There is interest among many craft brewers in the state and region to source locally grown ingredients. The cultivation of New Jersey state-grown ingredients, like malted barley and hops, could provide opportunities for farmers. Has the thought of producing ingredients for the craft brewing industry crossed your mind? Have you wondered what the brewers are looking for? Would you like to know what is involved in producing hops and malting barley for market?
Livestock Auction Updates
Below are the latest livestock auction updates from the Hackettstown Livestock Auction. The Livestock Auction has a sale every Tuesday. This auction sells lambs, sheep, goats, calves, beef cattle, pigs, rabbits, and all types of heavy fowl. The auction begins at 10:30 am and ends with the last sale at 5:30 pm. This auction serves central and northern New Jersey as well as bordering areas of New York and Pennsylvania. (Market Report 8-30-2016).
Michael Westendorf e-mail: michael.westendorf@rutgers.edu
Livestock Auction Updates
Below are the latest livestock auction updates from the Hackettstown Livestock Auction. The Livestock Auction has a sale every Tuesday. This auction sells lambs, sheep, goats, calves, beef cattle, pigs, rabbits, and all types of heavy fowl. The auction begins at 10:30 am and ends with the last sale at 5:30 pm. This auction serves central and northern New Jersey as well as bordering areas of New York and Pennsylvania. (Market Report 8-23-16).
Michael Westendorf e-mail: michael.westendorf@rutgers.edu
Spontaneous Combustion
When environmental temperatures reach the highs they have for much of this summer, there are risks of spontaneous combustion of hay supplies, and of manure piles, especially when moisture levels are elevated. Recently, a horse manure pile on a farm in New York State burst into flames resulting in smoke and odors impacting nearby neighbors.
The fire started in a large manure pile. With all of the hot weather in recent days, the interior temperature may have reached several hundred degrees. And if too wet, it is likely that bacterial activity caused the elevation of temperatures in the core of the pile and resulted in spontaneous combustion of the pile. Please see http://www.wired.com/2016/08/manure-fire-new-york/ for more information.
Normal composting will cause a manure pile to heat. The excess heat will destroy microbes that are present in the pile and ultimately the temperature will drop. But if the pile temperature gets too high – probably 180º Fahrenheit or higher, and is exacerbated by elevated environmental temperatures, there is a risk of spontaneous combustion.
When excess heat is expected in the manure pile, it should be turned and distributed into several smaller piles. The increased surface area will allow greater heat loss from the pile. This may help to prevent combustion.
The bottom line is that manure piles should be turned regularly when composting, it should be disposed of properly, and manure piles should always be monitored to prevent overheating.
Overheating can also occur when hay is harvested and put up too wet. Small rectangular bales should have no more than 20% moisture and round bales should have no more that 18% moisture. Excess moisture can result in overheating of a hay stack, and combustion can result. Hay storage and barn fires still occur from time to time.
Some precautions can be taken if hay is suspected of being too wet. First, store hay out of doors, if possible for several weeks until heating risk is passed. Air movement is important so hay should be stacked loosely to allow space between bales to allow good air circulation and heat dissipation. More surface area between hay bales will speed drying by increasing the hay surface exposed to air. There are several preservatives on the market that can be sprayed on hay during the baling process. These will prevent fungal and bacterial growth, reduce heating, and improve storage value.
Heating of higher moisture hay can lead to loss off feed quality and in extreme circumstances, loss of hay by fires. Poor management of manure piles can also lead to overheating and combustion. Managing the processes (microbes) occurring in hay stacks and in manure piles can help to prevent fires such as the one described above.
Steps to Consider When Using Rained-On Hay
- Remember to always check moisture levels before baling. For accurate results use a microwave, Koster or electronic, moisture tester.
- Recognize that rained-on hay will be more prone to molding due to the increased exposure to soil-borne fungi.
- Analyze hay for nutrient content and Relative Feed Value.
- Consult with your nutritionist and consider using this lower quality hay for livestock with low nutritional demands.
- Formulate diets based on Relative Feed Value, the nutrient content of the feed and the animal’s needs.
- Remember that rained-on hay may have toxins associated with spoilage. Never feed spoiled feed to a horse. This might be OK for feeding some classes of animals, but should be avoided when feeding animals that are reproducing or lactating.
- When fed it should be only a portion of a balanced diet.
- Consider utilizing a hay preservative to avoid rained-on hay.
Pioneer Brand Products: Nutritional Insights https://www.pioneer.com/CMRoot/Pioneer/US/products/alfalfa/pdfs/alfalfa_harvest_rainedonhay.pdf
This article take from the New Jersey Farmer, 8-15-2016, (Spontaneous Combustion)
Michael Westendorf e-mail: michael.westendorf@rutgers.edu
More Backyard Poultry
It was pointed out to me in my previous backyard poultry post that Rutgers has few resources about backyard poultry and many of these are older. I put together a set of resources that can be used as an overview about small flocks and backyard poultry. Most of these are taken from the University of Kentucky, which has an excellent set of backyard poultry materials (Kentucky Extension Services).
- Backyard Egg Production
- Feeding Chickens
- Evaluating Egg Laying Hens
- Egg Production
- Small Flock Problems
- Processing Chickens
- Chicken Breeds
- Chicken Breeds (Pictures)
- Duck Breeds
- Geese Breeds
- Turkey Breeds
- Raising Guinea Fowl
- Hoop Housing for Poultry
- Reading a Feed Tag
- External Parasites of Poultry
Michael Westendorf e-mail: michael.westendorf@rutgers.edu
Backyard Poultry
Backyard poultry phenomenon requires vet retraining
Taken from Feedstuffs Magazine (Online Journal) August 10, 2016 (Feedstuffs Online Magazine)
Backyard poultry is becoming more and more commonplace for a variety of reasons, such as local food webs or the desire for non-traditional pets. These chickens are also coming into the neighborhood animal clinic for veterinary care.
“These backyard chickens are not just providing fresh eggs; they are pets, and when ‘Henny Penny’ is sick, she needs to see the doctor,” said Dr. Cheryl Greenacre, a professor at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine.
Greenacre, who specializes in avian medicine, presented at the American Veterinary Medical Assn. (AVMA) Convention held Aug. 5-9 in San Antonio, Texas.
While backyard poultry is a growing phenomenon, the numbers are more than a bit elusive. In a 2010 study, the National Animal Health Monitoring System, an arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, surveyed metro areas of Miami, Fla.; Denver, Colo.; Los Angeles, Cal., and New York City to gather urban coop statistics. Approximately 0.8% owned chickens, but nearly 4% more planned to have them within five years, Greenacre noted.
Information gathering remains an ongoing priority for some university extension services, but it is clear that those numbers are affecting the local veterinarian’s practice. Small-animal practitioners may not be trained in avian medicine, while others often do see pet birds in their practice.
“One of the most common reasons why veterinarians see chickens is an attack by a predator,” Greenacre said. “However, when it comes to treatment, the biggest and most important difference is that backyard poultry are food animals. They provide eggs, and sometimes meat, for human consumption, so the medicines these birds can receive are under a different set of rules. We need to provide education for our veterinarians to meet the demand of this up-and-coming market segment.”
In addition to gaining the knowledge needed through conferences and other continuing education opportunities, veterinarians can tap into certain websites for vital information, like the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank, the go-to source for drug use in chickens.
It is imperative that veterinarians treating poultry become educated on proper medication use in a food animal, according to Greenacre, because certain drugs are prohibited by the Food & Drug Administration, others are considered off label and still others are approved for use only in specific instances and under certain conditions, such as age, concentration, duration or frequency.
Backyard poultry enthusiasts themselves have to sift through the mountains of material available to obtain correct information about their flocks. Some information flies in the face of animal welfare, she said, and condones harmful at-home treatments for certain conditions, such as bumblefoot, an infection on the bottom of a chicken’s foot.
“From books to the internet to radio shows and magazines, there is a variety of advice out there regarding backyard poultry,” Greenacre said. “The best sources are university extension services and your veterinarian.”
However, with these pets come cautions unfamiliar to owners of dogs and cats. “Veterinarians should educate owners on the risk of salmonellosis in humans from handling poultry,” Greenacre emphasized. “Elderly people, children less than five years old and any immunosuppressed individuals are most at risk for a fatal infection. Careful hand washing is a must after any contact with the poultry.”
Owners of backyard poultry also have to be aware of biosecurity measures and be able to recognize and prevent spread of disease, especially avian influenza and exotic Newcastle disease. Anyone experiencing sudden deaths or high mortality should contact their veterinarian immediately. Other actionable measures are to quarantine new birds, to not share tools or egg cartons and to always clean and disinfect the coop.
“Veterinarians need to hone their expertise in this area and team up with backyard poultry owners,” Greenacre said. “Together, we can provide the best care possible and keep these flocks healthy.”
Michael Westendorf e-mail: michael.westendorf@rutgers.edu