Winter cold can be tough on a horse. If they have been out in the cold, they may have shed some of those extra pounds. On the other end, if your horse had little exercise and lots of feed it may have put on a few pounds. How do you know if your horse is […]
The understanding of zoonotic diseases, those that can transfer between animals and people, is one important topic within Animal Science. Still, it can be challenging to instruct youth in ways to prevent the spread of such illnesses; lessons are in-depth, vocabulary is challenging, and as educators we may worry that the material is dry. Michigan […]
Quality Assurance in Animal Production Adults working in commercial agriculture are often required to maintain a quality assurance certification. For example, Pork Quality Assurance Plus aids pork producers in maintaining best practices for food safety. Another example is the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program. While youth in 4-H learn many aspects of animal care and […]
Proper identification is an important aspect of raising sheep. Whether you are a 4-H member raising only one market lamb per year or working toward establishing your own breeding operation, you will need to know U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) identification requirements and NJ Division of Animal Health rules. Scrapie Identification is required by the […]
Dog owners know that keeping their canine friends protected from pests such as ticks is very important in preventing serious diseases. While Lyme disease is the most well known, there are other tick-borne diseases owners should watch for. One of the deadliest in the Americas is Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). This is a bacterial […]
September is National Preparedness Month – a great time to build awareness of the need for emergency planning. New Jersey 4-H now offers a disaster preparedness program for youth, which teaches young people how to plan to shelter in place or evacuate with their families during an emergency. This program is in line with FEMA […]
Let us debunk a couple common misconceptions right here and now. At one point or another, we have all perhaps used the phrase, on a hot summer day while soaking in the sun along the Jersey Shore, “I’m sweating like a pig!” The message communicated is that one is sweating profusely. And then invariably, a […]
In recent months, the University of Kentucky Department of Animal and Food Sciences has been offering biweekly, 20-minute webinars on very specific topics in animal care and animal science. These livecasts are an effective educational tool because they are interactive. The hosts issue a call for questions at the end of each session and give answers […]
The Coggins test is named for Leroy Coggins. He is the veterinarian who developed the test to detect antibodies against the equine infectious anemia virus (EIA) in 1970. It is important to note that once infected with EIA, an animal remains infected for life. Infections in horses are rare but incurable, and there is no […]
Ticks – they seem to be everywhere this year, in your pastures and on your horse. What do you need to know to protect your horse? Why do I need to be concerned? One of the most common tick-borne diseases in this area is Lyme Disease. Lyme Disease is a bacterial, tick-transmitted disease of animals […]
