If you listed the top three disease problems in young dairy calves, diarrhea and pneumonia would likely come to mind immediately. The third one might not be as obvious: umbilical infection.
In every drought cycle some producers have an earlier end to the drought than others while others are more severely affected by drought. This cows are often available to purchase, but they aren't always a bargain.
Reports of fescue foot in Missouri has extension specialists urging producers to check herds for warning signs of the disease in January when it most often occurs.
Breaking ice on water tanks is often a daily or multiple times per day task this time of year. What water systems do you have on your operation to ensure cattle always have water on the coldest days of winter?
Just because we have easy access to the thousands of beef-on-dairy cross calves eventually headed for feedyards doesn't mean we should be vaccinating them every week, according to Dan Thomson.
While “high-risk” cattle are often given high levels of hay or forage to aid in the transition to a milled diet, a study at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station researches ways to increase performance.
Have you ever noticed that cows who calve during the fall and winter months tend to produce less colostrum than their herd mates who calved during the spring and summer? Here's why.
While there are many seasonal preparations to consider before calving season begins, calf scours prevention is not always one that comes to mind. However, the best time to mitigate the risks of the disease is now.
The Prescott Family Reindeer Farm in southern Missouri is 240 acres rooted in a deep desire to give everyone a full Christmas experience. Cattle producers by trade, they decided to also add reindeer to their mix.
When cows get below their lower critical temperature and get into cold stress, they can adapt by increasing feed consumption to increase their basal metabolic rate and increase heat of fermentation.
By using precision technologies such as automated milk feeders and pedometers combined with machine learning, dairy producers can detect illness earlier and make informed decisions about treatment.
Preventing and managing bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is an ongoing challenge for beef cattle, especially for stocker and feedlot operations, as well as for dairy youngstock.
Coccidiosis is an intestinal disease that affects several different animal species. In cattle, it may produce clinical symptoms in animals from 1 month to 1 year of age, but it can infect all age groups.
Domestic sales and distribution of medically important antimicrobial drugs approved for use in food-producing animals decreased by less than 1% between 2020-21. Compared to 2015 (peak year), 2021 sales decreased 38%.
When a significant number of cattle died in less than two hours, a number of questions are raised. Kansas State University experts discuss this toxicology case and the answers that were found.
Sandra Stuttgen, bovine veterinarian and associate professor at the University of Wisconsin, says now is the time for livestock owners to establish a relationship with their DVM.
An Arkansas scientist has shown that a common and inexpensive hormone additive may mitigate the ill effects on growth performance of calves born to cows grazed on endophyte-infected fescue pastures during gestation.
The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) has awarded nineteen scholarships to students enrolled in AAVMC member institutions, totaling close to $100,000.
It has been well-documented that feeding preweaned calves on a higher plane of nutrition improves calf health and performance. However, providing calves more nutrients may also promote wound healing.
That jolt from your morning java also could be a handy helper in stimulating struggling newborn calves. Caffeine could help calves before they receive colostrum, or at other times when calves appear dull and lethargic.
In the past, it was believed there was no point to give injectable respiratory vaccines before about 4 months of age, because they would be inactivated by maternal antibodies. A recent study proves that’s not the case.
Here’s three key claims and takeaways from this year’s animal rights extremist conferences and how they plan to turn consumers away from meat, poultry and dairy products.
Determining the value of a bull is an important question, and one that is a challenge to answer. Mark Johnson, DVM, Oklahoma State, offers some calculations to help determine a value.
The “maternal” discussion is far more complex than a healthy live birth and seedstock producers are using more data and knowledge to create better dams each year.
Sometimes called “sudden death syndrome” or “bloody gut,” Hemorrhagic Bowel Syndrome is characterized by dark, tarry, and sometimes bright red, bloody feces; dehydration; and decreased feed intake.
PRRS continues to be the most economically significant disease affecting the U.S. swine industry. Boehringer Ingelheim is launching a PRRS Knowledge Manual, chronicling years of research and best practices for control.
The transition period, 3 weeks before and after calving, is challenging for all cows. But for first-calf heifers, it’s likely the scariest and most stressful time in their young lives.
Determining proper mineral supplementation merits more thought than simply going to the feed store, grabbing a few bags or a pallet of the mineral they have on hand and throwing it in a lick tub.
Decision-making for treating tough diseases in dairy calves is complex and challenging. Sometimes timely euthanasia is needed. More training and support for calf caretakers are needed in the process.
Whether calves will be retained and backgrounded or sold shortly after weaning, it is important to consider the impacts of weaning strategies on calf health and performance.
The poet Ovid said, “Dripping water hollows out stone, not through force but through persistence.” This quote perfectly encompasses a key in business success: small habits done repeatedly truly do add up.
University of Wisconsin animal welfare researcher Sarah Adcock addresses several considerations when using caustic paste to complete disbudding, as well as some drawbacks that could be improved upon.
After a typical birth the calf should breathe within 30 seconds of delivery, says Dr. Geof Smith, dairy technical services veterinarian for Zoetis. If it isn't, you need to intervene.
While dairy producers are rapidly embracing the concept of using beef semen to freshen their cows, the resulting crossbred calves are proving both a valuable opportunity and a challenge for the U.S. beef industry.
“Similar to Staph aureus and mycoplasma, Prototheca [mastitis] is hard to detect, has no known cure, and is contagious by intermittently shedding from cow to cow."