Love My Job!

I just want to do a little bragging I suppose, but I really love where I am working right now.

It is by far the happiest I have ever been with my job. 

Everyone gets along so well, never any drama or bickering.

I always feel so appreciated and welcome. 

I really feel like I am making a difference here too, 

I love that feeling!

So where is this great place you ask?

Dogwood Park Spay & Neuter Clinic

I am so happy to be here,

have I said that yet, enough?

It is a low cost clinic that provides

a much needed service to our area.

The Augusta/ CSRA area has a 

terrible problem with stray animals and overpopulation.

The facts are tough to hear and the 

statistics concerning the state of pet overpopulation

 in Georgia are staggering:

Statewide an estimated 300,000 pets 

are killed each year at a 

cost of $100 million to taxpayers.

This equates to 62% of homeless pets

who enter county shelters are killed.

This just breaks my heart to hear.

That is why it is so gratifying for me

to work at Dogwood.

I really feel like we, I, am making a

huge impact on the pet overpopulation problem

in this area.

If you decide you want to help

be a solution to the problem

and have your pets spayed or neutered

I encourage you to consider

us over at Dogwood.

Here's a short little pictorial tour 

of our facility in part.

 

 

If you are considering breeding 

your dog or purchasing a dog,

please just think about these statistics

for a while before you do.

Directly from the ASPCA:

It is impossible to determine how many stray dogs and cats live in the United States; estimates for cats alone range up to 70 million.

The average number of litters a fertile cat produces is one to two a year; average number of kittens is 4-6 per litter.

The average number of litters a fertile dog produces is one a year; average number of puppies is 4-6.

Owned cats and dogs generally live longer, healthier lives than strays.

Most strays are lost pets who were not kept properly indoors or provided with identification.

Only ten percent of the animals received by shelters have been spayed or neutered. About 75 percent of owned pets are neutered.

The cost of spaying or neutering a pet is less than the cost of raising puppies or kittens for a year.

Five out of ten dogs in shelters and seven out of ten cats in shelters are destroyed simply because there is no one to adopt them.

All data are ASPCA estimates.

New Herd Sire

When we went to pick up our new herd sire we ended up coming home with two! Check out the pedigree and pictures of this sweet boy!
Photos courtesy of Double Durango.
His Dam:
DOUBLE DURANGO DUNKIN DONUT BLUE EYES, BROKEN BUCKSKIN
SIRE - CH KACO YELLOW ROSE CAPTAIN S 3X GRAND CHAMPION, 3X RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION, 3X BEST OF BREED AND 2X BEST IN SHOW (CH KAAPIO ACRES KK CHIEF JUSTICE (MCH ROSASHARN TOM'S KEIKI KANE X MCH GAY-MOR B LACEWING'S PARSLEY E) X DILL PICKLE BOW LADY GODIVA (ROSASHARN TOM'S BIT-A-WILLY *S X DILL PICKLES TM LADY CAPULET)
DAM - DOUBLE DURANGO KH ICEE SLUSH (ROSASHARN SP RIP VAN WINKLE GA (MCH ROSASHARN SW SAPPORO X ROSASHARN'S P PENNSYLVANIA) X DOUBLE DURANGO SUSHI (OLD MOUNTAIN FARM RENEGADE (2X RES GRAND CHAMPION)X DOUBLE DURANGO PANDA CHILI DOG (2X RES GRAND CHAMPION)
His Sire:
J-NELS OH HEZA STETSON MOONSPOTTED
SIRE ROSASHARN BH OH HENRY (Rosasharn TL Bully Hill (Rosasharn's Tiger L X Rosasharn SW Sake)
X Rosasharn Tom's Bit-O-Honey (Goodwood Tom Thumb X Rosasharn's Buckwheat Honey)
DAM J-NELS GP KANDY KANE (J-Nels GP Gray Poupon (Rosasharn SS Sequoia X CH J-Nels ER Dumplin) X Little Tot's Estate Kniphofia (Rosasharn SS Sequoia X Echo Point Zantedeschia
KANDY KANE won Junior Grand Champion under Todd Biddle, Goats in Gatorland, Dade City, Fl., 3-26-11 and BEST JR DOE IN SHOW!

Our New Herd Sire!

We didn't plan on getting a buck for our farm, the plan was always to find great studs and use them, that way we could pick a boy that would compliment each girl individually. The problem was we were just having a really hard time finding boys to use. So I started tossing around the idea of getting our own buck and just as I was doing so this little guy was born and came available. He is everything I wanted, black and white, blue eyes and a nice milking background. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to add him to our herd.  He was even born on my husband's birthday!

Thanks so much Double Durango for letting us get this beautiful boy!

BUCK KID, BORN 3-3-13,BLACK AND WHITE, BLUE EYES
SIRE - KIDS CORRAL LB PRINCE BLUE (MCH WOODHAVEN FARMS LUZIFER BLUE +B X KIDS CORRAL CVF OH MY DARLING)

DAM - LITTLE TOTS ESTATE RIVER (CH/MCH/PGCH BUFFALO CLOVER VALENTINO (6 x Best of Breed,2 x Best In Show) X LITTLE TOTS ESTATE ANEMONE 1*M, *DD, 4X BEST UDDER AWARDS

Below are pictures of his Dam and Sire and then pictures of our new guy, photos courtesy of Double Durango.

NPIP Follow Up

I wanted to write a follow-up post to my NPIP post. I wanted to talk specifically about the diseases that the NPIP testing covers. I understand that not all states tests for all four of these diseases but I am sure that if you ask they will, it may cost a little more though. Here in Georgia they test for Pullorum, which is what all states that test for NPIP test for, but they also test for Avian Influenza, M. Gallisepticum, and M. Synoviae. I personally feel that it is very important for any person owning chickens, whether for pet, show or food, to have the NPIP testing done. It just gives you a little more peace of mind knowing that you have a healthy flock.

The following is just a brief explanation of the diseases and how they affect our birds and what can be done to treat them.

Pullorum Disease is caused by Salmonella pullorum. It has very high mortality rates for young birds and can also kill adults. It was once very common but has nearly been eradicated. Transmission is through the egg, direct and indirect contact. If the egg has been infected, via the hen having the disease, then death usually occurs within the first few days of life and up to 2-3 weeks after hatching. Affected chicks seek and huddle under a heat source, don’t eat, appear sleepy and will have whitish colored droppings caked up around the vent. Any that survive will become carriers and can pass the disease to their offspring. There are currently no antibiotics approved to treat infected flocks.

Avian Influenzas (Bird Flu) are caused by orthomyxoviruses. This disease is zoonotic, meaning that some forms are transmissible to humans. Many wild birds carry this disease in a form that does not cause illness. Domestic birds can contract the disease from wild birds and get extremely sick, to the point of death. Some forms have a mortality rate of nearly 100% and can kill an entire flock in as little as 48 hours. For more information you can visit the CDC’s page on Avian Influenza.

M. Gallisepticum and M. Sunoviae are both Mycoplasmas. They are bacteria but they are very unique in that they lack a cell wall and must have a rich medium containing serum to grow. This can make them different to treat as most antibiotics work by destroying the cell wall. They do not live very long outside of their hosts; usually no more than a few hours or days. They are vulnerable to most disinfectants.

M. Gallisepticum is a chronic respiratory disease in chickens and an infectious sinusitis in turkey. Other avian species are also susceptible to infection. It is the most pathogenic of the Avian Mycoplasma. It is found worldwide. It can be transmitted via direct and indirect contact as well as through the eggs of infected individuals. The infection may be dormant in the infected, hatched chick for days to months, but when the flock becomes stressed aerosol transmission occurs rapidly and infection spreads through the flock. The infection can also be carried on the clothing or boots of a person from an infected flock to a clean flock. This is why Biosecurity is very important. In many flocks the source of infection cannot be determined. Once infected, birds remain carriers for life. Infected birds may show no apparent symptoms or have varying degrees of respiratory distress, slight to marked rales, difficulty breathing, coughing and or sneezing. Infection rates are high, but death rates are low in uncomplicated cases. There may be nasal discharge along with frothiness in the eyes. The disease is generally more severe in turkey than in chickens. Infected birds may fail to reach peak laying ability, while broilers may not gain weight as normal. Treatment with tylosin, oxytetracycline or erythromycin is affective, among other antibiotics. Antibiotics are usually given via the feed or water for 5-7 days. There is a vaccine, but it must be approved for use by the state veterinarian.

M. Synoviae occurs most frequently as a subclinical infection of the upper respiratory track. Chickens and turkeys are the primary carriers but ducks, guinea fowl, geese, parrots, pheasants and quail are susceptible. It can be transmitted through the egg, but the rates are very low. The risk of transmission via eggs is greatest the first few weeks after infection of the hen. Transmission via direct and indirect contact is rapid. Symptoms can include slight rales, but generally no signs are seen. Outbreaks generally occur in young birds, those about 4-6wks. The disease can cause tendonitis and bursitis, and some birds may sit, become depressed and generally stay close to the feeders and waterers. Swelling of the hocks and foot pads may be evident. These symptoms are generally only seen in severely affected birds. The mortality rate is very low, less than 10% in most cases. Treatment is with one of the tetracycline antibiotics.

Both M. Gallisepticum and M. Sunoviae are respiratory diseases of chickens. I wanted to point out that they have the possibility of being transmitted through the egg, in the embryo. So you can buy chicks or hatching eggs and possibly bring these diseases into your flock. Your birds will be carriers for life once they have contracted these diseases. There is a chance that when your birds become stressed they will develop the symptoms of these respiratory diseases. There is also a chance that when you bring new birds into your flock they will contract these diseases and may become sick. The only way to know you are buying birds or eggs that are free of these diseases is to purchase from those who have had the NPIP testing and come back clean of all of these diseases. The testing is very easy and is not expensive; I feel it should be done by anyone interested in keeping a healthy flock.