Question: Fences are down throughout
South Mississippi. What can be done?
Answer: Use of solar chargers
and polywire electric fencing is a quick temporary fix for producers who
have access to this equipment. Cattle should be gathered up and kept off
of roadways as best possible. Watch for downed power lines and other hazards
in the process of rounding up cattle. Be careful not to overcrowd cattle
in small areas for extended periods of time. Perimeter fencing is the
first priority. Portable facilities should be shared among neighbors when
available.
Question: Cattle are roaming together
free-range due to fencing problems. What are the potential impacts of
unwanted commingling of cattle?
Answer: Unwanted
commingling of cattle can create herd health and breeding issues. Make
notes of commingling situations, and separate cattle once necessary facilities
and/or fencing issues are resolved. Electric fencing with solar chargers
is a rapid, temporary solution for separating cattle where permanent fencing
is down and electricity is unavailable. It will be important to resume
a herd health program in consultation with a veterinarian to address possible
disease concerns.
Question: Salt water washed over pastures
and ponds as a result of Hurricane Katrina. What concerns does this create
for livestock?
Answer: Cattle must have
adequate supplies of fresh water to survive. Water consumption needs are
particularly high during periods of hot or warm temperatures. Providing
fresh water is the first priority. Use water tanks, and solicit assistance
from neighbors and local fire departments for immediate water needs. Forages
contaminated by salt water may be unpalatable to livestock. Be sure to
provide livestock with another source of forage or feed until pastures
are cleansed by rains or otherwise. In addition, salt water contamination
of soils or water standing on pastures or hayfields for extended periods
of time may result in stand losses and render soils unproductive for acceptable
forage growth. Bermudagrass and bahiagrass are fairly tolerant of high
salinity. Overseeding cool-season species may be problematic if salinity
is still present during seeding as these forage species are less tolerant
of high soil salinity levels.
Question: Salt water washed over pastures
and ponds as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Will applying gypsum to pastures
contaminated by salt be effective in improving soil conditions for forage
growth?
Answer: This works. When
soils contain a lot of salt, e.g., after a hurricane, the sodium ions
bind to the soil particles which impedes drainage (even in sandy soils)
and stops the roots from getting down into the soil (sodium ions are big).
Gypsum displaces these sodium ions and allows them to leach from the soil
thereby removing the salt. Drainage will improve, and root development
will be better. Application rates are similar to lime (1/2-2 tons/ acre)
depending on the level of salinization/ compaction. Gypsum also has a
very good "liming" ability and will help a lot with low pH soils.
Question:
Feed supplies are storm damaged, and available feed does not necessarily
match what cattle are accustomed to consuming in terms of ingredients
and/or nutritional value. How should this situation be handled?
Answer: Beware of feeding moldy or otherwise unsafe feeds to livestock.
Make sure that feed is not contaminated by chemicals as a result of the
storm. Abruptly changing cattle diets can result in bloat or other nutritional
disorders that threaten livestock health. Attempt to slowly shift animals
onto new diets by increasing the amount of the new diet offered to animals
in 0.5 to 1 lbs. increments over several weeks. Watch cattle closely for
signs of distress, and make sure that plenty of forage or other roughage
is available to them along with free-choice quality mineral supplements
and clean water. Young, growing animals may be most susceptible to nutritional
disturbances.
Question: Winds from Hurricane Katrina
destroyed the protective wrapping on baleage. What can be done with the
baleage?
Answer: Baleage exposed to
the elements will spoil rapidly if not fed immediately to livestock. Uncovered
baleage is most likely a loss unless it can be rewrapped or placed in
a sealed bunker rapidly.
Question: Many oak leaves and acorns
are down in hayfields due to Hurricane Katrina. Is this a problem for
cattle consuming the hay?
Answer: Winds from Katrina
left oak twigs with acorns attached scattered across many hay fields.
Cattle would need to consume a considerable amount over several days to
create a toxic condition. There are likely not enough acorns in the hay
to create a problem. Many acorns will sift out during hay raking and baling
as well. Typically, acorn poisoning is not seen until late fall or early
winter. In most cases grazing cattle with a good supply of forage and
or hay will not eat acorns. However, this is an unusual situation and
cattle should be checked on a regular basis. Also be sure to keep water
tanks as free of debris as possible.
Question: Many trees were downed in
the hurricane. What trees in South Mississippi could cause potential livestock
disorders if their leaves or nuts are consumed?
Answer: Buckeye (horse chestnut),
wild cherry (black cherry), oak
Question: The lack of electricity
from the hurricane resulted in a loss of refrigeration for many cattle
vaccines. Can they still be used?
Answer: Most vaccines have a very limited shelf life when left
unrefrigerated. This means that they will not be effective in boosting
cattle immunity when administered. Carefully read product labels, and
discard unused product as appropriate.
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