Lambing and kidding season is nearly here. Now is a great time to review the best practice for ensuring a healthy and successful season.

Macro and micro minerals are an essential part of the diet for all farm animals. For peak health and performance, the amount of each mineral in the diet must meet the animal's needs, and must also be balanced with the quantity of other minerals. The correct balance is important, as too much of one mineral can impact the availability of another mineral. In all, there are 16 essential minerals. In our practice, we commonly receive calls about three of them.

There is increasing pressure from regulatory agencies and consumers to reduce antibiotic use in food producing animals. We feel that it makes sense to become less dependent on antibiotics, and we want to offer our support to producers in transitioning away from routinely using them. New Regulations on Antibiotic Use Antibiotic residues in meat and milk have been associated with drug-resistant bacteria in human diseases.

There are a number of possible causes of sudden neurologic disease in small ruminants. One of them, the deer worm, has been on the rise in the eastern United States in recent years. Deer worm, also known as brain worm, meningeal worm, or P. tenuis is commonly seen in our area and local small ruminant owners should be familiar with its effects. Lifecycle The true host for the deer worm is the whitetail deer.