Livestock
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During Hurricanes Matthew and Fay, flooding rains from these storms caused major problems for hog farmers in North Carolina. Fortunately, early reports from the pork industry indicate that Isaias have not caused any significant problems for hog producers, although there was some loss of power and some wind damage. You can read more about it…
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Since it is hot over a wide swath of the United States, livestock producers everywhere are having to come up with ways to keep their cattle cool. Here is a story from Growing Georgia about how dairy farmers in Pennsylvania are coping with the heat and using fans and sprinklers to keep their cattle more…
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With high pressure firmly in place over the Southeast for the next week, we can expect to see temperatures and heat stress rise to dangerous levels. This will affect both outdoor workers and livestock. Producers will want to keep careful track of worsening conditions and take appropriate actions to reduce the effects of the combination…
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Is the heat making your cows uncomfortable? Heat stress on livestock can cause health issues, make cattle gain weight more slowly because they are unhappy, and even reduce fertility. This article from the American Agriculturalist points out that sometimes even small changes like changing the direction of a blowing fan or providing some shade can…
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For those of you who produce hay and feed livestock, the headline above is probably a no-brainer. But I am still learning about how weather affects agriculture, so I was fascinated by this article that discusses how cutting hay in the morning results in a different nutrient composition of the hay than when you cut…
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The Southeast is no stranger to hot summers, and livestock producers already have management plans in place to keep their animals safe during the hottest periods. This year it’s especially important to watch heat stress carefully, since many producers are holding off selling their cattle to see if the market improves, so keeping their full-size…
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By this time of year it’s usually pretty hot in the Southeast, and humidity is high too. Fortunately, for the moment we are experiencing fairly cool weather, and no one I know is complaining. But when the heat returns, it will not only put stress on us, but also on our livestock. A recent story…