Keeping Livestock Healthy

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Keeping Livestock Healthy

• Joy Jones, Tillamook County 4-H Agriculture
  Agent
• Oregon State University Extension Service

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Keeping Livestock Healthy

• Prepare for your animal before you get one
• Learn about the animal.
• Prepare a place for it.
• Shelter
• Fencing
• Plan on how you will care for it.
• Feed
• Water
• Hauling
• Handling them if they are wild or
• when they need vet care.

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Keeping Livestock Healthy

• Provide a safe facility
• Look for hazards.
• Make sure it is in good repair.
• Provide shelter.

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Keeping Livestock Healthy

• Select Healthy Animals
• Learn about the kind of animal you are buying
  before purchasing it.
• Know what problems to look for
• For example Sheep foot rot
• Dont bring problems home

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Keeping Livestock Healthy

• Haul your animals safely
• Provide protection from the elements.
• Sun
• Wind
• Rain

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Keeping Livestock Healthy

• Isolate new animals to prevent spreading diseases
  to your other animals.
• Watch for signs of disease
• Coughing
• Nasal discharge
• Diarrhea
• Rapid breathing, panting

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Keeping Livestock Healthy

• Isolate new animals for at least 2 weeks.
• Watch for fighting when you do add a new
  animal to a group.
• Can be a serious problem with pigs
• They can become overheated
• May be injured

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Keeping Livestock Healthy

• Do not change the animals diet rapidly.
• Find out what your animal has been eating.
• Give it similar feed while it adjusts to its
  new home.
• Do not change
• amounts quickly.
• Provide clean water.

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Keeping Livestock Healthy

• Vaccinate your animals
• Learn what diseases are common in your area.
• Check with the producer to see what vaccinations
  your animal has received.
• Administer booster shots as needed.

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Keeping Livestock Healthy

• Monitor your animals health
• Know what signs and symptoms to look for.
• Example shipping fever or pneumonia

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Keeping Livestock Healthy

• Monitor your animals health
• Develop a routine for checking your animal
• If your animal doesnt come for feed,
• dont ignore it check on it!
• If your animal acts unusual,
• dont ignore it check on it!

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Keeping Livestock Healthy

• Look at your animal!
• Check their feed and water regularly.
• Dont wait till Saturday to do something
  about a potential problem.
• It might be too late!

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Keeping Livestock Healthy

• Be prepared
• Learn what your animals normal temperature
  should be.
• Have a rectal thermometer and know how it should
  be used.
• Know who you will contact if your animal is
  really sick.

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Keeping Livestock Healthy

• Veterinary Practices Law
• In Oregon it is illegal for someone other than a
  licensed veterinarian to diagnose and treat
  another persons animal.
• This includes 4-H Leaders and friends.
• It is punishable with a fine.
• Individuals may diagnose and
  treat their own animals.

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Keeping Livestock Healthy

• When treatment is necessary
• Administer it as directed
• Use correct method
• Example sub-cutaneous or intramuscular injection
• Follow the timeline
• Example administer every 48 hours

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Keeping Livestock Healthy

• When treatment is necessary
• Administer it as directed
• Use the product only as directed
• By your veterinarian
• According to the label instructions
• Avoid Meat Animal Drug.
• Withdrawal violations.
• Avoid show rule violations.

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Keeping Livestock Healthy

• Develop a parasite prevention plan
• Learn what parasites are problems for your area
  and type of animal.
• Monitor for parasites.
• Example take fecal samples
• Develop a schedule
• Observe Meat Animal
• Drug Withdrawal
• periods.

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Keeping Livestock Healthy

• Preventing diseases is better than treating them
• Generally less costly
• And more successful
• Animals that are sick tend to go off feed and
  dont gain weight.
• Some never completely
• recover.
• Some die!

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Keeping Livestock Healthy

• Tame your animal
• Calm animals are healthier.
• Reduce stress
• Reduce disease

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Keeping Livestock Healthy

• Tame your animal
• Hand feeding may be a better choice than using
  an automatic feeder.
• Halter break animals early.
• Brush or scratch them often.

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Keeping Livestock Healthy

• Keep facilities clean
• Clean water
• Help prevent coccidiosis keep feces out of
  water.
• Clean feed
• Help prevent worms.
• Clean pen
• Help reduce pathogens.
• Clean air
• Help reduce respiratory infections.

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Keeping Livestock Healthy

• Be prepared.
• Prevent problems before they happen.
• Be vigilant watch your animal.
• Act quickly seek help when needed.
• Follow through on prescribed treatments.

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Keeping Your 4-H Market Animals Healthy

• Available at
• http//extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/4h/4-h140
  .pdf