CCE Livestock Program Workteam
News, Updates & Recent Publications
Fundamentals of Ventilation in Barns Webinar
What is effective ventilation and what is not? Learn more about ventilation and what is appropriate for livestock barns of all types.
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.
Did the Breeding Take? Pregnancy Verification Options for Your Momma Cows
Breeding is an important time of year for beef producers in that its success will determine the number of calves on the ground the following season. Many beef enterprises run on thin margins, and a cow that's not producing a calf is not pulling her weight.
New York Equine Hay Survey
Attention horse owners and hay producers! The Equine Subgroup of the statewide CCE Livestock Program Work Team wants your assistance in understanding hay sales and purchases within our state for horses.
Dealing with Marek's Disease in Chickens
Marek's Disease is one of the most common flock illnesses. It is economically devastating for unvaccinated commercial flocks, and emotionally tough for small flock owners with unvaccinated flocks. However, with attention to flock health and vaccination of new arrivals, it can be easily managed.
So, What Adds Value to a Beef Calf?
With the costs of doing business going up, farms that raise beef calves need to take steps to help increase the return on investment from their feeders. This can be achieved through pre-conditioning, or setting their animals up for success when moved to the feedlot. The move to the feedlot from a pasture-oriented home is a huge change, and while there will naturally be depressions in rate of gain, there are also chances for increased illness and death of animals that are not pre-conditioned. No one wants an animal to die while in their care - both from welfare and financial standpoints. While some market channels don't pay high premiums for pre-conditioning, others will because they understand the value added by the farmer from birth through the pre-weaning period.
Equine Seminar Series - Fall ‘22
A virtual series hosted by Cornell’s Equine Hospital, Cornell Cooperative Extension and the New York State 4-H Horse Program.
The Pros and Cons of Seeding Pasture with Big Box Store Mixes
As we work in our barns or sit in our houses, looking upon our fields encased in snow, we're reflecting on the year and making decisions as to which pastures we're going to renovate or improve. Once those well thought out decisions have been made, we go to order seed, only to find that prices have skyrocketed. There is also very little seed available. Both are a result of last year's drought in Oregon, where much of our pasture seed comes from. This wasn't in the plan! What do we do now?