Stallion Breeding Management

            Although many people do not own stallions that they keep on their farm, there are some farms that have a need for a stallion almost daily. Before you purchase a stallion to keep on your farm, there are some precautions you should take to ensure not only you are safe, but also your stallion, mares, and facilities.

            Stallions need to be properly housed in order to be comfortable as well as not to injure anyone. Some stallions do not pose a concern around most horses, but some stallions become highly aggressive during the breeding season. If a farm has more than one stallion, it is important that they be separated from the rest of the horses. Since the main reason to have stallions is for them to breed, they may not be handled as often as other horses. This means they may spend more time in their stall than other horses. Because of this, stallions need to be kept in larger stalls. Typically, wood is the material of choice to build stalls for stallions because it does give slightly if kicked, but is not as loud as metal stalls. In addition, stallions do not need to spend all of their time in a stall; they need exercise. Even if it is just hand-walking, it is important to ensure stallions have exercise, which may help increase semen production.

            Nutrition is a key part of a stallion’s health. During the breeding season, stallions typically increase their exercise. Also, their energy will need to be increased meaning they need to be on a good nutritional program to keep their strength up for breeding season. Body condition scoring of stallions can be done by measuring the fat cover on various parts of the stallion’s body, including the neck, shoulder, croup, back, and ribs. Some owners like to supplement with different species of hay, including legumes or grass hay. No matter what the owner chooses, it is important that the stallion receive the proper nutrition not just during breeding season, but all year.

            For more information about properly managing stallions, please visit the article this was compiled from here. If you have any questions, feel free to contact your local Cooperative Extension Office.

There's a LOT going on!

First and foremost...WAY TO GO to the Skill-A-Thon team! They are on fire! The following individuals competed at the 2011 N.C. State Fair Skill-A-Thon Competition and have a lot to show for it!

Megan Downs - 14th overall in the Jr. Division
Jonathan Murphy - 11th overall in the Jr. Division
Ashley Murphy - 9th overall in the Jr. Division

So proud of them! Keep up the hard work and it will take you far in life!

Also - there are lots of great events coming up through N.C. Cooperative Extension!

N.C. Cooperative Extension presents the 2011 Winter Agricultural Workshop Series:

Pasture Management: November 2, 2011 at the Craven County Cooperative Extension Office, sponsored lunch will be provided and this event is free to the public. One hour of pesticide credits will be offered for N,O,D, and X licenses. Chemical representatives will be here to discuss how to properly manage your pastures, and seeding rates. Please call and register at (252) 633.1477.

Introduction to Backyard Chicken Management: November 16, 2011 at the Craven County Economic Development Office (please use the back door), sponsored lunch will be provided and this event is free to the public. Dr. Donna Carver from NC State University will be here to discuss how to get into backyard chickens, how to build a coop, and discuss breeds, eggs, and diseases. Please call and register at (252) 633.1477.

Wildlife Nuisance Management: December 14, 2011 at the Craven County Cooperative Extension Office, sponsored lunch will be provided and this event is free to the public. Wildlife officers and wildlife trappers will be discussing proper ways to rid of nuisance wildlife as well as laws, rules, and regulations Great for livestock owners, farmers, hunters, and youth. Please call and register at (252) 633.1477.

Other events coming up in N.C. Cooperative Extension:

Livestock Veterinary Service's Dr. Justin Martin with cooperation from REINS and N.C. Cooperative Extension present a Coggins and Vaccine Clinic: November 5, 2011 at the Lenoir County Livestock Arena (beside the Lenoir County Cooperative Extension Office). Please call Livestock Veterinary Services at (252) 933.1483 for the price list and to reserve your spot.

Southeast Regional Pork Conference: November 17, 2011 at the Lenoir County Cooperative Extension Office, $5 for event including lunch, 6 hours of CEC will be offered, event is limited to the first 125 people to sign up. Please call and register at (252) 527.2191.

Eastern Carolina Cattleman's Conference: December 6, 2011 at the Sampson County Agri-Exposition Center, $20 pre registration, $25 at the door including lunch. Please call and register at (910) 296.2143.

Colic in Horses

             You walk outside to feed your horses in the afternoon and notice that one is not eating or drinking. Your horse is attempting to roll, pawing at the ground, sweating, getting up and down, and curling his upper lip. What is wrong with your horse? In this article, we will discuss the symptoms, types, treatment, and prevention of colic in horses. It is very important to familiarize yourself with various horse problems and diseases, so in the event of a medical emergency, you will be able to give your veterinarian as much information as possible.

            Your horse may have severe abdominal pain also known as colic. There are many different types of colic including: dry food impaction, gas distention of the large bowel, acute inflammation of the small intestine, parasites that cause a decrease in blood flow to the intestine, or a distended stomach. If you notice any of these symptoms, you should call your veterinarian immediately. Also, if you notice your horse has rapid breathing, violent activity, profuse sweating, or a cold, clammy feeling, your horse may have gone into shock and it is imperative you call your veterinarian.

            When treating colic, veterinarians first try to figure out what type of colic they are trying to treat. Medication will be given to the horse to control the pain. How the horse responds to the treatment determines how severe the condition of colic is affecting the horse. One important thing to remember when treating colic is that it is very important to reduce the pressure in the stomach. Oral medications may be needed to lubricate a mass or to help prevent further gas distention.

            There are many ways to prevent colic, which include: a parasite control program which is especially important for young animals, regular feeding schedule using good quality horse feeds, and avoiding sudden changes to the horse’s diet in amounts of feed or kinds of feed.  Also, another way to prevent colic is to provide clean, fresh water so your horse can access it at all times.  Adding salt or a salt block to the diet is also a good choice.

            While colic is a digestive disease common to horses, it is not the only digestive disease. Other digestive diseases in horses include: choke, Potomac Horse Fever, foal heat diarrhea, laminitis, and blister beetles. It is always recommended that you have a strong patient-client-veterinarian relationship in not only routine check-ups, but in case you have any emergency. If you have any questions about colic or how to prevent / be prepared for colic, or any of the other listed digestive diseases common to horses, please feel free to contact Margaret Bell at the Jones County Cooperative Extension office at (252) 448.9621 or email Margaret_Bell@ncsu.edu.

By: Margaret A. Bell, Livestock – Craven & Jones Counties

Compiled from Equine Science: Second Edition by Rick Parker

North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation.  North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.

Congratulations to our Skill-A-Thon Team!

Hello everybody!

First of all, I want to congratulate the three individuals who competed at the Wayne County Fair Skill-A-Thon Contest this past week:

Jonathan Murphy
Ashley Murphy
Cheyenne Pike

They did a great job! Jonathan placed 1st in Jr. 4-H and Ashley placed 7th in Jr. 4-H! Cheyenne is too young to be placed but she did a wonderful job as well! Way to go everyone! I am so proud of you and can't wait for your next chance to SHINE!

Please let me know if your child will be competing in our next Skill-A-Thon competition which is Sunday, Oct. 30 in Raleigh at the Beef Educational Unit on Lake Wheeler Road. I plan to drive up that morning very early. Registration is from 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM and the contest will last until noon. We will drive back that afternoon. PLEASE let me know if your child will be able to attend ASAP. The deadline for registration is this week. There is a registration fee that will be covered for your child. If you would like to attend as a parent, please let me know so we can cover your cost as well.

We will have practice Tuesday, Oct. 11 from 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM at the Jones County Office for those who can attend. Please let me know if you will be able to attend ASAP.

Also, I want to congratulate the youth representing North Carolina at the National Skill-A-Thon Competition! They received numerous individual awards as well as team awards including 5th place OVERALL:

Michaela Seitter
Casie Ingram
Elizabeth Rowe

Thanks and again, congratulations!!

Upcoming Events

All, hope this post finds you doing well. There are a couple of upcoming events I wanted to tell you about!

Tonight, we have our first Horse Elluminate Session at the Craven County Cooperative Extension Office from 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM. It is not too late to sign up! We will be discussing disaster planning for your horse farm. This is a free event and you do not have to own a horse to participate.

Next Wednesday, September 28, we will have Skill-A-Thon Practice from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM at the Jones County Cooperative Extension Office. The first competition is October 4 at 4:00 PM at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in conjunction with the Wayne County Fair. The next competition is Sunday, October 30 in Raleigh at the NC State University Beef Educational Unit.

The Coastal Carolina Agricultural Fair will run from October 13 - 22, 2011 at the Craven County Fairgrounds located off of Hwy. 70 headed towards Havelock from New Bern. If you would like to exhibit any livestock (poultry, cattle, sheep, goats) please email me at margaret_bell@ncsu.edu and I will send you an entry form.

If you have any questions please email me at margaret_bell@ncsu.edu. Have a great week! : )

2011 Horse Elluminate Series

Hope this post finds you all doing well! Cooperative Extension has a GREAT opportunity coming up for those of you who are interested in learning more about horses.

Please help me spread the word:

We will have the first Horse Elluminate Series this coming Tuesday night, September 20, 2011, at the Craven County Cooperative Extension Office from 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM. Elluminate is a computer-based learning module that will be taught by NC State University horse specialists. This is a great opportunity to learn more about various horse topics whether you are a horse owner or not. Elluminate is beneficial for horse 4-H clubs, horse enthusiasts, new horse owners and old alike. Please help me spread the word about this series so we can have a great turnout. The event is free. Please call the Craven County Cooperative Extension Office to pre-register for the series at (252) 633.1477.

Hope to see you all there! Please let me know if you have any questions. There will be more of this series as well.

Skill-A-Thon & Livestock Judging Practice

All, hope everyone is getting back into the swing of things this school year. We will be starting back practicing for Skill-A-Thon & Livestock Judging this week. We will meet at Karen Pike's house in Trenton tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 15 from 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM. If you need directions, please email me at margaret_bell@ncsu.edu and I will provide you with them.

Competition will be held in October and we will discuss details of this at practice. We will start practicing every week starting this week. Once we meet this week, we will decide what times and days are best for everyone and go from there.

Hope to see all of you there and good luck this school year! : )