- Author: Pamela S Kan-Rice
UC Cooperative Extension expertise available in English and Spanish on small-scale livestock production, pasture management, pests and predators, weed management and emergency preparedness
A team of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources advisors has created a new comprehensive website for small acreage landowners in California and beyond. The Small Acreage Landowners website, at https://ucanr.edu/sites/smacreage, is designed to be a one-stop shop for backyard livestock producers, youth raising livestock, and other small acreage landowners. Information on livestock husbandry, pasture management, pests and predators, weed management and emergency preparedness is in English and Spanish on the website.
“We've seen an amazing growth in interest in small-scale livestock production throughout California in the last four years,” said project leader Julie Finzel, UC Cooperative Extension livestock and natural resources advisor for Kern, Tulare and Kings Counties. “Folks in our communities are hungry for knowledge about how to care for their land and their animals – from urban chickens to backyard goats and sheep.”
The website includes specific information for most common livestock species, as well as links to sites with more in-depth information about specific topics. Other pages include information on protecting livestock and property from pests and predators, controlling common weeds and protecting water quality.
The site also provides links to a variety of other UC ANR resources, including wildfire information from the Fire Network, and videos and webinars from the UC ANR Managing Land & Livestock on Small Acreage Webinar Series.
“We're excited this new website will make science-based information available to a wider audience,” said Finzel. “Most of our educational programming has focused on commercial livestock production.”
In addition to Finzel, a team of UC Cooperative Extension livestock advisors contributed to the project, including Theresa Becchetti (Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties), Brooke Latack (Imperial, Riverside and San Bernadino counties) Dan Macon (Placer, Nevada, Sutter and Yuba counties), Devii Rao (San Benito, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties), Rebecca Ozeran, former UC Cooperative Extension livestock advisor for Fresno and Madera counties and Flavie Audoin, former UCCE advisor for the Central Sierra now rangeland management extension specialist at University of Arizona. UC ANR technician Sequoia Williams in Placer County compiled information and designed the webpages.
The Small Acreage Landowners website was created in part with funds from a USDA-NIFA Renewable Resources Extension Act grant.
Updated March 6, 2024, to add Flavie Audoin as a contributor to the website.
/h3>- Author: Mary Burich, CLEAR Center
Are cattle a secret weapon for taking on California wildfires?
California's cattle ranchers contribute a significant amount to the region's culture, economy and food supply, but do they also inadvertently help to temper the wildfires that have been plaguing the state? And if so, is it a better alternative – environmentally speaking – to letting grasslands burn?
A new study published in the journal Sustainability delves into the topic, weighing the advantages – and disadvantages – grazing cattle bring to the table. Researchers, including scientists from University of California, Davis and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, set out to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions of cows consuming vegetation that would otherwise burn in wildfires. Then they estimated the GHG emissions that would result should that forage be untouched and therefore, consumed by fire, eventually comparing the two.
Feeling the burn
Given the severity of California's recent wildfires and the belief they will continue and even escalate in the near future, it's a discussion worth having, said Frank Mitloehner, an expert in animal agriculture and air quality from UC Davis, director of the CLEAR Center and one of the researchers who contributed to the peer-reviewed article.
“Each year from 2010 to 2020, California lost on average 89,000 acres of grassland to wildfires,” said Mitloehner, who is also a Cooperative Extension specialist. “In addition to the obvious disruption and devastation they caused, the fires spewed greenhouse gases and harmful particulate matter such as black carbon into the air and into our atmosphere. Those alone threaten climate health and human well-being.”
A fast and furious gas
Cattle are adept at eliminating herbaceous fuel as they graze. However, at the same time, their specialized digestive system produces methane that is expelled most often in the form of enteric emissions … more commonly known as belches. By way of background, methane is a potent greenhouse gas that warms the atmosphere at 25 times the rate of carbon dioxide over 100 years. But it's only in the atmosphere for 10 to 12 years after it's emitted. Following that, it's broken down into carbon dioxide and water vapor.
For that reason, Mitloehner refers to methane as a “fast and furious” gas. Furious because it warms with a vengeance and fast because it does so for only a short time, especially when compared to carbon dioxide. Furthermore, because of the biogenic carbon cycle, whereby plants extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for photosynthesis, the warming of methane and its byproducts can end entirely when it's hydrolyzed and used by plants.
How researchers calculated emissions
In order to determine if grazing, methane-emitting cattle are better for the atmosphere than burning grasslands, Mitloehner and the other researchers employed a method known as “Monte Carlo simulation,” a mathematical technique used by scientists to predict outcomes of an uncertain event.
Looking exclusively at methane emissions, they found it's better to have cows eat vegetation than to have wildfires burn it. Granted, it's only marginally better, but when one considers other advantages of animal agriculture and conversely, other disadvantages of widespread, uncontrolled fire, the conversation suddenly shifts.
“Even if cattle provided no other benefit to us, which certainly is not true, we can now make the case that they are helpful to us in yet another way,” Mitloehner said.
Friends or foes?
It goes without saying that one would be hard pressed to find much good to say about wildfires, but that doesn't hold true for animal agriculture. The industry provides jobs and supports the economy in other ways as well. Plus, it is a major source of protein-rich food that is in increasing demand as the world's population continues on a trajectory toward 10 billion people by the year 2050.
Where global warming is concerned, the industry is in the unique position of being able to reach net-zero warming, also known as climate neutrality, if it continues to aggressively chip away at its methane emissions, which Mitloehner asserts is of critical importance to the planet. “Few other sectors can reduce its warming to net zero and still be of service to society, but agriculture can because of the way methane behaves in the atmosphere,” he said.
To be clear, grazing cows are no match for wildfires. Yet, in addition to everything else the sector does for us, slowing the burn and keeping relatively more methane from entering the atmosphere are not nothing.
In addition to Mitloehner, authors of the study are Cooperative Extension advisors Sheila Barry, Devii Rao and Theresa Becchetti; Rowan Peterson, Ermias Kebreab and Minju Jung of UC Davis; and Felix Ratcliff and Kaveh Motamed of LD Ford.
This article was first published on the website of the CLEAR (Clarity and Leadership for Environmental Awareness and Research) Center at UC Davis.
/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>- Author: Theresa Becchetti
- Author: Sheila Barry
- Author: Gaby Maier
Adapted from Wildfire Aftermath: Beef Cattle Health Considerations, Russ Daly, DVM, South Dakota State University and Wildfire, Smoke and Livestock, John Madigan, David Wilson, Carolyn Stull, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis.
During a wildfire, your immediate concern for your cattle may be losing them to the fire. Burns may be so severe that the humane thing to do is to put them down, but unfortunately, that may not be the end of the worries about their welfare, which is why their status must be assessed daily. Wildfires can result in longer term health complications. Animals may stop eating after a few days to weeks when their status starts to deteriorate. Below are things to be aware of.
Lungs
Smoke inhalation can have long-term effects as well as immediate effects on the respiratory system. Check for facial or muzzle burns or even a crusty nose for signs of an animal who is likely to have suffered smoke inhalation. Here's what to expect from smoke inhalation:
Short term
o 1-24 hours: Pulmonary edema. Fluid builds up in the alveoli (air exchange areas deep in the lungs) due to the irritant effect of smoke. Rapid, moist breathing and coughing will result. You may see some frothing at the nose.
o Several hours to several days: The small airways deep in the lungs swell up, making it harder for air to pass through to the alveoli, where the oxygen exchange happens. Heavy, labored breathing and wheezing is a result as air whistles through the partially blocked airways.
Long term
o 4-10 days later: Increased potential of pneumonia due to damage to respiratory defense mechanisms.
o 4-6 weeks later: Healing of the airways is as complete as it will get. Until this time, cattle may be more prone to shortness of breath and acute respiratory collapse if they are excited or stressed. Care should be taken when working cattle to reduce stress the few months following the fire or whenever smoke is visible. Ideally, do not attempt to handle, move or transport for 4 to 6 weeks post-fire or after air quality is back to normal.
o Months to years: Some survivors may be intolerant of exercise or heat due to longer-term damage to small airways. Good records will help you identify animals who have survived a fire and help make informed culling decisions.
Consult a veterinarian for treatment advice. Preventative antibiotics to ward off pneumonia as well as anti-inflammatories may be an option for some animals, but will require a prescription from your veterinarian and a potential lengthy withdrawal period before slaughter. Provide plenty of fresh water, which will help keep airways moist. Limit dust exposure by feeding dust-free feeds and sprinkling or misting areas of congregation.
Feet
The most common result of severe heat damage is the sloughing of hooves 1 to 3 weeks after the fire. They may appear normal and healthy, but then there is a sudden onset of lameness, with signs of infection around the coronary band. While this can be confused with infection or foot rot, it usually means that hooves are in the process of sloughing, and antibiotic treatment will not be helpful. With few exceptions, these animals should be humanely euthanized. Ideally, animals that have come through the fire should be provided soft bedding if possible.
Udders and teats
The cow's udder and teats are more susceptible to burns, not having a protective hide around them. Be sure to check udders and teats for signs of burns and inflammation, which can result in mastitis and non-productive quarters. Consider potentially culling any cows with udder issues, especially assessing the health of the teat openings.
Skin burns
Burn wounds in affected cattle should be examined by a veterinarian; severely burned animals may need to be humanely euthanized. Minor burns may be treated with topical (surface) treatments, such as silver sulfadiazine or Desitin™ along with systemic antibiotics to minimize wound infection. A source for burn wounds around the head and neck area is the melting of plastic ear tags during conditions of high heat. Protect wounds from fly strike with insect repellents.
Calves
If calves survive the fire and smoke inhalation, they may not be able to nurse if their dam has burned, inflamed teats or mastitis. Taking time to ensure each calf is paired back up and is able to successfully nurse is an important step to take in assessing your herd post-fire. Calves unable to nurse will have a much slower growth rate and depending on age and stress could result in additional health issues.
Bulls
The extent of burn damage to the sheaths and scrotums may not be evident for 4 to 6 weeks. As healing progresses, sheaths should be examined for excessive scaring that may block the opening. Breeding soundness exams should be prioritized before the breeding season for any bulls that are being retained. In some locations, trichomoniasis may be an issue when herds are co-mingled during the fire. Consult your vet about testing before the breeding season.
Eyes
Eyes irritated due to smoke and heat may show signs similar to pinkeye. Healing of these conditions will likely take longer than a typical pinkeye case, and in some cases, permanent blindness may result. Consult your vet about possible antibiotic treatment, being aware of any withdrawal times.
While a great number of surviving cattle will not show any long-term effects of a wildfire, cattle producers should be aware of the potential problems down the road. Producers should always consult a local vet for help making treatment and culling decisions in the best interest of the animal and the operation.
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
After the destructive LNU Complex Fire burned through farms and ranches where Morgan Doran lives and works, he immediately volunteered to help families and local authorities take care of animal victims.
Nearly 300 animals – mainly horses, sheep, goats and alpacas – were killed during the LNU Complex Fire in Solano County. Some were hit by vehicles, others couldn't escape burning buildings.
“I helped locate animals that needed attention and shared burial and other disposal options and guidelines,” Doran said. He also created an online survey for dead or missing animal reporting.
Doran, also the director of UC Cooperative Extension in Sacramento, Solano and Yolo counties, and his staff and partner organizations – including the USDA Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Districts, local resource conservation districts and county officials – have organized a free webinar to help local residents in fire recovery. The webinar is from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10. Pre-registration is required.
Topics to be covered are:
- Navigating the agency alphabet soup for disaster assistance
- Understanding wildland fire impacts
- Impact of fire on oak woodlands, what to expect and what to do
- Impact of fire on rangelands, what to expect and what to do
- Impact of fire on orchard trees, what to expect and what to do
- Impact of fire on vineyards and wine grapes, what to expect and what to do
- Erosion risks and mitigation measures
- USDA disaster programs and how to apply
Evacuating animals
In areas where the Moc Fire burned near Moccasin, Calif., UC Cooperative Extension 4-H advisor in the Central Sierra, JoLynn Miller, joined partners to activate Team ELITE (Evacuation of Livestock in Tuolumne Emergencies) so trained volunteers could help move animals to safety and ensure they are fed and housed during the wildfire.
The organization was established in the wake of the 2015 Butte Fire, when officials recognized the need for coordinated animal evacuation planning. They drafted Miller, an experienced horsewoman and community volunteer, to spearhead the group.
“We work closely with and are dispatched by animal control during an emergency,” Miller said. “Team ELITE requires members to be trained in incident command systems and they are sworn Disaster Service Workers once they complete a Team ELITE orientation and training. The Moc Fire was the first fire where we've done evacuations.”
Team ELITE was placed on standby on Aug. 20. A few hours later, three teams were behind the fire lines.
“Volunteers worked throughout the night to pick up animals,” Miller said. “The first night we had donkeys, chickens, horses, alpacas and pigs evacuated.” The animals were held at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Tuolumne County.
The team spent three days, Aug. 22-24, feeding and watering animals. Aug. 25 the evacuation orders were lifted and they helped families get their animals back home.
For more information about Team ELITE, see its Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TeamELITEinformation/
Valuing the losses
Federal, county, CALFIRE and other officials routinely turn to UCCE experts to gather information about the impact of wildfire on agricultural lands.
Two UC Cooperative Extension rangeland advisors, Theresa Becchetti of Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties and Sheila Barry of San Mateo, Alameda, Santa Clara and Contra Costa counties, both cover areas burned by the SCU Fire.
In order for a disaster to be declared and for insurance payouts, a value must be attached to losses caused by the wildfire. In rangeland areas, components of the losses include hundreds of miles of fencing, forage, stock ponds and damage to the soil and seedbank that could impede grass growth for years. Livestock may also be lost in wildfires.
“In some respects, the SCU Fire was an invisible fire because it didn't threaten vineyards or redwoods – landscapes that get more attention. It is grassland, oak woodland and brushland. Some very small pockets of forest,” Barry said. “But it is actually the second largest fire in the state's history.”
Becchetti had previously developed a methodology for calculating forage losses. The two scientists were able to use the system for establishing the economic loss to ranchers and government agencies caused by the blaze. CALFIRE also used the information to inform the distribution of its firefighting resources.
“The Farm Service Agency has told us that the information we put together on the value of the area is enough for the local county committees to declare a disaster, which will release emergency cost share programs,” Becchetti said. “We are continuing conversations with the agencies in the four counties and starting to put information out for ranchers.”
UCCE will host meetings regarding fire recovery and disaster assistance programs. Visit local UC Cooperative Extension websites for details.
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
When California was part of the Wild West, it took a certain amount of guesswork to move cattle from their home range to summer pastures while making sure sufficient forage was left behind to hold the cattle over till fall rainfall spurred new growth.
“Ranchers eyeballed it,” said Theresa Becchetti, UC Cooperative Extension livestock and natural resources advisor. “In time, second-, third-, and fourth-generation ranchers got pretty good at deciding, but UC Cooperative Extension introduced a more scientific approach.”
In the spring of 1936, the USDA Forest Services began measuring ungrazed forage at the San Joaquin Experimental Range in Madera County. The project continues today as a joint effort of UC Cooperative Extension and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Sixteen years later, just after the UC Hopland Research and Extension Center was established on Mendocino County rangeland in 1951, another study began; and in the early 1980s, scientists at the UC Sierra Foothills Research and Extension Center in Browns Valley commenced a similar long-term study.
As scientists learned of the multiple factors impacting forage production across the Coast Range and Sierra Nevada foothills, some 70 research sites were identified – most on private land - and consistently monitored. The results show that there is much more to understanding forage growth than looking at a rain gauge.
Above, watch a full season of rangeland forage growth in one minute. UC Cooperative Extension rangeland and natural resources advisor Royce Larsen set up a camera to capture images of the daily grass growth on Pozo Peak in San Luis Obispo County. |
While high annual rainfall usually results in high forage production and low annual rainfall generally results in low annual production, there are exceptions. It all depends on the timing of the rainfall.
During the devastating drought of 2011-2016, Becchetti noticed forage production didn't mirror the drought damage to state water resources and mountain forests.
“It was interesting,” said Becchetti. “In a lot of my plots, forage would be close to normal. We got rain when the soil was warming up. If we get rain in the late fall or winter, there is no grass production because it's too cool. If rains come when the temperatures warmed up, the grass takes off.”
The expected variation from climate change is another factor that encourages UCCE scientists to conduct routine forage monitoring.
“When I started 11 years ago, we had some good production years; we had poor years, a couple of normal years,” Becchetti said. “Monitoring is giving us a better snapshot that all of us can use to see the impact of climate change on forage production.”
To develop an accurate picture of forage growth, the research locations are fenced or caged to keep out grazing animals. Grass and forbs within one square foot of the exclosure is clipped to the ground. The vegetation is dried, weighed and the figures logged in a database.
Long-term production data are particularly valuable for the three research stations because daily weather data that are also collected there can be used to determine the effects of rainfall and temperature on annual forage productivity.
Year-to-year variability at the Hopland research site ranged from 900 pounds of forage per acre in the poorest year, up to a 3,500 pounds per acre bounty when conditions were just right. Average annual production at Hopland is 2,399 pounds per acre. At the Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center, annual forage ranged from a low of 1,071 per acre up to 4,696 pounds per acre. The average annual production there is 2,971 per acre.
“There is no way we could represent the exact forage production across the state, but this does allow us to come up with a percent either below or above normal for a particular area,” Becchetti said.
The monitoring research conducted by UCCE scientists are important to provide guidance to county agricultural commissioners and local Farm Service Agencies.
“If you think about it, so many of our ag commodities are based on weight or volume,” said Scott Oneto, UCCE rangeland and natural resources advisor in El Dorado, Tuolumne, Calaveras and Amador counties, where annual monitoring has been conducted for 25 years. “But annual rangelands are so different when it comes to figuring out whether a given year is average, above average or below average. And when crop insurance is involved, it makes it very difficult for ag commissioners to declare a loss if they don't know what the loss is or if there even was one.”
Becchetti, along with 14 current and former UCCE colleagues, wrote a 12-page review of UCCE's ongoing range forage production study, which includes average production for many of the study sites. ANR Publication 8018 is available for free download from the UC ANR publication catalog.