CCE Livestock Program Workteam
News, Updates & Recent Publications
My Feed Dust is Moving!? Grain Mites and How to Manage Them
Every summer, I get calls from folks wondering why there are nearly microscopic bugs covering the walls and floors of their feed storage areas and their feed buckets. Looking for a cause, many easily trace it back to their bags of grain. The dust on the exterior of the affected bags appears as if it's moving in a gentle breeze, and there may be a thick layer of dust coating the inside of the feed bags. On closer inspection, it's apparent that the dust is actually hundreds of thousands of nearly microscopic grey-brown looking mites. These are grain mites.
Grazing Small Ruminants to Avoid High Spring Parasite Loads
Getting our sheep and goats out on pasture is something that we all look forward to this time of year. Having the animals outside makes it easier to get the barns cleaned and helps decrease our feed bills. Plus, there's nothing more serene than watching our charges walking in the lush green grass, heads down, thoroughly enjoying the buffet after a winter of stored forage.
Lambing/Kidding Management Calendar and Supplies Needed
Check off which supplies your mentor usually has on hand. Record their suggestions of other supplies to have on hand or particular brands they like to use, etc.
Screening for Diseases when Buying Goats and Sheep
The contagious diseases you initially introduce into your herd or flock will haunt you for years to come. The following are common infectious diseases found in US herds. Be sure to ask sellers directly about the status of these diseases in their herds. People are often more honest when asked directly about specific diseases rather than simply asked “is your herd healthy?”
Understanding Cut Sheets
The page linked here from a butcher in VA offers concise descriptions of what’s possible on lambs, pigs, and cattle, along with sample cut sheets.
Meat Processing in a 20-C Kitchen
For farmers seeking to regain some control over butchering their animals, there is a middle option between being at the whim of slaughterhouse schedules and opening your own slaughterhouse.
Creative Slaughterhouse Workarounds
In this interactive discussion, we aim to help you regain some sense of control over how, when and where you get your livestock processed, and how you sell meat to customers.
Starting a Red Meat Slaughterhouse
Learn the primary considerations for opening a red meat slaughter and processing facility in NYS, from infrastructure to regulations and from labor to financing.