Surviving Difficult Economic Times with Animals

No one disagrees that our country and our local area is faced with a challenge economically.

My intent in writing on this subject is to suggest that the correct way to navigate these times is not through giving up on routine care but exactly the opposite. Animals are very resilient and given an opportunity to thrive they will do so in a remarkably efficient manner.

The basics of Animal Husbandry (Stewardship) are as follows:
    1. Knowledge and common sense
    2. Nutrition (feeds and feeding)
    3. Housing and facility management
    4. Prevention of disease

Good stewardship starts with making good decisions. What kind of animals can I care for? It's no good to have a cow or another large animal when our ability to house and restrain is limited. The scenario of a cow unable to deliver a calf in the middle of a pasture with no pen or other means of containment is often expensive and frustrating for the owner and painful for the animal. Two hours with a dart gun breaks the pocketbook much worse than some preplanning and a corral.

The next decision is how many animals can I own and care for? Should I breed my mare or other pet animal if there are unwanted animals of the same type available? In the case of the horse there is a national issue with unwanted horses. Will my land or facilities allow me to adequately house my animals when the wet cold weather returns? Having more critters than premises can sustain opens the way for disease and difficulty of proper care.

The first and most basic need for your animals is the providing of quality food in sufficient quantity.

    1. Learn to recognize and construct and adequate diet for any animal that you care for.

a. Remember horses, cows, goats and sheep are forage converters and the basis of the diet must be quality forage. It's a general rule that these animals need 1.5 to 2% of their body weight daily in good quality forage.
b. Potable water that you would not be afraid to drink if youhad to.
c. A source of salt and minerals to provide the micronutrients required.
                i. Our area is deficient in Se for example (discuss this issue with a health profession)
 d. Additional energy sources if needed (carbohydrate or fat)
                i. Grains in moderation or fat sources (oil or rice bran)
                ii. The young, the elderly, and the pregnant female need more nutritional support.

    2. Plan for success during wet times of the year the dry times will be a no brainer.
            a. Constructing a facility (barn, pasture, lean-to, etc so that your animals can stand and lay in a manure free, reasonably dry environment. good sanitation is a basic element in prevention of ill health as is air quality (No stuffy poorly ventilated tin sheds/Pneumonia factories.)

Understand and become adept at instituting a preventative strategy in disease control.

Control parasitism:
Internal and external parasites are major Whatcom County issues for all species. Time spent discussing a program of control and prevention with a Veterinarian is essential. Recent observations suggest that routine deworming without fecal testing is failing to control parasites in our area.

Prevent infections disease:
    1. Core vaccination requirements exist for each species.
        a. Horses (Tetanus, West Nile, Rabies)
        b. Cows (BVD, IBR, BRSV, Lepto, Clostridium)
        c. Sheep/goats/camelids (CD-T)    

    2. Understanding and administering vaccinations at the proper time virtually eliminates the risk of infectious disease at a tiny fraction of the cost of one illness.

Avoid "potholes and cliffs"
Understand what factors can undermine health and avoid these traps.
    1. Don't let your easy keeper horse become too fat and grass founder.    

    2. Make sure your male goats (wethers) eat a proper diet and avoid urinary calculi.   

    3. Control access to the grain bins to avoid grain overload and death in all species.

    4. Understand which plants are toxic and eliminate them
        a. Japanese Yew, Rhody's, Tansy Ragwort, etc.    

    5. Learn to understand correct body condition in all species to avoid the too thin and the too fat.

    6. If you have a pregnant animals learn what to expect as delivery time nears.
What is normal and what signals the need for help.  

    7. Loose wire, old farm equipment, metal, dead batteries and used oil have all been responsible for Whatcom county animal fatalities.    

    8. Your Veterinarian can help you understand common pitfalls. Ask them to llok at your facilities during a routine visit.

Routine preventative measures such as vaccination and parasite control are very cost effective and discarding them during tough times is poor economics. One disease allowed to occur rather than being prevented will put a person in a financial hole. We often quote a Veterinary School Professor who reminded us that we could prevent routine diseases in a whole heard for a fraction the cost of one animal.

Each species of animals in our county have certain requirements for health. Becoming familiar with the common preventative strategies takes only a modest amount of time and is not Rocket Science. Understanding these necessary elements is with anyone's grasp. the great issue is discipline and organization so the vaccinations, deworming, maintenance of facilities etc. are routinely done.

This is a good time to regroup and plan for success. 

Enjoy your animals, take good care of them and reap the benefits.