HSUS Sues Smithfield Foods Over How Sows Are Housed
Smithfield Foods is the target of an animal-rights lawsuit, which accuses world’s largest pork producer of misleading consumers over how it treats animals in the U.S. food supply chain. The lawsuit, filed by the Humane Society of the United States, one of the most vocal animal-rights activist organizations in the country, accuses Smithfield of failing to eliminate gestation crates for mother pigs.
According to HSUS, the cages used to house the pigs are “barely larger than the animals’ own bodies and they prevent them from turning around.” In the past, such measures were taken in the hog industry because data show that sows inadvertently crush more than 100 million newborn piglets each year. HSUS says that Smithfield never fully eliminated the gestation crates as the company said it would back in 2007, and HSUS is unhappy that that it appears Smithfield only reduced the amount of time it requires pigs to spend inside of them.
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How To Deal With Snakebite In Livestock, Horses
Rattlesnakes are the most common poisonous snakes in the U.S.--especially in the West. The danger or potency of a bite depends on the amount of venom injected by the snake and the type of toxin—which can vary depending on the snake. It also makes a difference where the bite is located. A bite on the leg is usually not as dangerous as a bite on the face. Swelling from a bite on the nose may cause suffocation if it shuts off the air passages.
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Cow Country Reporter, October 2021
October is the month where we are trying to complete the harvest and this year is no exception. Due to weather conditions, as well as market conditions in the cattle business, we are playing “catch up.”
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USDA Vaccine Candidate Successful In Blocking ASF
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) announced Sept. 30 that one of its African Swine Fever Virus (ASF) vaccine candidates has been shown to prevent and effectively protect both European and Asian bred swine against the current circulating Asian strain of the virus.
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La. Farm Bureau President Harper: "Grassroots Advocacy Finally Coming to Fruition"
The continuing resolution passed by Congress September 20, 2021 to fund the federal government included $10 billion to fund the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus, better known as WHIP+. This funding is important for Louisiana’s farmers and ranchers affected by the 2020 hurricanes Laura, Delta and Zeta, as well as the 2021 ice storm.
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Three Takeaways From the LSU Beef and Forage Field Day
The Northeast Louisiana Beef and Forage Field Day was held September 16 at the Goldmine Plantation in Mangham, La. Field Day visitors heard from LSU AgCenter livestock specialists and a local veterinarian on best practices for cattle operations as we move into fall and winter. Here are three key takeaways from the event.
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