Author: Anita Duscher

From a 2022 Lancaster (PA) Farming article written by Chelsea Hill of the Penn State Extension Service comes this timely bit of information:

“Oh, Christmas tree, oh, Christmas tree, how lovely are thy branches.” One of the many wonderful traditions surrounding the holiday season this winter is the purchasing of a beautiful coniferous tree and decorating it with family for all to see.

But what, may you ask, do you do with a Christmas tree after the holidays are past? Unlike the Grinch, who may have taken the tree back, most families dispose of it in the regular trash, use it as part of their compost or, what seems to be growing in popularity in recent years, feed it as a treat to backyard livestock.

The positives of this new trend are that the trees can have a second life or purpose. They can provide varying levels of supplemental nutrition and may have anthelmintic properties due to high levels of naturally occurring tannins, predominantly found in the bark.

Unfortunately, there aren’t enough studies to verify exactly how high the levels of tannins after consumption would be, so it is merely a guess that a sheep or goat would consume enough to reap the benefits of a natural dewormer such as this.

The other variable that needs to be taken into consideration is that there are multiple species of Christmas trees available on today’s market: spruces (blue, white, Norway), firs (Douglas, balsam, Fraser, Canaan, noble, grand, concolor), pines (white, Virginia, Scotch), Leyland, Arizona and red cedar. For each species, there could be varying levels of nutritional benefits and anthelmintic properties or, in some cases, toxic properties.

Depending on the variety, coniferous trees could be poisonous when fed at high rates or even at low rates over a long period of time.

For example, ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) needles contain isocupressic acid which, when fed to pregnant cattle in late pregnancy, can cause abortions, according to the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service.

Although ponderosa pine is not commonly found in Pennsylvania, there have been other coniferous species that have been found to have the same toxic acid, including Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa), lodgepole pine (P. contorta) and common juniper (Juniperus communis).

Another study from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service titled “Pine needle toxicoses in cattle and goats” found that in a small case study of 24 mixed Spanish-breed goats, feeding varying levels of ponderosa pine needles, bark and needle tips did not cause abortions as hypothesized but was toxic in multiple groups of the study.

Are These Trees Right for Your Animals?

If feeding leftover Christmas trees is something you’re considering for your operation, remember that just like you wouldn’t randomly eat 10 pounds of chocolate because of the digestive upset sure to follow, the same could be said when feeding this coniferous treat to your stock. Only offer one tree at a time, and space them out so that your animals are only getting small amounts.

This is especially important for our ruminant species, as sudden changes in diet can lead to acidosis, bloat or worse if not monitored. Avoid feeding late-pregnancy dams to avoid the potential for abortion, especially when the variety of the tree is not known.

Make sure all trees taken in are clean and that the previous owners know where they were sourced. Some trees are sprayed with pesticides, preservatives or flame retardants before being sold to customers, and these trees should be avoided.

Remove all decorations that were previously on the tree, being careful to make sure each strand of tinsel is discarded and no leftover ornament hooks are on branches before feeding.

Always follow your intuition. If you’re ever unsure of the quality or source of a tree, it is better to use it for compost than potentially lose one of your animals.

Issuance Date: December 1, 2022

Effective Date: Immediately     

Effective immediately, sheep and goat in-vivo embryos and oocytes from the United Kingdom of Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) and Northern Ireland will be eligible for import into the United States. Importation of such commodities is only permitted for direct transfer to recipient females in U.S. flocks or herds listed in the National Scrapie Database, or to an Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)-approved embryo storage facility where they may be kept until transfer to the aforementioned recipient females.

The importer of record must meet post-entry requirements pertaining to further distribution of imported embryos/oocytes, identification of any progeny derived from the imported embryos/oocytes, and recordkeeping. The import requirements and post-entry requirements are available on the Live Animal Imports website.

APHIS requires an import permit for importation of sheep and goat embryos/oocytes from the United Kingdom. The shipment must also be accompanied by a health certificate endorsed by the competent authority of the exporting region (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in Great Britain; Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland). Examples of the required health certificates can be found on the APHIS website.

For any questions regarding import of sheep and goat embryos/oocytes from the United Kingdom for transfer to eligible U.S. recipient females, please contact Dr. Mary Kate Anderson at (301)851-3300, Option 2 or e-mail [email protected].

For importation of sheep and goat embryos/oocytes for any purpose other than reproduction, please consult the Veterinary Services Permitting Assistant (VSPA) to determine the relevant import requirements.

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The following very timely article comes from Michael Metzger, Michigan State University/ Jackson County Extension’s Small Ruminant Instructor:

As fall approaches, so does the normal breeding season for most sheep and goats. Consideration for things like parasite count, hoof health, body condition scoring, and overall health of breeding stock should be evaluated prior to breeding.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

From ASI Weekly, the American Sheep Industry’s newsletter dated September 2, 2022 comes the following item of interest:

This week, Condé Nast Traveler offered online readers a look at wool clothing they should add to their travel wardrobes.

“When you think of wool clothing, your mind probably goes to chunky socks, stiff slacks, or expensive cashmere that you’re afraid to ruin. But a recent push toward sustainable fashion has put wool under a new spotlight, with more brands using the fabric to create clothes that are both functional and fashionable, and wearable in all seasons.

“But what makes wool the perfect fabric for travel clothes? Some may say that wool is too thick and itchy to be comfortable, but wool comes in many forms. Merino wool – for instance – is an ultra-fine and super soft wool that’s lightweight and breathable, creating clothes that are great for adventure travel and city trips in both cold and warm climates. Wool is also odor-resistant – the absorbent fibers in the fabric wick away sweat and lock in odor – so even if you sweat through a wool shirt during a hike in the Adirondacks or a summer day in Paris, once it dries it will be odorless and ready to wear without washing, making it easier to pack light. Wool is also wrinkle-proof, so opting for a wool T-shirt or shift dress on your travels means that you’ll look fresh and polished, even if you forgot to pack a steamer.

“While adventure and performance clothing brands have been harnessing the power of wool for decades, recent fashion-forwards brands like Babaa and Nadaam are putting a stylish spin on the material, creating everything from shoes to dresses – and of course, sweaters – that are perfect for today’s travelers.”

Click Here to find out which eight pieces of clothing the magazine recommended for frequent travelers.

Source: Condé Nast Traveler

GSSB member CB Katzenbach is sharing the following message from NJ extension agent Mike Westendorf regarding the current drought and the potential health problems for all ruminants that may be caused by increasing nitrogen levels in pastures & forage. It’s very timely as most of the area is in moderate to severe drought:

With a large portion of New Jersey receiving abnormally low rainfall during the 2022 growing season there is concern about excess nitrate accumulation in forages.  Excess nitrate in forages can result in sickness and death in cows, sheep, goats, and other ruminants consuming these feeds.

It might be helpful to understand the danger forages containing higher levels of nitrates pose to animal health.  Nitrate is a common form of nitrogen found in the soil, which is taken up by plants and converted to protein in the plant.  Under normal growing conditions, nitrates do not accumulate in the plant. However, when plants are stressed with dry growing conditions, photosynthetic and metabolic processes are inhibited and the potential for accumulation of nitrates increases.

Utilizing drought-affected crops for livestock feed is a common practice; however, producers must consider the potential risks of nitrate toxicity.   Harvesting forage crops that are more susceptible should be done so that the lower segments of the plant stalk, which has the highest chance of storing nitrates, are not harvested.

Ruminant animals can convert nitrate to nitrite and ammonia in the rumen and detoxify nitrate.  When the level of nitrate builds up in the rumen due to higher levels in the diet rumen microbes cannot convert all the nitrate present to ammonia because the conversion of nitrate to nitrite occurs more quickly than the conversion of nitrite to ammonia. If levels of nitrate are great enough, nitrite will accumulate in the rumen and be absorbed through the wall of the rumen into the blood supply.  Nitrite can combine with hemoglobin in the blood and convert it to methemoglobin, which will carry very little oxygen to the tissues.  The first sign of nitrate poisoning is often dead animals.  Other physical signs of nitrate poisoning include difficult breathing, muscle incoordination and staggering, diarrhea and frequent urination, heavy salivation, cyanosis, and collapse.  Sublethal poisoning may result in a loss of appetite, lowered milk production, slow growth, abortions, and poor fertility.

A couple precautions about feeding drought affected forages containing high levels of nitrates:

1. Order of feeding priority: Silage > Hay > Grazing > Green chop. Ensiling will destroy 40-60% of nitrates. Therefore, silage crops will have the lowest levels of nitrates due to bacterial destruction. Producing forage for dry hay does not destroy nitrates. Green chop will be the riskiest to feed. If nitrate levels are high enough, ensiling may be the only way to salvage the forage.
2. Never feed forage containing greater than 1.5% nitrate.  Ruminants, especially cows, can be fed forage containing <1.5% nitrate if slowly adapted and provided the forage is only a portion of the diet.
3. If contamination is suspected or if animals are showing signs of toxicity, the best option is to call a veterinarian, they will be able to provide veterinary treatment.

The attached factsheet and the link to a Plant and Pest Advisory https://plant-pest-advisory.rutgers.edu/feeding-nitrate-containing-forages/ article will give you more information if you get questions.

Educational material will be provided, and meetings are planned to help with questions. The State Department of Agriculture is planning a testing program through their feed laboratory to assist producers in managing affected forages.

Contact Meredith Melendez, Agricultural Agent II and Associate Professor, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County, by calling 609-989-6830 for additional  information.