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Animal Health

Considering sustainable livestock production raises many questions regarding animal health and welfare, ranging from organic production strategies to waste and mortality management to the human-livestock disease interface. CSANR has supported a limited amount of research and education focused on animal health.

Featured Publications

Birds of Prey and Dairy Farms

This video explains a variety of attempts to encourage natural predators as biocontrol for pest birds and rodents in agriculture, particularly dairies. 3 minutes. This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA under award number FW14-012 Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (WSARE). Opinions expressed are those of the researchers.

Case Study: Evaluating farm processed canola and camelina meals as protein supplements for beef cattle

Llewellyn, D.A., G. Rohwer, O.S. Norberg, E. Kimura, J.S. Neibergs, and S.C. Fransen. 2015.  J. of NACAA, 8(2).

On-Farm Composting of Large Animal Mortalities

Price, C. and L. Carpenter-Boggs. WSU Extension Bulletin EB2021E. 2008. Composting can be a safe and effective method for disposing of on-farm mortalities when the correct procedures are followed and the system is managed well. This bulletin provides the necessary information for large animal producers in Washington State to start and maintain a safe and effective on-farm mortality composting system.

Additional Publications

On-Farm Livestock Mortality Composting – June 2010

Article in Sustaining the Pacific Northwest Newsletter

Sticky Droppings: A Problem in Poultry Due to Feed – August 2009

Article in Sustaining the Pacific Northwest Newsletter

Pastured Poultry

Raising pastured poultry is a simple way to integrate livestock into small farms. A summary of experiences at WSU Puyallup with small-scale pastured poultry production on organically certified land from 2005-2007 is presented. The goal was to integrate pastured broilers into a vegetable-pasture rotation in an organic farming systems experiment.

Bird Flu vs. Pandemic Flu: Connections, Concerns, and Clarifications – June 2006

Article in Sustaining the Pacific Northwest Newsletter

What to Look for When Buying Hay – March 2004

Article in Sustaining the Pacific Northwest Newsletter

Organic Livestock: Principles, Practices, and Prospects

Videostream of October 29, 2004 WSU Satellite broadcast.

2003 Graziers Conference: Grazing According to Gerrish – December 2003

Article in Sustaining the Pacific Northwest Newsletter

Composting of Poultry Offal Demonstration Project

Bary, A., C. Miles and K. Gilbert. 2001. Report of a demonstration project conducted at Middle Farm, Lopez Island. The project objectives were to develop a successful composting process using poultry offal produced on the farm and to produce finished compost that is environmentally sound, economically feasible and returns nutrients to the farm.

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