China partners with Uganda on agribusiness investment.

China partners with Uganda on agribusiness investment. Chinese technicians ,50 kilometers north of the capital Kampala continue to set up the first agricultural industrial park in the East African country of Uganda. In different parts of the country, Chinese experts advise local farmers on how best to make agriculture a lucrative business. In the capital, Chinese enterprises at a one day China-Uganda business forum are networking to devise ways of setting up more businesses in the country. Among the key discussions in the meeting attended by top Ugandan government officials and Chinese enterprises is the agriculture sector, the mainstay of the economy. Agriculture is Uganda's main economic activity with over 70 percent of the country's population deriving its livelihood from the sector. In different parts of the country, Chinese experts advise local farmers on how best to make agriculture a lucrative business. Uganda is projecting based on the experiences back home, that the Chinese enterprises could set up businesses to boost growth in the sector as some Chinese business people have set up shop. The locals are farming Chinese hybrid rice and fox-tail millet both on a small and large scale basis. According to experts, the yield of Chinese hybrid rice is three times more than the local breed from one hectare of land. Similarly, the yield of fox-tail millet is two times more than the local breed, finger millet in the same acreage. continue

How to mitigate dust and ammonia in cage-free houses.

Cage-free housing is the new trend of raising poultry according to animal welfare experts,the birds need to be free to roam and stretch for your production to be considered humane. The problem however with this humane method is the amount of dust generated resulting in poor air quality in the house which posses a health challenge to flock and workers. Dr. Hongwei Xin, director of the Egg Industry Center, spoke about the results of research surrounding devices and methods designed to mitigate airborne pollution inside cage-free layer houses and emissions coming from them. The egg industry shift from conventional cages and enriched cages to cage-free operations,means more bird activity inside the house leading to increased airborne pollutants like dust and ammonia. Birds are moving around in litter areas – scratching, foraging and dustbathing – as well as flapping around the house stirring up dust. The hen’s freedom to move, and evacuate waste, wherever she pleases is another challenge. This means the manure belts in houses are no longer as effective as they once were in collecting and drying waste to simplify disposal and reduce ammonia emissions. Reducing ammonia through feeding and management, according to research the following were deduced with implementation yielding positive results. 1) Reducing dietary protein: By reducing dietary proteins by about one percent and maintaining nutritional balance in the feed, farmers can reduce ammonia emissions by about 10 percent. Dietary fibers reduce the pH value of manure, meaning less ammonia is mobilized from the manure. 2) Adding dietary fibers: Adding fiber, like wheat middling and soy hull, can reduce emissions from layer manure between 40 and 45 percent. 3) Adding supplements: DDGS, or distiller’s dried grains with solubles, and EcoCal, a proprietary feed additive designed to control ammonia emissions, can work as well. A study with a 10 percent DDGS feed mixture dropped ammonia emissions by 14 percent and a 7 percent EcoCal mixture reduced ammonia by 39 percent. Beyond feeding, drying manure on the belts is important to reduce the level of ammonia in the air. This can be done with air circulating over the belts, but that comes at the cost using the exhaust air to dry manure may be a cheaper way to provide the needed airflow. 4) litter moisture must be kept in check as well to keep ammonia levels down. This is a potential double-edged sword, however, because drier litter creates more dust.The wet litter gives off ammonia and cakes, creating numerous health issues for the birds. Ideally, the litter moisture content should be below 20 or 30 percent to keep ammonia levels in check. A scraper can be used to keep litter from getting too deep – and becoming an invitation for floor eggs. Consistent airflow in the house is essential to keeping litter dry.

Mycotoxin threats rising worldwide.

The threat of mycotoxins are rising worldwide according to a survey recently conducted by Biomin. Corn, soy and finished feed saw a rise in mycotoxin contamination levels in the first quarter of 2017, with deoxynivalenol (DON) the most prevalent mycotoxin, according to Biomin’s Mycotoxin Survey. Mycotoxin contamination levels have risen in Europe and throughout the western hemisphere, with elevated risk levels also in Asia. Then DON,then the fumonisins (FUM) are the most prevalent mycotoxin worldwide, the survey showed, with DON detected in 80 percent of samples and FUM in 71 percent. The survey also found that 76 percent of feed and raw commodity samples contained two or more mycotoxins. Multiple mycotoxin contamination of feed presents additional problems, as certain combinations of mycotoxins are known to have synergistic effects that aggravate the negative consequences for animals. The main fusarium mycotoxins are frequently related to subclinical symptoms which are not so obvious but usually have a greater economic impact for the industry. The Symptoms of DON contamination in animals include reduced feed intake and feed refusal. According to Biomin, research has shown the combination of DON and FUM in animal feed severely impair vaccine response and gut health.

Dogs help to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) .

Dogs can help to treat PTSD. Service dogs are amazing animals that help individuals suffering from visual, hearing or other losses to live more independently. However, less mention is made about those that are trained to help with mental disorders. Canine-loving nurse Elaine Smith began using therapy dogs in the 1970s, after she found that introducing them to individuals suffering from a physical illness or mental disorder reduced patients’ blood pressure, and they reported feeling happier and calmer for the experience. Recently, professionals working with war veterans returning from combat duty have similarly found that matching them with a therapy dog or, better yet, reuniting them with their combat dog if they had one – is remarkably effective in alleviating the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a psychological condition that may arise from exposure to serious injury and/or from witnessing a traumatic event. more

Inmates train rescue dogs to be companions for vets with PTSD.

Inmates train rescue dogs to be companions for vets with PTSD. Jail inmates are training rescue dogs to be companion animals for military veterans suffering from service-related conditions, such as PTSD. “This program actually means a lot to me,” explained Scott Ryan, one of several prisoners from the County Correctional Facility in Camden who are taking part in the 12-week training session. “It’s helped me with my addiction, with depression, and being in this situation and away from your family is not good. So, they help us every day, and we get to give back to the community as well,” more

Army vet who killed her service dog is found dead.

Army vet who killed her service dog is found dead.An Army vet who was charged with tying her PTSD therapy dog to a tree and shooting him five times as she laughed has been found dead of a possible suicide, police said. Marinna Rollins, 23, who had been stationed at Fort Bragg, and Jarren Heng, 25, an Army special ops soldier, each faced a felony charge of cruelty to animals after the sickening crime in Fayetteville, NC, was caught on video. continue

Trend setting changes in the veterinary profession.

Trend setting changes in the veterinary profession, many pet owners are setting standards that hitherto was not heard off,setting of chain reactions in the profession to provide excellent service. Pet owners are gradually swooping this tag for pet-parents as many not only consider pets as family members a percentage prefer to raise pets instead of kids, The major change is hinged on technology,when the pet parent needs attention they need to be able to reach their veterinarians quickly,this promptness of service delivery is propelled by connectivity as most veterinarians have platforms on which they reach out to clients. Veterinarians that want to tap into the growing pet market must be easily accessible on and offline,searching for a vet in your easy is now easy because of registration and listing on search engines. The pet parents now demand more options in terms of care,weighing the possibilities in alternative medicine,acupuncture and holistic approach to health care. This broadens the scope of treatment and also exposes the veterinarians to other treatment options thus promoting specialization in such fields. Pet parents trend setting changes also involve the fashion and beauty industry. A lot of owners indulge in pet clothing with heavy investment on different cloth-lines thus growing the pet fashion industry. Grooming pets have changed from the conventional veterinary procedure to state of the art grooming ,giving pets different shapes ,shades and colors so veterinarians will need to upgrade to tap into this growing market. read Pet parents expect the veterinarian to be a one stop expert, mental health especially depression is one issue the owners dont joke with. When they notice mood swings,irrational behavior they head to their vet-shrink to handle the situation.Relaxation is another new trend, most owners take their pets to the spa to cool off,stress-out and generally have a beauty massage. more more Phones and apps are also used to keep tabs on their pets. They can easy hang out with friends/go to the office while checking up on them. Phone companies are cashing in on this with the use of apps to create a pet-friendly site with a list of on-call veterinarians. Exercise is part of our everyday life with many people using fitbits to check how far and how fast they moved, now pet owners are using fitbark for their pets.Wearable technology in form of sensors,timers, watches and trackers are gaining ground fast in the veterinary profession. These trend setting changes also comes with the advantage of simplicity.The veterinarian is about to schedule visits ,prepare for tests, chatting with clients also make the workload less burdensome as the vets can actually video chat,see the pet and prescribe a palliative to prevent any emergency before the pet actually come in to the clinic.