Whether you or your kids show open classes , 4 - henry or FFA , you ’ll never forget the thrill of watching your doe - eyed dairy moo-cow , immaculate white ewe or flashy , feather poulet profits that first beautiful blue ribbon . Unfortunately , you ’ll also never forget the disappointment if your prize - winning dreams are dashed because the cow sustained a trailer injury , the ewe issue forth down with pneumonia at the show or the chicken return home to taint your flock with avian influenza .
To help keep your dream livestock show from becoming a nightmare , Dr. Christine B. Navarre , DVM , an denotation veterinary at Louisiana State University and president of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners , offers these virtual tips for keeping your expo animal ( and menagerie back home ) healthy and good .
1 . Think prevention — but not over - prevention . With stock from many different farms immix in the same buildings at shows , your animal are at increased risk of contracting infective disease the moment they step onto the show grounds .
“ Always get your own vet involved with making certain your animate being are well - vaccinated , especially for respiratory disease like pneumonia , before you show , ” accent Dr. Navarre .
She adds that shower should be prepared to stick to two Seth of wellness formula when exhibit livestock : those dictate by the country and those required by the fairground or other show venue . One over - protective prevention strategy to quash : blanket - reportage antibiotics .
“ the great unwashed will give their brute antibiotics before the show , thinking it will protect them from disease , but that ’s bad for nutrient safety and will just add to the animal ’s stress , ” she enunciate . wrong antibiotic use may also contribute to antibiotic resistance in stock .
2 . avert sudden livestock diet changes right before , during or after the show . Drastic livestock diet alterations can lead to digestive upsets , increased stress ( which can glower immunity ) , and — in horses — a deadly colic episode .
“ You want to do everything you’re able to to keep a consistent diet , ” says Dr. Navarre . “ [ That means ] the same feed , the same amount and fed at the same metre . ”
3 . Beware of over - conditioning your stock . Of naturally , you want your show fauna to look its better for the justice , but over - conditioning to speed growth , advance Milk River output or face pack on weight can cause serious , long - term health problems , admonish Dr. Navarre . For example : “ Overly toilsome sheep and goats can receive pregnancy toxemia , and over - train heifers can have have young difficulties and poor milk production later in lifespan . ”
4 . transportation show livestock with cognition and care . Particularly with larger farm animal , getting to and from the show can result in brute or human injury — or serious traffic accident — if done improperly or with badly maintained / poorly inspected equipment ( i.e.trailerand draw vehicle ) . Dr. Navarre highly recommends that exhibitors inexperienced with fauna transport consult with someone knowledgeable about loading and transporting livestock before set about it themselves .
5 . Reduce farm animal ’s travel focus . If your animals have never stumble the route before , gradually getting them used to mount in a fomite ortrailerwill go a retentive way toward make this noisy , motion - meet experience less direful , enjoin Dr. Navarre . commence by simply load your animal , then wait a short while and unload it . Next , take brusk drive — say , to the grocery storehouse and back — before gradually tackling long trip-up . For flighty , timid animals , such aschickensandrabbits , darken their John Cage or crate by covering it with a sheet or towel can also help reduce strain .
6 . Be safe on comer to the show . Before moving your brute into their designate show penitentiary or cage , inspect the field for likely hazards , such as sharp edge or broken latches .
“ verify there is n’t something they should n’t eat within grasp of the pen , ” says Dr. Navarre . “ peculiarly withgoats — if they can attain something , they ’ll rust it ! ”
ensure on conditions within the building , as well . ( i.e. Is the barn sweltering with no fan in sight ? ) If you detect problems , pronto bring them to the attention of show official . Also , unloading ( or load ) your animal ideally should be done in a strong area — inside a barn with the door closed , for example — so they do n’t end up gallivanting around the ground if they break at large .
7 . eat your farm animal a healthy diet and allow for plenty of water . Animals excited or frighten by fairish crowd can turn over their food and water system , so endeavor to cater container that wo n’t fee or release , and jibe them regularly .
“ Sometimes the taste of ‘ unexampled ’ water will put them off , so if you systematically have trouble with your animals drink , you might want to try bringing weewee from nursing home , ” sound out Dr. Navarre . “ I advise against adding electrolyte unless your vet urge it , and be careful with adding molasses [ to boost drinking ] , because too much of it can cause digestive problems . ”
8 . learn for signs of livestock unwellness . pass some time carefully observing your show animals each day , and if any displaysigns of malady , such as not feed or drinking , sluggishness , coughing or sneezing , persistent diarrhea , or feverishness , take the show vet to take a look . Do n’t feel shy about alerting fellow exhibitors and show faculty about any other animals you see displaying signs of illness , too .
9 . Protect your farm after the show . Biosecurity measures , such as disinfecting cages , trailers and other equipment , as well as quarantining your returning show beast , will serve prevent disease outbreaks on your farm .
“ Any time you have brute commingling at a show , you may bring diseases family , ” warns Dr. Navarre . “ Even if your show animals seem healthy , they can still be shed viruses , so you require to have a quarantine area or grass jell up where you’re able to keep them separated from your other animals , with no nose - to - nose inter-group communication , for two week . ”
Once again , she emphasizes refer with your own vetbeforeyou head to the show .
“ Biosecurity is very specific to the type of livestock , so you really need to call for your veteran , ‘ What can I do to protect my animals and farm ? ’ ”
