Education
Cattle producers may have a few options available to offset the rising costs of adding phosphorus to their herd’s diet, a Kansas State University beef systems specialist said.
Evaluate and monitor pregnant cows and heifers that are under any stress. That could be stress associated with transport movement or disease, if that animal is suffering from a system illness or some viral infection.
Seasonal changes in day length can have a huge impact in milk production, ranging from 5 lb/cow/day in the northern United States to 8 to 9 lb/day in the south.
As feed prices currently challenge U.S. livestock producers, Feedipedia can be a resource for incorporating non-traditional feedstuffs into innovative rations.
The intricacies of transition-cow nutrition and its role in lactation success may be made a bit easier with the Liver Functionality Index.
Alfalfa is the third-highest crop for economic returns in the U.S. and is a feed source for that can reduce the need for costly nutritional supplements when cattle are primarily feed other types of diets.
Michal Lunak, Extension Educator for Penn State, addresses the seven most common -- and costly -- management diseases that occur during the cow’s transition period on U.S. dairies
The natural inclination to manage calf diseases solely with a needle and a bottle is trumped by a host of other care methods that can guide calves on the road to recovery.
The calendar will soon turn to a New Year, and spring calving season will be approaching. The more we know about the physiology of the process, the more likely we are to make sound decisions about providing assistance.
Here’s a breakdown of just how much these seven transition period diseases could be costing you.
Keep your sight on nutrition that optimizes fetal development in the final trimester.
Understanding and valuing genetic data can present a daunting task to seedstock and commercial producers. Panelists were asked to describe how they use genetic data to navigate breeding decisions and market cattle.
The 32-page document can help veterinarians counsel beef and dairy clients on vaccination strategies. Included are vaccine label information, categories, core vaccines, storage and handling recommendations and more.
The highest quality vaccine that producers purchase may be of little value if not handled and stored properly. Don’t overlook key principles when preparing and administering vaccines and other animal health products.
About 1% of pregnancies annually is the standard of acceptable herd-wide loss, according to Cameron Knight, veterinary pathologist at the University of Calgary.
There’s not a clear answer to why heifers contract the disease, though studies have shown that teat canals of heifer calves can become colonized at very young ages.
The basic principle of limit feeding is to feed corn (or other concentrated energy source) and a supplement in just enough quantity to meet the animal’s requirement for maintenance or a targeted level of weight gain.
Feed efficiency is a key profit driver. Genetics and genetic tools exist to build cattle that are highly efficient and meet or exceed the carcass quality targets that earn packer premiums and satisfy consumers.
Wintry weather demands extra attention for preweaned calves, and that includes the temperature of their liquid feedings.
The rumen may be taking center stage in digesting another global challenge: plastics
Early mastitis detection is often the key to reducing the impact of the disease in a dairy herd. There are a number of technologies to help address the issue.
With the average frost date upon us, prussic acid will be (or already is) an issue in certain forages. Prussic acid is found when susceptible plants are under drought conditions or after a light frost.
Reproductive efficiency is highly correlated to nutrition. The target Body Condition Score going into calving season is 5.5 for the mature cow and 6 for first calf heifers.
Many cattle owners wonder how to determine if and when an animal needs veterinary attention. These are some guidelines you might want to consider passing along to your clients for consideration.
Over-conditioned cows that lose weight after calving subsequently have lower fertility, produce fewer quality embryos and face higher rates of health problems.
When the mercury drops, preweaned calves expend more energy to maintain their body temperature. They often need added nutrients to keep them healthy and growing through frigid conditions.
Do you ever wonder how some people seem to fall into a pile of cow manure and come out smelling like a rose? Those successful types probably have a high level of grit and a lot more perseverance than meets the eye.
If you or an employee treats an animal with a drug, it’s important to keep adequate and updated treatment records.
To identify unique proteins that can be used for interventions against BRD, scientists took a closer look at the genetic material of multiple strains of three groups of bacteria commonly implicated with the disease.