Livestock Wala'au

MINI-S2 Ep 04 Heat Stress, Livestock Health Updates, & new tools for beef cattle producers.

July 12, 2022 Season 2 Episode 4
Livestock Wala'au
MINI-S2 Ep 04 Heat Stress, Livestock Health Updates, & new tools for beef cattle producers.
Show Notes Transcript

Aloha and thank you for tuning in for another MINI Livestock Wala'au! It's season 2 and we have lot's to share! In this mini-episode we will be talking a little about heat stress, FSA programs available now, YB and DOA quarantine updates. Also learn more about our upcoming episode with Dr. Dillion Feuz who will be demonstrating the Beef Cattle Retained Ownership Analysis: Web-Based Decision Support Tools. 

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Shannon Sand:

Aloha Today's episode is brought to you by the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and the livestock extension group.

Melelani Oshiro:

Aloha welcome everyone to the livestock bow in podcast game to provide educational support information, guidance and outreach to our livestock stakeholders in Hawaii. We are your hosts Mele Oshiro and Shannon sand. And today, we're just going to be sharing, sharing about workshops, coming workshops past and some other updates in our little mini episode Livestock Walaau

Shannon Sand:

wow, so exciting. Should be exciting. Yeah, so let's start with things.

Melelani Oshiro:

Yeah, why not? So most recently, we had an aquaculture lecture health lecture that was June 30. And Shannon I believe that one's going to recorded.

Shannon Sand:

At Komohana, So that's Hilo. Yeah. Yeah. And we are recording it. It is a public lecture. It is sponsored by Mele. Can you help me out? I know its part of...

Melelani Oshiro:

Its lead by Dr. Jenee Odani, and it's part of

Shannon Sand:

No, I bet that was cool, though, because I was just her VSCP, which is a veterinary service grant program. So on top of the workshop that's put on for veterinarians technicians and extension and other health folks. She also does a public health lecture, which is this one here that will that was recorded and will be available later, so and the other one that was recorded back in a few a month or so ago was our spine health lecture with Dr. Petznick, he was also here on our podcast as a guest. And it will be available soon on the livestock extension group YouTube channel. And if you registered for those lectures, you will get the links through the email, because we have your contact and it'll be sent out that way from Dr. Odani. If you're interested in the recording, let us know if you did not register, you can send us an email at walaau@hawaii.edu. And we can go ahead and forward that link. Because it's it is a pony show you need to get the link in order to be able to view the lecture. Yeah. like, we had a short interview with him one month and our couple month or so back. And I just he's so fascinating. It's so interesting. Such a cool perspective.

Melelani Oshiro:

Yeah, very, very informative, that lots of experience working and, and working here with some of the producers and down in the Pacific. So he's very familiar with that area. So if he's listening, we are going to reach out to you again, Dr. Tom, and get you back on the podcast. So we can talk more about some hogs. Yeah. But upcoming Shannon, you want to share what we got going on this month.

Shannon Sand:

So this month, we have Dr. Dillon Feuz, he's going to talk about beef cattle retained ownership, he's come up with some really cool tools. So while we will have this on our regular audio podcast, we also generally have videos to go along with it most months unless something happens because life happens for everybody, I think certain times, but we will have a video for this so that you can actually go in and see the tools and see how it works. I mean, he goes through an example or two of it. So it should be really good, really interactive, and some opportunities for people to go in and play with some decision tools and stuff.

Melelani Oshiro:

So yeah, we also have a extension publication that comes along with this web based support you so you can have a written you'll have a audio and you have a video that shows you how to use that tool. So yeah,

Shannon Sand:

Y eah. And I'm just at that point in life where I like video, like, again, I guess it just is, like part of my part of our generation. Like it's just, I really like videos, for me are a great learning tool, because sometimes I just need to see someone else go through the steps in order for me. So I really appreciate that we have like, all of those different forms. People go through it. So yeah, for sure. And our friends from FSA sent us some updates. They informed us that interest rates continue to rise, which I think we're all aware of it. Inflation has been a big thing. We've had record breaking inflation for the past. Now, eight months, I believe, if I remember correctly, because it's the thing I like to keep up with. However, USDA rates remain lower than anywhere else at 3.75% for real estate and 3.6 to 5% for operate operating loans. They asked us to let you know that they cannot refinance real estate debt, but they can refinance farm operating debt so if you need capital to operate your farm as many of us do, Every year every two years, every six months again, depending on what you're growing. You know, that's an option. And generally FSA is pretty good about that. And then farmers, you can just contact your local FSA. I say farmers sorry, farmers and ranchers can contact their local FSA offices for more details.

Melelani Oshiro:

So yeah, and the livestock forage program is currently open for 2022 to sign up in Hawaii, Maui and Honolulu or a Oahu counties. And the deadline to sign up is January 30th, of 2023. So LFP, if you're not familiar, provides payments to two producers who suffered a grazed forage loss due to the drought. So it usually applies in those counties that are impacted with drought and currently.

Shannon Sand:

so and then the 2023 noninsured crop there does crop Disaster Assistance Program, the nap program, and AAP is also currently open for signup on grazed forage crops, aka grass, basically, the deadline to sign up is the end of the year, so December 31 2022. And the coverage would be for the 2023 crop year starting in January one and going to December of the next year of 2023. So yeah, yeah,

Melelani Oshiro:

Yeah. And so I'm continuing on with some other updates on the health end of side. Yeah, yeah. So just for those we spoke about this last month, but there is a quarantine order number 158 For bovine tuberculosis. And this update we have here comes from young brothers so those shipping animals you know, do due to the recurring outbreaks of the bovine TB throughout cattle and you know, it does impact swine herds as well. central and west Moloka'i from 2021 to 2022. The Department of Agriculture is going to be enforcing the quarantine order for all domestic feral and Wild ungulates. So ungulates are hooved animals such as cows does excludes domestic equine. Again, it's excluding the domestic equine on the island of Molokai, if you you know, these species are prone to the infections with bovine TB, even if they're not showing any symptoms.

Shannon Sand:

Very infectious is my understanding, Mele. The form DC-8, do they get that from the DOA, or ?

Melelani Oshiro:

Yeah, yeah, it is. And so with the wild and feral populations out there, you know, you can't really separate them, you know, you can but you know, there's always going to be some type of interactions. Yeah. So just be aware of that, you know, for our hunters and one another out there, you know, be cautious about that don't transfer that those animals and The Department of Ag or the veterinarian? meat products and whatnot out outside of the county. It's just Veterinarian office could well have it as well. But if you are to help prevent the further spread of bovine TB throughout the islands you know, there's once it gets into your herd, you really don't have much choice of what to do and those herds have in you, if you're in Moloka'i on the island or whatnot, and you to remove so trying to keep it contained in one area is the best bet so it is mandated by the Department of Agriculture to restrict those movements you know, we're not talking about horses but live ungulates on the entire island of Molokai you're not allowed to move across the island or off the island without any prior approval, you need to have form DC-8 permit to ship and which is also issued by the veterinarian and Department of Agriculture. need to move animals for any reason, and you have questions, if you're moving ungulates or whatnot, just call your local vet are call the Department of Agriculture and ask because that's the best way to do it. So that you know you just don't have any impact there but like I said it excludes domestic equine. And but any other no livestock a wild ungulates even even, you know transporting those types of things. You don't want to do that.

Shannon Sand:

So yeah, it's just so incredibly infectious. I was yeah, you could get like, yeah,

Melelani Oshiro:

so you can call visit the DOA each Doa website, or you can contact 808-973-9560 and get more information about the quarantine order number 158 for boring bovine tuberculosis. So, you know, we're just trying to prevent, you know, be responsible. Yeah, prevent and protect that. So we don't have this disease come on to our other islands. The neighbor islands. Yeah. You know, young brothers says you know, they just send that out there and this comes from young brothers and the Department of Ag appreciate everybody's understanding to try to mitigate that don't have that disease. So yeah,

Shannon Sand:

you were going to share some information are going into July and August and September. I feel like those are generally some of the hotter months here. Yes. Heat Stress is a real concern for any sort of livestock. Really?

Melelani Oshiro:

Yeah. Yeah. You know, your, your herds. When we talk about heat stress, you got to think about it on your herds to impact the temperature and I'm getting to around them in the humidity, we live in a very high humid climate, you know. And so animals, you know, and I think some of this came up because we all know what's going on in the States, you know, Kansas had a really bad heat wave that went through there a really high humidity for what their animals are not used to, they're not acclimated to this and if animals cannot acclimate themselves to the environments that they're in, and they get pressed with a with a heatwave, or a big bout of heat stress, any type of change in temperature, you know, it causes stress on to the animal, you know, and of course, if they can't acclimate, then they, you know, other physiological changes are not able to occur, and it stresses that animal and can cause death, you know, so other things that you know, and extreme and it causes death on the more I should, I don't know how to say smaller or lighter end of things, you know, it causes impact to their health or their production, whether it's beef, it's, they're, they're producing meat, or milk or anything like that. So yeah, and it can, you know, it can happen across any species. It happens,

Shannon Sand:

the heat indexes x's are expected to be pretty high this summer, it looks like two so like, I know, for my folks on their ranch back home, the heat index last week, and you know, it's similar humidity to here, because it's, it's Florida subtropical, I was like, it was like 107 day, I mean, that's really hot, high. Luckily, we've got lots of shade trees and stuff. But yeah,

Melelani Oshiro:

and that's part of where you know, you use this, the thi higher temperature humidity index is used and

Shannon Sand:

especially if you take it's like any anything like calculated based on temperature and humidity, it gives you a number that you can kind of turn back and relate to the impact that environment is putting on those animals, right. And so you can start to employ your mitigation strategies on how to help them alleviate this heat stress that they're getting, or whatnot, and put those strategies out there, whether it's adding more shade, adding more water ventilation, or some people use sprayers, that that's when they'll trigger their sprayers, and they'll have misters in certain areas that will go on and that just helps the cooling, right, but you need to have the wind, and you need to have that cooling, you know, and a lot of times the animals are you able to acclimate because we have cooler periods at nighttime so it can you know, their bodies can come back down in temperature, and then they can come back up in the afternoon and just be able to deal with that. So think about it. We are you know, our microclimates here on the island vary across the whole. The study that we did, you know, when I was doing my thesis, we measured heat stress and temperature, humidity and did all the tables in the Commonwealth region in the in the northern part of the island, and it's cooler up there, you know, so animals are not going to be stressed. But if you move yourself down onto the coast, Upolu point on the Big Island, and you know, South Kohala and whatnot, it gets a lot hotter down there, you know, luckily, you take an animal that was raised in the Kamuela, like my Waimea area, its whole life, and then you move it to somewhere else where it's, you know, completely different climate here. So yeah, so yeah, so

Melelani Oshiro:

just think about that during the summer, if you're working your animals try to work them earlier in the cooler parts of the day, don't trek, on long passages, when you have to be in that hotter point of the day, you know, and market animals that are you know, getting ready to get butchered, remember, they have that thicker layer of fat on them. So it does take them a little bit longer to cool and takes more for them to cool. So just take those types of things into consideration because it can, you know, impact them overall and impact your return on them. Right if you start to stress them. So, yeah, I know that it takes it animals to acclimate. You know, most times when you get animals coming down from the Mauka or mountain regions into your lower paddocks. And into the hotter regions, it can take them up to seven to 10 days to kind of acclimate to those areas and be productive and efficient on the feed that they have there. So know that they are going to pull down, you know, when you when you get them into those areas, and just take that into consideration. So yeah, just something that we thought I thought, you know, something we can talk about is coming into summer, and yeah, we're gonna get even hotter. You know, August, September, usually points where we get really hot in here. So.

Shannon Sand:

So for the thsi that temperature, humidity index or impact, I'm sorry, for index index. Is there are we going to link somewhere they can go to look at how to do that, or calculated or a calculator.

Melelani Oshiro:

I'm sure I can put that in the I'll put that in the show notes for you. And it's pretty simple. There's actually some calculators online and we just use the basic NOAA website. You know, we have weather stations as well. Now with the university at our research stations on the Big Island. We have income Kamuela as well in Kona, so put some something out there. But yeah,

Shannon Sand:

well and that's the thing if you have those when the university has access and has those weather stations in all those sub climates and those microclimates it's so handy, because I don't know again at my previous university, I worked at four. We had one like a lot a lot of local businesses and local places would would help fund that. Yeah. To support it. And I was like, you know, towards the end, like we would do ground probes so that you knew when the best planting time was if you're receiving your ground for grass, or it's, I mean, they just so much information in those things. It's amazing now.

Melelani Oshiro:

Yeah, so I'll put some links in there where people can find more information, just talking about heat stress how you can calculate temperature humidity index. And, you know, I think sometimes we don't think about it as much because we're not really running the feed yard. You know, feedlots and stuff have different impacts on the animals, that they have to think about versus us grazing outside, you know, so, but it can still it doesn't, it doesn't mean that your animals can't get a heat stress, you know, they could but our animals are way more acclimated to where we are. And I think our producers are well aware of the better points of time during the day to be working and especially during the hot times. We don't want to be out there when it's hot. So why would your animals want to be out there when it's hot, right? Anyways, that was just a little bit talking about that. And heat stress and wrap it all up

Shannon Sand:

livestock days in July. So we're gonna start with the big one the for the Fourth of July Independence Day. So not technically classified as a livestock day but I think it is because generally that's when a lot of us have barbecues and like enjoy lots and lots of smoked delicious barbecued meat. I hope so. Hopefully you are enjoying that as well. Yes,

Melelani Oshiro:

yes, definitely. Yes. And July 6, National fried chicken day who doesn't love Fried chicken right?

Shannon Sand:

No, I love so the 14th is national Mac and Cheese Day so and there are some really good like local cheese makers. I feel like they do goat cheese here. Yeah, I was like I know there's one and I think Puna I'm wondering why I'm I want to say why may I right?

Melelani Oshiro:

Ahualoa.

Shannon Sand:

Oh, they're both so good.

Melelani Oshiro:

Yeah. July 20, or National Hot Dog Day. Can't forget that when I you know, I think that chicken guys are lucky. Right. There's like almost two. Yeah. Different chicken days into like,

Shannon Sand:

yeah, you're right. July 29. Is national chicken wing day. Yes. I also love chicken wings, right. It's all fried. Fried. But yeah, so good. So good. Yeah. So. All right. So that's it for our national days in July. Make sure

Melelani Oshiro:

Yeah. For additional information about this and any other topics or comments, send us an email at walaau@hawaii.edu. to join our Facebook page, the livestock extension group. If

Shannon Sand:

Oh, and before we go show some love for your favorite podcast. That's us, by the way, by leaving us a review you haven't already. Be sure to visit the UH ctahr Extension on Apple podcasts or anywhere you listen to this and then stay tuned for next month.

Melelani Oshiro:

That's right. And thanks again to our sponsors the Western extension Risk Management Education Center, website and our YouTube channel listed in the show notes. USDA, NEPA the livestock extension group, and CTAHR mahalo for listening to livestock walaau mini. A hui hou!