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ON THE COVER
Cala Wozniak, 16, has been riding competitively for eight years. She is part of a growing group of horse enthusiasts in Louisiana. The horse industry has an estimated $1.6 billion per year impact on Louisiana’s economy. The race, show and competition, and recreational horse industries all contribute. In 2003, there were 1,178 breeders of race horses that produced foals sold for a total value of $35.8 million. An additional $13.3 million was generated from stud fees, and the total impact of race horse owners’ and breeders’ activities was $158.1 million in 2003. In the show and competition horse industry, $14.7 million was generated from the sale of foals and $12.5 million was generated from stud fees. The value of show and competition horses is $59.6 million. The total income from production in the recreational horse industry was $17.6 million in 2003. The total value of horses produced and maintained in Louisiana, as well as the activities of the horse industry, was more than $359.6 million in 2003. Photo by John Wozniak, Cala’s father. |
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| [Image: Mare]Implications of Obesity in Mares The large amount of media attention on human obesity in the past several years has made most of us keenly aware of the health hazards associated with carrying too much body fat. In the world of domestic farm animals, however, emphasis has typically been on how poor nutrition, and specifically poor body condition (little body fat), affect productivity and reproductive efficiency. |
| Stubborn new stink bug threatens Louisiana soybeans Louisiana soybean producers are facing a new type of stink bug pest more difficult to control than the green and brown stink bugs they are accustomed to fighting, said LSU AgCenter entomologist Jack Baldwin. |
| [Image: open house]Landrieu helps ‘open’ new sugar facility The LSU AgCenter’s Audubon Sugar Institute celebrated new facilities and a federal grant at an open house Aug. 31, 2004. |
| [Image: French and Klei]Battling Parasites in Horses The most ubiquitous internal parasites in horses on well-managed farms in the United States are the nematodes known as small strongyles, cyathostomes or, more recently, cyathostomins. Learn about the research being conducted on this problem. |
| [Image: Suppling Move]Master Horseman: Riders learn a firm, gentle approach to horse care It might seem like that buckaroo who rides off into the sunset was born in the saddle. But the truth is he had to learn equestrian skills, either by chance or instruction. An LSU AgCenter program, Master Horseman, is underway to pass along that knowledge. |
| Vaccinate your horses yearly Horse owners who have not had their animals vaccinated against Eastern Equine Encephalitis must do so, said LSU AgCenter veterinarian Steve Nicholson. The disease was discovered recently in horses in DeSoto and Calcasieu parishes. |
| Master Cattle Producer effort gets started Cattle farmers are going back to school to learn how to improve their herds and possibly their income through the new Louisiana Master Cattle Producer program. |
| [Image: dove field day]First field day for dove hunters at Idlewild More than 120 hunters and other interested participants learned the do’s and don’ts of attracting doves at the LSU AgCenter’s first Dove Field Day on Aug. 28, 2004, at the Idlewild Research Station near Clinton. |
| [Image: Cover Page]Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Fall 2004 Vol. 47, No. 4 |
| [Image: Piglets]Adding Phytase Proves Positive for Poultry, Swine Diet Phytate is a compound found in many common feed ingredients that decreases nutrient availability in animal diets. The main anti-nutritional effect of phytate is that it makes phytate phosphorus unavailable for digestion and absorption by nonruminants such as swine and poultry. Phytate also has negative effects on digestive enzymes, trace minerals, calcium, protein and amino acids, and carbohydrates. |
| [Image: Table 1]Diet Supplement May Improve Sow Performance During Lactation The 2003 agricultural statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicate that litter size per sow has increased over the past decade. As litter size increases, the sow must increase milk production so that the baby pigs can maintain a healthy growth rate. To produce milk, the sow must use a combination of nutrients derived from her diet and from the fat and protein stores in her body. |
| [Image: Sea Of Chicks]A'maze'ing Growth: Fast Chicks Gain More Weight Genetic selection of broiler chickens for production performance has been associated with changes in their behavior. Traits such as aggres-siveness, mating behavior, fearfulness (propensity to be easily frightened), feather pecking and sociality vary considerably within genetic strains. Many of these traits can exert profound effects on the welfare and productivity of farmed poultry because they influence the birds’ ability to adapt to their social and physical environment. |
| Somatotropin Benefits Doubtful for Growing Horses Somatotropin, also known as growth hormone, is a protein hormone produced and secreted by the pituitary gland of mammals. Somatotropin has several functions in the body, the most notable of which is growth of the long bones (for example, the femur of the thigh), which is achieved via stimulation of an intermediate hormone, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), from the liver. |
| [Image: Feeding Pigs]Trace Minerals for Swine and Poultry Trace minerals are important nutrients in diets for swine and poultry. They are required for growth, bone development, feathering in chickens, enzyme structure and function, and appetite. Over the past 20 years, scientists in the LSU AgCenter have played an important role in understanding the need for and use of trace minerals in diets for animals. |
| Preventing Neurological Disease in Horses The horse industry is alive and well in Louisiana. Purses for racing Thoroughbreds and quarter horses are high, and quality show horses are found in nearly every barn. Knowledge of horse owners and their ability to care for their animals is also increasing. Neurologic diseases and how to best prevent them continue to present challenges to our horses as well as their humans. |
| Portrait: ESCOP/ACOP: 13-year-old program replenishes leaders A biosecurity plan for the Aquaculture Research Station blossomed into a model for all LSU AgCenter research stations as a result of a national leadership program. The plan was developed by Terry Tiersch during his year as part of the ESCOP/ACOP Leadership Development Class. |
| [Image: Litter Culvation]Making Poultry Litter Safe for Re-Use The poultry industry is the largest animal agricultural industry in Louisiana and is second only to forestry in total income produced by all agricultural commodities. Louisiana poultry growers produce almost 1 billion pounds of broiler meat each year. The size of the poultry industry in Louisiana has raised concerns about the management of large quantities of litter (mixture of poultry manure and bedding material). |
| [Image: Theresia K. Lavergne]Nonruminent Farm Animals: A Major Contributer to Louisiana's Economy The focus of this issue is the nonruminant farm animal, which includes chickens, horses and pigs. The nonruminant animal has an uncomplicated or simple stomach as compared to the ruminant animal, which has a stomach with four compartments (cattle, sheep and goats). The nonruminant also is referred to as a monogastric. |
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