UC expertise sought on coyotes and organic chicken feed

University of California Cooperative Extension advisors and specialists are go-to people for the press when they are looking for expertise on a wide variety of topics. Here are a couple subjects UC academics tackled in recent days:

Suburban coyotes culled - Los Angeles Times

Times reporter Joe Monzingo wrote a feature story on suburban coyote trapper Jimmie Rizzo. According to the article, coyotes are becoming an increasing problem in some Southern California neighborhoods, putting small dogs, cats and even young children at risk. The article cited a 2004 UC Davis finding that the first reported coyote attack in California not attributed to rabies occurred in 1978. In the next 25 years, there were 89 attacks on people or on pets in the presence of people. More than three-quarters of those came after 1994.

"Our main thrust is to re-educate the public that wild animals are wild," the article quoted Rex Baker, a retired California Polytechnic State University, Pomona, professor who co-wrote with study with UC Davis wildlife specialist Robert Timm. "Once a coyote loses its fear of man, you have to re-instill it."

Warning to animal lovers: The last seven paragraphs of the article vividly recount Rizzo's MO as coyotes' "Angel of Death." For people with a tender heart for animals, it is not pleasant reading.

Growing grain for organic chickens - Stockton Record

Two UC advisors provided commentary for a story on an organic chicken producer who is attempting the unusual task of growing his own feed on a hillside farm near Mountain Ranch.

"We do almost no grains here in the foothills," the article quoted Kenneth Churches, the University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor for Calaveras County.

Reporter Dana Nichols also spoke to farm advisor Mick Canivari of San Joaquin County UCCE. He said the practice of dryland farming that the organic grower is undertaking saves the expense of irrigation, but it's risky.

"If you don't get the moisture, you don't get the yield," he was quoted.

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