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Expert Advice for Pets & Livestock T E X A N S LO V E FA R M A N I M A L S A S M U C H A S W E LO V E O U R C AT S A N D D O G S A N D D R . N AT H A N C A R LTO N O F J A R R E L L A N I M A L H O S P I TA L I S W E L L V E R S E D O N A L L O F T H O S E . H E H A S S O M E A D V I C E A N D G U I D A N C E F O R H O B B Y A N D F FA FA R M E R S TO H E L P U S U N D E R S TA N D T H E N E E D S A N D B E N E F I T S I N O U R D I V E R S E U N I V E R S E O F CO M PA N I O N A N I M A L S .
Can you share some benefits and concerns for specific farm animals?
How much space is reasonable to raise certain animals?
Farm animals enrich our lives by providing meat or eggs but they can also help us by providing an agricultural exemption for the land. Those benefits are a great way to lower your tax burden but there are a lot of things to consider first.
Animal units (AU) are a way to describe the carrying capacity of a piece of land. One AU is a full-size cow-calf pair; one horse is usually 1.3 AUs. You may have four goats per AU for full-sized meat goat breeds or perhaps six pygmy goats per AU. The total AUs for your land depends on soil type and annual precipitation. Fortunately, we have a general landmark—stocking density is typically lower west of I-35 than on the east side. A good starting point is one AU for every four acres on the east side; one AU for every eight acres on the west. You may need to adjust based on the amount and condition of the grass through the seasons. For instance, you could run four large goats on a five-acre lot on the east side of town but drop to two for the same size lot on
Make sure you have a facility prepared to care for them. Cattle are a common choice in Central Texas and they are easy to own but what happens if one is sick? How will you vaccinate and de-worm the animal every year? If you own 20 cows you will have 20-25,000 pounds of animals to corral, so setting up a good set of working pens with a functioning head gate and squeeze is essential. Without those items you won’t be able to vaccinate, let alone work on one when sick.
ARE THERE ANIMALS I SHOULD NOT RAISE TOGETHER? Generally, we do not raise goats and sheep in the same area. Both are susceptible to copper poisoning; sheep more so than goats. Both species need loose mineral to supplement their diet but if you feed a goat-based supplement with sheep in the area they will eventually develop copper poisoning. Housing chickens and turkeys is also not a good idea. Turkeys can transmit Blackhead and other bacterial diseases to chickens.
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ask the expert
contributed by Dr. Nathan Carlton
the west side. It may be tempting to have more, especially this time of year when it seems like there is plenty of grass for many animals. Always remember, come August, there won’t be much to eat on the ground and in winter you may be in the same spot. Even if you are okay feeding them hay you will want to keep the density low to prevent over grazing and heavy parasitism.
Good veterinarians talk to animals...great veterinarians hear them talk back.
ing disease in goats or blackleg in cattle. De-worming every year will help reduce death loses and improve the gains you see on your animals. I recommend working with a vet to figure out a good vaccine and de-worming schedule for your livestock.
How do I know if my animal is sick and needs a vet? Sometimes it is obvious—a cow with a laceration or lame goat, but sometimes the signs are less obvious. If you see your goat pressing his head against the fence or hear her grinding her teeth that is a problem of pain. In general, if you are at all worried about the health or welfare of your animal, call a vet early. There aren’t many food animal vets around so a late-day call means less chance he or she will be able to get to you.
Do my farm animals need stimulation for good emotional health? Yes. Farm animals are prey species so they do better in groups than alone. I also think it is a good idea to be around your animals as much as possible. This way they are used to you and can be easier to handle when it comes time to calve or vaccinate.
Do vets make house calls or do I need to bring the animal to the vet? There are very few mobile vets in the area and fewer large animal vet facilities around. If you are interested in owning livestock be sure to do your homework and find a good vet that will be able to come to you prior to when you might need one.
What are some basic health concerns to keep in mind to keep animal healthy? All animals need fresh water and some shelter. If you have cattle and there are no trees around to keep them out of rain and sunlight you might consider putting up an overhang or lean-to. Vaccinations are a great way to keep away some easily preventable diseases like over-eat-
BONUS HACK: REMEMBERING RITUAL Who among us hasn’t forgotten at some point to turn off the water trough hose or close the gate? Or, you do it, but it’s such an automatic gesture that later, if you think back, you can’t remember if you actually did it or not? There’s a trick for this. When you’re doing something you need to remember later, do a small “remembering ritual” like snapping your fingers three times, tapping your nose twice or stomping your foot. The physical repetition makes an indent in your mind, and when you think back later, you’ll remember if you did your ritual. The second trick here is to mix it up a bit. Keep two or three of those rituals in your toolbox to use, but don’t use the same one every single time for the same task or it will become as autopilot as the original task itself.
AU G U S T 2021 L IBER T Y H ILL DIG E ST
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