaps there was none at all.  How deep was the water?  Was the pasture covered in water?  It may be possible to graze some summer annual forages such as Sudan or Sudan-Sorghum crosses, or Millet.  These are taller growing forages that maybe were not covered in the flood waters.  It may be possible to graze these provided only the top portion of the plants are grazed.  This will require a very short grazing period.  Of course if these were covered in flood waters, caution should be taken.  After a cleansing rain or two on flooded pastures, consumption may possibly continue.  Clipping pastures that have been flooded and waiting for regrowth grazing is perhaps the best suggestion.

Don’t feed “Ditch Hay.”  Ditch hay is feed that has been harvested from roadsides or along major highways such as the Turnpike, Parkway, Route 78, 80, etc.  These may contain pesticides used in roadside weed control and may pose risks for animal consumption.

Contamination of water due to heavy metals, nitrates, and bacterial pathogens, may also be of concern.  Contact your local Extension Office or Public Health officials for assistance.

What feeding options are there?  The purchase of hay or forage from uncontaminated supplies, or feed grains, or available byproducts such as brewer’s grains are all possible feed supplements.

Water requirements; Livestock will suffer more quickly from the lack of water than any other nutrient.  It is essential for a number of physiological functions.  Among these is the transport of nutrients, as a solvent or buffer for chemical reactions in the body, for temperature regulation, and, of course, for milk production, growth, work, or exercise.  The two main sources of water are that which is consumed and the water present in feedstuffs (especially in succulent forages such as silage or grasses).

Often the first sign that water consumption is inadequate is that animals stop eating.  It is essential to maintain adequate feed consumption.  This is most important for animals that are in productive states such as growth, lactation, work, or exercise.  For illustrative purposes, a lactating dairy cow producing 80 pounds of milk per day will require between 30 and 36 gallons of water per day.  Of this amount, approximately 8.4 gallons will appear in the milk, between 15 and 20 gallons in the manure and urine and the remainder as respiratory, evaporative, and metabolic losses.

Water requirements for domestic livestock species are as follows:  lactating dairy cattle will consume on the average between 15 and 35 gallons per day; non-lactating dairy cows and beef cows require approximately 15 gallons per day; an adult horse will consume between 10 and 15 gallons per day; adult sheep between 1.5 and 3 gallons per day; adult swine between 3 and 5 gallons per day; and an adult hen about ½ a quart.  A quick rule of thumb is that for every 2 pounds of dry feed intake, an animal should receive 1 gallon of water.  This will vary with stress, weather conditions, disease, productive state, work, or exercise, as well as the water and salt content of the feed.

Remember, water is the most important nutrient you can supply your animals.  Don’t let them run short.

This is taken from an article appearing in the September 15 article of the New Jersey Farmer.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock
May 27, 2021

Be careful of that Mama cow

A Missouri woman died recently after she was killed by a protective mother cow.  She was 76 years old.

CowsA Missouri woman named Jane Heisey died on her family farm recently.  (Click for Info).  She was ear tagging  a calf when the mother cow knocked her to the ground and stepped on her head.

Most farmers take precautions when working with bulls.  Interactions with aggressive bulls is a source of injuries and occasional fatalities on livestock farms.

It is important to remember that mother cows can also be a source of injuries.  This usually happens when a protective mother views her calf to be threatened and becomes aggressive.  This is usually precipitated by a regular management practice such as ear tagging or castration.  These kinds of injuries can be avoided by taking precautions.  1. Do not get between the mother and her calf.  2. Bring another person along to stand guard if there is a concern.  3. Some animals are more aggressive than others.  Identify these and separate for special work.  4. Cull problem animals.  5. Select cattle known to be less aggressive.  Most bull studs have docility scores for the bull semen that they market.  Select those known to produce less aggressive offspring.

For more information, please see the fact sheet link:    North Dakota State Factsheet about Ornery Cows

Attitude is a heritable trait

Filed Under: Field, Forage & Livestock
January 27, 2021

Llama and Alpaca Production

Llamas (Lama glama) and alpacas (Lamapacos) are members of the Camelid family, which also includes the vicuna (Lama vicuna) and guanaco (Lama guanicoe). Their inclusion in this family is based upon their characteristic traits of being hornless, cud-chewing ruminants with an even number of toes and padded feet. Their gentle disposition, need for minimal care, and ability to adapt to a variety of climates makes them an easy species for which to care. Llamas and alpacas both have two toes on each foot, with a leathery pad on the bottom. They are social creatures and do best when pastured together.  Llamas and alpacas are native to the Andes of South America. It is believed that the llama is a descendent of the guanaco, while the alpaca was domesticated from the wild vicuna for fiber production.

Llamas are larger than alpacas, standing 40–45 inches at the withers and five and a half to six feet at the head. They can weigh between 280 and 450 pounds and the average lifespan is 15 to 30 years. Females usually begin breeding at 15–18 months and males at two and a half years. A llama’s normal gestation is 350 days, giving birth to a single cria (pronounced creeah). Crias are usually born during daylight hours and weigh between 20–35 pounds. Within an hour post-parturition, the cria is standing and nursing from its dam. Average weaning age is 4–6 months.  Alpacas weigh about 100 to 175 pounds and stand about three feet at the withers. Their life span is about 15–25 years. A female alpaca is usually bred at 14–16 months and a male reaches full maturity in two to three years. The average gestation is 335 days and a cria may weigh 15–19 pounds. Alpacas generally have little trouble during parturition and the cria is usually found nursing after the first hour. Twins are rare and there is a low infant mortality rate.

There are a few differences between llamas and alpacas, including size, ear shape, hair, fleece, and back curvature. The alpacas hae shorter noses and more symmetrical, pear-shaped ears, while llamas’ ears are longer and banana shaped. They both communicate through their posture and through ear and tail movements.  Aggressive modes of communication are foot stamping, kicking, and spitting.

Both llamas and alpacas are induced ovulators, exhibiting no heat cycle. Ovulation occurs approximately 24–36 hours post-breeding, enabling them to be bred at any time during the year. It is recommended that females not be bred until at least 12 months of age and when they have reached 60% of adult body weight.  They should not be bred during the hot summer months in North America when heat stress may be a problem. South American llamas are bred during cooler months for this reason.

Some llama and alpaca uses are packing, guarding, and wool production, the latter two of which predominate in North America. The packing capacity or maximum weight which a llama can bare is 70–120 pounds, and its padded feet make it a good pack animal, leaving the ground virtually unharmed.

Llamas have been shown to be effective guard animals against coyotes and dogs. It is recommended that the animals used for this purpose be at least 18 months old and in good health. All males should be gelded (neutered) after two years if they are going to be used as guards. Early gelding may contribute to normal skeletal development. Females with or without crias have also been used successfully.

In general, camelid nutritional requirements are similar to those of sheep, and sheep data have been used to replace unknown requirements.  Llama and alpaca nutrition is divided into life stages. Animals over three years of age that are not working or females in the first two trimesters of pregnancy are fed to meet maintenance (maintain body condition and weight) needs only. The growing stage is from birth until three years of age. Feed intake is equivalent to 1.8–2.0% of animal body weight in dry matter, and normal daily water intake is about 4 liters per hundred pounds of body weight.

Recommended maintenance protein levels for llamas and alpacas are 8–10% of the diet dry matter. Periods of pregnancy and lactation require 12–14% protein levels. The growth stage has the highest protein requirement, 13–14%.  Fiber is recommended at 20–30% of the diet dry matter, regardless of stage. Pasture and hay should comprise the bulk of the diet and fresh water is necessary. Loose salt and minerals are easier for these animals to lick than in block form. On dry lot, camelids may consume 3–5 pounds of hay a day. Llama and alpaca requirements are similar, but amounts vary between species due to body weight difference. Check with your local county extension agent if you have questions.

Routine health practices include annual vaccinations, routine worming, toenail trimming, and shearing. The specific vaccinations that you administer to your herd should be based on the diseases present in your area, as well as those that are effective in other small ruminants, such as sheep or goats. Presently there are no vaccines specifically approved for lamas or alpacas.  Work with your veterinarian to determine a vaccine protocol specific to your herd and area.

This article is adapted from New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station fact sheet FS917, “Llamas and Alpacas” (https://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/publication.php?pid=FS917) and was previously published in the New Jersey Farmer.

Filed Under: Field, Forage & Livestock