24 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN August 2024 April/May 2024 Calf News 1/2 Page 7.25” x 4.875” Horizontal www.dodgemfg.com Call Today! 402-693-2221 BRUTE STEALTH “Cattle don’t have square shoulders” roost in rafters and in silos or enclosed barns used for feed storage. The acidic feces can deteriorate and corrode infrastructure, create an unpleasant work environment due to the smell and noise, and present a major health concern. This can ultimately lead to an increase in labor requirements to keep water tanks, feed bunks, buildings and vehicles clean. Prevention and Management There is no one-size-fits-all, guaranteed solution for managing birds. Lee explains the basics for approaching wildlife management with an easy-to-remember acronym. “Most wildlife problems are resolved by following the acronym HER,” he says. “H stands for habitat modification; What can you do to prevent the problem? So, making the habitat unsuitable for birds to land or roost. E is exclusion; Is there some type of physical or chemical barrier you can put up that separates the things you want to keep [birds from]? And the R is removal, dead or alive.” The first action that many feedlots implement is to keep stored feeds covered. If the feed is kept out in the open, like silage, covering feed with a tarp is extremely beneficial. It is important to keep feeds cleaned up and not leave piles or rations exposed. If feed is kept inside of a three-sided shed, ‘BIRD’ IS THE WORD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23 a curtain can be placed over the fourth side. The curtain can be lifted out of the way for equipment to load feed and left down the rest of the time to keep birds out. Some operations Habitat Modification: Making the habitat unsuitable for birds to land or roost. Exclusion: Some type of physical or chemical barrier that separates the birds from the things you want to keep them from. Removal: Remove them, dead or alive. H E R
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTMxNTA5