Animal Health & Welfare
Welcome to Open Range, I’m Susan Allen. Stay tuned because after the break I’ll check in with our field reporter, Greg Martin for the AgriBeef Minute.
I’m Greg Martin with the Open Range AgriBeef Minute. We hear a lot these days about treatment of animals. But according to Bob Larsen, Professor of Production Medicine at Kansas State University there is more to it.
LARSEN: A couple of things that I like to emphasis is just overall day-to-day health and well-being. To have the appropriate housing, diet and environment so it’s pretty healthy. Does that mean we don’t have really hot days and I’m uncomfortable, no. Can I get sick, yes.
Larsen says that like your family has these basic needs, so do cattle and other farm animals.
LARSEN: We want the system in place so that the pastures, the fences, the barns and sheds and everything is in place so that animals have a good environment on most days. That they’re able to handle inclement weather well and that their diet and their disease protection is on-going and gives them a good chance for a good healthy and productive life.
This takes some interplay between the producer and the veterinarian.
LARSEN: As a veterinarian or a cattleman, either one, I want to be able to exchange ideas and I think the veterinarian can bring a lot of ideas to a cattle producer on highest risk activities, highest risk times of year and really kind of focus efforts during that time.
I’m Greg Martin and that’s today’s AgriBeef Minute.
Thanks Greg. Don’t forget Greg will be back each Wednesday with the AgriBeef Minute. Agri Beef Co - Real Families, Great People, Exceptional Beef. I’m Susan Allen.
