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1. Idaho amends its trich testing requirements for imported cattle
By Sean Ellis
Capital Press
January 26, 2016
BOISE - Idaho lawmakers have approved a proposed rule that amends Idaho's trichomoniasis testing requirements for imported cattle.
The disease, also known as Trich, is a venereal disease that causes infertility and abortions in cattle.
The Western States Livestock Health Association last year recommended states adopt consistent standards and Idaho's deputy state veterinarian told lawmakers he is confident the modified requirements will not threaten the state's cattle industry.
Different states have had different rules for trich testing and the WSLHA-recommended changes will provide consistency from state to state so producers don't get confused about the requirements, Dr. Scott Leibsle, the deputy state veterinarian, told legislators.
States have often disagreed on what age a bull is considered a virgin, which tests they will accept, whether the tests of several animals can be pooled and how long the tests are valid.
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2. New Mexico EHV-1: Additional Cases Confirmed
By Erica Larson, News Editor
TheHorse.com
January 26, 2016
The New Mexico Livestock Board (NMLB) reported Jan. 26 that additional horses residing at a racetrack in New Mexico have tested positive for equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1), bringing the total case count to 18.
"These horses are from 13 different barns within Sunland Park racetrack; at present, horses in surrounding areas have tested negative," the report stated. "Of these 18, one horse has been euthanized for neurologic symptoms."
No movement of horses is being allowed in or out of Sunland Park. Officials with the NMLB, New Mexico Racing Commission, and Sunland Park will continue to work together to resolve the issue, the statement said.
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3. EHV-1 Quarantine Released in California
By Erica Larson, News Editor
TheHorse.com
January 26, 2016
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has released the quarantine put in place after one horse tested positive for equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) earlier this month.
The quarantine was released on Jan. 25. No additional cases have been confirmed and the incident has been closed, the CDFA said in a statement.
The draft-cross gelding displayed neurologic signs and was confirmed positive for the non-neuropathogenic strain of EHV-1 in early January.
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4. Help livestock handle cold weather
Central Kentucky News
January 26, 2016
The three most important things you can do to protect livestock in cold weather are providing sufficient water, giving ample high-quality feed and offering weather protection. Cold stress reduces livestock productivity, including rate of gain, milk production and reproductive difficulty, and can cause disease problems.
Pay special attention to very young and very old animals that might be less able to tolerate temperature extremes and have weak immune systems. Also monitor heifers and cows as calving time approaches. They have a high risk of frostbite, because the swelling of the udder and teats causes poor circulation.
Dehydration and hypothermia are the two most likely life-threatening conditions for livestock in cold weather. Necropsies (autopsies) have shown that dehydration causes more livestock deaths than cold during the winter and early spring. Animals tend to drink less water in severely cold conditions, increasing their risk of dehydration. Many animals, especially young ones, might not know how or be able to break through ice to reach fresh water. Livestock need water to aid digestion, which produces heat when fiber breaks down.
Be sure your livestock always have plenty of clean water in liquid form. Dirty water is a host for disease organisms. Disease can rapidly spread if animals drink from a trough containing dirty water. If an animal gets sick, isolate it from the trough and thoroughly clean and disinfect the trough.
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5. Iowa Layers Headed to Recovery
By Staff Writer
WHOtv.com
January 26, 2016
Iowa layers look to be finally on the road to recovery according to the most recent National Agriculture Statistics Service report.
After about five months of the stagnating populations, the average number of layers on hand in December 2015 was almost 38 million, six percent higher from the previous month, and up from the low of 34 million after the bird flu epidemic.
Before the avian influenza hit Iowa flocks last year, there were about 60 million hens in the state.
Iowa egg production also jumped up to about 812 million but it still has a way to go, 2014 produced 1.4 billion eggs in the state.
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6. ALDF sues to lift Yellowstone park closure during bison capture
KGWN.tv
January 26, 2016
Casper, Wyo. - The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), Jamie M. Woolsey of the private Wyoming law firm Fuller, Sandefer & Associates, L.L.C., and two constitutional law professors filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of journalist Christopher Ketcham and wild bison advocate Stephany Seay.
They are seeking access to Yellowstone Park's controversial bison trapping operations that lead to the slaughter of hundreds of bison. The lawsuit argues that the First Amendment guarantees citizens and journalists reasonable, non-disruptive access to the publicly funded national park.
The National Park Service is scheduled to capture and facilitate the killing of up to 900 bison inside Yellowstone Park starting on February 15, 2016. During the capture and kill operation, the Park Service closes parts of the park to public access.
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7. Lawmakers again discuss raw milk herd-share bill [WV]
By Pamela Pritt
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
January 26, 2016
CHARLESTON - Lawmakers for the second year are discussing a bill that could be a cash cow for some dairy owners, but others say herd sharing should be approached with caution because raw milk consumption can be dangerous, particularly for the very young.
A bill that would allow herd owners to sell shares in their dairy cows passed out of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development Monday afternoon. Share owners could also share raw milk from the cows, a growing trend in some communities.
Raw milk is not pasteurized, and according to Prevention Magazine is "loaded with nutrients and enzymes that help boost" the immune system, but if not handled correctly that same milk can also be loaded with diseases like listeria, E. coli and salmonella. Neither the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nor the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommend drinking raw milk.
Similar to last year's bill, this legislation would require registration with the Department of Agriculture for each person who shares in the herd. If an outbreak of disease attributed to the milk occurs, it is up to the department to notify the Department of Health and Human Resources.
Herd owners must agree to not distribute raw milk to anyone who does not own a share of his or her herd, and the milk can only come from a herd that has tested negative within the previous 12 months for a variety of diseases, including tuberculosis.
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