Latest News From Education

Strategically supplementing yearlings with dry distillers grains in the second half of the summer as the grass quality declines will increase average daily gain (ADG), but will it increase returns?

Trace minerals are important to calves’ development, but these nutritional components can vary in source. It turns out some trace minerals are more palatable than others, resulting in differences in consumption.

Extra water – along with a possible electrolyte boost -- is never more important than in the heat of summer.

Growth promoting technologies for cattle provide even more impact on net returns when costs are high.

Bottlenecks along U.S. railways are growing more severe. Not only are feed users on the West Coast on the brink of running out of grain, but there are also concerns the rail issues could grow worse during harvest.

Providing access to water can be challenging especially for operations enduring drought conditions. Water related toxicities and fatalities may be seen with greater frequency under hot and dry time periods.

Providing assistance too early during stage II labor may result in an increased risk of metritis.

As the thermometer starts to creep its way into the upper 80s, 90s or even the 100°F mark, nobody wants to put in physical work during the hottest part of the day - cows included.

Researchers have looked at the immune response of young calves to vaccination, but little data exists on the physical or physiological effects of vaccination in very young calves. Results from a new study could help.

Paying attention to feed-bunk behaviors can alert dairy producers to issues with diet, feed management or delivery that impact health and performance.

The Pygmalion effect, or Rosenthal effect, is a practical way you can mentor and support clients and their employees.

A heat index crisis hit in southwest Kansas on June 11. Cattle were lost. Dr. Tera Barnhardt, DVM, MS, shared what happened to educate people and counter misinformation. Our condolences to those affected by the tragedy.

After seeing the devastation of a major heat stress event, consider these strategies to help mitigate heat stress issues in the herd.

Research has shown weaning weights can be increased by over 30 pounds and pregnancy rates by over 10% by deworming cows in the spring and again in mid-summer.

This week, dangerous heat is sweeping across Texas to Wisconsin to Ohio to Georgia.

A recent study at a northern Colorado dairy showed whether cows had to wait a long time to be milked or a little did not have much impact on their subsequent activity and resting behavior.

The time of consistent heat stress is upon us. Heat-stressed cows produce less milk, have reduced fertility, and have higher SCC. Providing proper heat abatement can have both an economic and welfare impact on the farm.

These images depict a steer calf that had been on feed for 272 days with no treatment history when it was found dead in the pen.

We now know the beneficial influence of feeding transition milk to calves. Is there a way to deliver that nutritional and immunological support and bypass the tedious process of harvesting and feeding transition milk?

Producers can capture added value by preconditioning and weaning their calves. Along with weaning at least 45 days, preconditioning includes several practices that add value for both the buyer and seller.

In hot summer conditions, heat transfer failures cause accumulation of body heat resulting in heat stress, reduced performance, animal discomfort, or death. Here's some tips to help get your cattle through high temps!

Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis can take a toll on cattle, especially calves. Three bovine veterinarians provide their insights on diagnosing the problem and when to use and not use antibiotics for treatment.

Creep grazing programs can produce additional calf gains using forage rather than the traditional grain-based creep diets. There are many ways to adapt this system to each individual situation.

Late May and June typically produce the first heat events of the season when temperature, humidity and feed intake will significantly impact water consumption by feedlot cattle.

Know when to cut and when to run. With the former, Amanda Hartnack, DVM, recommends fixing those hernias in the field that are no larger than 10 to 15 centimeters.   

Jesse Goff, Iowa State University dairy veterinarian and professor, attributes hypocalcemia, including the subclinical stage, to metabolic alkalosis. He says the issue has to do with potassium in forages being fed.   

Proper body mechanics are important to helping bovine veterinarians minimize injuries on the job. Here are six ways to minimize physical wear and tear as you go about your work.

As drought continues in the Great Plains, producers are making hard decisions about cowherd management and feeding options, but cost of production and opportunity costs must be carefully evaluated.

Its name sounds like something that belongs in the pages of a Dr. Seuss book. But festulolium actually is a highly useful hybrid forage grass – the result of a cross between fescue grass and ryegrass.

Three bovine veterinarians share some of their best practices, tools and insights for conducting necropsies more effectively and efficiently. 

Developed by a team of veterinarians, students and regulatory agencies, the app will help rural practitioners evaluate problems in the field and determine whether issues they see are part of a greater pattern.

The right tools can make quick work of a routine necropsy, according to Dr. Dee Griffin. The opposite is true, too. He says buy a motorized sharpener, a single bit ax and. of course, the best knives you can afford.

Asian longhorned ticks are moving across the U.S. Calves are particularly vulnerable to them. Of course, a variety of tick species are problematic for cattle and need to be addressed each year.

The sooner calves eat enough dry feed to sustain themselves, the better equipped they are to bridge the nutritional gap between the fixed liquid ration and a weaned diet of solely dry feeds.

Check out the photographs of nine common problems Dr. Ahmed Tibary, Washington State University, says he most often sees in the sperm of bulls that fail breeding soundness exams.

All feed types are costing more, and there's no way around that. However, several management practices can be used to potentially lower costs without sacrificing cow health or the animal's next lactation.

Dr. Pedro Melendez, a veterinarian and dairy specialist at Texas Tech University, addresses five sources of shrink that can cause substantial losses in terms of feed used, ration formulation and poor performance.

To help producers obtain a lower SCC, it is important to know what you are up against in the herd and how to treat for specific problems, says Peter Edmondson, DVM.

Estrus synchronization can be an important management tool to get cows settled as early in the breeding season as possible and get cows bred to bulls with highest possible genetic value.

Flies are a nuisance and contribute to lost productivity on the dairy. Controlling flies requires an integrated management plan that includes inspection, sanitation, treatment and monitoring. 

While most beef production operations are still pasture-based, confinement facilities are gaining traction in the U.S. With them come a host of routine health concerns for veterinarians and producers.

See how rising costs impact you and your family.

Maternal colostrum is often considered nature’s “perfect food.” But does this “free” resource help calves achieve passive immunity as reliably as the guaranteed ingredients in a bag of colostrum replacer?

Progesterone is a key hormone in the establishment and maintenance of a pregnancy. Increasing its concentration can boost pregnancy rates and decrease pregnancy losses after embryo transfer.

Vaccination plans are only one pillar in an effective herd health program and should be viewed as a mechanism to minimize risk of disease.

Addressing the water needs of cattle is a complex process depending on water quality, weather patterns, time of day, feed moisture content, and animal factors such as bodyweight and stage of production.

Bulls don't always transition well from one farm to the next. Some extra TLC could mean the difference in whether that animal stays in good condition and maintains good sperm quality and quantity or struggles to adjust.

A commonly used and predictable method of addressing anaplasmosis is by incorporating a feed-grade chlortetracycline in the animal’s feed or mineral supplements. When prescribing one, consider the product formulation.

Young calves continue to dot fields across the country. To help offer young calves a healthy start, Tony Hawkins, DVM, and Ray Shultz, DVM, shared some tips.

An emergency preparedness plan can assist a cattlemen’s ability to respond to varying threats.  Developing a disaster plan is a good idea for both people and all the animals they care for on a farm or ranch.