Weekly livestock news: December 4, 2023

Avian flu hits Iowa egg-laying operation

A large table egg laying flock of 1.6 million birds in Sioux County, Iowa, is being depopulated after avian influenza was detected, Feedstuffs reports. Combined with numerous turkey operations reported over the last week, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service data shows the number of U.S. birds affected by the 2022-2023 HPAI outbreak has now reached 67.74 million. Nebraska Department of Agriculture also reported the virus in a small backyard flock, causing the state to issue a reminder to poultry producers to remain vigilant. Other states reporting recent cases include Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, Oregon and Wisconsin.

Precision livestock farming has yet to take off among pork producers

Precision livestock farming tools that provide continuous, automatic, real-time animal monitoring and data collection can address challenges confronting pig producers, researchers from Michigan State University Extension write in National Hog Farmer. PLF can potentially increase productivity on U.S. swine farms while contributing to cost reductions, pig productivity, health and welfare, as well as making laborer jobs more accessible and safer, they say. Currently, PLF uptake has yet to effectively take off on U.S. swine farms. According to one survey, swine farmers know electronic sow feeders and radio frequency identification as the most suitable examples of PLF technologies but need to become more familiar with pressure plates for detecting lameness in sow feeding stations and microphone technology for detecting respiratory problems. Similarly, most veterinarians surveyed were very aware of RFID and electronic sow feeders but are least aware of pressure plates PLF technology for detecting lameness in sow feeding stations and PLF technology for automated measurement of individual pig water intake.

Weak consumer demand plagues hog sector

Hog prices will likely remain below the cost of production in 2024, according to University of Missouri economist Ron Plain. Pork producers continue to face macroeconomic turbulence and market uncertainty caused by the implementation of hog production regulations in some states that could affect pork production nationwide. But the most serious problem faced by hog producers all year has been generally weak consumer demand for their product, according to the USDA’s latest “Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook.” The weak consumer pork demand has been reflected in low hog prices, which in turn have translated into below breakeven price levels for most of the year, the report noted. Rather than reducing the breeding herd, producers reportedly have opted to limit losses by marketing hogs at year-over-year lower weights. Feedstuffs has more.

How to prepare cows for the next cold snap

When cows get below their lower critical temperature and go into cold stress, they can adapt by increasing feed consumption to increase their basal metabolic rate and increase heat of fermentation. Condition of cows and their hair coat can play a large part in their tolerance for colder conditions. Cows in good body condition—those with body condition scores of 5 to 6, with good thick winter hair coats—have a lower critical temperature, around 32° Fahrenheit. Thin cows with thinner hair coat are at more risk with lower critical temperatures of around 40° F, while cows with wet haircoat have lower critical temperature of 59° F. Oklahoma State University recommends taking several steps to protect cattle, including ensuring they have access to as much hay as they want to eat and ensuring they have unrestricted access to unfrozen water, among other things. Read more in Bovine Veterinarian.

Kentucky working group issues report to tackle state’s veterinary care shortage

Kentucky’s Veterinary Shortage Working Group met to finalize a report that includes ways the state can bring more veterinarians—especially those who practice on large animals—into the profession and give them further support to practice in Kentucky. The group, which is under the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, has met a few times to discuss solutions to the shortage of veterinarians who work on large animals. When group members were named last February, about 5% of veterinarians nationally practiced on large animals. Three percent of Kentucky veterinarians have dedicated large-animal practices. Key objectives in the working group’s report include expanding youth education programs on veterinary medicine and agriculture, and creating financial literacy training and mental health support programs to reduce barriers for students, the Kentucky Lantern reports.

England farm holds ‘cow cuddling’ sessions with remnants of former dairy herd

Dumble Farm in England’s Yorkshire county has been holding regular cow cuddling sessions with the remnants of its former dairy herd for nine months now. They’ve proved so popular that weekend sessions sell out months in advance. “We didn’t have much hope for the future when we were milking,” said Fiona Wilson, the head farmer at Dumble Farm. Milk prices dropped dramatically while electricity was climbing. Then came a sixth consecutive year of the nearby River Hull flooding. The water-logged fields couldn’t grow enough grass to feed the cows. In January 2022, a decision was made to sell the dairy herd and diversify. The Dumble team had heard of cow cuddling in other countries and decided to try it. Today, Wilson and her family have 14,000 followers on TikTok and a Highly Commended prize from the local tourism board, The Telegraph reports.