Posts Tagged: cow
San Francisco Flower and Garden Show 2013
This weekend I had the good fortune to attend the San Francisco Flower & Garden show in San Mateo. It has years—at least a decade—since I last was able to go (back when the show was still being held at the Cow Palace). So I was quite excited about seeing all the latest gardening trends.
Frankly, there was so much to see—display gardens, vendors, seminars, and plant market—that it was overwhelming! I’m not much of a trendspotter, so perhaps that’s why I didn’t see any particular themes or trends to report on (other than succulents are still going strong these days). But I did enjoy perusing the Western Horticulture Society’s Hot Plant Picks for 2013. They had some beautiful plants on display, ranging from a stunning columbine, colorful primula, to larger perennial shrubs. Unfortunately, the Society hasn’t posted its 2013 list yet, but you can check their website for when they do (http://www.westernhort.org) or take a look at past year’s lists.
Sunset also had a display at the show, handing out brochures for its 2013 Sunset Western Garden Collection, which includes new varieties of low-maintenance and drought-tolerant plants for the garden. The Salvia ‘Amistad’ with its dark purple flowers stopped me in my tracks before I even noticed the rest of the display! You may find the collection online at http://sunsetwesterngardencollection.com. What I found particularly useful about the website is the search key where you can narrow your search to certain specific features such as salt tolerance, deer resistance, firescaping, and more. If only I had room for one of each plant . . . .
Salvia 'Amistad' photo courtesy of http://fhfgreenmedia.com/
Ultra-short tail docking gets a withering glare
In the coming months, UC veterinarians and animal-welfare experts hope to develop new tail-docking recommendations for sheep being raised by 4-H youth, the Fresno Bee reported on Dec. 22. Currently, many sheep meant for county fair competition suffer "ultra-short tail docking," the story said. The practice is not looked upon favorably by UC Davis Cooperative Extension animal welfare specialist Carolyn Stull.
"This is purely a cosmetic procedure and does not advance the welfare of the animal," Stull was quoted. "We really want to focus on what is best for the animal's welfare. And we know that ultra-short tail docking is not."
Ultra-short tail docking means the tail is cut off where it connects to the animal's rump, not leaving the inch or two typically remaining after commercial tail docking. It is designed to give the animal a stronger, more muscular appearance. Veterinarians say it can cause rectal prolapse, but one sheep breeder told Bee reporter Robert Rodriguez that show judges like the look.
The article said 4-H program leaders support the effort for a new tail-docking policy.
"Many of our 4-H members today purchase their lambs already docked, so we want them to know what to look for," the story quoted Steve Dasher, the 4-H Youth Development advisor in San Diego County. "Also, for those that raise their own lambs, we want them to implement those practices that are approved by the experts."
Jim Sullins, director of UC Cooperative Extension in Tulare County, said the 4-H program needs to do a better job of educating students and their families about the risks of ultra-short tail docking. But it will not be easy.
"This is a very competitive environment, and if a procedure is being rewarded by the judges, then that procedure is going to continue," Sullins was quoted.
Coincidentally, on Jan. 1 a new law went into effect that banned docking dairy cow tails. The law, which was initially mocked by Gov. Schwarzenegger last year when lawmakers were struggling to balance the state budget, makes California the first state to ban what the Associated Press called a "painful practice." The dairy industry was not in favor of the law's passage, contending that cutting off cow tails to prevent them from slinging manure was already uncommon.
Last year, the UCCE dairy farm advisor for Tulare County, Noelia Silva-del-Río, surveyed San Joaquin and Sacramento valley dairies to document the prevalence of cow tail docking. She reported in her October 2009 California Dairy Newsletter that 286,949 cows - 7.4 percent of cows in the survey - had docked tails.
Science-based animal care guidelines are available on the UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Extension Web page dedicated to animal welfare.
An undated photo of a show ram with no visible tail.