Profitable Livestock Production (Eddy County)

This has been a difficult year. Only recived 2.2 inches of moisture and that occured on two days. 363 days witout rain. Assisted the local veternarin and NM Livestock board on animal welfare reviews at nine different locations. Conduced education activites with 20 differen rancher on feeding in a drought. Wrote 5 news paper articles on livestock production practices. Investigated the deaths of 27 horses and over 95 head of cattle throught out the years with the local alert verernariain.

Working with Chavez and Otero County a Trichinosis meting was held in Hope NM. As a followup with 6 producer on developing a plan for them as they are working together to solve this problem. They have build close to 30 miles of fence cooperatively.

Conducted 4 bio security trainings, one with certification from LSU.

Worked with the alert veterinarian (a graduate of the Eddy County 4-H program) with 4 different ranch cattle deaths and assisted her with poisonous plant identification. Wrote news paper and e-mail alert to other producers identifying cause of livestock deaths.

Educational program for bovine Trichomoniasis was accomplished by newsletters, mass media including news paper column, information publications and radio programs as well as personal contacts. A livestock producers meeting was held in Hope nm as a tri county outreach program. There were 87 producers at the Hope meeting and it is estimated that at least 420 producers received information and took appropriate actions. Personal contacts were made with an additional 29 producers.

Educational program for bovine Tuberculosis was accomplished by newsletters, mass media including news paper column, information publications and radio programs as well as personal contacts. It is estimated that at least 389 producers received information and took appropriate actions.

Nine producers attended a progam held by the AZ climate center on using their climate model to predict potuntial rainfall and therfore grass production for the next year. The idea is to give a larger window for decission making by producers based on el ninia or el nenio years.