Showing livestock and visiting farms

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For those who show: Do you do anything special (wear plastic covers on your boots that you can throw away) when going to other farms or to show to reduce the spread of livestock diseases?

I'd like to show animals but am wondering if the risk of bringing something nasty back to infect my animals is worth the trouble.

I know that animals must be properly vaccinated to be in certain shows--but things like mites can't be innoculated for.

I've read that you segregate any new livestock for awhile before putting with your stock, do you do the same with the animals you show? If so, I can't show until I have another place for the animals, I guess.

Thanks for the information. Now with all this current trouble you don't hear to much about the terrible cattle disease.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), October 16, 2001

Answers

You have to take normal percautions. First showing or taking preweaned stock is stupid. Second if everyone would leave their ill or diseased stock at home we wouldn't be having the need for this discussion. But when you pay entry fees (or the 4H kid who has grown the animal for just this terminal show), then find soremouth in your herd, the scabs are gone, whats the harm in going anyway? That's the mentality, then when the judge checks the bite of the goats down the line, you infect everyone behind you. On a whole though I have seen swollen CAE knees at shows (not going to catch it anyway) also a dieing Saanen, though I have seen what I suspected to be a CL abscess I have not seen a draining one, I also turned a pen of does in next to me at a show for soremouth, I had a doe who got diarrhea at every show I took her to from stress, another who foamed at the mouth. Some goats just do very poorly leaving home. Of course the most common problems are, shipping fever pnemonia, ecoli and severe diarrhea. All things which are from stress, from contaminated water, or unclean pens, before your stock even got to the fair. The stress of the show also lets numbers of cocci and worms rise, not taken care of this sickness, diarheea and anemia is of course blamed on the fair!

At the farm I simply give you a once over. If your shoes are nasty then I would not let you go in the pen with the stock, and I have made up some real whoopers as to the reasons folks can't go into my pens :) Or I will ask you to change into my rubber boots, and will probably say it is for your saftey as you go home to your stock. I would never wear clothes, shoes etc. from my barn to visit another farm, not only out of courtesy to the farm owners, but I want clean clothes on that can all be laundred, including tennis shoes. Premier at premier1supplies.com has some excellent mats. Both for stepping on before entering the barn, (that you flood with disenfectant, like a huge sponge in a tray idea) or for animals to walk on before trailering, or before entering the barn. An excellent idea! I spray the pipe surfaces of show pens with Techtrol in a spray bottle before going into the pens, cleaning hooves and spraying with bleach as goats come off the trailer. And cringe, no I don't quarnateen after shows, since when we did have large numbers, selling milk etc. my show stock lived together, and now the core of my herd, which is much smaller now, is show stock. Find the management you are comfortable with and stick to it. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), October 16, 2001.


So you DO go to shows--I mean you have to if your business is to breed the best and be known for it.

I appreciate the ideas about wiping down the

If I visit farms Should I keep a cleaned pair of boots in my car for this purpose. I met a tyson's chicken guy who says they have disposable boots. I wonder if some kind of plastic bags could be used as well (not to say you wouldn't wash your boots, but so you dont' have to put infected boots back in your truck).

Thanks very much.

PS. Vicki have you tried the ceasar salad dressing from Olive Garden recipe yet? Please let me know if you like it as much as I do.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), October 16, 2001.


No we didn't end up using the dressing this weekend, but we will soon. That was just so nice of you to send me that!

I wear tennis shoes to other farms, so they can be thrown in the wash with my clothes when I get home. My friends would be laughing at me for saying I show. Though my goats have done very well this last year, I haven't been in the ring, except to show secretary. I WILL be in the ring next year :) Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), October 16, 2001.


i keep a cheep spray bottle of diluted clorox solution and spray our shoes when we return from the poultry swap meet with the recent scares it makes even more sense commercial spray disinfectants would also be handy in the car to decrease the cance of spreading disease to your flock or herd

-- george darby (windwillow@fuse.net), October 17, 2001.

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