Modern-ag-monthly

Modern-ag-monthly A product of Moore County Publishing Company, Dumas, TX.

A free monthly tabloid and digital publication dedicated to agriculture with a focus on the Texas Panhandle including the counties of Dallam, Hartley, Hutchinson, Moore and Sherman.

01/05/2024

Advertisers, don't miss this opportunity to save BIG on full page ads in the News-Press. Today only, call in and reserve your full page(s) for only $199 per run (plus optional $55 color). Must call before 11 a.m. to lock in this price. Call between 11 a.m. and noon and pay $229 per page (plus $60 optional color). Call after lunch and the price is $259 per full page (plus optional $65 color). Regular price is over $1,000 per page! 806-935-4111.

09/14/2023

Our annual football pick 'em contest is back. Contest Week 1 is inside this coming midweek edition. Look for it on Page 8 and be sure to get those entries in by Friday at 5 p.m. for a shot at the $20 weekly cash prize!

In case anyone is interested in attending...
09/14/2023

In case anyone is interested in attending...

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas A&M AgriLife Research will host a regenerative agriculture field day on Sept. 27 in Lamesa.

Early entry deadline is Sept. 15...
09/14/2023

Early entry deadline is Sept. 15...

About Yield Contest Showcasing Top Sorghum Yields Across the Nation In 1985, there were more than 18 million acres of grain sorghum planted in the U.S. The National Sorghum Producers (NSP) Yield Contest was started to increase membership, and educate producers on new management techniques. Today, th...

05/30/2023

Cotton producers struggling with available water can maximize crop yields from limited water by utilizing variable deficit irrigation.

https://www.plainscotton.org/CN230505/
05/05/2023

https://www.plainscotton.org/CN230505/

Welcome to the May 5, 2023 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond. High Plains Pre-Planting Conditions Weather Outlook Cotton Inc. New Advertising Campaign In Case You Missed It High Plains Pre-Planting Condi...

10/28/2022

Ruminating On Grain Overload: Avoiding Rumen Acidosis

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Oct. 27, 2022 -- Ruminants like cattle, sheep and goats have a unique digestive system that allows them to gain energy from forage such as mature pasture grass and hay. The carbohydrates found in these feeds help to provide ruminants with healthy energy, but did you know that consuming high amounts of certain other types of carbohydrates can be dangerous — and even deadly?

Dr. Brian Shoemake, a clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, discusses the physiology behind grain overload, treatment methods and how to safely incorporate grain into ruminants’ diets.

Ruminants are herbivores with four stomach chambers that each play a unique role in digestion. They get their name from the rumen — the first and largest chamber — which acts as a storage area and the location where microbes digest and ferment feed.

According to Shoemake, a ruminant can eat roughly 2% of its body weight in forage per day. Quality forage (which provides protein, energy, vitamins and minerals) can adequately and efficiently maintain the dietary needs of many ruminants.

Supplementation with grain may be helpful if there isn’t enough high-quality forage available. However, feeding too much grain at once or not acclimating ruminants to the new diet can result in a condition called grain overload.

“Grain overload, also known as rumen acidosis, is typically a severe incident that occurs mostly in ruminants after excessive ingestion of rapidly fermentable carbohydrates,” Shoemake said.

These types of carbohydrates can come from young, immature plants; root crops like sugar beets and potatoes; and cereal grains such as wheat, corn and milo.

“Overindulgence in these feeds causes a shift from the healthy microbial fermentation byproducts — which provide the basis of energy — to unhealthy byproducts, especially lactic acid,” Shoemake said. “The lactic acid produced causes the rumen contents to become more acidic, which disrupts normal digestion. Once the rumen becomes acidic at a severe level, other systemic symptoms develop.”

Symptoms of grain overload may include bloating, fever, profuse and malodorous diarrhea, anorexia, lethargy and an inability to stand. In the most severe cases, death can occur within 24 hours of the initial grain ingestion.

As such, if you suspect that a ruminant has consumed an unusual amount of grain, it is important to seek treatment from a veterinarian quickly.

“Treatment varies based on a few factors, including, predominantly, the severity of the disease,” Shoemake said. “The first step in treatment is to stabilize the animal, which may involve relieving the bloat and dehydration. The next step is to remove the offending feed material and then rebalance the rumen’s pH with medications or replace the rumen fluid with healthy rumen fluid from another donor animal.”

Additional therapies might include the use of pain medications and antibiotic treatment. Complete recovery of the rumen may take up to six weeks.

At safe levels, cereal grains can be included in a ruminant’s diet as nutritional supplementation, but it’s important to introduce this supplementation slowly. Ruminants can typically consume 0.5% of their body weight in grain without complications.

“Once an animal is acclimated to this amount of grain (0.5% of its body weight), more grain can be added slowly to the desired consumption level,” Shoemake said.

Before introducing additional grain, Shoemake advises consulting a ruminant nutritionist or veterinarian to ensure a safe and healthy transition and to verify that an animal is able to tolerate an increase in grain, as some cannot.

“Providing grain can increase the risk or incidence of disease for some animals,” Shoemake said. “For example, grain feeding programs in male sheep and goats can induce urinary stones that become obstructive and life-threatening.”

Incorporating grain into the diet can be beneficial for some ruminants, but, with such a close connection to the animals’ health, changes should always be made with care.

Pet Talk is a service of the School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at https://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to [email protected].

09/27/2022

HEAD

Address

Dumas, TX
79029

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+18069354111

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Modern-ag-monthly posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Modern-ag-monthly:

Share

Welcome to Modern Ag Monthly

We are proud to bring you our latest print and digital product, which is free of charge in both formats. Modern Agriculture Monthly (MAM), formerly Tri-State Ag quarterly magazine, focuses on ag-related news that affects the top of Texas (Dallam, Hartley, Hutchinson, Moore and Sherman counties).

If you have a story idea or ag-related news to share, please email [email protected] or message us.

Find the digital version of MAM at moorenews.com/special. The print edition is available at locations in the counties mentioned above, as well as in the final print edition of each month in the Moore County News-Press in Dumas, Texas.

Modern Agriculture Monthly is a product of Moore County Publishing Company.

Nearby media companies


Other Dumas media companies

Show All