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This factsheet offers some information on the signs, symptoms, and treatment of coccidiosis, the most common cause of diarrhea in young goats.
This publication explains genetic engineering and its use in food, agriculture, and the environment. It answers key questions about genetic engineering, including its definition, applications, safety, ethical issues, and related regulations. The publication also discusses potential risks and concludes with resources for more information.
Many farmers and home gardeners have reported damage to vegetable and flower crops after applying horse or livestock manure, compost, hay, or grass clippings to the soil. The symptoms reported include poor seed germination; death of young plants; twisted, cupped, and elongated leaves; misshapen fruit; and reduced yields. These symptoms can be caused by other factors, including diseases, insects, and herbicide drift. Another possibility for the source of these crop injuries should also be considered: the presence of certain herbicides in the manure, compost, hay, or grass clippings applied to the soil.
Phorid flies are small flies that breed in moist, decaying organic matter and can be a problem in and around homes. This factsheet covers their identification, biology, habits, management and control.
This manual, updated every year, covers pesticide use and safety information, chemical application equipment, fertilizer use, insect control, chemical weed control, plant growth regulators, animal damage control and disease control.
This publication covers the signs of heat in does and some basic information on breeding meat goats.
Goats raised for meat need high quality feed in most situations and require an optimum balance of many different nutrients to achieve maximum profit potential. This publication covers nutritional requirements for meat goats, including water, protein and vitamins.
This factsheet offers information on the identification and management of various flatworms that may be found in North Carolina.
A guide to many of the plants, shrubs, and flowers that are poisonous to animals.
This guide is a simple reference for beginner sheep and goat producers experiencing the lambing or kidding season. It includes instructions for facilities, equipment, neonatal care, complications, and processing.
It is generally advised that all goats be vaccinated against overeating disease (enterotoxemia) and tetanus. This factsheet offers some information on how and when to give the vaccines for maximum protection.
Information on the different types of lice, diagnosis and treatment is presented in this factsheet. Lice are a common group of ectoparasitic insects of goats; infested animals are uncomfortable and often cause structural damage to farm facilities by rubbing and scratching on fences and posts.
This publication covers the characteristics and production traits (adaptability, reproductive rate, growth rate, carcass characteristics) of the common meat goat breeds Boer, Spanish, Myotonic, Nubian, and Pygmy.
A guide for urban residents who want to raise backyard chickens. Includes information about breed selection, feeding, housing, flock health, litter and pest management, and coop construction.
This publication provides information on two forage conservation techniques to help producers select a technique that maximizes nutrient conservation efficiency and minimizes production costs.
This publication offers information on the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of sore mouth, a contagious, viral disease that produces thick, scabby sores on the lips and gums and may also be observed on the udders of meat goats.
A guide to counting fecal eggs in meat goats, modified from the McMaster Procedure.
This narrative explains the very basics of how property is classified and how title (ownership) to property is held, and the legal rights of disposition associated with that ownership. This discussion primarily concerns real property title passed to heirs as inheritance.
Sales Taxes are reportable on the sale of many goods and services. Such taxes also become an expense when purchasing inputs for business and personal use. In North Carolina, agricultural products and the purchase of inputs enjoy various exemptions. However, such exemptions have their limit, and it is important to understand when a particular product fails to meet the exemption. Likewise - regarding exemption from sales tax on inputs - North Carolina producers need to be aware of income maintenance requirements for the exemption. For farm operations, most products sold from the farmer direct-to-buyer are exempt from sales taxes, in that the customer neither pays the tax nor the farm operator is required to remit the tax. However, a change in the nature of the farm product sold and where it is sold in combination with other products may trigger a sales tax requirement. Also, if the farmer loses their status as producer of the item sold and is considered a retailer of the item, exemptions are lost. This short paper seeks to clarify the line of when a farmer must remit sales tax for products sold, as well as the responsibilities of farmers and specialty markets.
This short article provides a basic overview of wills, their drafting and utility in disposition of property at death.
This Entomology Insect Note discusses identifying horse and deer flies and how to control them.
This publication provides an overview of the Present-Use Value (PUV) property tax program in North Carolina, with an emphasis on disposition and transfer situations that may imperil continued enrollment.
This factsheet explains the three factors of proper swine manure management: the nutrient content of the manure, the percentages of those nutrients that are available to the plant and the nutrient requirements of the plant.
A Q&A on pink eye (infectious keratoconjunctivitis) in meat goats.
A Q&A on listeriosis in goats, including causes, symptoms, prevention and risk to humans.
This publication discusses housing and working facilities that will meet shelter needs for meat goats.
This publication has been created for beef producers, farm workers, and extension agents as a guide for performing successful DNA sample collection and shipping for genomic testing.
Many ethnic holidays include goat meat as part of traditional celebrations. This factsheet serves as an ethnic holiday calendar and guide for meat goat producers.
This publication defines and discusses the factors that affect forage quality and the prediction indices that can be used to assign a science-based measure of quality to evaluate forages.
This publication is targeted toward small producers who may be contemplating entering into egg sales at some level.
This publication addresses aspects of hay production as a method of conserving forage crops.
Colostrum is the first thick yellowish milk produced by the doe after giving birth. Colostrum contains maternal antibodies that help the goat kid develop its immune system to fight diseases. Colostrum should be ingested or bottle-fed very early in life as soon as kids have a suckling reflex.
This publication covers the basics of leasing land for farming operations, from both a landowner and tenant perspective.
This publication is an overview of forage species and their use in livestock production systems in North Carolina.
Grazing behavior and nutrient requirements in forages for meat goats is discussed in this factsheet.
This factsheet describes the nutrient composition of poultry manure and land application techniques based on matching the nutritional requirements of the crop with the nutrients available in manure. This publication also includes a worksheet to determine the nutrient needs of your crop.
This publication compares novel-endophyte tall fescue forage varieties and includes renovation planning information on choosing and purchasing seed as well as establishment and management.
This Factsheet discusses the steps in forming an LLC in North Carolina for your farm.
A Q&A on laminitis, an inflammation of the hoof, in meat goats, including causes, symptoms, and treatment options.
The longhorned tick (previously called the 'Asian longhorned tick') is an invasive tick spreading throughout the eastern US. A native of the far east, this tick was introduced to the US mainland in 2010. It has been reported from 20 states and Washington DC. Here we present basic information on the biology of the tick, its distribution, damage caused by the tick and how to protect against the tick.
This publication provides information about unmanned aerial vehicles and what to consider when choosing a drone for precision agriculture applications. Topics include restrictions, definitions, needs assessment, equipment options, and information processing.
This publication is a useful resource that shell egg producers can use to identify egg defects and possible factors contributing to egg quality issues. It also provides corrective measures for each defect so that producers can incorporate these solutions into their production systems.
This publication provides farmers or landowners with an overview of rules of liability for any injuries or property damage caused by livestock, whether on the farm or loose outside the property. It covers North Carolina fence law, impoundment of loose livestock, off-farm injury from loose livestock, injury by livestock on the farm, "visitor liability defense” statutes, and animal injury to trespassers.
This publication discusses how excess zinc and copper from animal manure can lead to soil toxicity and harm crops in North Carolina. It covers where zinc and copper come from, potential harmful effects, and ways to prevent toxicity. Management strategies include soil testing, accurate manure application, record-keeping, and adjusting animal feed. Mitigation methods like soil turnover and pH modification are also discussed.
This factsheet explains how to use dairy manure as a fertilizer source. Included are descriptions of nutrient content, application rates and application methods to ensure optimum benefit from the manure. A worksheet is provided for calculating application rates.
This publication provides information about the practice and benefits of frost-seeding clovers into established tall fescue pastures and presents the results of research conducted in the North Carolina piedmont.
This publication helps beef producers, farm workers, and Extension agents transition beef cattle operations from year-round breeding to a defined breeding season. It covers topics such as the benefits of a defined breeding season, when to start a breeding season and how long it should be, and detailed steps to transition to a defined breeding season.
This publication offers information on how to prep does and bucks for the meat goat breeding season to improve the outcome and profitability of the operation.
This factsheet offers information on forage needs for meat goats, as well as typical grazing behavior.
This guide provides an overview of sheep and goat production for small and beginning farmers in North Carolina, emphasizing planning considerations for a successful small ruminant enterprise. This publication is a starting reference for anyone interested in raising sheep and goats on small farms.
This factsheet provides an overview of the use of by-products in animal feeds and outlines several challenges to incorporating them to the fullest potential.
Starting a pet food business is much more involved than making food or treats and selling them for a profit. There are regulatory requirements that must be met to sell or otherwise distribute animal food products in North Carolina. To help simplify this process, a series of factsheets has been developed to provide clarification of the requirements.
This fact sheet discusses different types of amendments that can be used to manage ammonia levels in broiler houses.
This publication for lagoon managers and operators describes how to carry out a sludge survey and discusses sludge depth measurement, volume determination, and nutrient sampling. It draws upon and supplements the information in another publication on sludge management in anaerobic lagoons: Sludge Management and Closure Procedures for Anaerobic Lagoons (AG-604).
This publication discusses options for addressing heat stress in swine operations. Topics include ventilation cooling methods and direct and indirect cooling methods. A summary of these options compares the advantages, disadvantages, costs, and energy and water consumption associated with each cooling method.
Barber pole larvae show increased resistance to commercial anthelmintics drenched to small ruminant livestock, and producers are looking for other alternatives. What about bypassing the livestock entirely and applying a larvicidal product directly on the pasture itself?
The FDA considers Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP) to be “Necessary to prevent animal food from containing filthy, putrid, or decomposed substances, being otherwise unfit for food, or being prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated with filth or whereby it may have been rendered injurious to health.” (Preamble, II: Legal Authority). This factsheet covers the guidelines for meeting the regulatory requirements for personnel CGMP.
This publication discusses methods to measure the amount of grass available for grazing to help farmers better manage their fields and animals. It covers techniques like hand-clipping and indirect methods such as using tools to estimate grass height. Estimating forages is important for ensuring animals have enough food and maintaining healthy pastures.
This publication discusses how to molt commercial layer flocks.
This publication provides background information and references for the Water Needs Assessment Tool spreadsheet and its data inputs. It also discusses the methods used to generate output from the model and provides examples.
Recently, a lot of researchers have demonstrated that cow nutrition can impact more than just pregnancy rates. In this publication, we will summarize some of the recent data showing the effects of poor cow nutrition on calf growth and performance.
This publication provides an overview of the differences in forage quality by reviewing a summary of forage hay samples submitted to the N.C. State Fair Forage Contest over a 20 year period. It also discusses tools for ranking the quality of forages.
Applying animal manure to forestland can help animal producers manage waste and supply forest owners with low-cost, slow-release nutrients that enhance production of forest crops. This publication is based on a research project designed to investigate factors that make forest fertilization with animal manures successful in North Carolina.
A Q&A on foot rot, a contagious disease of the hooves of goats and sheep.
This training program is designed to provide operators of animal waste management systems with the basic understanding needed to operate and maintain these systems in an efficient and environmentally sound manner. This manual is not intended to provide all of the technical details for the complete design of a waste management system or an approved animal waste management plan.
Anaerobic swine lagoon sludge sampling allows operators to determine the nutrient concentration in the sludge through laboratory analysis. This publication provides information about different options for sampling sludge in these lagoons.
This factsheet covers the guidelines and mitigation for aflatoxins in animal food in North Carolina.
This publication examines case studies of the livestock exclusion fencing best management practice to answer questions about factors that influence the efficacy of fencing, including how far from a stream fencing should be, whether the entire stream should be fenced, and the effects of limited grazing in the excluded area.
This publication reviews research on silvopasture systems in Virginia and North Carolina, showing how combining trees, forage, and livestock can help farms in the southeastern U.S.
This training program is designed to provide operators of animal waste management systems with the basic understanding needed to operate and maintain these systems in an efficient and environmentally sound manner. This manual is not intended to provide all of the technical details for the complete design of a waste management system or an approved animal waste management plan.
This publication provides production protocol guidelines developed by North Carolina State University and Amazing Grazing to assist producers in creating local grass-fed beef production systems.
This publication provides a general overview of silvopastures and discusses the results of forage productivity and microclimate assessments conducted in Goldsboro, NC. It highlights the importance of tree-forage compatibility, management strategies, and regional climatic considerations.
Participation in conservation practices and restrictions comes in various forms, from revocable-at-will, revocable with penalty, and irrevocable agreements concerning use of land in farming and forestry. Different agreements come with different obligations, and different pathways to termination and modification, when allowed. This fact sheet explores the spectrum of conservation agreements (generally modifiable) to conservation easements (generally revocable). The information herein is the product of the author's research of relevant statutes and regulations, as well as professional experience with such conservation instruments and programs. Note: citations are referenced in numerical superscript and correspond to citations in the endnotes section.
This publication discusses appropriate fertilizer application for forages in North Carolina.
A summary of North Carolina rules and regulations governing the purchasing, handling, application and reporting of poultry litter by commercial haulers. This publication also includes a sample agreement between growers and haulers regarding who has responsibility for the various stages of litter handling.
This publication provides information for making grazing management decisions using rotational stocking. It covers canopy heights for stopping and starting grazing, days of pasture rest, and balancing plant and animal requirements.
This factsheet gives at-a-glance information on a variety of meat goat facts, including reproductive aspects, health habits and signs of illness.
A Q&A on toxoplasmosis, a parasite that can cause disease in the placenta and developing fetus of pregnant goats and sheep.
This publication provides information and guidance on using computer code to access the National Agricultural Statistics Service's survey data to view data from multiple years, crops, and other categories.
Changes in the interpretation of North Carolina water quality rules and technical standards allow for the use of on-farm records in the development of waste management plans. This publication describes the use of such records, citing examples. The use of on-farm records can work to an animal producer’s benefit by providing more site-specific information about how an animal waste management system should be operated, particularly with respect to the number of acres of crops necessary to properly utilize the nutrients (mainly nitrogen) in the wastewater.
This publication provides basic information on animal production systems and reviews the movement of nitrogen in concentrated feeding operations for swine.
This publication provides information about using tools to make genetic improvements in beef cattle, including understanding expected progeny differences (EPDs), selection priorities, selection indexes, and genomic-enhanced EPDs.
This factsheet presents several advantages to co-grazing meat goats and beef cattle.
This factsheet clarifies the importance of waste analysis and describes the procedures for taking reliable samples and submitting them to the Agronomic Division of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS).
This publication offers information on youth showmanship of swine.
Though they can be a source of worry, the fact of the matter is that many animal food facilities often think about preparing for inspections as the inspectors walk through their doors. One of the reasons for this is because the "what if" questions can be large in number, and so facilities get frustrated with trying to come up with a plan. With this in mind, we asked some regulators what advice they have for facilities in order to be proactive and help make the process go more smoothly. This document presents a number of practices that are not required, but might be useful as facilities prepare for, are subjected to, and evaluate the results of inspections.
Part of the Guide to Mycotoxins Commonly Found in Animal Feeds, this factsheet provides information about occurrence, regulation, and toxicosis for aflatoxin.
This guide outlines steps that a facility producing livestock food could follow when developing its required food safety plan. The guide is accompanied by an example food safety plan that demonstrates the application of steps outlined in this guide and illustrates an acceptable food safety plan structure that contains required and best management practices information.
This publication provides information on using surplus milk for land application, as a waste product or fertilizer, or as animal feed. Topics include practical and nutrient management considerations, safety, and nutrient information for feeding.
Part of the Guide to Mycotoxins Commonly Found in Animal Feeds, this factsheet provides information about occurrence, regulation, and toxicosis for zearalenone.
Cool-season annual forages like wheat, oats, and ryegrass can be used to feed livestock in North Carolina during late autumn and spring. This publication explains how these forages can be grown, managed, and used as supplements. It also reports the results of a trial showing how cool-season forages perform in terms of establishment, productivity, and nutritive value.
Because of increasing economic pressure related to capital costs, egg prices, feed prices, and replacement pullet costs, the commercial egg industry must maximize the use of its resources. The need to lower production costs have led many enterprises to use induced molting programs.
This publication provides production protocol guidelines developed by North Carolina State University and Amazing Grazing to assist producers in creating beef finishing systems.
This publication discusses crabgrass as a forage and summarizes research findings on productivity and nitrogen fertilization in the piedmont and coastal plain of North Carolina.
How existing facility Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on personal hygiene and sanitation can be adapted to mitigate the spread of COVID-19
The NC State Feed Milling and Animal Food Safety programs have developed a decision tree tool to help guide facilities through the exemption determination process and the requirements for obtaining a qualified facility exemption through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
This publication provides information about building a simple yet effective system for reducing odors and dust emissions from swine barns.
This factsheet provides an overview of a farmer or landowner’s obligations to visitors — invited and otherwise — to the property, including a description of each of the visitor liability defense statutes.
This publication is intended for entrepreneurs interested in exploring agritourism. It offers suggestions for small farms with an emphasis on three areas: fall events, weddings, and educational activities (classes and camps).
This publication offers information on monitoring the body condition of meat goats in order to increase reproductive success.
This factsheet offers information on showing meat goats for youth aged 5-6.
This publication addresses nutrient management concerns as they relate to land application of animal wastes, municipal biosolids, industrial residuals and agricultural by-products, with a focus on phosphorus application and its impact on the environment. Methods for reducing phosphorus loss from land application sites are presented as general guidance for managers of land application systems, who must be knowledgeable of regulatory issues and permit restrictions as they relate to phosphorus and nutrient management.
Applying swine manure to forestland that needs nitrogen and phosphorus can help swine producers manage waste and put valuable nutrients to work for forest owners. This publication is based on a research project designed to investigate factors that make fertilizing with animal manures successful in North Carolina.
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This publication provides production protocol guidelines developed by North Carolina State University and Amazing Grazing to assist producers in creating local pasture-raised and pasture-finished beef production systems.
Part of the Guide to Mycotoxins Commonly Found in Animal Feeds, this factsheet provides information about occurrence, regulation, and toxicosis for ergot alkaloids.
This factsheet describes public programs designed to reduce barriers for growers wanting to implement practices like cover crops and conservation tillage and enhance the adoption of conservation practices.
This bulletin publishes the results of eight experiments that addressed aspects of nutritive value and quality of perennial warm-season forages preserved as hay, baleage, and silage.
This factsheet offers information on showing sheep for youth aged 7-8.
This publication discusses flying unmanned aerial vehicles (drones, model aircraft) for commercial purposes. You'll learn about the requirements becoming a commercial UAV pilot and how to obtain a remote pilot certificate.
This pocket-size bilingual field manual in English and Spanish summarizes recommended practices to prevent disease organisms from entering a poultry farm. Covered topics include limiting visitors, recommended sanitary practices, disinfectants and training for employees. The guide also includes a bilingual dictionary of words and phrases used often on poultry farms.
This publication provides guidance on applying nutrients from animal wastes on cover crops. It provides guidance on cover crop management, nitrogen credits, and application windows.
This factsheet summarizes key technologies used to produce pellets from animal manures and the impact of process variables (temperature, pressure, moisture content) on the final product. The factsheet reviews key quality indices used to evaluate manure pellet quality. It also presents an overview of how scale, cost and environmental benefits, and trade-offs impact technology adoption.
This publication provides information about common calf health issues and steps youth can take to evaluate calf health and treat sick calves.
This publication summarizes the results of multiple North Carolina field trials that evaluated agronomic management and alternatives that extend the switchgrass feedstock supply beyond traditional harvest times.
This factsheet offers information on showing beef cattle for youth aged 5-6.
This factsheet offers information on showing meat goats for youth aged 7-8.
Applying poultry manure to forestland that needs nitrogen and phosphorus can help poultry producers manage waste and put valuable nutrients to work for forest owners. This publication is based on a research project designed to investigate factors that make forest fertilization with animal manures successful in North Carolina.
Part of the Guide to Mycotoxins Commonly Found in Animal Feeds, this factsheet provides information about occurrence, regulation, and toxicosis for fumonisin.
Part of the Guide to Mycotoxins Commonly Found in Animal Feeds, this factsheet provides information about occurrence, regulation, and toxicosis for ochratoxin A.
This bulletin brings together 18 independent experiments that address aspects of nutritive value and quality of perennial warm-season forages preserved as hay.
Due to pollution concerns federal and state regulations and incentives (discussed in this publication) have been established to store poultry waste in a way that reduces pollution and minimizes nutrient losses and odors. Because poultry waste storage regulations vary among states, it is important to check whether a storage method (depending on duration of storage) is acceptable in a particular state.
This publication addresses application techniques that affect drift and odor problems associated with wastewater application, so that managers and designers of land application systems can make wise decisions on how to apply wastewater with minimal impact on neighbors and the environment.
Animal necropsies attempt to determine the cause of death and whether it affects a concern for the herd or flock of origin. This guide offers tips and guidelines for having a necropsy done on a dead animal.
This factsheet offers information on showing sheep for youth aged 5-6.
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This publication is an introduction to the three production protocol guidelines developed by North Carolina State University and Amazing Grazing to assist producers in creating beef finishing systems.
This publication addresses the needs of the changing dairy industry in North Carolina by reviewing the results of a stakeholder survey. The survey assessed dairy industry support organizations within the state to determine whether they are achieving their goals in the current environment.
This guide provides an overview of pastured poultry production for small and beginning farmers in North Carolina, with a focus on planning that can result in a profitable poultry enterprise. This publication is a starting reference for anyone interested in pastured poultry production.
This guide provides an overview of common mycotoxins found in animal feeds, including predominant fungi species, FDA action levels, common crops, and symptoms. Further information about occurrence, regulation, and toxicosis is available for each mycotoxin.
This publication provides information to help farms make decisions about raising prices on meat products in a landscape of price increases.
This factsheet offers information on the Danish standards for market steers.
This factsheet offers information on showing beef cattle for youth aged 7-8.
This publication discusses using poultry waste as a nutrient treatment for field crops. It provides practical information that can be used to calibrate spinner spreaders for the most effective land-application of poultry litter. A spreader calibration worksheet is included.
Part of the Guide to Mycotoxins Commonly Found in Animal Feeds, this factsheet provides information about occurrence, regulation, and toxicosis for trichothecenes.
This publication provides information about common heat sources used to supply supplemental warmth for young pigs to help producers select the best options for their operations.
This publication provides two simplified recipes for bin composting of routine poultry mortality for producers who may not have complete information about the carbon to nitrogen rations for the amendments available to them.
Part of the Guide to Mycotoxins Commonly Found in Animal Feeds, this factsheet provides information about occurrence, regulation, and toxicosis for PR toxin.
Including sloped screens for solid-liquid manure separation can have positive impacts on manure management systems by reducing lagoon sludge buildup, recycling manure fiber, and mitigating fibers. This fact sheet reviews the key indices used to evaluate the effectiveness, throughput, and other key factors, along with a summary of the cost and benefits of adopting sloped screen separation in multi-stage manure treatment systems.
Transporting livestock manure to nutrient deficient fields can often be cost prohibitive without manure processing. Pyrolysis converts manure solids into biochar resulting in significant mass and volume reduction, while retaining high nutrient value. This fact sheet introduces the basics of pyrolysis technology, discusses the benefits and end uses of manure-derived biochar, and provides an overview of cost and technology limitations.
This bulletin brings together 13 independent experiments that address aspects of fermentation, nutritive value, and quality of cool-season and warm-season annual forages preserved as silage.
The dry matter yield and nutritive value of perennial warm-season grasses and corn silages were evaluated for preference and nutritive value when cut a different maturities and supplemented with crude protein and energy.
This publication summarizes results from 26 studies addressing the establishment, cell wall content, cultivar improvement, defoliation management, nutritive value, and utilization of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) as pasture, or its conservation as hay or silage or harvested as biomass. Both lowland and upland commercial cultivars and lowland germplasms were evaluated and, in some experiments, compared for yield, nutritive value, and quality characteristics. Comparisons were also made with other warm-season grasses. Switchgrass is a forage species having very flexible potentials as a pasture, stored forage, or biomass crop. Cytotypes, also referred to as ecotypes, and cultivar selections within cytotypes are important considerations when growing switchgrass in the Mid-Atlantic because they depend on its intended use and the crop’s geographic location
This publication offers information on youth showmanship of beef cattle.
Part of the Guide to Mycotoxins Commonly Found in Animal Feeds, this factsheet provides information about occurrence, regulation, and toxicosis for patulin.
This publication discusses the year-of- and year-after-establishment dynamics, management, environment, and productivity for five bermudagrass cultivars grown in spray fields in North Carolina.
This bulletin publishes the results of two experiments—one with switchgrass and one with gamagrass—that address responses of dry matter yield and nutritive value to nitrogen fertilization when the grasses are cut as hay.
Air quality in hog production can be improved by dietary manipulation (e.g., reducing crude protein), technology (spraying oil in the houses), management (regular washdown of pens), or additives. This paper focuses on additives used in shallow pits and lagoons.
This factsheet offers information on showing swine for youth aged 5-6.
This factsheet offers information on showing swine for youth aged 7-8.
This guide provides an overview of pastured pork production for small and beginning farmers in North Carolina, emphasizing planning considerations for a profitable pork enterprise. This publication is a starting reference for anyone interested in pastured pork production.
Though there are no hard survey numbers to demonstrate, anecdotally a majority of rented farmland in North Carolina is still done on a “handshake.” Such verbal tenancies — not reduced to writing or a term lease — are protected under North Carolina state law. Without written agreement, details of the tenancy — in the event of dispute — would have to be testified in court by the party seeking to either prove the tenancy (the farmer) or terminate the tenancy (landowner). One key detail is often the allocation of rent and renewal of tenancy in the event land is sold or devised to new owners during the crop year. This paper address how such allocation should be handled at the purchase contract stage, and also following death of prior owner.
Screw press separators can divide a single by-product stream into a solid and liquid stream to improve handling and management. These processing systems are commonly used in manure handling systems but can be used for management of many organic streams. For example, a wet digestion system that accepts food waste may also integrate the technology following anaerobic digestion. Regardless of the application, screw press separators are more efficient in removing solids from manure slurry streams (greater than four percent total solids or dry matter content) than with more dilute liquid manure streams. The systems are known to improve manure handling as well as reduce environmental impacts of livestock systems.
Manure is among the lowest methane yielding feedstocks in digesters, but it is widely used in agricultural anaerobic digestion systems due to its continuous availability in one location, its capacity to resist changes in pH, and its relatively easy integration into existing manure management systems. System types, costs, and environmental benefits are discussed.
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