Posts in Livestock
Local Food Movement Powers Louisiana Ranch’s Success Story

Growing great land and cattle in the semitropical sandy soils outside New Iberia, La., is a generational touchstone for the Gonsoulin family. Shannon Gonsoulin and his wife, Toni, represent the most recent group of Gonsoulins ranching on family ground — a tradition beginning in 1784, when French land surveyor Jean Francios de Beaumelle Gonsoulin became the first family member to register the F2 brand.  

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Livestockkristen oaks
Avian Influenza Detections Drop, But Fall Migration Looms

Over 175 million birds and 1,075 dairy herds have been affected by the current strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) since it began in February 2022. Detections of HPAI in both poultry and dairy cattle have slowed over the summer months with zero detections in commercial poultry flocks and just one dairy herd detection in the last 30 days. This Market Intel provides an update on the status of HPAI and what to watch for as the fall migration season approaches. Migratory birds moving south along flyways are the most likely to spread HPAI, which survives better in cool conditions, making fall a likely time for HPAI flare-ups.

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Livestock, PoultryAvery Davidson
Mexico Reports 53% Surge in Screwworm Cases

Cases of New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite that infests livestock and sometimes humans, have risen sharply in Mexico. According to Mexican government data cited by Reuters, as of August 17 there were 5,086 recorded infestations in animals — a 53 percent increase in just one month, with 649 active cases.

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Livestockkristen oaks
HHS and USDA Confirm Singular Traveler-Associated New World Screwworm Case; Precautionary and Proactive Surveillance Ongoing

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently identified an instance of a traveler-associated human case of New World screwworm (NWS) in the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reaffirmed its robust surveillance and trapping strategy, confirming there have been no detections of NWS in U.S. livestock.

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LivestockAvery Davidson
Livestock Welfare, Autism Awareness Advocate Addresses 4-H Leaders On Thinking Differently

It isn’t every day that a former Time Magazine 100 Most Influential People of the Year and the subject of an Emmy-winning HBO movie speaks at an LSU AgCenter event. But that is exactly what happened when internationally renowned author, livestock welfare and autism awareness advocate Temple Grandin addressed the Louisiana Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals last week in Vernon Parish.

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Farmers Fear Lasting Damage After Roseland Explosion

A Tangipahoa Parish couple says their farm is struggling to recover after oily fallout from last week’s explosion at Smitty’s Supply in Roseland.

Lisa and Robert Friedley live about three miles from the oil company on a 71-acre farm. They raise cattle, sell hay and stock ponds with fish. They say all of it is now at risk.

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Livestockdon molino
SU College of Ag Alumna Allison Thomas Appointed Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. Dairy Export Council

Southern University College of Agriculture alumna Allison Thomas has been named the U.S. Dairy Export Council’s (USDEC) Chief Operating Officer (COO). The announcement was made on August 11, 2025 by the USDEC and will become effective on August 25, 2025.

In her role as COO, Thomas will report directly to USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden and serve as her strategic thought partner, oversee USDEC’s senior leadership team, and spearhead initiatives to accelerate growth, enhance operational performance, and drive innovation across the organization.

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USDA Announces Sweeping Plans to Protect the United States from New World Screwworm

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins at the Texas State Capitol alongside Governor Greg Abbott and stakeholders from across the country announced the largest initiative yet in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) plan to combat the New World Screwworm (NWS). This announcement builds upon USDA’s five-pronged plan issued in June to combat the northward spread of NWS from Mexico into the United States.

NWS is a devastating pest. When NWS fly larvae (maggots) burrow into the flesh of a living animal, they cause serious, often deadly damage to the animal.

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LivestockAvery Davidson
Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation Applauds USDA Action to Fight New World Screwworm

The Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation applauds today’s announcement of a fully federally funded domestic production facility for sterile New World Screwworm (NWS) flies to be constructed at Moore Air Base in Texas. This critical investment represents a monumental step forward in protecting American agriculture, livestock health, and rural economies from one of the most devastating livestock pests in history.

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Cow Country Reporter: August 2025

Thank you to our CPL members who have renewed their membership in July. For those who have not, please do so by the end of August. Let me know if you need a form. Again, THANK YOU!

The month of July saw new record prices for slaughter steers and heifers coming out of the feedlots and slaughter cow prices.

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LivestockAvery Davidson