A22*Lancttttr Fanrtnfl, Saturday, February 22, 1992
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
GUTHRIESVILLE (Chester
Co.) While much of Chester
County escaped the severe drought
last year which drove some far
mers out of business in Pennsylva
nia, water concerns still rage
will we have enough this year?
And will it be fit to drink?
“One thing I think you should
all do is get your water tested,”
said Walter Wurster, Chester
County agent, to about 92 farmers
and industry representatives on
Monday at the Chester County
Crops Day.
Wurster spoke about the effects
that well placement and manage
ment of nutrients and pesticides
may have on water available to
farmers.
He introduced a new computer
program, soon to be released from
Penn State, which will outline
water quality measurements and
help farmers in well location, con
struction, and maintenance.
Well water
Farmers should first have their
well water tested. "I don’t care
who you are or how fresh you think
your water is, get it tested,” said
Wurster. “Find out whether you
have any problems.”
Wurster also emphasized the
importance of water conservation
on the farm. According to the
county agent, if all the water in the
Walter Wurster, Chester County agent, spoke about the
availability of the world’s fresh water and how farmers
should learn to manage their well water effectively on Mon
day at the Chester County Crops Day.
Bill Beam, left, receives the 5-Acre Corn Club Award for
three-year average from Walter Wurster, Chester County
agent, at the Chester County Crops Day.
New Program
Well
Water Access ,
world would be available in a one
gallon container, the fresh water
available to use would occupy less
than 'A cup.
Through water conservation, a
farm family of four could save up
to 44 gallons of water a day. Proper
water-saving techniques include a
low-flow toilet, a low-flow shower
head, turning off water when
brushing teeth, a front-load dis
hwasher, and other methods.
Farmers should consider water
use before problems occur. “The
only times you think about these
things is when something goes
wrong with the pump, you know,
and all of a sudden you don’t have
enough water to water the cows or
you don’t have enough water to
shower or your wife’s scream ing at
you and you’re ready to cook din
ner and there’s no water in the
house,” he said. “You should
think about this, because that water
is not getting any more plentiful
out there.”
Wells polluted
Also, people don’t realize how
readily wells can be polluted, and
sometimes avoid thinking about
their own water management tech
niques. “Some people think, as
long as I’m on the other side of the
creek, I’m not going to have a
problem with any pollution.”
But through nitrogen runoff and
leaching and pesticide contamina
tion, wells can be readily affected.
Conservation Fanner of the Year recognition went to the Hoopes J. Yamall Farm,
represented by Jean and Hoopes Yarnall, Russellville, left, at the Chester County
Crops Day. Bob Francis, third from left and Dan Gregg, of the Chester Conservation
District, presented the award and a sign for Yarnall Farm.
Farmers can do a great deal to con- creeks, exercise yards, manure
trol runoff by conservation farm- storage areas, septic system loca
ing, by using terraces, and “by tion, and other factors,
using a little common sense when
we spray,” he said
Proper well location is impor
tant, and the new program will aid
farmers in how to properly place
the well, taking into consideration
the location of the homestead,
Winter Brings Teat Sores
STATE COLLEGE (Centre
Co.) Sores or lesions on the
udders and teats of dairy cattle may
be more prevalent during cold
weather, said an expert in Penn
State's College of Agricultural
Sciences.
"Dairy producers may notice
more sores in winter," said Carol
Bums, research assistant in veter
inary science. "If you see a sore, try
to determine the cause. Some ail
ments that cause this symptom can
be serious."
Chapped skin is probably the
most common teat and udder irrita
tion during winter. "This often is
caused by teat dips and washing
teats in cold weather combined
with friction from the milking
machine and rough bedding mater
ials," Bums said.
"Cracked, chapped skin easily
can lead to colonization of Staph
aureus bacteria, increasing the
incidence of Staph mastitis. The
rough skin also can be invaded by
viral organisms that cause other
problems."
To help prevent chapped teats.
Bums said to wait a few minutes
for the teat dip to dry before send-
ing cows outside.
Another cause of teat sores is
pseudocowpox, a common pox
virus in cattle. "Pseudocowpox
causes localized swelling and cre
ates a pustule that ruptures within
two days," Bums said. "An ele
vated scab then develops. This
scab falls off after 7 to 10 days,
leaving a horseshoe-shaped ring of
smaller scabs."
Pseudocowpox infections take
five to six weeks to heal. "The rate
of spread through herds is slow,”
Bums said. "Only a few cattle have
sores at any one time. But because
cattle develop little immunity to
pseudocowpox, a cow can have
teat sores several times during the
winter."
Sanitation and disinfection arc
Aids In
Management
Also, if a well is located on a
hill, where runoff could pose a
problem, the use of diversion ter
races can help avoid well contami
nation (surface water is a prime
factor in contamination of existing
wells).
the best means to prevent the
spread of pseudocowpox through
out your herd and possibly to your
self. Your veterinarian can recom
mend proper treatment, which may
include removing scabs.
"This should be done to ensure
that the scabs won't be lost in the
beddings, which would contami
nate the environment," Bums said.
"Topical ointment also may be part
of the treatment."
Care should be taken when
milking or treating cattle with
pseudocowpox. "This vims can be
transmitted to the milker's hands,
forming sores known as milkers'
nodules," she said. "If your herd
has pseudocowpox, it's wise to
wear rubber gloves while
milking.”
Warts also can become more
prevalent during winter. "Several
different viruses cause warts, each
with its own specific characteris
tic," Bums said.
"Warts are especially common
in younger cattle, generally caus
ing little harm and healing sponta
neously. But when warts grow on
the teats of lactating cows, they
often interfere with milking."
Warts can be crushed, pinched
off or surgically removed by your
veterinarian. "Commercial vac
cines may be helpful in stopping
new warts, but these vaccines do
little to help the existing warts to
degenerate," Bums said.
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“1 think we all have to be con
scious of water conservation,’
said Wurster. “We also have to be
conscious of how we treat the land
around our watershed. Whatever
happens, you’re probably going to
be die first one affected by any
thing you do wrong on our farm.
It’s going to be your groundwater
or your well that’s going to be
affected.”
Dairy farmers also should watch
for signs of bovine herpes mam
militis (6HM), a viral disease that
causes severe ulcers on the teats
and udder.
"When BHM is first introduced
into a herd, these areas often will
swell and one or two large blisters
will form," Bums said. "Some
times the blisters disappear quick
ly and go unnoticed.
Sloughing of the teat skin may
be the first sign that producers
notice."
Milking machines are believed
to aid the transmission of the BHM
virus, which can remain in a herd
for 6 to 15 weeks.
"The severity of the ulcers
decreases as the disease progresses
through the herd," Bums said. "But
infected animals usually resist
being milked and may have to be
culled. BHM can cause high eco
nomic losses."
Your veterinarian can recom
mend an antiseptic, such as iodo
phors or chlorhexidine, to apply
just prior to milking. Sores should
be swabbed with an astringent
after milking.
"Sanitation and disinfection are
the best means to prevent the
spread of viruses that cause teat
sores," Bums said. "This applies to
the teat ends, the milking machines
and the milker's hands and
clothes."