Vol. 47, No. 4
A biosecurity plan for the Aquaculture Research Station blossomed into a model for all LSU AgCenter research stations as a result of a national leadership program. The plan was developed by Terry Tiersch during his year as part of the ESCOP/ACOP Leadership Development Class.
The horse industry is alive and well in Louisiana. Purses for racing Thoroughbreds and quarter horses are high, and quality show horses are found in nearly every barn. Knowledge of horse owners and their ability to care for their animals is also increasing. Neurologic diseases and how to best prevent them continue to present challenges to our horses as well as their humans.
Cattle farmers are going back to school to learn how to improve their herds and possibly their income through the new Louisiana Master Cattle Producer program.
The focus of this issue is the nonruminant farm animal, which includes chickens, horses and pigs. The nonruminant animal has an uncomplicated or simple stomach as compared to the ruminant animal, which has a stomach with four compartments (cattle, sheep and goats). The nonruminant also is referred to as a monogastric.
Horse owners who have not had their animals vaccinated against Eastern Equine Encephalitis must do so, said LSU AgCenter veterinarian Dr. Steve Nicholson.
Somatotropin, also known as growth hormone, is a protein hormone produced and secreted by the pituitary gland of mammals. Somatotropin has several functions in the body, the most notable of which is growth of the long bones (for example, the femur of the thigh), which is achieved via stimulation of an intermediate hormone, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), from the liver.
Louisiana soybean producers are facing a new type of stink bug pest more difficult to control than the green and brown stinkbugs they are accustomed to fi ghting, said LSUAgCenter entomologist Jack Baldwin.
The 2003 agricultural statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicate that litter size per sow has increased over the past decade. As litter size increases, the sow must increase milk production so that the baby pigs can maintain a healthy growth rate. To produce milk, the sow must use a combination of nutrients derived from her diet and from the fat and protein stores in her body.
More than 120 hunters and other interested participants learned the do’s and don’ts of attracting doves at the LSUAgCenter’s first Dove Field Day on Aug.28, 2004, at the Idlewild Research Stationnear Clinton.
Phytate is a compound found in many common feed ingredients that decreases nutrient availability in animal diets. The main anti-nutritional effect of phytate is that it makes phytate phosphorus unavailable for digestion and absorption by nonruminants such as swine and poultry. Phytate also has negative effects on digestive enzymes, trace minerals, calcium, protein and amino acids, and carbohydrates.
Genetic selection of broiler chickens for production performance has been associated with changes in their behavior. Traits such as aggres-siveness, mating behavior, fearfulness (propensity to be easily frightened), feather pecking and sociality vary considerably within genetic strains. Many of these traits can exert profound effects on the welfare and productivity of farmed poultry because they influence the birds’ ability to adapt to their social and physical environment.
The poultry industry is the largest animal agricultural industry in Louisiana and is second only to forestry in total income produced by all agricultural commodities. Louisiana poultry growers produce almost 1 billion pounds of broiler meat each year. The size of the poultry industry in Louisiana has raised concerns about the management of large quantities of litter (mixture of poultry manure and bedding material).
More than 120 hunters and other interested participants learned the do’s and don’ts of attracting doves at the LSU AgCenter’s first Dove Field Day on Aug. 28, 2004, at the Idlewild Research Station near Clinton.
The LSU AgCenter’s Audubon Sugar Institute celebrated new facilities and a federal grant at an open house Aug. 31,2004.