Importance of Fathers

Father’s Day is Sunday, June 21, 2015.  You may say why should there be a day set aside for fathers?  After all they didn’t go through nine months of pregnancy, then labor and delivery and to top it all off, moms usually get the raw end of the deal with diaper changes, runny noses and the like. However, most of us know fathers who really do pull their weight in the parenting department.

In honor of all fathers, this week’s article will focus on the importance of a father and how he plays a critical role in the development of children. Children need fathers who love and care for them on a consistent basis. 

Here are just a few current trends that would indicate their importance. The latest research indicates that fathers who are actively involved in raising their children can make a positive and lasting difference in their lives. In contrast, research reveals a number of potentially negative outcomes for children whose fathers are not involved. Children who grow up with absent fathers are at greater risks for poverty, school failure, child abuse, suicide, criminal behavior, emotional and behavioral problems, early sexual activity, and drug and alcohol abuse. These risks diminish substantially when children grow up with an active and loving father in the home.

The latest research indicates that kids who grow up with warm, nurturing and actively involved fathers:

•                     do better in school

•                     have higher self-esteem

•                     build better relationships with other kids

•                     develop healthier ideas of how they should behave as adults

•                     grow into more successful adults       

           

          Fathers can have a powerful impact on their children’s success in school. According to a study by the U.S. Department of Education, when fathers took an active role in their children’s education (like attending school meetings, volunteering in school) the kids were more likely to make A’s, participate in activities like sports and clubs, and enjoy school, and they were less likely to repeat a grade.

A child’s potential for success in school starts long before he or she walks into a classroom. An easy activity fathers can do with their young child, which is consistently linked with better school performance, is reading. Why is reading so good for kids? Educators believe that reading and storytelling stimulate children’s imaginations, enhance their vocabularies and help them learn about the world around them. It is also an activity that is very child-centered and creates warm and positive interaction between parents and children.

            Fathers! I encourage you to be a hero by reading with your children on a regular basis and they will reap the benefits that last a lifetime!

Happy Fathers Day!  You do deserve a day set aside just to honor you and recognize the positive impact you make on our children.

            For additional information concerning the importance of reading to children or to obtain a recommended reading list for young children, contact Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Wise County office at 627-3341.

Clover Kid Camp

Clover Kid Camp is just around the corner. Make sure to call the office and get your Clover Kid signed up!

Grass Tetany in Beef Cattle: Prevention and Treatment

Grass tetany is a highly fatal disease associated with low levels of magnesium in the blood.  Grass tetany can affect all classes of cattle but older cows with calves at side during winter and spring are most at risk. Very thin and overly fat animals are also more susceptible. Calves, yearlings and replacement heifers rarely develop grass tetany because they can more easily access body stores of magnesium.

Grass tetany – causes:

Cattle hold magnesium in the bones and muscles but cannot readily access and utilize these stores when needed. The animal constantly loses magnesium in urine, feces and milk, so it needs magnesium in its diet to meet daily requirements.  A cow in peak lactation (6–8 weeks following calving) needs a constant source of magnesium to replace the large amount lost from the body in milk. Even when feed levels of magnesium are low, the loss of magnesium in the milk remains the same.  Low magnesium in the blood of an animal can be caused by low magnesium levels in feed and/or reduced magnesium absorption.

Contributing causes are:

·         Magnesium levels are lower in cool season grasses and small grain forages than in legumes or weeds.

·         Levels are low in grasses grown on leached acid sandy soils.

·         Levels are low when potash and nitrogen fertilizers are used and growth is vigorous.

·         High moisture content in grass causing rapid gut transit and low uptake.

·         Reduced absorption of magnesium resulting from high rumen potassium and nitrogen and low rumen sodium.

·         Low energy intake, fasting or sudden changes in feed.

·         Bad weather, especially winter storms.

·         Low roughage intake (young grasses have low roughage and often poor palatability).

·         Low intake of phosphorus and salt.

Signs:

Animals suffering from grass tetany are often found dead. There may be marks on the ground beside the animal indicating they were leg paddling before death (lying on their side with stiff outstretched legs that thrash backwards and forwards).  Early signs include some excitability with muscle twitching, an exaggerated awareness and a stiff gait. Animals may appear aggressive and may progress through galloping, bellowing and then staggering.  In less severe cases the only signs may be a change in the character of the animal and difficulty in handling.

Treatment of affected cattle:

Blood magnesium levels must be restored.  Veterinary administration of an intravenous calcium and magnesium solution produces best results.  However, in acute cases where time is critical, producers can inject a calcium and magnesium solution under the skin.  Producers should also provide oral sources of magnesium to affected herds to prevent relapses. These include:

·         Magnesium oxide in loose mineral supplements.

·         Molasses blocks or tubs with elevate levels of Magnesium.

·         Slow-release boluses.

·         Magnesium sulphate or soluble magnesium chloride added to hay or silage.

·         Adding magnesium to concentrates or pellets.

These products are available from your veterinarian, feed supplier or rural supplies company.  Please note that trying to increase magnesium intake through mineral or feed supplementation can be difficult and can actually be detrimental in some situations.  If magnesium levels are elevated too high in the supplement it will actually limit or stop consumption of these products.

Prevention and control:

·         Provide a magnesium supplement to cattle that provide elevated levels of magnesium at least 2 weeks prior to grazing lush or suspect pastures and forages and certainly prior to parturition and the start of lactation.

·         Eliminate factors which reduce magnesium absorption through pasture and grazing management.

·         Provide supplemental roughage in advance of grazing lush pasture.

Immediate actions:

·         Increase energy and roughage intake. Good quality hay is suitable.

·         Pellets or grain can be added if introduced carefully and cattle are accustomed to these.

·         Provide salt if a natural source is not available.

·         Move lactating cows (especially older animals) to high dry matter pastures if available.

·         Reduce stress factors (if corralled do it in a very low stress manner, limit transportation if at all possible).

·         Provide magnesium supplements (see below).

Long term actions:

·         Correct soil acidity with lime or dolomite (dolomite contains some magnesium).

·         Plant clovers if adaptable species will grow in your environment.

·         Apply phosphate fertilizer.

·         Limit potash and nitrogen applications until soil acidity is corrected.

·         Keep good records to inform future management.

For problem pastures, consider forage analysis (primarily the leaves) for magnesium and potassium. Consult your veterinarian for further advice.

Diseases similar to grass tetany:

Accurate diagnosis of grass tetany by a veterinarian is important because a number of significant diseases have similar signs. These include:

·         Staggers caused by perennial rye and annual ryegrass toxicity.

·         Nitrate/nitrite poisoning (also seen on young, rapidly growing heavily fertilized grasses and cereals).

·         Lead poisoning – usually from discarded batteries.

·         Locally occurring viruses and bacteria.

How a veterinarian can help:

If cases of grass tetany have been confirmed in the area, work with your veterinarian and be prepared to provide immediate intervention if cattle are found with symptoms of grass tetany.  Work with the veterinarian to develop a management plan to prevent the onset of grass tetany within the herd.  A veterinarian will be able to investigate whether grass tetany or another disease is occurring. Producers who detect signs of grass tetany in their stock, or notice any other unusual signs, should contact their private veterinarian.

4-H Horsemanship Camp

            Wise County 4-H will host a Horsemanship Camp on June 26-27^th for youth and adults. Space is limited and the camp is open 4-H members, parents and volunteer leaders. To sign up for 4-H contact the Extension office for assistance.

            Education is provided by the Texas A&M Horse Program Assistants. Skills covered during the 2-day horsemanship school include hands on basic and advanced horsemanship drills and maneuvers. The camp will start promptly at 8am and will end around 5pm. The camp will be held on Greenwood Road in Decatur.

            The cost for the two-day clinic is $65 and includes lunch and snacks each day. There are no overnight stalls available for horses.

            If you would like to sign up for the Horsemanship clinic or 4-H contact the Extension office at 940-627-3341 by June 12th.

Food Handler’s Course

Foodborne illnesses can be prevented by following simple food safety practices. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension-Wise County provides a Food Protection Management Training Program that seeks to reduce the risk of food borne illness.  

Food service employees and those who operate a cottage food business can attend a two hour food handler’s class on Wednesday, June 17, 2015 from 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm at the Wise County Extension office in Decatur to learn more about good personal hygiene, cross contamination and time and temperature abuse. The registration fee is $20.00 and covers course materials and an official food handler card. Registration deadline for Food Handler certification is June 15, 2015.

A recent change to the Texas Cottage Food Law requires that anyone who operates a cottage food business have a food handler card.  The new food law also allows more foods that can be prepared and sold from a residential kitchen.  The previous law limited the foods that could be sold to mainly baked goods, jams and jellies, and dried herbs.  Under the amended law, which took effect in 2013, the list of foods that can be sold has been expanded to include pickles, popcorn snacks, candy, unroasted nut butters, and vinegar.   In addition, these foods can be sold at venues outside the home including farmers markets, roadside stands, and fairs.  

For questions concerning these classes or the Texas Cottage Food Law please call 940/627-3341 or come by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s, Wise County Office, 206 S. State St., Decatur, Texas 76234. The Food Protection Management (FPM) Training Program is brought to you by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in cooperation with the Texas Department of State Health Services, and the County Commissioners Court Cooperating.