As part of its mission, Cornell's Animal Health Diagnostic Center (AHDC) offers valuable diagnostic services to New York State livestock producers. They can evaluate freshly dead animals, blood, and tissue samples to determine the cause of illness or death in your herd or flock.

Regardless of what critters are in your care, it's important to reduce stress on them. Remember to also take care of yourself during this heat wave!! 

We're excited to have John on our team for this summer as we work around the region! If you see him out and about, don't hesitate to say hello!

Deworming is something all small ruminant producers face, but with so many trade names on the market, it's sometimes a surprise to realize that there are only three classes of active ingredients. Using an active ingredient that works on your farm can help overcome parasite challenges, and knowing which trade name falls into which class can help you make smart purchasing decisions.

Research indicates that feeding cattle on a later schedule can delay overnight calvings, but in sheep and goats, later feedings can cause them to give birth in the wee hours.

Spring is one of the busiest times of the year on a farm. Even if things are busy, keep health and safety to the forefront of what you do.

While coccidia is a common financially damaging parasite in small ruminants, early identification and environmental management can help reduce its effects.

Amy Barkley is heading a project that explores the development of whole farm internal parasite IPM programs across the region. We're looking for farmers to participate from Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, and Steuben counties. Participants receive one-on-one support to develop a whole farm IPM program as well as free fecal egg count tests, multiple FAMACHA exams, and 5-Point Checks on all animals on their farm. 

It takes a whole lot to produce a dozen eggs! Now's a great time to evaluate your costs so that you can charge a fair price that still enables you to make a profit.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing up to $10 billion directly to agricultural producers through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) for the 2024 crop year. Eligible producers must report 2024 crop year planted and prevented planted acres to FSA on an FSA-578, Report of Acreage form. Contact your local FSA office for more information.

Unfortunately, euthanasia is a decision every farmer has to make. This article stresses the need for clear euthanasia protocols, proper staff training, and emotional support for farmers making these difficult decisions.

For those who are calving, lambing, and kidding this time of year, frost bite on the youngsters is a real concern. The good news is that while we can't control Mother Nature, we can manage around the worst weather to help reduce the risk of frostbite and assist animals that are affected.