Officials in a county in Michigan have produced a brochure which smells of manure aimed at people moving to rural areas.

Ottawa County officials say the idea is to try to educate would-be residents of some of the realities of rural living.

It is designed to reduce nuisance complaints that new homeowners sometimes make against farmers. It comes with a scratch-and-sniff section.

"It's an attention grabber," said Mark Knudsen, director of the county's planning and grants department. "The whole purpose is that people
should not move into a rural area unless they're willing to accept and embrace the practices that happen on a farming operation."

Ottawa is a farming area, with dairy cows, beef cattle, chickens, turkeys and pigs.

the pamphlet explains that state law generally protects farmers from complaints about their operations, especially when spraying pesticides,
spreading manure, transporting products and driving slow machines on two-lane roads.

© Associated Press

An Indian newspaper claims a farmer's cockerel has begun laying eggs.

Daily Pragativadi reports the cockerel, owned by Dibakara Jena of Tikanapur village in Orissa, has laid eggs on four consecutive days during the past week.  The paper said the news of a cockerel laying eggs had evoked "sheer surprise and curiosity" among residents.

Laxman Behera, the chief veterinary officer of Kendrapada district, has visited the farmer to see the bird for himself. It is reported local officials have been directed "to keep the cockerel under observation".

This is a valid news story, but we're inclined to  take it with a grain of salt... - PoultryHelp.com

Three cows and 2 captive deer on 3 premises in Cherokee County, Texas, are  being held under movement restriction by the Texas Animal Health Commission  (TAHC), pending evaluation and diagnosis of the animals' illness, signs of 
which have been reported to include swollen tongues and heads and stiff necks. Veterinarians from the TAHC, the state's regulatory agency for livestock and poultry health, and a veterinarian from NASA, are examining the animals to determine why they became ill. 

"Debris from the Columbia space shuttle was found on the captive deer premise, and we want to learn if the animal might have licked it or come into close contact with a chemical residue from the pieces. According to official reports, more than 600 pieces of debris have been found in Cherokee County, and we don't know if there is a link between the animals illness and the shuttle debris," said Dr James Lenarduzzi, acting executive director for the TAHC. 

"A full evaluation is underway to determine the cause of this illness, as we must know if we have a disease situation, or if this is a response to a hazardous chemical substance. The animals will not be allowed to move from 
the premises until we know they do not pose a health risk to other livestock or to human health." 

Dr Lenarduzzi urged livestock owners to work with their private veterinary practitioners if their animals become ill. He reminded producers and veterinarians that the TAHC operates a 24-hour hotline (1-800-550-8242) for reporting unusual signs of illness or unexpected death losses in livestock and poultry. 

(Many news channels have reported how toxic the fuel from the space shuttle was. The high heat of combustion on re-entry may have altered the toxicity, either decreasing or increasing it. Further, if that many space shuttle parts were spread over the county, the animals may have consumed some of the toxic substance by licking shuttle parts or by consumption of forages. The movement restriction should be regarded as an appropriate protective measure. - Mod.TG)