The number of goats being raised in East Texas is rising. Many people buy a few goats while they are still under the impression that goats are hardy animals that will eat almost anything. The problem occurs whenever reality hits, and new goat owners quickly realize that those hardy goats are mostly mythological creatures.
The misconception of goats eating everything comes from their exploratory nature; they identify things by taste and will mouth and lick items. They won't eat them, however and are incredibly picky animals generally. Goats prefer to forage on the same types of plants that our native white tailed deer prefer, and will only eat grass or graze as a last resort. If you are wanting to clear brush goats can be quite helpful, but they are not suitable as lawn mowers. The primary issue we face with goat production in East Texas is caused by our high levels of humidity. Goats were designed to live in dry, arid climates which is a far cry from the rainforest like spring, summer, and fall that we encounter in a normal year. Our winters are also often too mild to freeze long enough to be detrimental to the population of nematodes and bacteria present in the soil. The humidity and lack of cold temperatures creates a great environment for intestinal parasites that are a goat farmers greatest enemy. Goats are far more sensitive to the infestations of intestinal parasites than cattle and horses, which is a lesson that new goat owners will learn very quickly in East Texas. There are varieties of intestinal parasites who can cause death due to extreme dehydration and anemia in less than a week of not managed adequately. Goats can experience a rapid decline in health when they have a moderate to high worm or intestinal bacteria load and monthly worming schedules can be ineffective as different types of wormers are effective against different classes of parasites. This is the primary reason why goat owners should develop a strong relationship with a veterinarian who can conduct fecal samples to identify the types of parasite that is impacting the goat. Once the culprit has been identified, the correct and effective anthelmintic can be administered to correct the problem. Goat owners also need to pay close attention to the products being used on animals that are used for meat or milk. Many products on the market are not designed for goats or haven't been tested on goats to determine withdrawal periods and should only be administered following veterinary supervision. The old saying "An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure" is certainly true when it comes of goat herd management. Goat owners in East Texas must stay a head of the potential issues that can and will arise if given the opportunity. Goats should be vaccinated with a CD&T vaccine annually in addition to receiving the regionally recommended immunizations. Goats must be handled to maintain their health and condition. This time of year many goats will develop lice which are visible on the coat of the goats if you brush your hand against the grain of the hair. There are both topical and internal treatments to rid your goats of lice. Visit with your veterinarian to determine what best meets your needs. Goats also need to have their hooves trimmed on a monthly or bi monthly basis depending on how quickly they grow. With the humid conditions in East Texas, hoof rot and foot infections can pose a great problem to goat herds if hoof health isn't maintained. It is recommended that goat owners handle their goats weekly to check the "Fa Macha" scale which is indicative of parasite levels in most cases and also to ensure that goats hooves are in trimmed and in good condition. While goats are a little high maintenance, they can be profitable for producers who get herd management down. Does who are managed well can kid up to 3 times in 2 years and are ready to breed at 7 months old in most cases. Does are also more prolific than cattle, often safely having 2-4 kids per kidding. There is a growing market for goat meat in Texas due to our ever changing population. The market trend for goats shows them averaging $2.50 per pound across ages, sizes, and types.
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I know that many of our producers were ecstatic to see the first freeze come our way in November. The struggle with fall army worms has been tremendous and paired with the drought conditions in the early and mid summer, producers had their hands full ensuring hay was cut to feed livestock this winter.
Allen Knutson, an entomology specialist with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension service has sent out a survey to county agents to help us to determine the overall economic impact of the fall army worm out breaks. If you are a land owner who manages pasture or hay meadow, please contact our office. We would like to find out what percent of your acreages were impacted by the fall army worm outbreak and what the consequences of the outbreak mean to our county economically. When we show evidence of our a heavy economic impact from the army worm outbreak, we have a greater chance of justifying the needed research to develop methods to combat our fall army worm epidemic. You can call me at the office at 903.756.5391 if you would like to contribute to this survey. Good morning. The Calf Scramble Entry System is now open for 2019 Scramble applicants. It is located in the Junior Show entry system at https://secure.rodeohouston.com/juniorshowentry/
Please get your entries in no later than December 1st. The sooner you get your entries in, the more likely it is your kids will be participants. Remember, you can enter your Scramble entries now and can come back to submit your livestock entries later. See you in 2019! Kim Wilson Senior Coordinator, Calf Scramble Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ Feb. 25 – March 17, 2019 O: 832.667.1138 | F: 832.667.1140 Texas A&M AgriLife has a new program that is focusing on educating consumers about the safety of the American food supply. In today's social media driven world, there is information readily available at our finger tips, however, some of the information is less than dependable. Often times scare tactics are used to discourage consumer support of farmers and agriculture as a whole. These tactics aren't based on dependable research.
In extension we work to connect the people in our counties with the most up to date, research based information, especially when it is concerning the safety of our food supply. The disconnect between consumers and our industry has demonstrated the need for the "Path to the Plate" program. More information about this program can be found at pathtotheplate.tamu.edu. The goal of this program is to present an unbiased examination of agriculture, the food that we eat, and the connection to our health. To get more individuals involved in the Path to the Plate movement, each county has been encouraged to host some type of educational event that emphasizes a commodities path to the plate. While presenting information to individuals can be meaningful, 4-H is all about creating experiences where youth can develop their own understanding of complex principles. Because of our believe in experiential learning we have decided to encourage youth to pursue their own "Path to the Plate" interest. 4-H members have the opportunity to participate in the youth Path to the Plate Media Contest. This contest is designed so that 4-H members can find an agricultural interest area that appeals directly to the youth. This industry may even be connected to the 4-H members project area. Once the 4-H members has chosen an area of interest, they will then perform research to strengthen their understanding of aspects of the industry. Ultimately their research will be complied with videography and photography to create a 3-5 minute video showcasing the importance of one of our commodities. We also want the videos to target the commodities impact on public health and the economy. We want for youth, who will eventually be the consumers of our nation, to have an educated understanding of the agricultural industry. This industry has ensured that the United States has the most secure food supply in the world. Through this youth oriented program, we hope to enlighten and engage young people, creating and facilitating agricultural advocacy. Path to the Plate Media Contest Packet With all of the rain we have gotten in the past few weeks it is hard to remember that October and early November are traditionally beautiful times to spend outdoors in the garden in East Texas. While you are stuck indoors during inclement weather, you may have an opportunity to begin planning your future landscapes or gardens.
When considering creating a new landscape, gardeners are highly encouraged to look into using Earth Kind practices to limit the footprint left by our gardening hobby. Earth Kind practices are combine the best of organic and traditional gardening concepts, using research proven techniques to maximize garden and landscaping enjoyment while preserving and protecting the environment. When using Earth Kind practices gardeners are encouraged to use plants that are native to our climate which in turn limits the need for excessive watering and fertilizing. Using plants that are native may sound limiting, but that is not the case. Whatever your landscape plans, there is a native plant to meet your need. They also do not lack in beauty, as there are many native plants that host colorful blooms many times throughout the year. To find native plants or plants that rate highly on the Earth Kind scale, visit ekps.tamu.edu. When you visit this website, you can input your zip code and the type of plant you are needing to complete your design. The program will give you a list of plants that will meet your need and are considered Earth Kind. I used a Cass County zip code and search to find a flowering plant that would show off it’s colors in the fall and winter. I was not disappointed when it showed me that beautiful sages and mexican hats were suitable transition season annuals that scored highly on the Earth Kind index. When planning and planting your garden, you do not have to compromise between beauty and ease of care if you utilize Earth Kind practices and principles.
Good Morning,
We had a great turn out at the Project Party, inspite of the weather. Thank you so much to everyone who took time on their rainy Saturday to come and support us and our kids. Monday, October 22nd is Fall Validation for the Major Spring Shows- I have paper work available in the office if you want to get it to fill out early. Thursday, October 25th is our Horse Project Information Night. We will be discussing the ways your child can participate in this project area, even if they do not have horse. Monday, October 29th is our 4-H Program Area Committee Meeting. We want every club to have a representative there! November 2nd is the deadline for the District 4-H Photography Contest. Each child may enter up to 10 pictures. The registration is open now and entries must be submitted on 4-H Connect by that day. We will not accept or submit any late entries, for any reason. Once you have entered your photographs online, you need to make plans to get them to me by November 9th. If I don't have your photograph in my office by 4:30 on November 9th, it will not compete. You need to make sure that you have the correct label on the back of the photograph as well. We have these available at the office, or I can email it to you. If you need matte board, we only have 4 sheets available in the office at this time. We had a club come in yesteday and clear out all that I had purchased for the county kids, so you will be responsible for procurring your own. Im sorry if that is an inconvienence to anyone, and had I known in advance that they would be using our supplies for all of their club's photos, I would have taken measures to order more to provide for everyone. When I purchased it, I used Amazon and bought the 11x16 size. If you need to order your own or some for your club, I can email you the link. If you need help dry mounting your photos, please let John or me know. We will be happy to help. I need to come and check 4-H animal projects again ( or for the first time if you got a project recently) so please call the office to schedule a time. We most certainly can wait until we have pretty weather again. |
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