Free Range Management Resources

I will never forget being in college and having to collect and identify plants and the only thing you had to compare it to was a description and a drawing. The internet has made the process much easier with multiple pictures of plant species to make plant identification a much easier process.

Tasajillo- aka Turkey Pear or Christmas Cactus

I really enjoy when people ask me to identify a weed or brush species, or the occasional grass species and to make management recommendations. You do not have to be a plant geek like me and have a library filled with plant books, as there are plenty of free resources out there on the web that people can use to manage their property. And notice I say property. You can manage a backyard to be a wildlife haven if you have the right plants and practice the proper management

These are the resources I use and a brief description on how I use them:

Texas AgriLIFE Extension Ecosystem Science & Management
This is the website for Texas AgriLIFE Extension's Ecosystem Science and Management Department. I use this resource to identify different plans within the diverse ecoregions of Texas. Can also be used to identify species that would be useful in achieving your management objectives.

Native Plants of South Texas
This is the online herbarium from the Uvalde, Tx Extension & Research Center. I use it specifically to identify forbs and woody browse species common in south Texas.

Texas Parks & Wildlife's Plant Information Database
If wildlife diversity and management is one of your desired objectives then this is a great resource. Great place to explore all the native tree and brush species our great state has to offer. Similar to Extension TPWD is available, at little to no charge, to offer management advice based on sound research.

Natural Resource Conservation Service- Plants Database
This is a national database and this is where I go if all else fails and I can't identify a particular plant. This is also useful to determine which species of a particular plant might grow in a completely different ecoregion. For example, if you want to know what species of oak tree (Quercus spp.) does well in California.

The Noble Foundation- Plant Image Gallery
As a former resident of North Texas & Oklahoma I found the Noble Foundation to be a great resource for agricultural information and management practices. If you live in this part of the world I would highly recommend participating in their programs.

Pestman- Weed & Brush Control Recommendations
When you've identified a weed or brush species and are looking to remove it from your property this website is somewhere you can go to get a recommendation for chemical or mechanical control.

Google Earth
This is a great interactive tool that can be used to delineate your pastures and make notes about specific management practices you have made. You can also email files to other so you can share what you have been doing with professionals like your local County Extension Agent.

These are just a few of the websites that I use. There are tons of others that are very useful, and all you have to do is spend a little time to search for your particular need.

Early Season Disease Warnings

Tx Animal Health Commission Issues Disease Warning

With summer still over a month away, the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) has broadcast an early warning for “Pigeon Fever,” also called dryland distemper, after a large number of cases were confirmed in horses last year in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.

The disease, which can be fatal to equine, causes abscesses and swelling in the horse’s pectoral region (breast muscles) causing a “pigeon-like” appearance, and is caused by the bacteria Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis.


Often associated with extreme dry conditions and drought, the disease is associated with the hot summer season but can happen any time of year. It is often found in dry areas of the Western United States, but officials say it appears the disease may be on the rise in other parts of the country.

“The Texas Animal Health Commission has no specific authority to regulate pigeon fever, meaning we do not require vets to report cases. But we have noted an upswing in calls and questions about the disease in recent weeks,” says Dr. Holly Poremski, TAHC veterinarian and director of laboratories for the agency.
Poremski says 2011 was a significant year for the disease among Texas horses with 350 cultures testing positive at the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) in College Station. That compares to only 100 cases or less reported each year in Texas between the years 2005-2010.

“When conditions get very dry we suspect that dust may carry the bacteria into open wounds, and we also think it may be spread by flies carrying the bacteria from one infected horse to others,” Poremski added.
Officials in Arkansas and Louisiana are also warning veterinarians to watch for signs of the disease, especially if there is another drought.

Louisiana usually has fewer than three cases per year, but the state veterinary lab confirmed 33 in 2011 and officials say that number may be low because horse owners often treated but did not test horses for the disease to save on expenses. They say the actual number could have been as high as 300 cases.
Arkansas officials say they confirmed a dozen or more cases last year after several years of no confirmed cases. A spokesman for the state veterinarian’s office said most horse owners are unfamiliar with the disease and did not know how to treat it.

According to a TAHC press alert this month, horses affected by pigeon fever can show a variety of signs including fever, weight loss, swelling of the breast muscles or ventral abdomen (belly), and other areas of the body. Abscesses caused by the disease are usually external, and the swelling is visible.
Less commonly, the abscesses form inside the horse’s body where they are more difficult to detect. Treatment of horses with internal abscesses can be difficult, with major complications possible. Prompt veterinary care greatly increases treatment success and reduces complications in any case of pigeon fever. The disease can be fatal to untreated animals.
Animal health officials say there are two types of the disease. One infects sheep and goats but not horses; the other infects horses but not sheep and goats. Both types can infect cattle and humans, though human infections are rare.

In addition to flies that can carry the disease from one animal to another, basic sanitation is also critical. Infected horses should be isolated and abscess drainage should be disposed of properly. The draining material contains large amounts of the bacteria and contaminates the area around the horse, potentially spreading the disease. It is also important to promptly treat any wounds that could become contaminated by flies or dirt.

While veterinarians say vaccines exist for sheep, there is no vaccine for horses.

VS Confirmed in New Mexico Horses

Elsewhere across the Southwest, vesicular stomatitis, or VS, has recently been detected in two horses in New Mexico. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the infection of two horses in Otero County, according to TAHC. The horses were sampled after vesicular lesions were observed on both animals.

Officials say early reports indicated five horses were thought to be infected with VS, and all of them remain under quarantine. No new cases of vesicular stomatitis have been identified elsewhere in the state. A New Mexico state veterinarian inspected all livestock within a one mile radius of the infected equine. In all there were 128 horses and 24 head of cattle examined.

According to a New Mexico state veterinarian, based on the current findings of vesicular stomatitis in the area, “all livestock leaving Otero County will be required to have an inspection by a veterinarian within 7 days of transport if they are traveling to a public event such as roping, racing, breeding or other forms of public exhibition or traveling interstate.”

The Texas Animal Health Commission prohibits entry of animals from VS quarantined premises, and also requires livestock to be accompanied by a valid certificate of veterinary inspection.
VS can cause blisters and sores in the mouth and on the tongue, muzzle, teats or hooves of horses, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, llamas and other animals. Lesions usually will heal in two or three weeks. Because the signs of VS mimic those of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), animal health officials strongly urge livestock owners and caretakers to report potential cases of VS to their private veterinary practitioner or state livestock health inspector.

Ten Things to Know About the Equine Mind

"Why does he do that?" "What is she so scared of … there's nothing there!" Most—if not all—horse owners have been there and asked those questions. Even though we don't always understand equine behavior, there's got to be a reason behind it, right? Absolutely. Horses’ behaviors date back to equine evolution, and horse owners greatly benefit from an understanding what goes on in a horse's brain, according to one veterinarian. At the 2012 Western Veterinary Conference, held Feb. 19-23 in Las Vegas, Nev., Robert Miller, DVM, a former equine practitioner from Thousand Oaks, Calif., relayed the top 10 things horse owners, caretakers, and riders should understand about how the equine mind functions.

"There are 10 genetically predetermined behavioral qualities unique to the horse that have been established by natural selection over the 50 million-year period during which the horse evolved," Miller began. "Failure to understand these qualities makes it impossible to have optimum communication with horses."

1.     Flight—"We tend to attribute the flightiness of a horse as stupidity," Miller said, but when horses spook and run from things, it's simply their innate instincts kicking in. He explained that unlike the majority of prey animals that depend on horns, tusks, or antlers for defense, the only mechanism horses are armed with—their "life-saving" behavior—is the ability to run. The following nine qualities, Miller said, stem from the horse's flight response.
 

2.     Perception—"The horse is the most perceptive of all domestic animals," Miller said, adding that this quality allowed for the quick detection and escape from predators in the wild. He gave examples using the five senses:

o    Smell—Miller said horses have an "excellent" sense of smell.

o    Hearing—"The horse's range of hearing is far beyond that of a human ear," he said. Additionally, he noted, the ears swivel, giving the horse the ability to pinpoint where sounds originate. This was critical for survival in the wild.

o    Touch—"A horse's sense of touch is extremely delicate," Miller said, which is why an ill-placed saddle pad or a single fly can cause extreme irritation. "The sense we have in our fingertips is what the horse has all over his body."

o    Taste—Ever tried to sneak Bute or a new supplement into a horse's feed, only to have him turn up his nose? Horses have a very tactful sense of taste. When grazing in the wild, it's important for horses to differentiate between good grass and moldy forage.

o    Sight—The sense that varies most from ours is the horse's eyesight. While horses’ depth perception isn't particularly strong, other factors enable them to "see things we're not even aware of," Miller said. The horse's laterally placed eyes allow for nearly 360⁰ vision, a crucial survival mechanism for the wild equid. Additionally, Miller noted the horse has superb night vision and sees in muted, pastel colors during the day. The equine focusing system is also different from humans, he said. When a human eye transitions from focusing on close-up objects to far away objects, it takes one and a half to two seconds to adjust (Miller encouraged attendees to try it—look at something close up and then look at something far away, and try to focus on how long it takes the eyes to focus). Horses, on the other hand, make the transition seamlessly. This is because different parts of the eye have different focusing capabilities. Horses use the top portion of their eyes to see up close, which is why they often lower their heads when investigating something. The lower portion of the eye sees far away, which is why the animal will raise his head when looking at something in the distance; when the horse holds his head up high, he's considered to be in the flight position.
 

3.     Reaction Time—Miller said horses might have the fastest reaction time of any domestic animal, which likely results from evolving with flight as their main defense mechanism. To illustrate the concept, Miller showed video clips of Portuguese bull fighting and cutting horses working cattle, in which attendees could clearly visualize that although the bovines made the first move, the horse always countered and arrived at the destination first. While a fast reaction time is quite useful for escaping predators, it can also be dangerous for humans working around horses. "It's important that we, who make our living with horses, expect their reaction time," Miller stressed. "If (a horse) really wants to strike or kick you, you can't get out of the way fast enough."
 

4.     Desensitization—Although it's equine nature to be flighty and sometimes timid, Miller said that horses appear to be desensitized faster than any other domestic animal. "If an animal depends on flight to stay alive, and if they couldn't rapidly desensitize to things that aren't really frightening or dangerous, they'd never stop running," he explained. As long as the horse learns the frightening stimulus doesn't actually hurt them, the majority will become desensitized, he said.
 

5.     Learning—Miller believes "the horse is the fastest learner of all domestic animals—including children. If you stay alive by running away, you better learn fast."
 

6.     Memory—The horse's memory is infallible, Miller said. One of the best memories in the animal kingdom, he noted, horses are second only to the elephant in this department.
 

7.     Dominance—Equine dominance is not based on brute strength, Miller explained, which is why humans can become dominant figures in a horse's mind. He related an example of a horse herd in which an older mare is typically the boss. While these mares generally aren't in poor physical condition, they're certainly not the strongest herd member physically.
 

8.     Movement Control—What horses do look for in a dominant figure is movement control. Matriarch mares, for instance, assert their dominance by either forcing or inhibiting movement, Miller said, which allows a human to step in as a dominant figure. Miller suggested a quick way for a veterinarian to assert dominance over a horse for safer examinations and treatments: Before treatment, walk the horse in a few small circles. This forces movement and asserts dominance.
 

9.     Body Language—Unlike humans, who can express their feelings through words, horses rely on body language, Miller said. "If we are to be competent horse handlers we must be able to understand and mimic the body language of the horse," he explained.
 

10.   Precocial Birth—Horses are born in a precocial state, meaning that shortly after birth they possess the ability to move, eat, flee, and follow, and all of their senses and neurologic functions are mature, Miller said. What does this mean for a human? Aside from providing enjoyment in watching a young foal gallop and buck excitedly around a pasture, it tells us that the horse's critical learning period takes place shortly after parturition. Thus, Miller recommends socializing and imprinting foals in the very early stages of life.

Of course, every horse is different and should be treated as an individual. That said, having a basic understanding of why a horse functions the way he does provides equestrians with the knowledge needed to forge a strong relationship with the animal and also stay safe when working around him.

Using Bur Clover and Managing for Frothy Bloat

In a previous post I talked about the advantages of using bur medic as part of a pasture mix in South Texas. In this current post I would like to discuss some advantages and managing for the biggest disadvantage of using cool season annual legumes in your pasture rotation.

In my scouting the fields and pastures of Karnes County I am seeing all kinds of bur medic species flourishing in many pastures. I am seeing entire fields that were severely impacted by drought conditions being dominated by bur medic species. I have even been seeing common bur medic which I have not seen in years. In the picture at right, common bur medic is the species in foreground with dark red spot at the base of the leaf. Spot can also be orange. 

This is a good thing for several reasons:

1.      Lessen our dependence on hay and feed resources allowing cows and calves nutritious and plentiful forage.  Bur medic will average 14% protein and 80-90% TDN.

2.      Increase fertility as we go into summer as bur medic is capable of adding up to 50 units on Nitrogen back to the soil after it has finished its lifecycle and through nutrient recycling through cattle.

However, one of the main disadvantages is that it can cause frothy bloat in cattle that eat too much of this legume or other lush grasses. It is a big concern for cattle coming off of drought stressed pastures.

What is frothy bloat?

Frothy bloat is the most common form of bloat, and is where gas builds up in a foam or froth above the liquid/semi-liquid fraction of the rumen content and the normal belching is inhibited. Observable bloat can occur after as little as 15 minutes of grazing. Often the animal bloats only mildly and stops eating. The discomfort is eventually relieved. In more severe bloat, the animal's rumen is distended by ballooning of the rumen, it urinates and defecates frequently, bellows and staggers. Death, due to restricted breathing and heart failure follows unless action is taken.

You can prevent frothy bloat numerous ways: 

1.      In cattle that exhibit early signs I have had some success moving or following them at a walk or trot with a horse or 4 wheeler. However, this does not work after the earliest stages.

2.      Consider using Bloat Guard® (Poloxalene) during periods where bloat is likely. Poloxolene can be mixed with grain supplement or drinking water, drenched, or fed as a pasture block. Effectiveness of this product depends on daily intake. Thus mixing with a daily supplement is more effective than feeding in blocks on pasture. Another useful product is Rumensin® which has also shown efficacy in reducing the incidence of bloating

3.      One of the simplest and most effective practices is to keep dry grass hay available to cattle while they are on these pastures. Keep it in a high travel area near water so they will be inclined to eat at least some hay. Remember that not all animals will eat adequate amounts of hay since they have preferences just like we do.

4.      Do not start animals grazing when the forage is wet from dew or rain. I learned this when I lived in New Mexico where we grazed stockers on alfalfa fields.

5.      Start animals on legume pastures gradually. For example, leave cattle on pasture 1 hour the first day and gradually increase grazing time to 4 hours by the third day and day-long grazing by day five. Another strategy we used in New Mexico with stockers on alfalfa.

6.      Be sure that fiber is maintained in the animal ration during initial grazing periods. As mentioned in #2 above, feed some dry hay or corn silage to grazing animals prior to turning them out to pasture. 

7.      Check animals for bloat carefully every two hours when beginning grazing.

8.      When rotating cattle or sheep among pastures, be sure that animals are moved fast enough so that they are not excessively hungry when going onto fresh pastures. In other words: keep cattle full!

9.      Animals with supplemental feed will be less likely to bloat. For example, a dairy cow, where 40 to 50 percent of the intake is pasture will be less likely to bloat than beef cattle, dairy heifers, and sheep, where pasture comprises 100 percent of the diet. Stocker cattle receiving at least a couple of pounds of supplement are also less susceptible.

10.  Some animals are chronic bloaters. If a particular animal frequently shows signs of bloat, it may be best to remove that animal from the herd and place them in areas without the lush grasses. Always keep your eyes peeled for chronics.

What do you do if cattle still bloat:

Inevitably, no matter how hard you try and how well you manage, you will still, from time to time, encounter some problems with bloating. When bloat is observed, immediately remove all animals from pasture and offer dry hay. This will reduce the bloat problem in all animals that will eat. Forcing bloated animals to walk, as mentioned above, is also helpful. Bloat can cause death in as little as 1 hour so it is important to be prepared to render emergency treatment. When handling an effected animal remember to move them calmly and quietly. As noted, the walking may improve the physical conditions in the rumen causing the animal to eructate, thus releasing some of the gas. If the bloating has not been lessened once you get the animal to the pen then several options are possible. They include:

1.      Stomach tubing – this involves restraining the animal and passing a rubber hose down it's esophagus (taking care to avoid passing it into the animal's trachea) and into the rumen providing a mechanical release of the gas. 

2.      Administration of oil – using a vegetable oil drench will reduce the surface tension and allow the gas to escape.

3.      If neither of these work call your veterinarian.

Conclusion

It is much more effective to take a proactive stance in the prevention of bloat than have to treat it after it occurs. In most cases this involves planning and understanding that some isolated incidences may very well occur. Good management is crucial to prevention.