RINGWORM is a transmissible infectious skin disease caused by a fungus. Direct contact with infected animals is the most common method of spreading the infection. It shows on the skin as a grayish-white scale, noticeably higher than the surrounding skin. Infection spreads from the center outward, resulting in a roughly circular lesion. Healing is not complete until the lesion is no longer scaly, raised in height and hair has begun to grow. Animals with active lesions should not be shown / exhibited.

PINKEYE is a common infectious bacterial disease affecting the eye. The two most common signs are excessive weeping of the affected eye and closure due to pain. An ulcer frequently develops near the center of the cornea. Prompt treatment is required. Animals showing signs should not be shown / exhibited.

WARTS are caused by the contagious papillomavirus. Cattle under the age of two are most susceptible. Not all animals carrying the virus will have warts. Warts appear 1-6 months after infection of the virus. Contact your veterinarian for prevention / possible cures. Affected animals should not be shown.

SOREMOUTH (also called orf or contagious ecthyma) is a common and highly contagious disease of sheep and goats caused by a virus in the pox family. The disease is transmitted by direct contact with an infected animal, equipment, manure, feed and bedding. Lesions are often seen on the lips and nostrils of affected animals, but may also develop in other non-woolly areas of the body, such as ears, eyes, feet, udder and genital areas. The course of the disease usually runs 1-4 weeks. The virus is also contagious to humans so caution should be taken when handling infected animals. Animals should not be shown or exhibited.

NASAL DISCHARGES are common. If the mucous is not clear, it indicates your animal is not well, be it from a contagious respiratory ailment. Animals with nasal discharge other than clear mucous, or animals with diarrhea or a fever, should not be brought to the fair and will be sent home. You should keep your livestock home and quarantined from others to avoid spread.

Animals with UNHEALED CASTRATIONS should not be shown. Please plan with your veterinarian the type of castration and healing time involved to assure that castrations are healed in time for shows and exhibitions.

DRUGS. The use of any drug is not permitted in show animals at Maine Fairs and exhibitions. This includes sedatives such as acepromazine, anti-inflammatory drugs such as phenylbutazone or flunixin, anabolic steroids or any other substance which artificially alters the appearance of an animal. Department personnel may be conducting unannounced spot testing throughout the fair season to assure compliance with these requirements.

Don Hoenig, VMD   State Veterinarian, Maine

given by Dr. Ben Bartlett- DVM, Michigan State University Extension Dairy & Livestock Agent, at the Grazing Conference last month in Waterville.  

3. Write it down. Have a grazing chart. Pounds of grass per acre. Holistic management grazing chart with critical control points. Use smart phone to record movement of animals into and out of the paddocks.
4. Inspiration is worthless without action. Form a local group, develop plan, share with other producers, report on your plan. Great grazing is not done alone. Need a grazing coach. Have 3 one-day meetings in pastures over a year with a significant cost to attend ie. One-ton cost.
Plant Knowledge:

Plants grow, seed and rest. Practice 3-leaf grazing, quit grazing at the right time.

With 3-leaf grazing let the plant tell you when to graze. As the fourth leave comes out the first leaf dies. At three leaves the plant has replenished root reserves, so you can regraze. The height doesn't have anything to do with when to regraze. Orchard grass goes to seed due to cold vernalization. So seed early spring then in late fall.  Frequent defoliation decreases plant vigor. Plants are photoperiod driven not temperature and moisture.
Compare pasture height and ditch height of grass to see how much energy was left in the fall. Hard grazing in the fall can delay growth by 2 weeks in the spring.
If you have old ungrazed pasture graze hard first thing in the spring to open up the ground. Can take three years to manage a pasture back to productivity.
Animal new knowledge:
Quality and quantity of diet ratio. Animals eat dessert first. They will try to balance ration. Grazing time x number of bites x bite size. Cows graze 8 hours, ruminate 8 hours and rest 8 hours. Negative factors are pests in the pasture.
3-leaf grazing provides a more balanced feed. Immature grass (2 leaf) is high in nitrate, low in sugar, low on some minerals and high in K.
Dr. Fred Provenza, Utah State University Cooperative Extension has developed a website: Behavioral, Education for Human Animal Vegetation and Ecosystem Management (BEHAVE) http://extension.usu.edu/behave/ that has articles, videos and worksheets to help livestock producers save money while improving the landscape.  

Donna Coffin, University of Maine Cooperative Extension 

Aroostook Beef Quality Assurance

15" of snow and still coming down. Cancel the class? Not a chance. There was no deterring the 39 participants of the BQA class held at the Pineland Feedlot in Ft. Fairfield, Maine on a Saturday in late February.

4H youth, Maine beef producers, Extension personnel and employees of Pineland attended. Cindy Kilgore, Livestock specialist for the Maine Department of Agriculture and Donna Coffin, University of Maine Cooperative Extension educator presented topics on bio-security, proper management, behavior principles, cattle handling, record keeping, and a video on injection site bruising. Dr. Simon Alexander of Penobscot Veterinary presented chute side training on needle gauge, handling of medications/vaccines, and injection site technique. Kristi White, farm manager for Pineland spoke encouragingly of the beef industry in Maine and provided a very interesting farm tour of the 2400 head feedlot. The wind howled and the snow blew. All individuals received Certificates of Completion of BQA training and will receive farm signs once they have passed in VCPR forms signed by their veterinarian.  

University of Maine Cooperative Extension is offering a Livestock 101 online course.

This course will cover basic livestock care for small-scale livestock producers, 4-H project leaders and older 4-H youth. This program will provide general information on the care of cattle, sheep, goats, equines, pigs, and poultry for people just starting out or thinking about raising these animals.

Dates: Course starts April 2, 2012, and runs for four weeks.  

The course includes 24/7 access to program information presented over four weeks, in addition supporting resources, e-mail access, and conference calls with presenters will be available. A high-speed broadband Internet connection is necessary, as the course contains streaming web video.

Participants will

• learn basic feed and shelter requirements for their animals;
• understand how to maximize the use of their pasture;
• learn preventative health care for their animals;
• understand the differences and similarities between organic and conventional animal management;
• understand the production cycle; and
• understand the basics of recordkeeping and marketing options for their livestock.

Speakers: UMaine Extension Dr. Dick Brzozowski, Donna Coffin, Dr. Anne Lichtenwalner, Rick Kersbergen, and Dr. Dave Marcinkowski, and Cindy Kilgore from the Maine Department of Agriculture and Diane Schivera from the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association.

Cost: $25

Register online; http://umaine.edu/livestock/blog/2012/03/08/livestock-101/ registration required.

This program is co-sponsored by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Maine Department of Agriculture, and Maine Organic Farmers and Gardener's Association.

For more information: contact Donna Coffin at donna.coffin@maine.edu or 207-564-3301 or 1-800-287-1491 (in Maine).