Sir Loin":1fpfazbk said:OK, we agree that flies spread it! Case closed on that one.I think eyes can get bad from weed seed, or to tall of grass...But pink eye is a different thing....and yes flies can spread it....
If the majority of pinkeye is not caused by pasture conditions, then what is the main cause?
As far as I know pinkeye can be either a virus or a bacterium.
It starts with an injury to the eye and/or foreign matter in the eye. And the most common place for an eye injury (poked) or to get foreign matter (seeds pollen Etc) is while grazing, as most of a cows time is spent grazing.
The next best place for them to contract pinkeye is while eating round hay bales that have been placed on their side and eaten from the center (tunneling) or tunneling from the sides.
And any hay bunker that puts the hay above the cows head.
Re:
True! You are correct, but you don't win anything!I thought Salatin was in Virginia?
But the last time I checked Virginia was still in the US and we are talking about a US (DA) grant.
SL
john250":33cksopk said:I had never heard of Mr Salatin before this.
My impression is that he is a marketer more than a farmer. Nothing wrong with that. Selling sizzle instead of steak is one "old timey" expression for it. Recreational ag is the more modern term which I would use.
A couple of farms in my area do very well at recreational ag. One started started as a roadside market and u-pick and blossomed into a very large business with a winery, restaurant and a lot more. Huge business.
Another, younger operation started as a corn maze.
I maintain this isn't a good fit for more than a few. The operations I mention are run by natural born promoters. They love having the public in and thrive on that. How many current farmers do you know who love having the public in? I don't know many. Personally, I hate the idea of having to entertain people.
Non industrial ag has a lot of buzz--but a store here just went broke offering "natural" and "organic" foods. The owner moved the business to a trendy section of Indianapolis looking for more of the well heeled sushi and brie crowd. I ate a $4.50 dozen of their free range eggs. They weren't bad, but to me they weren't superior to the far cheaper corporate eggs.
The trouble is, the non farming public gets this vision in their head that farms can (and should) exist like they did in the Andy Griffith era.
Folks like Mr Salatin play to that nostalgic touch, and to the extent that he "disses" modern agriculture he does us a disservice. His style agriculture won't feed America at any price working America is willing to pay.
If you look at Mom and Pops in other fields, a few survive like Mr Salatin by being great promoters. "Orange County Choppers" comes to mind. A few great Restaurants and Bars.
Other than that, it's Wal Mart and franchise restaurants.
There is a place for the Salatins and others, but they do not offer a template which should be laid over all of agriculture.
Mr. Salatin would fall on hard times quickly if he did not have the "wannabes" to attend his seminars, buy his literature and working vacations
Now lets see, 10 X 12 = 120 SF ÷ 75 birds = 1.6 SF per bird.We use 10 ft. X 12 ft. X 2 ft. high floorless, portable field shelters housing about 75 birds each to grow these 8-week meat birds.
Not me! I love them all for promoting my product (angus), especially BI LO, McDonalds, Buger king and hardies.I think most traditional cattle people have a natural aversion for promoters.
tncattle":1ad7drqs said:quote: We use 10 ft. X 12 ft. X 2 ft. high floorless, portable field shelters housing about 75 birds each to grow these 8-week meat birds.
You left out the part about them moving those meat birds every single day to a fresh section of pasture.
FYI- heard is something you hear, herd is a group cattle or other herd animals
Not left out, just haven't got there yet. I will get to that later under "labor costs".You left out the part about them moving those meat birds every single day to a fresh section of pasture.
Thanks but it's my darn auto spell check. It's got messed up when my mechanic fixed my #1 macro.FYI- heard is something you hear, herd is a group cattle or other herd animals
Source: http://www.ext.vt.edu/news/periodicals/ ... s-922.htmlPinkeye is a bacterial eye disease that is very common in Virginia Cattle. It occurs most often during the summer but may occur any time of the year. Considerable economic loss occurs because of weight gain losses in calves and because of lost value of cattle who are left with eye scars or who are blind. Recent research data on pinkeye treatment should be considered by producers as they deal with cases of pinkeye in their herds this summer.
Source: http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/ope/enotes/showarticle.cfm?id=9Pink Eye: Health Problem and Economic Loss
Pasture management (clipping and dragging to break up manure pats) is an important component of control, as is fly control.
I'm aware of that! But you did ask "Does anyone on here farm as he does? Cattle or whatever else?"If you have read any of my posts you know I'm a greehorn and trying to learn.
Yes, but only in their little 10 X 12 foot space.is it possible for the chickens to do as Salatin says? Eat the the fly larva and whatever else out of the cow manure, then scratch and spread it out everywhere?
NO! as they can only get to those few pies that are in their 10X12 space.Thus relieving the fly problem?
My dad always said "if you send a fool to school, all you will ever get is an educated fool".And heard or herd.....
tncattle":3ht2gx0e said:Sir Loin,
Why do you use so many exclamation points? Are you really that upset by all this :?:
Thanks but it's my darn auto spell check. It's got messed up when my mechanic fixed my #1 macro.Sir Loin":3rm5aznl said:Not left out, just haven't got there yet. I will get to that later under "labor costs".You left out the part about them moving those meat birds every single day to a fresh section of pasture.
PS: We haven't even talked about water yet either.
Now as he says he moves his electric fence and his portable field shelter daily, here is your home work.
Use any shape pasture you wish and figure out how you can move an electric fence daily just enough for a days feeding and still have access to the pond (water) without having the cattle walking on the previous 7 days used pasture.
A. Compute your best guess as to how long it takes to move 1,000 ft of electric fence 100 feet.
B.Compute how long it takes to move, say,6 portable field shelter.
C.Then compute how long it will take to carry feed & water to those 6 portable field shelters.
Your answers:
A. _______ B. _______ C. _________
FYI- heard is something you hear, herd is a group cattle or other herd animals
tncattle said:If you have read any of my posts you know I'm a greehorn and trying to learn. Anyway, is it possible for the chickens to do as Salatin says? Eat the the fly larva and whatever else out of the cow manure, then scratch and spread it out everywhere? Thus relieving the fly problem?[/quote/
Yes. It does work. The chickens won't touch a pile that is to fresh or to dry(my observation) Relieving is the key word. Its not 100%.
You are a "greenhorn"? We all should be greenhorns. Right now you have an open mind and a willingness to learn. You will be miles ahead of some, if, ten years from now you can still proudly claim "I'm a greenhorn".
Bluestem":3rwxdxwl said:tncattle":3rwxdxwl said:If you have read any of my posts you know I'm a greehorn and trying to learn. Anyway, is it possible for the chickens to do as Salatin says? Eat the the fly larva and whatever else out of the cow manure, then scratch and spread it out everywhere? Thus relieving the fly problem?[/quote/
Yes. It does work. The chickens won't touch a pile that is to fresh or to dry(my observation) Relieving is the key word. Its not 100%.
You are a "greenhorn"? We all should be greenhorns. Right now you have an open mind and a willingness to learn. You will be miles ahead of some, if, ten years from now you can still proudly claim "I'm a greenhorn".