Thank you for reading this month's newsletter! This information is intended to be timely and practical for our livestock producers. If you have any questions regarding any information provided, events, or suggestions on topics to be addressed, please reach out to Laura at laura_elmore@ncsu.edu. Be sure to visit our website and our social media sites!

Not sure what to do now that you have your soil report back? Take a look at this tutorial that Kendra Phipps, Livestock and Forages Agent in Stokes County put together to learn how to use the University of Georgia Extension Fertilizer Calculator to pick the best fertilizer blend according to soil test recommendations.

It's ram buying season and ewe lamb sales have already started. We frequently get questions about where to buy rams and ewes, especially with the growing interest in sheep production. To help answer some of these questions, NCSU Small Ruminant Specialist Dr. Andrew Weaver has put together a list of ram and ewe sales in the Eastern US region. Click the link below for the list of upcoming sales!

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been detected in wild waterfowl off the coast of NC and SC through the USDA's surveillance program. Continue to practice proper biosecurity and keep domestic flocks away from wild birds, waterfowl, or other birds. The current recommendation from NCDA is to keep all flocks in an enclosed area, whether that be inside a coop/run or in a chicken tractor. The main point to keep in mind is that they do not need to have free access to the outdoors in a way that is not protected.


USDA has a great resource around biosecurity measures that can be taken at all times to ensure the health of your flock. Now is a good time to review those resources to know what you can do to keep your birds safe.