Biosecurity at Home

     We have all heard the term Biosecurity. Simply put, it is how you keep animals safe from outside diseases. The most biosecure farms have what are called closed herds or flocks, meaning they own all the breeding stock and animals are sold off the farm, but no new animals are usually brought onto the farm. They may even require trucks, trailers and people to be washed before they enter the farm or a barn. This level of precaution may be a little overboard for a 4-H or FFA project, but there are some simple things you can do to provide some biosecurity of your own.

     Every year we do things that are not the best for biosecurity. We buy and bring in new project animals from different locations. It might be just one or two animals from your favorite breeder or multiple animals from many different breeders or livestock sales. You may not even bring an animal home, but you go to a farm and look at ones to buy, or go to a sale to see people and what animals are selling for. You may like going to jackpot shows. It is a good place for you to work on your showmanship and get your animals adjusted to a show ring, but you are also mixing with a lot of other animals.

     All these practices could be bad for your biosecurity. How? There are micro-organisms that cause diseases called pathogens. They include bacteria, viruses and fungi. (We will make it easy and refer to them as germs.) Your job is to try and prevent these germs from making it on to your place and to your animals. Here are some tips to improve your biosecurity.
    

At Home Biosecurity

     Clothing

• Wear work/chore clothes and shoes that have never left home and wash them often, too. These clothes will only have the germs that are on your farm on them.
• Change clothes immediately after visiting another farm or livestock sale before heading out to see your animals or do chores. You may have brought back new germs from these places.
• Wash all clothing that has gone to a another farm, sale or to a show. This includes cleaning shoes. You may not know it, but germs and things like a little urine and manure from that other place may have hitched a ride home.
• Have visitors to your place wear plastic disposable booties over shoes or walk through a disinfecting foot bath. Shoes can hide nasty germs in the dirt, bedding or manure that gets stuck on the bottom of a shoe.

     Pens, Equipment and Tack

• Clean pens at least daily. Remove all manure and any soiled bedding. If animals are on concrete, rinse the urine off as well. Germs love to hide in urine and manure.
• Clean feeders and water sources often or when they appear dirty. Old feed and unclean water can be a great place for germs to grow.
• Clean up spilled feed to prevent birds and rodents from being attracted. They can bring in some nasty germs.
• Clean and disinfect pens after a project animals has left for good and before a new animal is introduced to the pen. There could be some nasty germs waiting to greet you new animals. 
• Clean and disinfect any tack or equipment that has left your place. Nasty germs may be hiding on it waiting to get on your animals.
• Clean out, wash out with soap and disinfect a trailer after going to a sale or show.

     Animals

• Quarantine animals who are new or have been to a show until time has passed and they do not show signs of illness before putting with other animals.
• Wash animals immediately after a show (especially lambs and goats which could have picked up wool fungus or ringworm) before putting them into their home pens.
• Have individual feeders and water sources. Sharing of germs is not caring.
• If you suspect you have a sick animal, contact your vet (the one you have a relationship with) ASAP for their professional opinion.

     Biosecurity is the responsibility of the livestock owner. You are in charge of setting up a line of defense to prevent these unwanted germs from bringing disease to your animals. If you find you are having trouble keeping animals healthy, remember your best resource is your veterinarian. They have the expert training and knowledge in animal health.

Thanks to Phillips County Colorado 4-H Agent Kindra Plumb, Yuma County Colorado 4-H Agent JoLynn Midcap and Morgan County Colorado Livestock Agent JD Sexton for their input on this post.


Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

The Most Important Piece of Equipment

    In livestock production, there are several tools that are used to raise and produce animals. There are water hoses, clippers, blow dryers, chutes, stands, halters, combs, brushes and many other pieces of tack and equipment.

     Of all the pieces of equipment, the ones that should be used and paid the most attention are the humble scales. That's right, the scales can tell us more about how your livestock project is doing than any other piece of equipment. Sure you may think halters, grooming equipment and other pieces of tack can make a big difference in your project, but a scale never lies about what is going on with your project.

     There are two scales every livestock project should have available: scales for livestock and scales for feed. I am not saying you need to spend a lot of money and everybody needs to own these scales, but you should find a set you can use or borrow. Livestock scales may be a community or group asset. They might be available at your county fairgrounds, sale barn, feed store, 4-H club or FFA Chapter. You do not need to use livestock scales everyday, but once a week, every two weeks or monthly can provide you valuable information about how your animal is gaining (or not).

     Small feed scales will help you track your inputs. You might use these every time you start building your feed ration for a single feeding. I would advise you to use the scales at least every time you make a change in your feed amounts. They are most important when you start mixing feed with additives and supplements. You may build a much larger ration than you thought without scales.

      So why are scales important beyond just giving you a weight for your animal or feed ration? The information from these scales can be used to formulate important data to help in your management of your livestock project. Here are some examples

Ration Amounts

     For most livestock, a proper amount of ration is 3% to 5% of their body weight. If you weigh your pig and her weight is 150 lbs. and you need to feed 3% of her weight per day, then do the math:

 

 (150 lbs. X 3% ) ➗ 100 = 4.5 lbs. of feed per day

    

     This means if you feed twice (2) times a day you need to get your feed scales and weigh out 2.25lbs of feed for each ration. This way you will feed her 2.25 lbs. in the morning and 2.25 lbs. in the evening for a total of 4.5 lbs. per day.

Rate of Gain

     A rate of gain is the daily average of weight gained by your animal over a period of time. This can vary as an animal grows. At steer nominations for your county fair, your steer weighs 850 lbs. You want your steer to weigh 1375 lbs. at the fair in 150 days. What is your desired rate of gain? Let's do the math:

(Desired weight 1375 lbs. - Starting weight, 850 lbs.)  ➗ 150 days = 3.5 lbs. per day

      Now you know your desired rate of gain, you could weigh your steer every 30 days to see how they are doing.

     Day 30      Weighed 935 lbs.     

 Rate of gain = (935 lbs. - 850 lbs.) ➗ 30 days = 2.8 lbs. per day

 

     Day 60      Weighed 1023 lbs.    

Rate of gain = (1023 lbs. - 935 lbs.) ➗ 30 days = 2.9 lbs. per day

 

     Day 90      Weighed 1128 lbs.    

Rate of gain = (1128 lbs. - 1023 lbs.) ➗ 30 days = 3.5 lbs. per day

 

     Day 120    Weighed 1242 lbs.    

Rate of gain = (1242 lbs. - 1128 lbs.) ➗ 30 days = 3.8 lbs. per day

 

     Day 150    Weighed 1370 lbs.    

Rate of gain = (1370 lbs. - 1242 lbs.) ➗ 30 days = 4.3 lbs. per day

 

     Total Rate of Gain (1370 lbs. - 850 lbs.) ➗ 150 days = 3.46 lbs. per day

Administering Medication

     Your sheep is sick and the vet gives you medication. You should give it at a rate of 2cc per 50lbs. of body weight each day for 5 days. How much should you be giving? Do the math.

(Sheep weighed 150 lbs. ➗ 50 lbs.) X 2cc of medication = 6cc of medication per day

     Knowing weights is an important part of the proper management of a livestock project. With the weights you can formulate other data. Without using scales, all you can do is guess and wait to be surprised at the end result.


Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

The Big Show

     The county fair sometimes seems like old habit. Many youth are the second or third generation showing at the county fair. The first time going is easy with surrounded by parents, friends and neighbors. Going to the state fair for the first time can be a little overwhelming.

     First bit of advice is read the state fair rules and regulations. Nothing is worse than getting there and finding out that an animal is disqualified from showing due to a technicality. It may be the animal's age, lack of proper tags or I.D., proof of ownership, or proper veterinary papers. It is disheartening to say the least to have hauled for hours, made hotel reservations, and get told to "pack it up" and head home.

    Next bit of advice is ask questions of those who have gone before. Find out: What tack, bedding or feed to take; Where to park the truck and the trailer; Which roads to take: Which gates to enter; and Where is the best place to stay and eat.

    Once you have a handle on the regulations and got some good practical advice, its time to work on the mental game. Work on your showmanship, remembering what the judge said about you at the county fair. Get some rest. School starts, fall sports begin and the state fair all happen at the same time. If you are exhausted at the fair, it will show in the ring (and maybe on social media when you are caught napping with your animal!) And prepare yourself for tougher competition. Your champion animal at the county fair is going against the other county champions. Only one can be the state fair champion and it is based on one judge's opinion. Be mentally prepared to be a gracious winner and also a good sport if things do not go the way you want.

     Remember the state fair is another opportunity to learn, exhibitor your animal, show your skills and meet new people. Take advantage of everything the fair offers.

This is a pretty short post, but I gotta go. I am headed to the State Fair too!


Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

The Fair is Over! What Did You Learn?

     County fairs are about a lot of things. The rides, the food, the rodeo, the demolition derby, and the time together with neighbors to visit and enjoy an annual summertime event. For youth livestock exhibitors, it might be the chance to show your animals, hang out with your friends, and make a little extra money during the livestock sale.

     The intent of youth livestock shows are to allow the exhibitors to compete with their fellow youth and display the livestock they have spent time and energy caring for, working with, and preparing to exhibit over the past few months. They are examples, to show the general public, how well the youth of today are preparing themselves to be the future of the livestock industry.

     In preparing to become the future of the livestock industry, youth learn valuable lessons by raising one or multiple animals projects for the fair. Everything from animal feeding, health care, animal handling, grooming, livestock marketing, to record keeping are all part of the process of raising a livestock project.

     So, what did you learn this year? When I ask youth this question, the usual response comes from something they considered that went wrong or was a failure. Learning from a mistake is not a bad thing. We all had to fall a few times to learn to walk. It is easy to focus on negatives. They tend to stick with us. I can still tell you the place, the judge and the heifer I was showing when I was named reserve showman, all because I did not comb the spot the judge touched her while asking me questions during showmanship. I never missed combing my claves again, and have always touched a calf when judging a show to make sure the exhibitor combed the spot.

    The thing about the fair is it tends to show us a mistake that was made way before the fair started. So what did you learn this year? Do you need to pick animals of a different age to be the appropriate weight for fair because they were too light or too heavy? Do you need to change your feeding regiment to grow your animals right? How was your showmanship? How well was your animal groomed? Did you have the tack you needed?

     After the fair, everyone is tired. The animals are gone or turned out on pasture. Tack may or may not be unloaded from the trailer. The stalls and pens may still be dirty from when you loaded up and headed out. There is an abundance of dirty laundry, but nothing to eat in the fridge.

     As you start putting things back together, don't forget to make note of what you learned from this year's fair. Start planning for the next fair or show. To improve, make those changes to how you do things. Your next experience will be better than this year's if you do.



Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

The Importance of Saying Thank You

   4-H members are asked to complete a lot of tasks throughout the year, including thanking people. Members receive awards from fair, sell livestock projects at the fair sale, and receive awards recognition at the achievement banquet. These are all just some instances when saying thank you is so important, but can easily be overlooked.

      Saying thank you, whether that be verbally or written, is extremely important. Dr. Laura Trice explained in her TED talk (2008) that most of us want to be told thank you to show that we are appreciated for the work that was done. Dr. Trice also gives four reasons for saying thank you, which include someone might really need to know someone is appreciative of them, by hearing thank you someone is more likely to pay it forward, it can make someone smile, and it can also improve a person’s mental and physical health. Additionally, Dr. Bernice Ledbetter (2016) explained that gratitude gained from being thanked can improve self-esteem and increase confidence.

     When it comes to thanking people in person, remember eye contact, body language and tone of voice all leave an impression and can impact the effectiveness of a thank you. Of course, the most obvious thing to say is thank you, but it should also be accompanied by a firm handshake. However, there are other phrases that can have similar meaning, such as those suggested by Kat Boogard (2016), which include “I really appreciate that,” “You’re a Lifesaver,” and “How Can I Repay You?”

     While verbal thank you’s are perhaps the most common, another method of thanking someone, writing is just as important. However, thank you notes have become less and less common in today’s society. Nancy Olson (2017) considered the reasons to write thank you notes to include it’s the right thing to do, it sets you apart from others, and gratitude is good for the brain. Allison Capley (2014) adds that thank you notes help build relationships, demonstrate your communication skills, and it is more personal than a text or email.

     Written thank you notes need to be well-written. In a guide provided by the University Idaho Extension, elements of a thank you note should include a greeting, expressing your gratitude, discussing use of the donation, thanking the donor again, and a closing salutation. Additional recommendations include using plain stationary and cards, always plan ahead, use blue or black ink, handwrite your notes, take your time, and keep them short and sweet, but meaningful. The most important part is simply making sure you write those thank you notes. Spelling and grammar is also important, as this leaves an impression.

     There has been a rise in providing buyer gifts at fair livestock auctions. While this is in no means a requirement, it is another method of saying thank you that many have adopted. Baskets with items they can use when preparing the meat from the animal they purchased, baked goods, and candy are all things that indicate appreciation. Taking things later by the person’s business is another way to say thanks. However, such items should also not replace a verbal and written thank you.

 

     It is important for 4-H members to remember that each contribution (no matter the size) are gifts that the donor felt they were able to give. A sincere thank you can certainly make it more likely the donor will return with their support. Therefore, it is important to remember to say thank you!

 

Amy Kelley

4-H Extension Agent

Cheyenne County

Southeast Area

Colorado State University 

I Have to Show a Horse in Round Robin! What Do I Do?

     At many county fairs, a multi-species showmanship competition is part of the youth shows. They go by many names, Super Showmanship, Supreme Showman and in our area, Round Robin Showmanship. Most competitions take the top showman from each species and have them show one of every other species. Many stay with meat animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and goats. A few add poultry. The biggest addition usually is halter horses.

     Many youth are either livestock kids or horse kids. Showing a new species that is completely unfamiliar is intimidating. Livestock showman, now tasked with showing a horse at halter, need to understand some basic things to safely and properly exhibit a horse.

    Let's address safety first. Horses react differently and must be handled differently than livestock. Showing a horse at halter is similar to cattle, but the differences must recognized.

• Horses are like cattle and have blind spots in front of their nose and directly behind them. Do not sneak into their blind spot.
• Horse halters fit differently. A cattle halter has a chain under the chin to keep their head up. Horse halter lead chains can go over the nose or under the chin.  We might lightly "pop" a calf's chain to ask them to get their head up, but if you do this to a horse, you could have a blowup on your hands.
• If a horse does panic, they usually pull back. This will put pressure on the halter lead chain. Do not try to pull them forward. Try and walk backwards with them to keep the pressure off of the chain.
• How you hold the lead is different. A calf lead is held close to the halter with some upward pressure to keep the calf's head up. A horse halter lead is held loosely and no pressure is applied unless you are asking for them to move.
• We use a show stick to move cattle feet. We use the halter to ask a horse to move their legs and may use hands to move horse's front feet. Youth need to learn to stand safely to the side when moving the horse's feet.

     Showing halter horses is a two part process. Horses are shown standing still during  "inspection" by the judge. They will also be asked to move by walking and trotting away and back to the judge. Exhibitors may be asked to perform a basic pattern provided by the judge. The pattern should be studied, memorized and then followed by the exhibitor. It may include walking, trotting, rotating, stopping and backing the horse.

     A halter horse should be standing square on all four feet for inspection. To move a horse into proper position, the exhibitor will use the halter only. Start with the back feet. It is easier to ask a horse to step back a foot than to step one forward. Step around to the horse's left shoulder and ask them to step back until they move the desired foot to be even with the other back foot. To set the front feet, decide which one is set correctly. Now ask the horse to either set the incorrect foot back or forward by pulling or pushing gently on the halter.

     Showing at inspection means understanding the Quarter Method which divides the area around the horse into four quarters or quadrants. Imagine drawing two lines on the ground. The first runs from the nose to the tail dividing the horse into left and right. The second line would divide the horse into front and back and forming the four quadrants. The exhibitor will need to rotate between the front two quadrants as the judge goes around the horse during inspection. The idea is to be out of the judges view as they examine the horse, as well as keep the judge and other exhibitors safe.

• Judge is at the horse's front right, exhibitor is at the front left.
• Judge is at the horse's rear right, exhibitor moves to front right.
• Judge is at the horse's rear left, exhibitor moves to front left.
• Judge is at the horse's front left, exhibitor moves to front right.

     The exhibitor should keep the lead in the right hand as they show the horse with their arm extended out toward the horse's head. They should stand straight, and keep their eyes on the judge. When the exhibitor needs to switch sides, they should drop the lead slightly to go under the horses chin, and step quick and purposely to the other side.

     When it comes to moving the horse or performing the pattern, the exhibitor needs to stay on the horse's left side and face forward at all times, unless backing the horse, or setting up legs. Clicking, smooching or other minor noises to cue the horse to move are acceptable. The exhibitor should not touch the horse's body at any time when moving the horse at the walk and trot, or while performing a pattern. If the horse balks or stalls, keep trying to move them, but at some point a ring steward will help you get them moving.

     Now if you are a horse exhibitor, parent or trainer and this seems way to simplified, it is. This post is to try and help those livestock exhibitors who have never touched a horse to have some idea of what is expected.

Here are some additional resources on showing halter horses:

Judging Horse Events - Showmanship at Halter eXtension.org
Basics of the Showmanship Set-Up: A Breakdown of the Quarter Method AQHA
Quartering System for Horse Showmanship Oregon State University Extension, YouTube Video


Don't worry. You can do this. And don't forget to ask for help!

Thank you to these two ladies for assisting with this post and adding their input:
Kali Benson, Colorado State University, Extension Agent, Elbert County, CO
Kelli Vaughn, 4-H Volunteer, Horse Project Leader, Kit Carson County, CO

Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

I Can't Ask Them For Help!

 "I can't ask them for help. They won't help me. They're the competition!"

     In my career in Extension and Ag Teaching, I heard this set of excuses every year from a youth new to showing livestock. These statements may be true in other areas of youth competition, but in the world of 4-H, FFA and junior livestock associations, help is more readily available than a youth understands.

     One of the greatest things about our livestock youth is that peer mentoring is a pillar of the program. Maybe it comes from the good ol' "help my neighbor" mentality that becomes instilled in youth raising livestock. It may be as simple as touching a stalled calf's tail to get them to move, to taking time to act as youth clinicians during a showmanship camp.

     The reason one youth helps another youth to become better with their livestock project may vary from general good heartedness, wanting to impress with their knowledge, wanting to become an ag teacher, 4-H agent or the next famous show jock. The fact is, kids like helping kids, and kids will listen to other kids. There is a connection between youth who share a common interest in livestock.

     So I could go on and on with this soapbox speech of how great livestock youth are, but I need to get to the point of this post.

DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP!!!

     It is simple, just say these words to someone who has shown your species of livestock "Can you help me?" Those four words might make you a new friend, and help you to get better with your livestock project. Most everybody who has shown livestock remembers how frustrating and difficult it seems when you first start out, and remember the person who helped them. They will help you.

     Now it is not to say there aren't a few sour apples who might tell you no, but just ask someone else, and it won't take long before you will find help.

     Go visit them and see how they work with their animals. Agree to meet them somewhere and practice showmanship together. Watch and learn while they clip their animals. Ask them to help you clip, by watching and giving you advice as you do it.

When it comes to asking for help, follow the Nike motto "Just Do It".


Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

Magic in a Bag!

     Outside of good genetics, proper nutrition is the greatest influence on the growth and performance of livestock projects. No matter how great your animal's genetics are, if they are not fed well, they will not perform and grow well. With that being said, you can also do a lot of damage when you do not feed them properly.

     Let's start at the beginning with using a quality feed. Most all of our livestock projects eat a concentrated show feed. Concentrated feeds are the ones with all the grain and other items premixed in a bag. They have been formulated by someone with a lot of experience in livestock nutrition. If you buy a national brand show feed, it has probably been formulated by someone with a PhD in animal nutrition. The ones from your local feed mill were probably formulated using a computer program developed by a PhD in animal nutrition. Those PhD people have spent many years studying animal nutrition and developing that bag of show feed or computer program to maximize the performance of your animal.

     Now the thing is, it was formulated by the PhD to be beneficial to the majority of show animals. And if you have shown livestock long, you know they can be very different even if they are the same species, breed or even siblings. This is where I see youth fall into one of two traps.

TRAP 1

     The first trap is the trap that all animals should be fed the same. This is a safe way to do it if you are new or keeping it simple. If you have never fed an animal before, buy bagged feed, follow the directions on the bag, and get basic advice from a trusted friend, ag teacher or extension agent if you want to do anything different from the bag directions. This is not a bad way too feed.

     The trap gets set when you start playing with supplements and additives. Supplements are products that contain usually vitamins, minerals or other nutrients to supplement the bag feed. Additives are products added to feed to perform a specific job.
    
     Two quick examples: amino acids are a supplement, a parasite control is an additive.

     The trap is this, you use a supplement because one animal needs more of a vitamin or mineral, but you also feed it to all your other animals. I have seen this several times.

• Pig A needs supplement X, so all pigs get X
• Pig B needs supplement Y, so all pigs get Y
• Pig C needs additive Z, so all pigs get Z
• Now pigs A,B and C are getting all X,Y and Z even if they do not need them.

   This situation leads to problems. First, you are wasting money feeding supplements and additives to an animal that does not need it. Second, you could be giving an animal too much of a supplement or additive they do not need and causing a nutritional problem with their feed.

TRAP 2

     This trap is created by over doing it on supplements and additives. The cause is usually two different thoughts; follow the leader, or if a little is good, more is even better.

     Follow the leader people go to a show or to a successful family's home and make a list of all the supplements and additives they are using. They then go home, buy and feed all the same supplements with no idea if their animals will really benefit from it or not. Worse they may not know when or how to use the products.

     This also is true of those who think if a little is good, more is better. Instead of following the directions of the supplement or additive they feed more than is directed.

   The result is usually an animal with a bad digestive system. They have been overdosed on proteins, vitamins, or additives and it makes the animal sick. And a sick animal does not perform, they go backwards, loose weight and look terrible.


     In summary, feeding supplements or additives can be beneficial to your livestock projects. They can provide additional nutrition to help a specific animal. But understand, there is no magic in these bags. They cannot improve animals beyond their genetic potential, cannot fix problems overnight, or replace good management and hard work.

Here are some additional resources:

Feeding the Show Steer - Stephen Boyles, Ohio State University Extension Beef Specialist
Show Lamb Nutrition - Dr. Kevin Burgoon, Ohio State University

Feed them right, be patient and wait for the results to show.

Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

Livestock IDs

     Identifying (ID) of livestock has multiple purposes and multiple ways to do it. There are tags, tattoos, brands, ear notches, nose prints, eye scans and DNA. So how is each used and what can it tell us about and animal?

     The main reason to ID livestock is for accurate record keeping. If each individual animal has its own ID, a good manager can know a lot about the animal if they keep accurate records. Records may include sex of the animal, date of birth or purchase, pedigree, vaccination dates and types, veterinary treatments, weights at various ages, and dates of sale or death. These records can be used to let the next owner know important information about an animal they are purchasing. Records may also be part of the marketing of animals such as "fully vaccinated" or "age verified". But all records must be tied to the ID of an animal.

     Livestock may have one or multiple ID forms. Each has a different purpose. Here are some common ID methods and how or why they are used.

Ear Tags

     Ear tags are a relatively permanent ID method. (An animal might loose an ear tag by getting it caught on something or torn off.) Ear tags can be put in at any time, but the younger the animal the better. Some animals have one, others have multiple. Ear tags can be plastic/rubber or metal. They can be very specific to an individual livestock owner or have international meaning.

• Breeder Tags - This ear tag has information the livestock owner needs. It may ID the individual animal as well as its parents.
• Veterinarian Tags - These tags are put on by veterinarians after specific vet procedures have been completed. An example would be a "Bang's Tag" which is a metal ear tag put in after cattle have been vaccinated for Brucellosis.
• US Government Tags - These tags should be the most permanent forms of ID and even have a warning "Do Not Remove" on them. They are to help ID animals who are part of a government program. A "Scrapies Tag" in sheep is an example. It links sheep to a breeder and if sheep were ever found to have contracted scrapies, government officials could contact the breeder.

Tattoos

     Tattoos are a permanent form of identification for livestock. The problem is, tattoos are limited in the amount of information they contain. Most livestock have tattoos put into there ears. Livestock tattoos are different from human ones. A tattoo kit contains a set of letters and numbers that make a connect the dot pattern in the ear.

Brands

     Branding of animals traces back to the Ancient Egyptians. Branding can be done "hot" or "cold". Hot branding uses a piece of heated metal to create a scar on the animal hide in the shape of the metal. Cold or freeze branding uses an extremely cold piece of metal to create a spot on the hide where hair will loose its pigment and only grow white.
    
     Branding is mainly used as owner identification on cattle and some horses. Brands are usually located on the side of the animal and are big enough they can easily be seen at a distance. Each state has its own Brand Laws. Some state require registration of all brands and no two people can use the same brand.  Other states allow anyone to brand an animal with any brand as long as they can document the brand they have been using if there is a question of ownership.

Ear Notches

     Most commonly we see ear notches on pigs. The Universal Ear Notching System is a set of rules used to be able to read an determine ear notch meanings. In the U.S. this means notches in the pigs right ear is for its litter number and the left ear is for the individual pig's number. For example, a pig might be 27-4, meaning it is out of litter 27 and is the number 4 pig in the litter.

Other Identification Methods

• DNA - a hair sample is taken and has the DNA of that animal. No two animals have the same DNA. A lab can test DNA samples to see if they match a specific animal.
• Retinal Scans - No two animals have the same pattern of veins and arteries on the retina of their eye. A picture is taken of the retina and can be compared to another picture taken later of the same animal.
• Nose Prints - Similar to taking fingerprints on people. No two animals will have the same nose print.
• Microchip - A microchip is insert under the skin, usually in the neck. A microchip reader can identify the animal by the inserted microchip. The microchip can be linked to electronic records of the animal.

Additional Resources:

Tattooing of Cattle and Goats, University of Arkansas Extension and Research

Proper Way to Ear Notch Pigs, Nebraska Extension
Beef Cattle: Types of Identification, Clemson Cooperative Extension


Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

Shoo Fly

     As the temperatures warm up for summer, flying parasites become more common around livestock. While these seem to be a mild annoyance, flies and mosquitos can cause more problems than you realize.

     Good livestock health plans include control of internal and external parasites. Products like fenbendazole, ivermectin, levamisole, albendazole and oxfendazole are used and can have some effect on biting flying parasites, but they must bite an animal to be effective. A good health plan tries to prevent livestock from being bit in the first place.

The Problem Parasites

• Mosquitos
• Blood sucking pest. They can cause skin irritation at the bite. Multiple bites can lead to animals scratching areas raw causing open sores. This can lead to worse problems.
• They can carry diseases such as West Nile Virus and Equine Encephalomyelitis.
• They can carry parasite such as the one that becomes heartworms in dogs.
• Black Flies
• They can cause skin irritation at bite. Multiple bites can lead to animals scratching areas raw causing open sores. This can lead to worse problems.
• They can transmit diseases.
• Bot Flies
• They lay eggs on livestock so the larvae use the animals as a host.
• This can cause sores and irritation internally and externally.
• Heel Fly
• They lay eggs on animal hairs.
• Hatched larvae enter the body and live in the host animal.
• Horn Fly
• Blood sucking pest. They can cause skin irritation at bite. Multiple bites can lead to animals scratching areas raw causing open sores. This can lead to worse problems.
• Blood sucking lowers energy of livestock and reduces productivity.
• Horse Fly
• Blood sucking pest. They can cause skin irritation at bite. Multiple bites can lead to animals scratching areas raw causing open sores. This can lead to worse problems.
• They can carry diseases like Equine Infectious Anemia and Anaplasmosis.
• Screwworm Fly
• The female lays eggs by fresh wounds. Likely spots include castration sites, ear notches and dehorning.
• The larvae feed on the host animal.

Controlling These Parasites

     Each of these parasites has a different habitat and ways they can be controlled. As a group, the best way to control them is by sanitation. Remove manure from pens and barns, and compost it. Keep livestock clean. Treat all wounds by cleaning and covering the wound location. Remove other possible habitats, like standing water for mosquitos.

      Continue using appropriate internal and external parasite controls (dewormers). You can use fly sprays appropriate for your species. Fly tags are commonly used on cattle. Fly traps and poisons can be used around the barn. IGR (insect growth regulators) can be added to feed and supplements to help control flies (consult your veterinarian and feed supplier).

     Just remember fly sprays, tags, traps and poisons are all harmful and should be handled with caution by adults and according to the directions. If you have any questions about fly and mosquito control or problems, visit with your veterinarian and see what they recommend.

Here are some other resources about flying parasite controls:

Livestock Veterinary Entomology website, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Best Management Practices for Fly Control, Michigan State University

Good luck keeping those pesky critters away from your animals.

Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

Not Labeled For...

     Most people who have worked around livestock have, at some time, used a product not labeled for livestock on their animals. We either did it by mistake when we were young, or in a pinch as an adult. I am not talking about the substances that you may find listed as banned by a state or national stock show. I am focusing on things you might buy off the self at the local discount store or grocery. I have heard a lot of different things over the years:

"I put furniture polish on our red pigs to give them shine!"

"We use laundry stain remover instead of the expensive adhesive remover."

"A little laundry soap can relieve that bloat."

"Aspirin is safe to give them."

 

      But why are some products not labeled for animals when they seem relatively harmless? The truth is, when we use products not labeled for livestock, we are putting the health of our animals at risk, the wholesomeness of our food at risk, and possibly even breaking the law.

 

     Now do not panic! The law is not going to come after you if you washed your steer with dish soap or put sunscreen on your show pig, but we need to have a little conversation of why we should not be doing these things.

 

    One of the main reasons we don't use products unless they are labeled for animals is the product may be harmful to them. Our livestock's bodies may be similar to ours, but how they function and process things can be very different from ours. A product that is safe for human skin, such as sunscreen, may cause a reaction with the skin of your show pig. The chemicals in the sunscreen react differently to pig skin than human skin. Other products, for example the laundry stain remover from the quote above, may do the job you need to break down adhesive out of cattle hair, but what is the chemical formula for stain remover? Is laundry stain remover labeled to be used on human skin? No. Then do you think it would be labeled to use on cattle? Using alternative products for grooming your livestock is not advisable, and the products are not labeled for livestock use for a reason.

 

     When it comes to things we put into our animals, from feeds to pharmaceuticals, we are not only putting our animals at risk, but also the food supply. There are foods, supplements, additives and medications labeled for livestock use. They have been approved by several government agencies, like USDA and FDA, to be safe for animals and safe for the animals to produce food for human use. These products have been scientifically studied and it is understood how they will act in the body of the livestock they are labeled for, and they will be either safe or fully broken down before any animal products become part of our food supply. If you have completed any type of livestock quality assurance program (Colorado MQA, Beef Quality Assurance, Pork Quality Assurance, etc.) you have learned about withdrawal times, chemical residues and the Wholesome Meat Act. You should understand the importance of keeping our food safe and healthy.

 

    Following the label directions on feed, additives, supplements or medications means you are doing your best to produce healthy animals and wholesome animal food products. If you purposely do not follow directions and your animal or the food products from your animal are found with traces of products not labeled for are found, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE. You may be banned from showing and will forfeit all your prize and sale money. Worst case, you have to go to court and can be fined heavily for breaking state and federal laws.

 

     In short, if it is not labeled for livestock, do not use it on your livestock. It is your job as the owner and manager of your livestock to produce healthy animals and wholesome food. If you do not, you are putting a lot of things at risk.

 

 

Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

 

 

 

 

 



Lamb Showmanship - The Brace

     Three positions are important to understand and to master when showing sheep. Youth working at home should practice being able to properly walk, show and brace their lambs as they would in the show ring. The brace is the last to cover, the hardest to write about, the hardest to teach, but the easiest to do once it is understood.

     I showed calves as a youth, and did not even look at sheep until I began my ag teaching career. It was then I was the one who became a student, learning from my FFA members how to properly brace a lamb. Nothing can make you look and feel more like a fool than trying to learn to brace a lamb.

     The thing I did understand is the importance of the brace to give the proper feel to the judge without loosing a certain look. A lamb should be able to flex the muscles of the rack, loin and leg without over flexing. This is all created by the proper stance of the exhibitor and positioning of the lamb.

     To review a bit, the exhibitor's proper stance will allow them to balance themselves against a bracing lamb, keep the lamb steady and be able to give subtle physical cues to the lamb. Let's visualize the normal show ring stance where the judge is on the right side of the lamb and the exhibitor is in front of their lamb. I like to see the exhibitor with their left foot slid slightly toward the back of the lamb, but not blocking the shoulder view. The right foot is slightly behind the exhibitor with a bent knee. This position should make the exhibitor's hips be rotated to the left side of the lamb's head. The back should be straight and the left forearm and right hand should be gently holding the lamb's head.

     The lamb should be positioned with all four legs setting the proper "corners" to exhibit the lamb properly. Their neck should be straight up with their head resting with their nose slightly tipped up in the exhibitors hands. The chest and neck of the lamb should be resting against the middle of the exhibitor.

     Hopefully all that sounds familiar. Now for the part that is hard to explain, the proper brace. For novice exhibitors, I like to pair them with a lamb that knows how to brace. It works the majority of the time to help the exhibitor begin to learn the proper body position and what it feels like to have a lamb brace against them. Novice and experienced exhibitors both should practice establishing the proper stance and positioning of their body. Next, I teach youth to step into the lamb. Making body contact with the front of the lamb should cue the lamb to brace. Removing or relieving body contact from the lamb usually cues the lamb to relax. Exhibitors will need to practice stepping into and relaxing the brace with their lamb. Every lamb is a little different on how much contact it takes to get them to brace and how much must be released for them to relax.

     An experienced exhibitor and a well taught lamb can perform a brace without any hands on the lamb! Why? The contact needed for a brace comes from the middle of the exhibitor's body. For a intermediate or senior member with a market size lamb, contact is with the left hip and inside of the left thigh. With younger or smaller exhibitors, contact still comes from the middle of the body, but may be more hip, stomach and chest than the hip and leg.

     As I stated before, the brace is hard to explain. Youth need experienced help to learn to brace and lamb and how to train the lamb to brace to their cues. There are a few common mistakes all youth exhibitors need to be aware of when they are practicing the brace.

• Make sure the lamb is evenly bracing. Some lambs will feel like they are bracing, but are arching and only flexing their back muscles. They will not have the feel you want in the leg. Stop bracing, relax the lamb and try the brace again.
• Lamb slips a hind leg too far back. This will shift the lamb's hips and rotate his spine and the lamb will feel like he is falling to the side. Stop bracing, reset the legs and brace again.
• Lamb arches its back as it braces. This give an uneven feel to the top and an even worst look to the judge. Touch or "tickle" the lamb's back to get them to drop it down. DO NOT make any motion that appears to be hitting or striking. No matter how gentle you are, it does not look good.
• The lamb's head is turned. This is the beginning of the spine and if the head is turned in any direction other than straight ahead, they will want to move their body to straighten their body position. Keep the lamb's head pointing straight. The exhibitor may need to adjust their body to fix the problem.

I hope this is helpful when learning and practicing the brace. The best help is to find someone who shows well and can give hands on assistance. Once you learn to brace, you will never feel like a fool again.


Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

Lamb Showmanship - Showing the Lamb

  Three positions are important to understand and to master when showing sheep. Youth working at home should practice being able to properly walk, show and brace their lambs as they would in the show ring. Last week focused on the walk. This week is showing.

Showing

     First I want to define what I am talking about. We use the term show to describe a whole event ("We went to a lamb show."), to describe the broad act ("I am going to show my lamb in class 3.") and to describe a specific act of showmanship ( "Please show me your lamb.") We are going to focus on the last usage of show, the act of setting up and displaying your lamb for the judge to do a visual appraisal.

     When I talk to youth about the difference between showing and bracing a lamb the main difference is hands on and hands off by the judge. When you show your lamb, the judge is using their eyes to look for things like balance, muscling, structure and in the end, overall appearance. A youth will show their lamb at three views: the profile view, the rear view and the front view.

     The profile, or side view, is where most judges like to start their appraisal of lambs at the local and county level shows. This gives a judge a quick idea of the levelness of the lamb, depth of body, length of side, hip shape and shoulder shape. Judges then like to move into a rear view. From the rear view they can see the width of the lamb, especially their top, hip and leg thickness. They may also be able to get a sense of the lamb's structure on the back legs. The front view allows the judge to also see the width of the lamb, the muscling of the chest and the structure of the front end.

     When setting up a lamb to show, a youth wants to work on properly setting the lamb's feet. We want to put the feet in 4 imaginary "corners" to maximize the width of the lamb without being over extended or too narrow and keep the view square to the judge. The front legs should be straight from the profile and front views with the feet set directly under the shoulders.  This would be setting the front two corners.
    
     Youth have two options in setting the front feet. They can either reach down and move the legs by hand to set the position of the feet or they can slightly lift the lamb between its front legs. When I say lift, I do not mean picking a lamb up off the ground. (I do not like the way the young man lifts his lamb in the video link below!) With the palm of their hand on the bottom of the lamb's chest, an exhibitor lifts up just enough the lamb will react by setting their feet directly under their front since they will feel a little off balance. Do not try to move front legs with your feet.

     There is really only one way to set back feet, and that is by hand. Some lambs can learn to move their feet by pushing or pulling slightly on the front of them, but most need their feet set by hand. The back feet should be set in a naturally wide position. This will be the back two corners of their set up. Ideally, when they set their back legs, it will show the lamb's width of hip and thickness of leg. The set of the back legs should be in line with the front legs to keep a straight line of the back. A bent or twisted position of the back will make the lamb's appearance off to the judge.

     Once the legs are set properly, the focus will be on setting the neck and head. The neck should come straight up. The lamb's nose should be slightly up and the head resting comfortably on the exhibitor's left forearm, cradled like a football would be tucked when a player is running.

     The exhibitor must then set themselves up against the front of the lamb. In a normal right profile view, the exhibitor should have the lamb positioned in the middle of their body, with the left leg  pointed toward the back of the lamb and the right leg bent and set slightly behind the exhibitor. The exhibitor should rotate their hips slightly to their right putting their body on the left side of the lamb's head. Exhibitors need to keep their posture straight up and down. If your lamb knows how to brace, be careful not to get into your lamb where they may want to brace and change how they look.

     Showing the front view is quite different from showing the profile or rear views. The exhibitor needs to move out of the judge's way and maintain the leg set and control of their lamb. Proper exhibitor position for the front view should be facing forward with their lamb's head resting in the exhibitor's hands and standing one step off of the lamb's shoulder. If the judge comes to view the lamb from the lamb's front right, exhibitor needs to be standing by the lamb's left shoulder. If the judge comes to the lamb's left front, exhibitor needs to be on the right side. When switching sides never try and switch the lamb's head in your hands behind your back. Its the lambs head, not a basketball! Always switch sides on the front by facing the lamb as you move.

     As the judge moves around to view your lamb, an exhibitor should understand how to move around their sheep to be able to give the judge the proper view. Remember, the exhibitor should always be on the opposite side of the lamb from the judge. Let's review what that means at different judge's positions:

• Judge views lamb's right profile - exhibitor should be rotated around the left side of the head
• Judge views lamb's left profile - exhibitor should be rotated around the right side of the head
• Judge views lamb's rear - exhibitor should be at the front of the lamb, rotated to the opposite side the judge is viewing the rear from (ex. judge is slightly on the right, exhibitor should be on left)
• Judge views the lamb's front - exhibitor should be standing to the side of the opposite shoulder the judge is viewing the front from (ex. judge is standing slightly to the lamb's right, exhibitor should be on the left side of the lamb) 

     You may have noticed I use the word 'slightly' very often. It is because minor and slight adjustments to the lamb's or the exhibitor's position can have major effects. Here are a few examples where the wrong position causes a problem:

• Exhibitor does not rotate to the side of the lamb's head, causing the lamb's nose to come up, neck to move back and sway their back.
• The lamb's neck is slightly leaning forward, allowing the lamb to hunch their back
• One back foot is not set far enough back, causing the lamb to twist their spine and not have a straight back

Here is the same resource as last week, but this week look at how the young man sets up and shows his lamb. Focus on his body position and especially how he shows the front and switches sides. He is not perfect, but does a good job being in the right position and having his lamb setup properly:

Sheep Showmanship Series Texas Youth Livestock and Agriculture


Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

Lamb Showmanship - The Walk

     Showing sheep, and for the most part goats as well, three positions are important to understand and to master. Youth working at home should practice being able to properly walk, show and brace their lambs as they would in the show ring.

The Walk

     When walking a lamb, there is a big difference between walking for exercise on a halter and walking in the show ring. In the show ring, we want the exhibitor to be able to walk their lamb around the show ring in a right hand (clockwise) circle. Exhibitors should be able to walk their lamb with the lamb's jaw resting comfortably in the exhibitor's left hand, with a level head, straight neck and level back when traveling. The right hand can be placed gently against the back of the lamb's head or held up in a comfortable position ready to place against the back of the lamb's head.

     The exhibitor should position themselves in a way that appears and is comfortable to walk the lamb. A very tall exhibitor with a short lamb may need to adjust their body while walking so they are not hunched over. Young exhibitors with big lambs may also need to think about how they need to position their hands when a sheep is almost as tall as they are.

     During a walk in the show ring, a lamb may do one of two things, balk or try and pull back. A balk, or refusing to walk forward can be frustrating. The number one thing not to do is use both hands and try and pull the lamb forward. It usually leads to a lamb wanting to pull back. Think about this, if someone walked up to you, put two hands on your head and pulled forward, what is your reaction going to be? You pull back, right? Sheep are no different.

     To get a balking lamb to move forward we can try two things, adjusting body position and placing your right hand to encourage movement. Many times a lamb will balk going forward because an exhibitor moved ahead of the lamb's point of balance. The point of balance is an imaginary spot, usually about the lamb's shoulder, which a lamb will move in the opposite direction of a human. If an exhibitor gets too far in front of their lamb (and its point of balance), the lamb will balk or want to go backwards.  The exhibitor needs to move their body behind the point of balance and this should encourage the lamb to move forward.

     If the point of balance is not the problem, then using the right hand may encourage movement. Try placing the right hand on the lamb's back or hip. This acts as a physical cue to move forward. An exhibitor should not grab their lamb's dock or strike the lamb to get them to move. If the lamb continues to balk, wait for a ring steward to come over and help get the lamb walking again.

     Pulling back or away is just as frustrating as a balk. A sheep who has learned to get away from an exhibitor is the most likely to try and pull back in the show ring. To prevent pulling back, an exhibitor should walk behind the balance point of their lamb with the right hand against the back of the head. With one hand under the jaw and one on the back of the head, the exhibitor's hands now act like a halter. Exhibitors must remember; do not apply a pulling pressure to the head. Just like I mentioned earlier, it only causes the lamb to want to pull back even more. Exhibitors also should not grab the dock to prevent a sheep from pulling back.

     Balking and pulling back can best be prevented by proper practice at home. Set up a space as your "show ring" area at home. It does not require fences or panels, just the same amount of space you might see in a show ring. Practice walking your lamb in a right hand circle. Make sure you have proper body position, hold the lamb's jaw and head properly and maintain a proper speed.

     The proper speed for walking a lamb is hard to describe, but the key is the exhibitor sets the speed. Some lambs like to walk fast, others slow. Your lamb should walk a purposeful 4 beat walk, that keeps their head level, neck straight and back level when they travel. If you practice going to fast, when you are in the show ring, you and your lamb will be walking and then stopping so you do not run into a lamb in front of you. If you practice to slow, a ring steward will be coming to help you get around the show ring faster.

     Exhibitors need to practice walking their lamb on the opposite side with their right hand under the jaw. During showmanship, many judges like to switch the sides they are viewing the lambs from. A good exhibitor can switch sides and continue walking their lamb with the opposite hands. Remember an exhibitor should not be on the same side of the lamb as the judge.

     For those of you who have shown lambs before, this should seem like a good review of what you have been doing. If this is your first time showing lambs, get some help and advice from an experienced sheep exhibitor or adult leader. Only good and proper practice will lead to great showmanship.

Here is an additional resource on showing lambs:

Sheep Showmanship Series Texas Youth Livestock and Agriculture


Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

Traceability and Youth Livestock Projects

     Pandemic and bioterrorism, two words we usually do not associate with youth livestock projects, but there is a connection, biosecurity. Biosecurity is the term used to describe those management practices to prevent unwanted diseases from coming onto the farm or ranch. Youth with livestock should also be practicing some form of biosecurity to protect their animals. One biosecurity practice youth will most likely participate in is traceability.

     Traceability is just as the word breaks down, the ability to trace something. In this case, any problem with livestock. The two programs youth may participate in that fall under traceability are using what are referred to as 840 tags and a premise I.D.

840 Tags and Premise I.D.

     840 tags are a livestock tags with a 15 digit animal identification number (AIN). The numbering starts with 840, which is the numeric code for the U.S.A. The remaining 12 digits identify the individual animal. 840 tags can be purchased directly from most livestock tag manufacturers or other sources. When 840 tags are purchased, a record of who purchased the tags and all the AINs of the tags they purchased is kept by the seller. By law, once an animal gets an 840 tag, records must be kept for 5 years on cattle, sheep and goats, and 2 years on poultry and swine.

     Many county and state fairs are requiring youth showing market animals to have an 840 tag in their animal. This allows the fair to connect a specific tag to a specific animal and its owner.

     Every 840 tag must be connected to a premise I.D. The Premise I.D. program is operated by your state government and helps to identify the location and owner of a livestock operation. It is a voluntary program for agriculture producers to register their operation. Most fairgrounds and livestock sales facilities have a premise I.D. numbers.

Connection to Youth Projects

     So how does this all connect to youth livestock projects? When a youth brings their animal to the county or state fair that requires 840 tags, it will receive an 840 tag if it does not already have one. The fair will record the 840 tag number of that animal and the youth owner. The fair's records will also show the fairgrounds premise I.D. number. If that animal is a market animal such as a steer, lamb, goat, or swine, and is then sold to another owner, the records will show who the new owner is and the 840 tag number of the animal they purchased. The new owner should then keep a record of the animal and its 840 tag number. The 840 tag number should stay with a market animal all the way until they reach harvest. The processor would be the final record keeper of the animals and the 840 tag numbers.

Traceability Using 840 Tags and Premise I.D.

     We always hope for the best and plan for the worst in agriculture and that is why 840 tags and premise I.D. numbers are being used. If there were a problem with a group of animals, such as a highly contagious disease, the 840 tags would be used to trace back who the animals came from. The premise I.D. numbers connected to the 840 tag records would give the locations the animals came from. This would allow vets and government agriculture personnel to trace the source of the disease and inform anyone who had contact or ownership of the animals.

     Premise I.D. numbers and 840 tags can also be used in other important ways. For instance, a wildfire in our state threatened many ranches in the area. Using a premise I.D. map, emergency management personnel could contact the ranches, warn them about the fire and plan for evacuating livestock. Using the 840 tags, cattle who were caught running loose during the fire were identified and returned to the owner after the fire.

     Traceability with 840 tags and premise I.D.s are tools for producers and government officials to use. Hopefully, youth livestock projects will not become part of a pandemic disease outbreak or the target of some evil bioterrorism event, but if they do, 840 tags and premise I.D. numbers can be used to manage the emergency.

Resources

Here are some resources on 840 tags and premise I.D.:

Official Swine Ear Tags, National Swine Registry
http://www.nationalswine.com/shows/ear_tags.php

Traceability, Colorado Department of Agriculture https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/aganimals/traceability

Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

Introducing and Changing Feeds with Ruminants

     Most livestock projects are ruminants. This means instead of a single stomach before the intestines, they have four different compartments for digesting food. The largest, and the one we need to focus on, is the rumen. (This is why they are called ruminants.) Cattle, sheep and goats are all ruminants and how we feed them and how we introduce changes in their feed is very important.

     A rumen works as a warm, dark moist place for good bacteria, fungi and protozoa to live. There are billions of these individual micro-organisms in each rumen. Their job is to be helpful to the animal by digesting a major portion of the food it eats. They break down forage and grain into a form the rest of the animal's digestive system can continue to digest and use. But the micro-organisms are sensitive. Each type of micro-organism digests very specific foods. When new foods are suddenly introduced, it can upset the micro-organisms. Some cannot digest the new food and die off, while others will have more food than they can eat or break down. This causes digestive issues with the ruminant animal. Ruminants may go off feed, get the scours, or get bloat! These are not easy problems to fix, but they can be easily prevented.

     Proper management of feed can prevent upsetting the micro-organisms in the rumen and keep your animals happy and healthy. The first feed management happens when these animals are very little. Since they are mammals, mother's milk is the first food they receive. As they grow, young ruminants will try eating grass and grain like their mothers. Eating a little solid food helps to build the micro-organisms in their rumen and prepares them for weaning when the milk is taken away and they must eat grass or grain. Most animal mothers will wean their offspring onto grass and forage without much problem. It is when we manage the weaning from milk to grain we can cause problems.

     Since the weaning process and changing of feeds is very similar, here are some things to remember to properly manage a feed change.

Grazing Forage to Grains

• Going from grazing to concentrated grain base feed is the most dramatic change.
• Provide a small amount of concentrate feed (less than 10% of the total daily food intake) to let the animal's rumen begin to adjust to the concentrate feed.
• Many managers will use a device called a creep feeder which allows the young animals to eat the new feed when they want during the day.
• As the young animal's rumen adjust to the new concentrate feed, the amount of feed is increased every 3 to 5 days for 3 to 4 weeks.
• Once the animals have adjusted to the new concentrated feed, be sure their ration (amount of food they receive each day) still includes forages in the form of hay, silage or access to pasture. 

Changing from One Concentrated Feed to Another

• Introduce any new feeds to animals over a period of 3 to 4 weeks.
• Mix in a small amount of new feed (less than 10% of the total feed) to their current feed the first week.
• Continue increasing the amount of new feed slowly over the next 3 to 4 weeks.
• Increases in the new feed should be done every 3 to 5 days.
• Maintain some forage in their diet such as hay, silage or access to pasture.

Feed Additives and Supplements

     Most feed additives and supplements are used to either treat some type of illness or to provide missing nutrients like vitamins or minerals. You should follow the directions on the packaging or the directions of your veterinarian  depending on where you got the supplement or additive. If your animal has digestive issues when the supplement or additive is fed, contact your veterinarian immediately and get their advice on what to do about the problem.

     One common supplement that can be administered over-the-counter is a probiotic. A probiotic is a supplement containing various micro-organisms that live in a rumen. By following the label directions, you can help to provide the right kind of micro-organisms in the rumen as you change feeds.

     Remember you manage your animal's feed. Proper management is the key to preventing digestive issues. Make feed changes slowly over a period of 2 to 4 weeks. Observe your ruminants for digestive issues such as loss of appetite, scours or bloat. If you have any questions or concerns, contact your veterinarian and tell them what you have observed and tell them what you are doing. They are the experts in animal health.


Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

I Want a Fuzzy Calf! - Part 2

     Let's review what it takes to grow the right hair to have a "Fuzzy" calf:

• Light exposure - Hours of daylight determine winter or summer hair coats
• Temperature - Along with less daylight, cold temperatures help increase the amount of hair
• Nutrition - Proper nutrition equals good hair growth
• Health - Sick or unhealthy calves have coarse hair coats
• Genetics - Some breeds and bloodlines produce more hair than others

     Now to the part that requires the most work, conditioning hair. It is winter, you are feeding right and have a healthy calf with favorable genetics, so all the conditions for growing hair are right. What you are trying to achieve is to take the hair you have and make it be that soft, shiny, and fuzzy hair you want.

   You and your calf are about to spend a lot of time in the wash rack and the grooming chute. Keeping hair clean and groomed is important. Think about your own hair. Have you ever been on a camping trip where you couldn't, or didn't wash your hair for a couple of days? How did it look and feel? The same thing happens to a calf's hair. If left dirty, it gets heavy with oil, dirt and manure, and loses its softness and shine.

     I recommend a good wash with mild soap three times a week. There are lots of soaps out there specific for washing you calf. They are made specifically for calf hair and skin. Use them if you like. I prefer a cheaper soap: Dawn liquid dish soap. It is safe enough for calf skin and hair, but can remove the worst dirt and oil. Think about all the critters they wash with it after an oil spill!

    When it comes to washing, remember these things.

• Start with water down low on the legs and slowly wet up the animal's body. This will prevent a cold shock that your calf will not appreciate.
• Use low water pressure. Although it seems great to crank the water on all the way and be able to blast dirt and manure off your calf's toes, it will not feel good on their body.
• Do not spray into their face or ears. Use a sponge or cup filled with water to gently wet the face and around the ears.
• Wet the entire body and then use your hands to work the soap into a lather over the whole body. This will ensure you have washed every part of their body from their head to their toes.
• Rinse from the top down. Water flows down and will carry the dirt and oil with it. Starting at the top rinses everything down and off their body.
• Once everything is washed and rinsed, use the back (the side without teeth) of a cattle comb and squeegee excess water off the body.

     After your calf is all washed, rinsed and squeegeed off, head to the grooming chute. I like to tie calves without their head in the head gate. This allows me to use the blower on all the body without the head gate blocking the blower air. You do not need to use a grooming chute. If your calf will stand still tied to a fence or panel, by all means, dry them there. I prefer using a chute, so they are used to it when I want to groom them in one.

     Before you turn the blower on, use your calf comb to comb all the body hair straight up. This is part of training the hair to not lay flat against the skin. If you have not been working the hair long, it will want to lay back down pretty quick, but after several comb outs and blow dries, you will be happy to see how easy it will comb up and stay up. Combing out also helps to remove loose dead hair. You may need to clean your comb several time of loose hair the first few times you go through the process, but a few weeks later, you may not clean out the dead hairs until your done combing.

  Once it is time to fire up the blow dryer, I go to the front of the animal and start drying the neck, shoulder, ribs and back to the rump in a quick five minute first pass. This tends to blow out a large portion of the water. While doing this, I always blow at an up angle to help train the hair to stay up off of the body. After this pass, a quick comb up of the hair and then go back to the front and start a slower drying of the entire body. How do you know when your calf is dry? I look to see if any mist is blowing out of their hair. Then I take my hand and rub their hair. If my hand gets wet, then they are not done. If they feel damp, but your hand does not get wet, they are dry enough.

     After all the hair is dry, it is time to condition the hair. Why? Soap not only removes dirt, but the natural oil that coats the calf's hair. Without this natural oil, the hair will become dry, brittle and loses its shine. Since it takes some time for the natural oil to come back after a wash, spray on some type of conditioner for calf hair. Comb the hair up to work the conditioner in, and then give it a blow dry if needed.

     Repeat this process over and over again until your calf is done with show season. You will be amazed how much their looks and hair will change into the "fuzzy" kind you want. A good clip job will then shape the hair and body to make the calf look their absolute best.

     When it comes to working calf hair, you only get out what you put into it. So, work hard, wash and rinse consistently, and be ready to be rewarded with a fuzzy calf in the end.


Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

I Want a Fuzzy Calf! - Part 1

     Every summer during our county fair, I hear it. "I want a fuzzy calf!" In our part of the world, most livestock shows occur during the spring and summer months. This is not the most ideal for growing and keeping hair on a project calf. There are grumblings of jealousy about the claves who have access to a cooler or cool room. True, they have some advantage to growing and keeping hair when living in a cool room, but the true secret to hair is starting now.

     To produce a fuzzy calf, you must understand you need hair growth and it needs to be in the proper condition. Hair growth is the length and type of hair the animal has. When we think of a fuzzy calf, most of the hair is winter type hair. The hair is very fine and dense, which helps to keep the calf warm in winter. A winter coat also has some longer, coarse hairs. These tend to help the calf shed moisture, like rain and snow. Once late spring comes, calves naturally shed the winter coat for a summer coat that is less dense and cooler.

     Hair growth is based on five things: light exposure, temperature, nutrition, health and genetics. In winter, there are less hours of daylight and colder temperatures. The calf will grow the winter hair coat described above. Light exposure is more important than cold temperatures. You can have a week of cold early in the fall, and calves will not suddenly hair up. For the same reason, it can be unusually warm in March or even January, and calves will not suddenly shed hair. If less light exposure is combined with consistent cold temperatures, then the best winter coat possible can be grown.

     If you have access to a cool room or cooler during the late spring and summer, great. If you do not, you need to try and create an environment that can help keep them cool and out of the light. What has worked best is to have three things available: shade, moving air and moisture.

     Shade can be provided by a shed, barn, tarps or shade cloth. The main point is, give your calf a place to get out of the sun. No matter where the shade is, keep air moving. It can be as simple as a cheap box fan, an old ceiling fan or a large blower fan. Just make sure it is blowing hard enough to make the calf's hair move. Moving air helps to blow away the body heat the calf is producing, keeping them cooler. Adding some moisture to the air also helps the cooling effect. Dry is always warmer than wet. Adding a mister to a fan or using a swamp cooler can help cool the calf and the air around them.

     One of the best environments I have seen for calves was a three sided shed, built on the north side of a barn. This kept the calves in the shade all day long. The shed had 16 foot square pens for each calf to stay in during the day. Each pen had two fans with misters that blew during the daylight hours. The calves had their hair worked every night and were then turned out to pasture for the night. By the time of their summer fair, the calves had almost as much hair as those in a cool room.

     No matter how little light they get, and how cold it is, hair will not grow without proper nutrition. There are several supplements claiming to promote hair growth, but essentially, they are only filling in any possible missing nutrients. If you feed you calf a balanced ration (a subject for another blog), they will grow hair.

     The health of the animal can also have an effect on hair growth. Sick or unhealthy calves will not grow the best hair. The animal's body will put the nutrients it would normally use to grow hair to work fighting whatever is making them unhealthy. It could be an infection, parasites or a disease. Sick calves can be identified by their coarse and unhealthy looking hair coats. If you keep them healthy, they will have healthy hair coats.

    Genetics is the final factor in hair growth. Some breeds naturally have great hair coats, like the English and continental breeds: Angus, Hereford, Maine-Anjou, Shorthorn and Simmental. Other breeds, like the Brahman and all the breeds with Brahman blood, will not have much of a winter coat. Even some blood lines within a breed will produce more hair than others. There is no great way of knowing what the genetics will be for hair growth, so the most you can do is provide great nutrition and keep them healthy.

     Hair condition is different from growth. There are plenty of calves with tons of hair standing in pastures across the country. For the hair to look great on show day, it must be conditioned. Condition is made by consistent hard work. Conditioning the hair coat is about keeping it clean, training it to lay a certain way, and getting rid of dead hair. This does not happen the week before fair! Work with the winter hair they have now! (I will write about how I teach youth to work hair in the next blog).

   To review, remember these things: Keep them shaded and cool, feed them well, keep them healthy and work the hair. All the magic supplements and hair products will not fix a bad hair coat. Only your hard work and diligence can make a fuzzy calf.


Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

Horse Blanket Game

     When it comes to cold, youth horse projects that have been clipped means they are not as prepared for winter as they could be. By nature, hair has properties to help hold the body heat of a horse. A horse who lives outside in a pasture and is unclipped, heavy haired, can survive extremely low temperatures, but clip them off and they are as exposed as we would be without a coat, hat and gloves. The solution is a blanket.

     Some horse owners blanket horses to try and keep them warm enough they do not try and regrow hair. Horses shed and grow hair due to the number of hours of light they receive, not the temperature. If you want a horse to have a slick, summer coat in the middle of winter, keep them warm with a blanket, but in a barn with 16 hours of light on them. For horses that are clipped, but live outside with a lean to shelter, a blanket is helpful only to keep them warm.

      A clipped horse can handle a little cold. Just stalling in the barn or providing a windbreak does as much on a cool day as a sheet or light blanket. If a blanket is needed, it should fit properly. A blanket should cover from the base of the neck to a little past the tailhead. They should also come down below the underline. The neck opening should be large enough to fit around the base of the neck, but not expose the shoulder. The straps on the blanket need to be loose enough the horse can move easily, but tight enough they cannot get a hoof stuck if they decide to scratch. A horse blanket should be checked to see if it is causing any rubs on the skin and if it is, adjust the fit or try a different blanket.

     There are several types of blankets. A sheet is the lightest type, and usually does not have any insulation.  Cooler sheets are made to keep a horse warm in the winter after they have been ridden or exercised. Turnout blankets are insulated, waterproof and made to fit on a horse who is going to be moving out in a pasture. A stable blanket is insulated, but not waterproof, and made for horses stabled in a dry barn. You will need to decide which type or types you will need for your horse.   

     For a blanket to work properly, they should be put on clean, dry horses. The blanket being put on should be clean and dry. Blankets should be routinely cleaned and checked for damage such as cuts, rips, or damaged straps. If a blanket becomes wet from sweat or precipitation, it needs to be changed.  A wet blanket can do two things. First a wet blanket is cold and can make you horse feel colder than they would without one. Second, a wet blanket can promote skin and hair problems. Damp skin and hair can be rubbed easier, and the dampness provides an environment for some bacteria and fungus to grow.

    The biggest problem with blankets is trying to match the right thickness with the temperature. Temperatures can change quickly. It might be below freezing in the morning and in the 60s by afternoon. Or the reverse, warm before lunch and freezing before dark. This is when blanketing becomes a game. You have to pay attention to the weather forecast and make decisions and arrangements to keep the right amount of blankets on. There will be days your horses will have too much blanket and others not enough. It is okay. Most of the time they will be hot or cold for a while, but be fine once an adjustment is made.

Here are some other resources to help you with the Blanket Game.

To Blanket or not to Blanket? That’s a Good Cold-Weather Question by Dr. Luke Bass, DVM, MS

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How to Fit a Horse Blanket the Horse.com

Good luck with the blanket game. I wish you success.

Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

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