Month: January 2024

Four Steps to Prepare for Small Ruminant Kidding and Lambing

Michael Metzger, Michigan State University Extension Educator
(Previously published on MSU Extension, Sheep & Goat: December 13, 2023)

(Image Source: Michael Metzger: MSU Extension)

With kidding and lambing season right around the corner, owners should prepare their animals to get the best outcome.

Kidding and lambing season is here again and there are steps that owners should take to make sure their herd or flock is prepared. By taking the time to prepare, owners will mitigate issues that could arise, and they will be set-up for the best possible outcome. With proper care and planning, problems can be kept to a minimum as animals give birth.

Step one: Implement a vaccination program for your herd or flock
Four to six weeks before the animals are due to deliver, they should receive a booster with Clostridium perfringens type C and D and tetanus (CDT) vaccine and selenium and vitamin E (BoSe) if not providing selenium through feed or mineral mix. Continue reading Four Steps to Prepare for Small Ruminant Kidding and Lambing →

Pasture Rental Leases as Unique as Snowflakes

Mike Rankin, Hay and Forage Grower Managing Editor
(Previously published in Hay & Forage Grower: December 26, 2023)

Leasing a pasture is a common practice regardless of where you hang your hat. What isn’t common is for any two pasture rental agreements to be exactly alike. This is because no two pastures and their associated infrastructure (buildings, water sources, livestock working facilities, and fencing) are the same.

“For every pasture rental agreement, there are at least two viewpoints,” notes Andrew Griffith, an extension agricultural economist with the University of Tennessee (UT). “The landowner needs a rental rate that pays for all annual costs associated with owning the land, plus being compensated for the assets and resources on the property. The potential tenant is concerned with the resources available on the property and how they will contribute to generating revenue in the livestock operation.”

Griffith lists some of the resources that influence the rental rate include the grass stand and the types of forages; fences and cross fences; water sources and Continue reading Pasture Rental Leases as Unique as Snowflakes →