Lancaster Farming

Donkeys are hardy animals that share some similarities with horses but also have some physiological and behavioral differences that are important for donkey owners to know. Recognizing your donkey’s “normal” is essential for detecting health issues early and for assessing overall health. These monitoring techniques are easy to perform at home with just a stethoscope, a digital thermometer and a watch. Every donkey is slightly different, so there are ranges for “normal” for each vital sign.

Donkeys are hardy animals that share some similarities with horses but also have some physiological and behavioral differences that are important for donkey owners to know. Recognizing your donkey’s “normal” is essential for detecting health issues early and for assessing overall health. These monitoring techniques are easy to perform at home with just a stethoscope, a digital thermometer and a watch. Every donkey is slightly different, so there are ranges for “normal” for each vital sign.

Maryland has reopened Hunting Creek Lake after removing rabid beavers that bit two people. The recreation spot at Cunningham Falls State Park in Thurmont was closed after a 13-year-old swimmer was bitten July 26 and a 19-year-old angler was attacked Aug. 5. Both beavers were killed and later tested positive for rabies. Biologists conducted thermal surveys after dark, s et up trail cameras and traps, and posted surveys, but they found no additional beavers in the area.

Marty Qually began his tenure Monday as the executive director of Pennsylvania’s State Conservation Commission. Qually had been an Adams County commissioner since 2012. The Gettysburg Times reported Qually resigned from that elected post to join the State Conservation Commission. Qually has also been a county auditor and small business owner. In Maryland he was the assistant director of the Frederick Community Action Agency.

CENTRE HALL, Pa. — When Clayton Landis stepped into the ring at the Centre County Grange Fair, his Hereford weighed 1,400 pounds. That same steer weighed just 55 pounds not too long ago. “I literally kind of saved that steer’s life when he was born,” Landis said. “He was a little thing.” Landis and his now not-so-little thing left the ring as the champion bred and owned market steer, a relatively new portion of the Grange Fair’s steer show — and one that Landis has seen a lot of success in.

Late summer into fall is usually our most successful time for forage seeding in Pennsylvania. Penn State Extension agronomy educator Leanna Duppstadt provides some helpful tips for getting a successful catch, provided below. The general rule for cool season perennial forages is to plant at least six weeks before the first killing frost. Killing frost does not mean we just hit 32 — we need to dip below 28 degrees. Why is this the sweet spot for seeding?

A family friend recently spoke of an unfortunate event in which an experienced farmer suffered serious health problems due to air pollution exposure while working in a silo. This emphasizes the ongoing need to raise awareness of agricultural respiratory hazards. The dangers remain significant and associated illness and death are preventable. The American Lung Association works to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease.

While many first-year college students are juggling classes and extracurricular activities, Brynn Karnes, 18, has two additional balls in the air — managing her own floral business and serving as the reigning Bloomsburg Fair Queen. Karnes, a recent Central Columbia graduate, is heading to Penn State’s main campus to study agribusiness management and crop science, but she won’t be there for long.

This week on the Super Smart Farm Show, it’s time to figure out it once and for all: what's a silo and what’s a grain bin? Picture it: You’re riding down the road and you see a tall, cylindrical structure rising up from a farm. Is it a silo? Or is it a grain bin? What’s the difference? Is it just on the outside or is there more going on inside these farm structures making them different from each other? Join host Elmer and Cornelia corn as they learn about the difference between silos and grain bins.

What does it cost you to produce a bushel of corn, a hundred pounds of milk or a pound of mushrooms? It may sound like a simple question, but the answer is one of the most valuable pieces of information a farmer can have. Knowing your cost of production helps you understand where your farm is making money, where costs are getting out of hand and how to improve marketing decisions. Calculating your cost of production takes some time, but it doesn’t have to be complicated.