Christine Gelley, OSU Extension Educator ANR, Noble County
One
of the many challenges of flooded conditions is dealing with the garbage that is often swept into crop fields and pastures along with the water. It certainly is frustrating to watch the water recede and leave a trail of litter tangled in crop residue and fence lines. As disheartening and downright gross it is to walk the trail and gather other people’s garbage, it is important to make sure litter is removed promptly to prevent further issues at a later time.
Along with being unsightly, this litter may be accidently ingested by livestock if it is baled in hay or harvested with grain and can cause damages to equipment if it becomes entangled. Ingested metals and plastics can lead to a variety of digestive problems that can cause chronic struggles, acute illness, and/or death. Animals that have a digestive obstruction may Continue reading A Flood of Litter
or transitioning from a milk-based to solid diet, is one of the most stressful events in a kid’s life. It is not uncommon for kids to grow more slowly, stop growing, or even lose weight at weaning. This is referred to as “weaning shock”. Strategies should be implemented to reduce any negative effects that may arise as a result of weaning to protect health and welfare while maintaining growth. In meat goats, weaning may occur at the same time the kid is separated from the doe, causing additional stress. In dairy goats, maternal separation and weaning are usually separate events. This article covers strategies for weaning kids from milk who are already separated from their dam.