Livestock health

Why do some animals get sick but others stay healthy? The answer is simple. Some animals have better resistance to disease than others. And there are ways that farmers can help animals build that resistance so they stay healthy.

First, provide good quality feed. Animals that eat well can resist many infections.

Second, give your animals clean water. Dirty water spreads disease.

The third thing to remember is cleanliness. Keep your animals in a dry, clean environment.

If you want your animals to stay healthy, remember these three things: good quality feed, clean water, and clean housing.

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Are your animals bothered with ticks? Ticks carry diseases that can actually kill cows, sheep, goats, pigs and other animals. You can combat ticks by rotating pastures.

Here’s what I mean. Use a fence to divide your pasture into one or more sections. Let your animals graze on one side of the fence, and let the other pasture rest. After two or three months, move the animals back to the other side of the fence.

How does this help? If your animals are always in the same pasture, the ticks will live and thrive because they are feeding on your livestock. But if you move your animals away, the ticks in that pasture will die because they can’t get enough to eat. So, to control ticks, divide your pasture, and let one part rest.

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When a sick animal dies from a disease, the disease will spread to other animals. How can you prevent this? The answer is: quickly remove it. If a sick animal dies and you don’t remove it from the farm immediately, all the other animals could get the same disease. The disease could also infect you and your children. So remove the dead animal at once. Do not eat it. Eating the animal could make you sick, or even kill you.

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When a sick animal dies, call a veterinarian, or an extension worker. Find out how to dispose of the animal. Usually they will tell you to bury the dead animal in a deep hole, or to burn it. If you can’t get expert advice, burn or bury the animal quickly. Do not wait. After you burn or bury it, disinfect your hands and the immediate area to avoid further infection. Remember, when a sick animal dies, remove it from the area immediately.

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Do you know the best time to vaccinate your animal? Just after it is born? Or when it becomes an adult? Here’s the answer. In most cases animals should be vaccinated at about six months of age.

Why wait until six months of age? Because the mother passes her own disease protection to the baby in her first milk. This protection lasts for the first few months of the baby’s life. After a few months, the natural immunities become weaker, and it is time to provide protection with a vaccine.

But don’t vaccinate before six months! If you vaccinate a young animal while the natural immunity from the mother still exists, you will cancel the effect of the vaccine. So remember: vaccinate young animals at about six months old. Seek professional advice on this important subject OR read the vaccine product label for specific directions.

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Here’s a story about animal health and cleanliness. (Pause) Imagine if your livestock could talk. What would they say? If you listen closely you might hear them whispering, “Clean my pen. Clean my stall. Give me clean bedding.” Why do animals want to stay clean? Because it keeps them healthy. You see, diseases like to live in dirty stalls.

Diseases prosper in dirty bedding. Animals prosper in clean, dry bedding. Listen when your animals talk. Keep their living area clean, and you will keep them healthy.