With the region already suffering through the Biblical plagues of drought and heat. Here come the snakes. In September we could see an increase of snakes in back yards, as the critters start slithering out looking for something to eat. They’re very hungry right now. The hungrier they get, the more they start ranging the fields looking for food. We can expect snakes to show up in places where they are seldom seen. So what happens if you come into contact with a snake in your back yards? If it’s a large snake, and it has round eyes with big black pupils, it is almost certainly NOT a venomous snake. The four most common types of poisonous snakes in Texas are the rattlesnake, the Texas coral snake, the copperhead, and the cottonmouth.
The rattlesnake has the distinctive rattle at the end of its tail. Rattlesnakes actually sometimes do not rattle. If you don’t hear the tell-take sound, don’t think it’s not a dangerous rattlesnake. If it is a colorful, banded snake, the old saying really does tell you whether the snake is dangerous or not. “Red touch yellow, kill a fellow. Red touch black, friend of jack. That is probably the best way to remember that. Snakes will almost always retreat when confronted by humans, and many people are startled by how fast snakes can travel. If the worst happens, and the snake does bite, get to the doctor as quickly as possible. The venom will begin kicking in, in a few hours, and frequently leads to paralysis, respiratory failure, and can be fatal. A treatment for a snake bite is usually very expensive. As we get into September, we should be aware of the fact that snakes are likely to pop up in all sorts of places. You should put the flip-flops aside, and wear leather shoes or boots whenever you are walking in or around tall grass brush, or while you are doing gardening work or lawn mowing. Even if rains do come to the region, the snake infestation is inevitable. The snakes are ranging looking for their favorite prey, which is rodents, and a couple of rains won’t suddenly produce a crop of rodents for the snakes to eat.
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MIDDLE AGED COWS MAY BE BETTER FOR POST-DROUGHT REPLACEMENT
Economists with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are suggesting restocking cattle herds with middle-aged replacement cows over heifers after a drought. With the national cattle herd declining, economists are urging cattle ranchers to take action now rather than waiting on economic conditions to improve. People are looking for middle-aged cows, something that has had calves before and are fairly dependable. They are worth as much as youth right now. They are saying we are in for several years of pretty good prices, and they consider them pretty good right now. It could always go sideways or go up for several years. We are not going to get out of this inventory situation overnight. It is going to take a while to build up.
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TAHC REVISES TRICH RULES FOR TEXAS CATTLE
The TAHC recently adopted new rules regarding Trichomoniasis (Trich) a disease in cattle that can cause abortions and infertility after receiving feedback from producers, veterinarians and other stakeholders. TAHC’s Trich program requires that all breeding bulls be tested for the disease before changing owners or entering a new herd.
The following changes were made to the Texas cattle Trich program:
1. Texas will no longer accept “virgin” bulls for entry from other states. All breeding bulls 12 months of age and older must have a negative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Trich test prior to entry.
2. Texas will no longer accept a negative culture test(s) for entry of breeding bulls into the state. Only PCR tests will be accepted.
3. Untested out-of-state bulls are now allowed entry into Texas if consigned directly to Trich-certified feedyard facilities and accompanied by a permit issued by an accredited veterinarian from the state of origin.
4. A “Control Herd Plan” option has been created, which allows large cattle operations up to three years to eradicate Trich from their herd. The enrolled herds are allowed to test once per year (preferably prior to breeding season) instead of two or more times as normally required. However, they must consult with a veterinarian and enter into a plan designed to remove the disease from the herd. In the interim, all bulls leaving the herd must be sold for slaughter or feeding for slaughter only until their quarantine is released.
5. The TAHC will allow an approved laboratory to “pool” individually-submitted samples (up to five samples) for PCR testing, to count as one of the two tests normally required to release a herd from quarantine. Pooled samples still will not be allowed for change of ownership testing. This change was designed as a cost-saving measure for producers and must be approved in advance by TAHC regional management in consultation with the owner or veterinarian.
Questions about the revised rules may be directed to TAHC regional staff. For more information about Trich, visit http://www.tahc.state.tx.us/animal_health/trich/trich.html.
