Animal Welfare

“Report, Don’t Hide It”: Experts Urge Rapid Action When Suspecting New World Screwworm

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 21:14:04 GMT

As New World screwworm edges closer to the U.S., industry leaders urge producers to shift from worry to action.

Early detection, prompt reporting and treatment — backed by coordinated surveillance along the border — will be critical to keeping this treatable pest contained. Ranches are tightening calving seasons , upgrading working facilities and revisiting parasite control plans with their veterinarians. The core message to the fight against NWS: nothing replaces “eyes on animals.”

“We’ve been preparing for the possibility of screwworms emerging back in Texas for the past year,” says Jason Sawyer, East Foundation chief science officer. “We have decided to take the attitude of preparedness. We expect we’re going to have it. How can we best manage it and best mitigate and really, how do we minimize the impact while we weather the storm?”

The Breakthrough Symposium: NWS Preparedness panel (pictured l to r) are: Jason Sawyer, East Foundation; Dr. TR Lansford III, Texas Animal Health Commission; Dr. Diane Kitchen, Florida Department of Agriculture; Stephen Diebel, Texas beef producer and Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association president; and Dr. Megan Schmid, USDA-APHIS.

(Angie Stump Denton)

Sawyer participated in a panel during the The Breakthrough Symposium: NWS Preparedness, hosted by Merck Animal Health. The panelists didn’t debate whether NWS will arrive — they spoke as if it is already on the way. For producers, that means decisions must be made months in advance: adjusting breeding and calving windows to avoid peak risk, investing in better handling facilities and building a clear response plan with veterinarians. Combined with federal and state surveillance using fly traps, animal inspections and producer reports, these risk‑based steps can help ensure that when NWS appears, it is found fast, hit hard and kept from spreading.

With cattle markets at all‑time highs, panelists warn NWS must be managed in a way that protects both animal health and commerce. Movement controls, inspection and treatment protocols, and animal disease traceability are being designed to regionalize the problem — not shut the industry down.

Here are seven key takeaways from the panel discussion:

1. Prepare, Don’t Panic

New World Screwworm is a serious but manageable threat with proper planning and coordination.

“This isn’t a ‘sell the ranch and get out of business’ problem,” Sawyer summarizes. “This is a ‘let’s figure out the best way to move forward and minimize impact.’” Today’s challenge is to rebuild the “lost muscle memory” with modern tools and a risk‑based mindset. That means planning calving seasons with NWS risk in mind, enhancing parasite control without driving resistance and being ready to isolate, treat and recheck any affected animals in close coordination with veterinarians. The sooner producers start planning, the smaller and shorter the “storm” will be for everyone.

Some strategies producers should consider include:

Get a premise ID now, if you don’t have one.
Consider shifting calving and processing into lower‑fly windows.
Manage wounds differently . Any break in the skin — navels, castration, dehorning, tags and tick bites — becomes a high‑risk site once NWS is in the area.

Dr. Diane Kitchen, a cattle rancher and Florida Department of Agriculture veterinarian manager, bovine and cervidae programs, suggests producers consider using a preventative or at least a protectant to the area to minimize the chance of an infestation occurring.

Sawyer, who manages ranches near the U.S.-Mexico border, explains. “We’re trying to work with the weather instead of against it and think about comprehensive parasite control strategies that can minimize that risk for newborn calves, knowing that we’re unlikely to be able to put our hands on every one of them as they hit the ground.”

2. Eyes on Animals, Surveillance is Central.

Nothing replaces routine, disciplined visual checks — especially of newborns and any animal with a wound. Kitchen says preparation starts with understanding NWS targets wounds and certain high‑risk areas. The fly’s preference is umbilical cords, she stresses.

“It can also affect certain mucus membranes,” she explains. “The corners of the eye, the genital tract. In particular, cows that are calving, they’re attracted to the same umbilical cord scent.” External wounds can be tiny, internal damage massive. “The wound itself externally may be very small,” Kitchen says. “The size of a quarter. But then when you go to treat there may be gallons of maggots within underneath.”

Producers who have dealt with the pest often describe it as a smell you’ll never forget , noting that the stench of a calf infested with New World Screwworm is often the first warning sign.

Dr. Megan Schmid, USDA-APHIS Cattle Health Center assistant director, explains there are two types of surveillance:

Active surveillance: Fly traps along the border, border inspectors and Wildlife Services checking animals
Passive surveillance: Producers, vets, shelters and others seeing maggots/myiasis and reporting. “The traps are helpful,” she says. ”But they’re not as sensitive as the animal inspection. So really, that’s the key part: everybody looking for the infestations in animals.”

Producers can use technology to get more “eyeballs” on cattle and keep spread to a minimum. Game cameras, virtual fencing and behavior tags can help producers find problems sooner when labor is tight.

Because these infestations can be deceptive, producers should learn to identify the specific signs of New World Screwworm , such as unusual discharge or larvae deep within living tissue.

3. Report First, Don’t Hide It.

NWS is a reportable foreign animal disease. Early reporting is critical and legally required. Officials would rather investigate 1,000 false alarms than miss one real case.

Kitchen stresses failure to report will create many more flies.

“Failure to report results in multiple generations of additional flies, which just dramatically increases the population that’s available to impact everybody,” she explains. “If you think that because you didn’t report yours, that it’s not going to be found. It will be found because it’ll be found in something else.”

She encourages producers to think about the impact on their neighbor.

If the roles were reversed, she asks, “If you hear that somebody, your neighbor, is one that didn’t report, how happy are you going to be with them?”

4. Vet Relationships Are Essential.

A veterinarian is central to preparation and treatment plan. For wound care, antibiotics, pain management and access to tools, a veterinary client–patient relationship is vital. Treatment is about parasite removal and wound management, guided by vets.

Panel members explain part of being prepared is sitting down now with your veterinarian and discussing: “If we get screwworm, what’s our plan? How often are we looking at cattle, what products are we going to use, and what do we do about movements?”

Read more about how NWS is an infestation, not an infection.

5. Wildlife Matters in This Fight.

Wildlife are a major reservoir and economic driver, and can suffer large population impacts without control. Kitchen predicts in infested areas 70% to 80% of white-tailed fawn crops could be lost.

“Our wildlife populations are both so much more abundant than they were in the 1950s and so much more valuable than they were in the 1950s,” Sawyer says. “Unfortunately, the opportunity to intervene for wildlife is much smaller. There’s really not very many strategies that are viable, and so surveillance and monitoring become really our front line of defense in terms of our wildlife populations.”

He suggests the best way to protect wildlife is aggressive control in livestock to reduce environmental burden.

6. Quarantines Are Tools, Not Punishments.

The goal is continuity of business with safeguards , not shutting down commerce. Regulators are trying to balance containment with commerce. The goal is to maintain the “speed of commerce” while using structured movement protocols to protect markets and disease-free areas.

“It’s not going to be business as usual, but it’s going to be business is still possible,” Schmid says. “The focus is: how do we allow safe movements, not restrict and stop business.”

She says the New World Screwworm Response Playbook includes guidance documents and explains the quarantine/movement framework.

Stephen Diebel, Texas beef producer and Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association president, encourages producers not to think in terms of a hard quarantine. A structured process of treatment, surveillance, inspection and certification will allow movement.

Dr. TR Lansford III, Texas Animal Health Commission assistant state veterinarian and deputy executive director, encourages producers to reference the lessons learned from fever ticks as a strategy for dealing with NWS. He notes experience with fever ticks has shaped how Texans think about area quarantines, treatment protocols and continuity of business.

7. More Tools in the Toolbox.

Panelist members summarize a holistic ectoparasite program using modern products plus strong producer education is a main NWS defense strategy.

Kitchen stress producers and veterinarians have many more tools than they did back in the ’60s and ’70s when NWS was last endemic in the U.S.

Producers can find a list of approved treatment and prevention strategies on the FDA website .

Sawyer suggests producers work with their veterinarians to plan prevention and treatment strategies. He also stresses the importance of considering resistance management.

“We don’t want to react to an emergent threat in a way that then creates problems with a persistent pest that’s already present,” he says.

Read More About How Sterile Flies are the No. 1 Tool to Fight NWS:
Doubling the Defense: USDA’s “Male-Only” Fly Breakthrough to Transform Screwworm Eradication
Border Remains Closed: Sterile Fly Production Facility Groundbreaking Next Step in Screwworm Fight

While NWS is a serious and emotionally charged threat, panelists remind producers the U.S. has pushed it back before — and can do it again.

“This pest existed here before, and it has been eradicated from the U.S. before,” Sawyer summarizes. “We know how to do it. We just have to sort of build the capacity and muscle to get it done again when we need to.”

Hidden Pneumonia in Calves: Why More Dairies Use Ultrasound to Catch Respiratory Disease Early

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 20:06:17 GMT

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) remains one of the most common and costly health challenges in preweaned dairy calves. The challenge is that many cases develop long before calves show visible symptoms.

“By the time calves show obvious clinical signs of respiratory disease, lung damage may already be present,” says Aerica Bjurstrom, regional dairy educator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “That’s why tools that help us detect pneumonia earlier can make a big difference in calf health and long-term performance.”

Traditional diagnosis relies on symptoms such as coughing, nasal discharge, or elevated temperature. But these signs often appear late in the disease process. In many cases, calves may look completely healthy while still carrying lung infections.

This form of illness, known as subclinical pneumonia, can reduce growth, feed efficiency and even future milk production.

“The lungs can really act as an indicator organ,” Bjurstrom explains. “Respiratory disease often reflects larger management challenges, such as poor colostrum intake, nutrition issues, or environmental stress.”

The Hidden Pneumonia Problem

Research has shown that pneumonia often develops days before visible symptoms appear.

“Ultrasound allows us to see what’s happening inside the lung tissue, even when the calf looks normal from the outside,” Bjurstrom says. “In many cases, pneumonia can be present for days before any clinical signs appear.”

Studies suggest that 50% to 80% of pneumonia cases may remain subclinical for 7 to 14 days before producers notice symptoms. That delay can allow lung damage to progress before treatment begins.

“Sometimes calves with severe pneumonia don’t show obvious symptoms,” Bjurstrom says. “But an ultrasound exam can reveal lung lesions that tell us the disease is already present.”

How Lung Ultrasound Works

Lung ultrasonography allows veterinarians to examine calf lungs in real time using portable ultrasound equipment.

A normal lung appears air-filled on the scan and produces horizontal white lines that move with each breath. These lines indicate healthy lung tissue.

Changes in the image can reveal early disease.

“Comet tails are bright vertical lines that extend down from the lung surface,” Bjurstrom says. “A few may be normal, but severe or diffuse comet tailing can suggest interstitial disease caused by fluid or inflammation within the lung.”

More advanced disease appears as lung consolidation, where portions of the lung fill with inflammatory material instead of air. On ultrasound, these areas appear as solid gray regions.

Veterinarians often use a 0 to 5 lung scoring system to evaluate severity.

“This scoring system helps identify disease before calves begin coughing or showing nasal discharge,” Bjurstrom says. “Early detection allows for earlier treatment and better outcomes.”

Dr. Ollivett demonstrates positioning for thoracic ultrasound scanning on a calf’s right lung.

(Denise Garlow, University of Wisconsin)

Why Early Detection Matters

Even when calves show no visible symptoms, lung damage can affect their long-term performance.

In one study of more than 600 Holstein heifers, calves with lung consolidation detected at weaning were less likely to become pregnant and more likely to leave the herd before first calving.

Another study found calves with significant lung lesions in the first eight weeks of life produced 1,155 pounds less milk during their first lactation.

“These findings highlight why early detection matters,” Bjurstrom says. “Subclinical disease can still influence growth, reproduction, and milk production later in life.”

Improving Treatment Outcomes

Early detection can also make treatment more effective.

“When pneumonia is caught earlier, treatment tends to work better,” Bjurstrom explains. “We’re able to intervene before the disease becomes severe and causes permanent lung damage.”

Ultrasound can also help veterinarians monitor recovery.

“That monitoring aspect is important,” she says. “It helps ensure calves are improving and reduces unnecessary retreatment.”

A Management Tool for Farms

Beyond diagnosis, lung ultrasound is increasingly used as a herd management tool.

“Ultrasound gives producers objective information about lung health,” Bjurstrom says. “That can help guide decisions about treatment, culling, or adjusting weaning timing for calves that may need more time to recover.”

Regular scanning can also reveal herd-level trends tied to management practices.

“When used consistently, ultrasound becomes a benchmarking tool,” Bjurstrom says. “It can help farms evaluate colostrum programs, ventilation, sanitation, and other factors that influence calf health.”

A Growing Tool in Calf Health Programs

Portable ultrasound units have become more accessible and easier to use, making them more common in calf health programs. With proper training, scanning a calf’s lungs typically takes less than a minute.

“The equipment requires an initial investment, but the information it provides can be incredibly valuable,” Bjurstrom says. “Earlier detection can lead to better management decisions, improved calf growth, and fewer losses.”

As dairy farms continue adopting more data-driven management practices, lung ultrasound is giving producers a new way to detect disease sooner and protect the long-term potential of their calves.

“Lung ultrasound helps us move beyond waiting for visible symptoms,” Bjurstrom says. “It allows producers and veterinarians to identify problems earlier and take action before long-term damage occurs.”

Where Euthanasia Delays Begin on Farm

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 17:36:42 GMT

Perhaps you have experienced a similar situation: there is a down cow that lingers longer than it should, or a calf that continues to decline despite repeated reassessment, and eventually it becomes clear the issue was not a lack of effort, but a delay in acting when the outcome was already decided. These cases tend to stick with you because they reveal something deeper about how decisions actually unfold on the farm.

As Dr. Mariana Guerra-Maupomé, professional services veterinarian with TELUS Agriculture, puts it, “The main problem is not the lack of guidance. We have plenty of standards and guidelines. The main problem is the failure to turn concern into timely action.”

Most farms are not struggling because they lack knowledge, but because their systems do not consistently support acting at the right time, even when the need is recognized.

Beyond the Euthanasia Method

Euthanasia discussions often center on technique, and that makes sense. Proper execution is important. However, when you step back and look at where things break down, the issue is rarely how euthanasia is performed. More often, it is when the decision is made and how long it takes to move from recognition to action.

This is where the two-clock model becomes especially useful for veterinarians trying to diagnose system failures on farm.

“Clock 1 starts when a compromised animal is identified to when the decision is made, the decision to euthanize. Clock 2 starts when the decision to euthanize is followed by the procedure of euthanasia and the confirmation of that,” Guerra-Maupomé says.

In practical terms, the model separates euthanasia into two distinct types of delay:

Clock 1: Recognition-to-decision delay
Where uncertainty, unclear thresholds or hesitation slow downs the decision itself
Clock 2: Decision-to-action delay
Where logistics, training or equipment affects how quickly euthanasia is carried out

Most farms have invested effort in improving Clock 2, ensuring once a decision is made the procedure is performed correctly and efficiently. The larger and more persistent challenge lies in Clock 1, where unclear expectations or hesitation can delay decisions by hours or even days.

This distinction matters, because it shifts the focus from refining technique to understanding why action is not happening sooner.

Delay Is More Than a Welfare Problem

It is easy to frame delayed euthanasia strictly in terms of animal welfare. But in a production setting, the consequences extend well beyond that. Delayed decisions affect not just the animal, but the broader operation.

“Late euthanasia creates three types of risk: clinical risk, animal welfare risk and business or compliance risk. With euthanasia being delayed, there’s non-compliance to audit, reputational risk for the industry and supply risk for the industry as well,” Guerra-Maupomé says.

Positioning euthanasia within this broader context often resonates more strongly with producers, because it connects timely decision making to efficiency, compliance and long-term sustainability, rather than isolating it as a standalone welfare issue.

Where Systems Tend to Break Down

When delayed cases are reviewed, the same patterns tend to emerge reflecting a lack of clarity in how decisions are structured and communicated. One of the most consistent issues is vague guidance around reassessment. Without clear expectations, cases drift and repeated evaluation replaces decisive action.

“Stop using vague language like ‘Let’s monitor or recheck later.’ Define exactly when you are going to check. The decision trees suggest checking in less than 24 hours, but I would encourage you that you can even check in six to 12 depending on the severity,” Guerra-Maupomé says.

This is where Clock 1 quietly ticks on. Each undefined “recheck later” adds time. Without a clear endpoint, the system defaults to waiting rather than progressing toward a decision.

Role Clarity Keeps the Clocks Moving

Even when the clinical picture is clear, delays can still occur if roles are not well defined. When responsibility is ambiguous, decisions are often deferred, and cases stall despite obvious need. Strong systems prevent that by establishing a clear flow of responsibility.

“The caretaker identifies a compromised animal and escalates. The supervisor makes a decision to euthanize the animal. Next, a trained operator executes the procedure promptly, and then the operator or supervisor confirms that and documents,” Guerra-Maupomé explains.

This structure helps keep both clocks moving, ensuring once a problem is identified, it progresses steadily toward action without unnecessary delay.

The Veterinarian’s Role in Euthanasia Decisions

This type of structure also changes how veterinarians fit into the process. In many operations, euthanasia decisions still depend heavily on veterinary input, which can unintentionally slow things down, particularly when access is limited or communication is delayed.

A more effective approach positions the veterinarian as a system designer and reviewer.

As Guerra Malcome explains: “The veterinarian should never be the bottleneck for a case. The veterinarian is there to help train, audit and review the system. A veterinarian has an oversight role and can help at every single step.”

When farms operate this way, decisions can be made promptly on site while still benefiting from veterinary guidance, training and ongoing oversight.

The Human Side of Delay

It is also important to recognize not all delays are structural. Some are human, and those factors can be just as influential.

These challenges tend to show up in predictable ways on the farm:

Hesitation in clear-cut cases, even when prognosis is poor
Repeated reassessment without escalation, particularly in borderline animals
Avoidance of decision-making, especially among less experienced staff

This is where system design intersects with human behavior.

“A clearer and more structured system does not just improve decisions. It also lifts a weight off the staff. By providing clear protocols and structured support, we reduce ambiguity, delay and the staff burden,” Guerra-Maupomé says.

Reducing ambiguity helps reduce hesitation, which in turn shortens Clock 1 and improves outcomes.

Insight Into Action

Improving euthanasia outcomes does not require complex interventions, but it does require intentional system design and follow through. A few focused changes can make a meaningful difference:

Define clear, time-based reassessment points so Clock 1 does not drift
Assign primary and secondary decision makers to prevent hesitation
Ensure trained personnel are available to carry out euthanasia promptly
Review both clocks regularly to identify where delays are occurring

These steps help create a system where decisions are made and acted on consistently, rather than reactively or inconsistently.

A Process, Not a Moment

Euthanasia is often thought of as a single act, but in practice, it is a process shaped by how quickly problems are recognized, how clearly decisions are made and how reliably systems support follow-through.

The two-clock model makes that process visible. One clock measures how long it takes to decide, and the other measures how long it takes to act. Both matter, but in many cases, it is the first clock that ultimately determines the outcome.

For veterinarians, the opportunity is to influence both. Because in the end, the difference between a good outcome and a poor one is rarely about knowing what to do, and far more often about whether the system supports doing it at the right time.

Why Your Chute-Side Manner Matters

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 22:21:24 GMT

Good chute-side manner isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about how cattle experience handling, how accurately treatments are delivered and how safely people can work. During a chute-side demonstration at CattleCon in Nashville, Tenn., Ron Gill and Paige Pratt emphasized that many of the most common problems seen later — leakage, injection-site reactions, poor efficacy and safety risks — start with small decisions made at the chute.

From how handlers move around cattle to how needles and syringes are selected and used, chute-side technique plays a central role in animal welfare and Beef Quality Assurance outcomes.

1. Movement Around the Cow in the Chute Matters

Handlers continue to influence cattle behavior even after the headgate closes. Gill showed how small changes in handler position — stepping forward, stepping back or changing angle — can prompt cattle to adjust their stance and head position. Using your movement when the animal is inside the chute can improve neck access and reduce resistance, allowing procedures to be performed more calmly and accurately without escalating stress.

“One thing you can do a lot of times, you can step forward,” says Gill, who proceeded to move to the front of the cow. “Notice that the animal steps back when I do that, and then I’ve got better neck access.”

2. Proper Restraint Determines Accuracy and Safety

Accurate injections and safe handling depend on adequate restraint. When cattle are not properly positioned, injections are more likely to leak or be misplaced and handlers are placed at greater risk. The speakers caution against leaning into crowded or partially restrained animals and emphasize that rushing procedures undermines both safety and efficacy.

“If you have to lean over in there to give a shot and one of them throws her head up or jumps, then that’s where people get hurt,” says Gill, who advises against working cattle in line for the chute without restraint, even if they’re packed in tight.

3. Needle and Syringe Selection Is a Chute-Side Decision

Choosing the correct needle and syringe is part of chute-side technique, not an afterthought. Needle gauge and length must match cattle size, skin thickness and injection route. Inappropriate needle selection or damaged equipment increases pain, leakage and treatment failure, particularly when combined with poor restraint or rushed technique.

“The lighter those cattle are, probably the smaller gauge, the smaller diameter we want,” says Pratt. She also highlights the importance of needle length, to make sure the injectable is getting to the right depth, and syringe tip style, favoring Luer lock.

4. How Syringes Are Handled Affects Whether Products Work

Syringe handling influences dosing accuracy and product effectiveness. Common chute-side mistakes include exposure to sunlight, contamination during filling and improper cleaning practices. These errors can reduce vaccine efficacy before the product ever enters the animal, making careful syringe management a critical part of chute-side manner.

“Once you sterilize these, don’t be pulling the plunger back until you have a needle in a bottle,” Gill says. “What have you just done? You sucked all the dust out of the corral into your syringe.”

5. Chute-Side Manner Reflects Management Priorities

Chute-side habits reflect how seriously an operation takes stewardship and animal welfare. Consistent techniques such as using the same locations, spacing injections appropriately and avoiding shortcuts help prevent long-term problems such as abscesses and lost performance.

“If you’re going to be doing it, spending the money ... do it correctly,” Gill says.

Refining these small chute-side decisions ensures that every animal is treated with the respect it deserves and every investment is given the best chance to succeed.

A Cow with a Tool: What Veronika Reveals about Cattle Cognition

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 15:47:25 GMT

In a remarkable new study published in “Current Biology”, researchers document the first quantitative evidence that a domestic cow can use tools flexibly and purposefully. This behavior has been long thought to be restricted to primates and certain bird species.

Veronika, a 13-year-old Swiss Brown cow living in rural Austria, was the subject of an experimental study that systematically tested whether she could use a simple implement for different goals. Rather than stumbling onto tool behavior by chance, Veronika grasped and manipulated a deck brush in distinct ways depending on the task at hand.

The research team, Antonio Osuna-Mascaro and Alice Auersperg of the University of Vienna, presented Veronika with a deck brush oriented in various positions.

“The goal of the study was to test whether Veronica’s tool use met the criteria for flexible tool use. In other words, whether her use of tools was goal oriented, repetitive and consistent with the tools functional properties,” Osuna-Mascaro says.

Across multiple trials she demonstrated:

Selective grasping of different parts of the brush
Deliberate orientation of the tool to solve specific problems (for example, using the bristles versus the handle depending on where she wanted to scratch)
Goal-oriented adjustments, such as releasing the tool and regrasping it to achieve better control

The pattern of behavior meets stringent definitions of tool use where an animal adapts the function of an external object to achieve a desired outcome and challenges long-held assumptions about cattle cognition.

“This might even qualify as the use of a multipurpose tool,” Osuna-Mascaro says, alluding to the fact Veronika used each end of the tool a different way.

A New Lens on Cattle Cognition

Until now, scientific literature on tool use has focused overwhelmingly on primates (e.g. chimpanzees cracking nuts ) and some bird species like crows and parrots . Veronika’s behavior pushed the boundaries of what researchers considered possible for large herbivores.

“Veronika is certainly special, but we don’t think she’s particularly different to other cows. Her conditions are,” Osuna-Mascaro explains.

Several conditions may have contributed to her skill:

Veronika was raised as a pet rather than as traditional livestock, giving her exposure to novel objects and environments.
She was free to interact with brushes and sticks over the years before any testing.
Her age and lived experience may have supported learning and exploration.

This context suggests environmental richness and individual experience may play significant roles in the development of complex behaviors, even in species not typically associated with high cognitive flexibility.

Reframing Livestock Intelligence

Veronica’s behavior challenges long-standing assumptions about cognitive limits in cattle:

Animal cognition research may need to revisit assumptions about which species are capable of flexible problem solving.
Livestock welfare and management discussions should integrate cognitive enrichment as a meaningful component of animal care.
Ecology and environment can shape animal intelligence; cognitive abilities are not fixed by species alone.

Mooving Cows: A New Approach to Training Cow Handling

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 21:35:24 GMT

Veterinarians have long been advocates for animal welfare, not only in treatment, but in dairy management. Yet one of the most significant welfare determinants on dairy farms often lies outside the treatment pen: how cows are moved and handled. Cow-handling practices directly affect stress physiology, lameness risk, udder health, milk let-down and handler safety. Veterinarians are uniquely positioned to influence these routines.

Studies consistently show the way cows are approached, moved and restrained has measurable impacts on cortisol levels, heart rate and behavior. Handling stress can compromise immune function, increase the incidence of masitis and interfere with reproduction. Conversely, calm, predictable handling improves milk yield and reduces fear responses over time.

Proper cow handling is not just good practice in welfare terms, but it is central to safe farms and productive herds.

When Jennifer Van Os from the University of Wisconsin-Madison spoke with producers, the need for education on animal handling became clear.

“I met with a bunch of Wisconsin dairy farm owners and managers to ask them about some of the challenges that they face with animal care and animal welfare,” Van Os says. “One of the most popular requests that I got was: Can you please come to my farm and train my staff on proper handling?”

Unfortunately, this wasn’t feasible, but she took the message to heart and considered what she could do to address the request.

Reimagining Animal Handling Training

Enter a clever training twist: the serious game ‘Mooving Cows’. Developed by Van Os and the animal welfare team at the University of Wisconsin, this digital touchscreen game enables farm staff (and anyone interested) to practice moving cows in a simulated dairy farm environment. Van Os and colleagues conducted research with four focus groups including farm staff and decision-makers (farm owners, veterinarians) on the game prototype to help shape the 1.0 release.

“Animal handling is really important for animal welfare, as well as other aspects of productivity and profitability on the farm,” Van Os says. “We know that when we handle cows appropriately, this can reduce the risk of injury, both to the cows themselves and to the people who work with them. We also know that when we handle them appropriately, it reduces cow stress levels, which then helps with milk yield as well as efficiency in the milking parlor.”

Rather than simply reading a manual, trainees play through a series of scenarios: moving cows from pasture to barn, guiding them into the milking parlor and navigating when a cow is reluctant. The game rewards patience, calm movements and minimal startling gestures, while it penalizes rushing, shouting or forcing cows into motion. In effect, it applies the principles of low-stress livestock handling in a safe, virtual form: pressure and release, staying on the edge of an animal’s flight zone, moving at a walk and staying in the cow’s line of sight.

One of the key aspects of the application is the opportunity for failure.

“There is this principle in educational video games that it provides this safe environment where you can deliberately mess up,” Van Os explains. “It provides an opportunity for you to learn by making mistakes or learn by failure, and that’s something you can’t necessarily do in training. If it’s hands-on and active and interactive, there are real life stakes where you don’t want to get injured and you don’t want the animals getting stressed or injured.”

Research performed by Van Os’ group shows users found that the application to be an easy-to-use training tool and knowledge of best cow handling practices improved after playing through the game.

‘Mooving Cows’ is completely free and is available for both Apple and Android devices. The application has been approved by the Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Animal Care program for continuing education on stockmanship; completion of the game provides users with a certificate.

Van Os and her team hope to continue developing interactive, gamified cow handling applications with their sights set on training for maternity pens, the parlor and down cows.

Marketing Cull Dairy Cattle: How to Integrate Welfare and Economics into Decision-Making

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 19:54:46 GMT

Dairy cattle span multiple product sectors, with a first career as a dairy animal and a second career as a beef animal. With a declining cattle herd population in the U.S., focusing on health and welfare of each animal remains important. In addition, finding extra value in each animal is critical to each operation’s business.

Look At The Factors
According to the 2022 National Beef Quality Audit, dairy or beef cows and bulls that can no longer be used for their original purpose are still valuable. Cull cattle, or animals being removed from the herd, can be marketed in several ways dependent on the type of operation, their production and marketing goals, resources, and other factors.

In a guide titled “Right Way. Right Time. A guide to cull dairy cattle management,” the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program collaborated with CattleFax and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association to evaluate these various factors and improve cull cattle management to enhance animal welfare while considering economics.

This document uses established standards to address key areas of opportunity for effective cull cattle management and provide strategies for making timely culling decisions and improving welfare. It is designed to help producers examine the opportunity to capture more value.

“‘The Right Way. Right Time.’ handbook provides practical steps to help farmers and veterinarians make the right decision on the complex question of ‘When is the right time for a dairy cow to change careers,’” says Meggan Hain, chief veterinary officer for the National Milk Producers Federation and the National Dairy FARM Program.

Topics Covered
The handbook establishes a mechanism for proper diagnosis, treatment protocols and training topics like fitness for transport and euthanasia decisions.

When it comes to minimizing stress during transportation or career changes, understanding how temperature, wind speed, humidity and storms affect cattle and calves during transportation is important. There are also many aspects of transportation that can be controlled — including where the animal is marketed, the equipment used, stocking density and transporter education. Recommendations for calf transport from the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) are included in the resource.

The BQA Transportation certification, which helped guide the ‘Right Way. Right Time.’ documents, provides direction on fitness for transport decisions with topics such as mobility scoring, body condition scoring, length of transport and withdrawal times. Both educational resources can be training tools for veterinarians when working with their dairy and calf operations.

For example, the following are points to consider before deciding to ship an animal:

Ensure all animals have cleared withdrawal times prior to shipping
Make proactive decisions to ensure early treatment or early culling to lead to better outcomes for the animal
Do not transport cattle with a Body Condition Score of 2 or less to reduce bruising, prioritize welfare and improve yield/payment
Mobility score 3 (using a 5-point scale) should be strongly scrutinized at the farm or auction market and evaluated for their ability to make the full trip to their end destination and in shape to walk into the processing plant
Full udders can cause animal discomfort and mobility issues, in addition to being a food safety concern since milk is considered a contaminant

With all fitness for transport and culling decisions, we should be asking ourselves, “What does it mean when the animal leaves the farm in that condition? Is this what is best for the animal?”

Euthanasia is also an important decision for which veterinarians should be a crucial adviser. Supporting producers in making euthanasia and culling decisions and developing protocols can help take the decision making away from the producer, making it easier to take that next step. For animals that should be euthanized rather than transported, ensuring landmarks are correct and maintenance of euthanasia tools are more steps to improving welfare. Considerations for carcass disposal should be weighed depending on what is available in the area and what is practical for the operation.

The Veterinarian’s Role
The veterinarian is key to the discussion, and can provide guidance and training on these topics.

It is important to recognize that cull cow marketing is rarely an all-or-nothing decision. There are nuances on each operation that the dairy farmer, employees and veterinarian should discuss when deciding to remove an animal from the herd. Cull cow management and marketing on the dairy is an important part of the business that deserves attention, rather than just serving as a byproduct from producing milk. Veterinarians are encouraged to use industry resources such as the “Right Way. Right Time. A guide to cull dairy cattle management” document, the National Dairy FARM resources at https://nationaldairyfarm.com/ , and the BQA program at www.bqa.org .

Kinder Ground: Supporting Animals and the People Who Care for Them

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 17:59:51 GMT

Cassandra Tucker has devoted her life’s work to studying and educating others about the welfare of production animals. But she wanted to do more to make the ideas she researched a reality for farm animals and their caretakers.

So, the University of California-Davis researcher, who is considered one of the world’s leading cattle welfare scientists, set out to create real change in cultivating on-farm compassion for animals. She partnered with her veterinarian colleague, Dr. Jen Walker, to form Kinder Ground . The non-profit organization funds grants for projects that support on-farm animal welfare or animal welfare education.

The Kinder Ground founders note that, while tremendous progress has been made in animal welfare research, “audits and certification had become common place, but progress in animal welfare had stalled and had encouraged a habit of compliance, not compassion. The supply chain was demanding better but often lacked the expertise or bandwidth to help make it happen. Farmers felt like they were being policed rather than partnered with.”

Kinder Ground takes a different approach, working with the farming community to promote animal welfare in a manner that is supportive, rather than punitive. They believe farmers deserve better partners, and the animals deserve lives worth living. Their mission: “Supporting the farming community to elevate the welfare of animals in food production.”

Examples of on-farm projects might include installing calf brushes, enlarging pen sizes, or implementing a locomotion scoring system. Kinder Ground also supports education projects that improve the understanding of animal welfare and the competence of caregivers to deliver it.

Each grant recipient must have “skin in the game,” in the form of cost sharing or committing time and energy to bringing the project to life. Spreading the principles of the specific project elsewhere on the farm or in the larger community is also encouraged.

Projects in the United States and Canada are eligible for Kinder Ground grants, and finalists will be asked to submit a letter of support from a trusted adviser, such as the herd’s veterinarian of record, nutritionist, or Extension agent. There is no specific farm size or number of animals required, but hobby farms, sanctuaries or farmsteads keeping animals for personal use are not eligible for funding.

The Kinder Ground application is intentionally straightforward, and takes about 30 to 40 minutes to complete. Grant applications are reviewed, with subsequent awards granted, twice per year. You can access the application here .

Kinder Ground is a U.S. federally registered, tax-exempt charity organization. All donations come with a 100% donation guarantee, which means your whole contribution goes toward helping farmers and animals. All donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Learn more about donating to Kinder Ground here .

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Veterinarian Becomes Disease Detective: Nichols Connects Animal Disease and Human Health

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 20:00:14 GMT

Growing up on a New Mexico ranch, veterinarian and public health leader Megin Nichols says she learned early the health of animals, humans and the environment are deeply connected.

Initially planning to practice small animal medicine, she says her plans began to pivot when she met a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) epidemic intelligence service officer who sparked her interest in public health. That realization led her to pursue a master’s degree in public health at the University of Minnesota, with a focus on food safety and biosecurity. Her career has included roles in local, state and federal health departments, investigating foodborne illness outbreaks and developing strategies to prevent them.

“Life has a way of taking you in places you never anticipated,” she shared during the 2025 Henry C. Gardiner Global Food Systems Lecture Oct. 6 at Kansas State University.

Today, as the CDC’s director in the division of foodborne, waterborne and environmental diseases, she lends her expertise to efforts involving disease investigation, food safety, antimicrobial resistance and agriculture literacy.

Megin Nichols has more than 15 years of zoonotic disease experience and has served at the federal and state levels. She has served as the lead of the Enteric Zoonoses Team investigating multistate outbreaks of Salmonella and E. coli. Prior to joining CDC, Nichols worked as the Principal Investigator of the Active Bacterial Core Surveillance Program at the New Mexico Department of Health for five years.

(Angie Stump Denton)

One Health: Connecting Animal Disease and Human Health

Nichols’ work focuses on the One Health concept.

“One Health is recognizing the health and well-being of humans, of animals and our environment are all interconnected,” she explains. “One Health is something that many of us do every single day and are very, very aware of, especially if you have ties to agriculture and the land. But One Health as a concept oftentimes is difficult to fully understand.”

Nichols says One Health is:

Ongoing relationships with animal agencies.
Understand the culture of agriculture.
Having access to integrated human and animal surveillance.
Protocols for conducting joint response investigations.
Agreements for sharing biological samples and lab results.
Established lines of communication with agriculture and animal industry.
Plans for unified communication messaging.
Need to build linkages and trust before and outbreak.

“What happens in one area can significantly impact others — whether it’s a wildfire, a disease outbreak or environmental changes,” Nichols summarizes.

Pandemic and Disease Response Insights

Nichols was a leader in investigating and finding unique solutions for the livestock industry and specifically meat packing industry related to COVID-19.

“In April 2020, I got a call from my supervisor saying there are some meat, poultry packing plants that are going down because of labor shortages and illness,” she explains.

She selected and lead a team to figure out how to get the plants opened back up safely and to find unique solution to deal with the related animal welfare issues.

Summarizing the experiences, Nichols reports the estimated economic cost of COVID-19 is $14 trillion. Along with supply chain disruptions the industry experienced changes in consumer behavior, labor shortage and complex operations challenges. On a positive note, she says the industry did experience a lot of innovation and uptake of technology due to the pandemic, which resulted in innovative approaches to workplace safety and communication.

“We saw innovative strategies where if one person got sick, they looked around that worker and said, ‘OK, who do we need to monitor quickly for symptoms?’” she says.

Nichols also discussed the increase in salmonella outbreaks during the pandemic. She links the rise to the increase in backyard poultry ownership and the improper handling of backyard chickens.

“Many new chicken owners were unaware of disease transmission risks,” she explains.

Nichols also shared insights to H5N1 influenza and emphasized the complexity of tracking and preventing. She highlights the need for integrated, cross-species surveillance and communication strategies.

She also touched on emerging threats, including New World screwworm (NWS) . Her message emphasized the importance of prevention, control and preparedness.

She shares these five key strategies related to NWS:

Surveillance. Early dection through wound inspections and reporting in livestock.
Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). Ongoing release of serile male flies to prevent reproduction.
Biosecurity. Movement control of imported animals and monitoring at entry points.
Public Awareness. Education for doctors, ranchers, veterinarians and travelers.
Rapid Response Planning. Multi-agency coordination to contain outbreaks swiftly and deploy sterile flies.

Agricultural Literacy, Communication is Key

“Growing up in the middle of nowhere, I also came to understand that not everyone appreciates — or even understands — where their food comes from,” Nichols says.

She shared a 1993 study that revealed significant gaps in public knowledge about agriculture. She summarizes understanding food systems involves knowing:

Where food comes from.
How it’s produced.
Its impact on economy, environment and technology.

Throughout her lecture she shared the importance of transforming complex scientific concepts into engaging, accessible insights that resonate with students, farmers, ranchers and public health professionals alike.

“It doesn’t matter how much information we have if we don’t get it out to the people,” Nichols says.

She stresses the importance of agricultural communication specialists in translating scientific information and engaging audiences.

“Don’t leave the communications to the scientists,” she says.

Nichols emphasizes that agricultural literacy and effective communication are crucial for bridging knowledge gaps and building public understanding of food systems.

She shares this advice for agricultural advocates:

Bring agricultural perspective to discussions by speaking up and sharing lived experiences.
Challenge misconceptions with personal stories by focusing on storytelling rather than technical details.
Understand your audience and use relatable language and provide context.

Nichols stresses the importance of preparedness and collaboration. She explains the importance of local-level discussions and community preparedness, suggesting that some of the most effective emergency preparedness conversations happen “at the coffee house” or during casual community gatherings.

Minimizing Shrink to Maximize Profit

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 14:59:16 GMT

Every pound counts at the sale barn — and sometimes, the weight loss happens long before calves ever hit the scale.

For cattle producers, shrink isn’t just a biological response to stress; it’s an invisible drain on profit margins that can be managed with the right timing and techniques, according to K-State beef cattle experts.

K-State veterinarian Brad White explains “shrink” as the weight loss that occurs between gathering calves at home and their final weigh-in at the scale.

“In general, I expect calves to lose weight if they’re sitting in a new environment, new water source, just transported and everything else,” says veterinarian Bob Larson. “So even though it might be easiest for me to take calves on the day that’s most convenient for me, in order to address shrink, I think it’s better to move that transport to the sale as late as possible.”

There are also economic implications associated with shrink.

“You think about a 500-lb. steer; you know, every 1% difference in shrink is 5 lb.,” Larson says. “And so you add a couple more percentages of shrink, and the amount of money we are talking about is easily offset by hiring somebody to help me gather them.”

Proper cattle handling techniques play a critical role in minimizing weight loss during the marketing process, the experts emphasize.

“We feel stressed because we have things to do, and we start rushing and pushing the cattle harder. We start losing those low-stress handling principles in the process,” beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster says. “Now that they are stressed, they have an increase in urination, defecation, and they start losing fluids and losing weight quicker.”

For producers concerned about shrink, online auction platforms may offer a useful alternative.

“One tool that producers have is methods that limit the amount of time the calves spend in the marketing system, such as marketing online,” Larson says.

The specialists concluded that shrink represents an invisible cost that doesn’t appear on invoices but significantly impacts producer profitability, making proper management essential for maximizing returns.

More on this topic is available on the latest episode of the K-State BCI Cattle Chat podcast.

New Dairy Training Platform Boosts Consistency and Compliance

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 12:55:15 GMT

As the dairy industry continues to grow and change, it’s met with a unique set of challenges— from job roles to the expectations surrounding animal care and efficiency. Consumers are increasingly eager to understand how their food is produced and to verify ethical practices are followed.

Rising to meet these needs is DairyKind, an innovative platform transforming training processes within the dairy industry.

New System For Animal Welfare
Designed by a dedicated team of seven veterinarians, DairyKind offers a robust system for training and monitoring animal well-being practices on farms. This third-party platform ensures accountability and transparency by providing verification to the consumer, effectively bridging the gap between farm practices and public concern.

“The DairyKind seal gives confidence to consumers that the dairy products they purchase come from farms prioritizing animal well-being,” says Michelle Schack, DVM and co-creator of DairyKind.

Schack, along with her team, created DairyKind in response to the increasing audits and evaluations dairies face regarding welfare, safety and environmental concerns.

The Training Gap
DairyKind was conceptualized in 2019 and launched in 2020, starting in Arizona and quickly expanding to 12 states. It’s delivered more than 72,000 trainings across the U.S., offering a comprehensive online platform which provides accessible training in employees’ native languages. This ensures clear communication from day one and establishes foundational knowledge that supports ongoing in-person training by veterinarians and farm managers.

“It’s so important that every farm employee has very clear expectations from day one,” she says. “Group training is great, but it’s not enough. There was a gap there that needed to be filled. We saw that need, and we created DairyKind, as an online platform to deliver training that is accessible at any time in the native language of the person, and is a way that the farmers can deliver training to their employees in a very practical way.”

The platform has been particularly beneficial for ensuring compliance during various audits, whether that be the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) audit or others.

As highlighted by Schack, training deficiencies consistently rank among the top program corrective actions within industry evaluations. DairyKind aids farms by providing structured, reliable training documentation, simplifying the audit process and helping maintain high welfare standards.

The Benefits of Standardizing Training
Beyond compliance, DairyKind offers farms a practical training solution, informed by veterinarians who understand the unique operational challenges faced by dairy farmers. Courses are brief, typically ranging from five to fifteen minutes — making them easily integrable into daily routines without overwhelming staff. They even have quizzes to ensure employees comprehend the training lessons. The system also empowers farm owners, allowing them to oversee operations across multiple sites and ensure consistent communication of values and expectations.

For larger operations, DairyKind offers a hierarchy system that enables owners to efficiently manage training across different locations. Whether it’s a small family-run farm or a vast multi-location enterprise, the ability to track training and ensure every employee understands the ‘why’ behind their duties helps maintain consistency in animal care.

“We’ve really focused on seeing that people understand the ‘why’,” she says. “Understanding the ‘why’ can help them be better equipped to make better decisions in their everyday job and do the best job that they can and feel more empowered.”

When a farm has an audit — whether they have two employees or hundreds — it requires documentation of some type of training. DairyKind offers just that.

Consumer Connections
By upholding rigorous standards and maintaining transparency, DairKind allows consumers greater insight into the sources of their dairy products. Some clients have gone as far as to incorporate the DairyKind logo on their products, underscoring their commitment to animal welfare and engaging consumers with their values.

DairyKind is more than just a platform; it’s a catalyst for change, offering the dairy industry a path forward in an increasingly conscientious market. Through tools like this, the future of dairy will not only involve more efficient practices, but also greater alignment with the values of transparency, accountability and ethical treatment of animals — values that consumers passionately support.

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Emergency Use of Animal Drugs Approved to Combat New World Screwworm

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 16:09:22 GMT

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a declaration on Aug. 19 allowing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for animal drugs to treat or prevent infestations caused by the New World screwworm (NWS).

This declaration applies only to drugs for animals. NWS infests warm-blooded animals, including livestock, pets, wildlife, and, in rare cases, humans, causing severe tissue damage and sometimes death. The risk to human health in the U.S. remains very low, but the potential future threat to animal populations and the food supply chain requires proactive action.

Although eradicated from North America and Central America decades ago, NWS has progressed north since 2022 and is now approaching the U.S. border with Mexico. This parasite poses an emerging threat to livestock and food security, with potential impacts on both national security and animal health.

“Today we are taking decisive action to safeguard the nation’s food supply from this emerging threat,” says HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “This authorization equips FDA to act quickly, limit the spread of New World Screwworm, and protect America’s livestock.”

Currently, there are no FDA-approved drugs for NWS in the U.S. The FDA through an EUA can authorize the flexible, faster use of certain animal drug products that may be approved for other purposes, or available in other countries, but not formally approved for NWS in the U.S. This ensures veterinarians, farmers, and animal health officials have timely access to the tools they need to protect pets, livestock and the nation’s food supply.

“Thank you to my friends and partners Secretary Kennedy and Commissioner Makary who are answering the call and supporting our aggressive plan to push back and ultimately defeat this devastating pest. This emergency use authorization is another tool we can use in the fight against New World Screwworm,” says Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins. “Our cattle ranchers and livestock producers are relying on the Trump Administration to defend their livelihoods. Stopping this pest is a national security priority and we are linking arms across President Trump’s cabinet to defend our borders and push back this threat.”

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H., adds, “Our priority is to safeguard both animal health and the nation’s food supply. FDA is acting swiftly and responsibly to help ensure we have the necessary tools to prevent and control New World Screwworm, minimizing risks to agriculture and public health.”

FDA will provide future guidance to veterinarians and stakeholders on the appropriate use of any products authorized for emergency use and update the New World Screwworm: Information for Veterinarians page.

Eight Components of a Strong Preconditioning Program

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 14:34:20 GMT

Many spring-calving producers are thinking about weaning and marketing this year’s calf crop.

“In preparation for weaning and marketing, many producers do some level of preconditioning to add value and prepare calves for the next stages of life,” says Chris Clark, Iowa State University Extension and outreach beef specialist.

In a recent press release Clark describes preconditioning strategies and explains why it is valuable.

He says there is not a solid, consistent definition for preconditioning and the meaning of the term can differ person to person, regionally and among various programs.

Clark says this definition summarizes his perspective on the meaning and importance of preconditioning: “Preconditioning is a set of practices and procedures applied to prepare cattle for the next phase of production. Weaning and marketing involve many potential stressors that can negatively affect beef calves: separation from dam, new environment, diet change and new social dynamics, just to name a few. The idea of preconditioning is to prepare cattle, minimize those stressors, support health and performance, and ultimately, help cattle reach their genetic potential.”

He adds specific precondition practices often include castration, dehorning, vaccination, adaptation to new feeds and bunk breaking.

Although most preconditioning practices are associated with weaning, some of these things can actually be done well ahead of time, even in the neonatal period of a calf’s life.

“Well-preconditioned cattle are the culmination of a holistic management program that starts when calves are born and arguably even while they are in utero,” he says.

Clark shares these eight components of a strong preconditioning program:

Castration and dehorning procedures should be done as early as possible with appropriate anesthesia and analgesia to minimize pain and distress.
“Castration and dehorning surgeries should generally be performed within the first two to three months of life,” he says. “Dehorning should be done through genetic selection or through disbudding calves before the horns become well established.”
If these procedures have not yet been done, talk to your veterinarian about the best timing and technique. Open wounds can be a problem in the summer because of fly pressure, so it is worth some thought and discussion about how to best proceed at this time of year.
Vaccination to establish immunity prior to the stress of weaning and marketing.
Stress associated with weaning and marketing can cause immunosuppression, making animals more susceptible to respiratory disease and other infections. Preweaning vaccines help ensure protective antibodies are on board at weaning, which can help prevent and reduce the severity of disease.
“Work closely with your veterinarian to determine the products and vaccine schedules that make the most sense for your operation,” he says.
Deworming to reduce internal and external parasite load can help promote animal health and performance.
Cattle commonly consume infective nematode larvae while grazing, so strategic deworming as they are coming off of pasture into drylot or feedyard settings can make a lot of sense.
Implanting with growth-promoting hormone implants is very much an optional part of a preconditioning program.
Implants improve performance and feed efficiency and can improve profitability when cattle are retained long enough to take advantage of these improvements.
“In a strong cattle market where each pound of gain has great value, implanting may be worth considering,” he says. “Keep in mind the new FDA guidance and emphasis on not reimplanting within a phase of production unless the implant product is specifically labeled for reimplantation.”
He explains with this recent development, some buyers might prefer cattle that have not been implanted, so it may be worth thinking through the value of enhanced performance versus buyer preferences and demand at market.
Adapt cattle to feed like what will be fed after weaning.
“Creep feeding consistently increases weaning weight but may or may not be profitable depending on the cost versus value of gain,” Clark explains. “In the current market with significant value for every pound of gain, creep feeding may be worth considering.”
Even when not obviously profitable, creep feeding or some kind of supplementation can help calves adapt to new feeds and feeding systems. This should support a smoother transition throughout weaning.
Postweaning feeding programs should be well-balanced to support health and growth but modest enough to prevent foot and rumen issues and over-conditioning of animals.
“Buyers generally like cattle to be relatively ‘green,’ meaning they prefer to buy cattle that are not overly fat,” he adds.
Weaning is considered by some to be an integral part of the preconditioning process.
In fact, in some sponsored preconditioning programs, cattle are not truly preconditioned if not weaned for 45 to 60 days. Weaning allows producers to start cattle on feed, adapt them to the next phase of production, and treat any illnesses that might occur.
Consider low-stress weaning strategies such as two-step weaning, fence-line weaning, pasture weaning, etc., and think ahead about what might work for you. Weaned cattle should be past some of the most stressful and high-risk times and ready to enter the next phase of production.
Strive for excellence in the basics of animal husbandry.
Shelter, shade, bedding, water, feed and low-stress handling are all components of good animal care, and the most well-preconditioned animals are those that have been well taken care of from conception to marketing.
Daily care and record keeping are key components of preconditioning.
Create a plan for performing and keeping records of daily care, and develop a record-keeping system for treatment and feed records.
“Plan to check cattle daily throughout the weaning phase to look for signs of illness, develop a working relationship with a veterinarian and establish a treatment plan in case of illness,” Clark says.
Review recommended biosecurity protocols and implement as appropriate to protect the health of your calf crop. Prepare records that can be shared with buyers so they understand how cattle have been cared for, what products have been administered and what procedures have been done.

Clark summarizes preconditioning does several things. First, it enhances animal health, well-being and performance, and increases the odds that cattle will perform to their genetic potential. Additionally, preconditioning minimizes risk.

“In the current record-breaking cattle market, cattle are more valuable than ever, and with great value comes great risk,” he says. “Every illness, every mortality, every bout of weight loss and shrink hurts that much more than it would in a weaker market.”

Preconditioning can help manage that risk and improve the likelihood of success for producers in all phases of production. Consider preconditioning to optimize cattle health and performance and promote the success of buyers of your cattle.

Check out other calf weaning stories.

Connecting the Dots: Feedlot Success Starts With Calf Health

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 13:19:58 GMT

Today we have robust capabilities to ingest and provide intelligence from animal health data.Through machine learning and artificial intelligence, we will be able to use data to predict in calf health which will allow targeted interventions to manage cattle better from birth to slaughter.

“Diagnostics need to be used more in beef cattle medicine. We need to quit guessing,” says Dr. Dan Thomson. “So many times we just guess why we have a swollen joint or why the calves broke with BRD. A 200-head pen of cattle today, it’s a half a million bucks. Investing slightly in better understanding the cause of disease will allow us to improve vaccine protocols and treatment outcomes for our cattle.”

Thomson, a PhD nutritionist, DVM and managing partner of Production and Animal Consultation (PAC), was the featured guest in “ The Future of Beef Show ” podcast episode 10.

“Many times we miss more by not looking than we do by not knowing,” he says. “Good stockmanship is about taking the time to find sick cattle, pulling them to the chute for a good clinical exam which includes lung auscultation, body temperature and recording clinical signs.Good early diagnosis of disease improves our treatment success rates tremendously.Treating the right animal, with the right dose, at the right time.”

According to Thomson, “redundancy is our friend,” highlighting the importance of consistent, repeated good animal health practices. He also stresses how veterinarians are critical partners in animal health, offering more than just treatment; they provide ongoing guidance, preventative strategies and a holistic approach to animal care.

Five key takeaways from the podcast are:

1. Animal welfare is critical: Proper animal health involves more than just treatment; it’s about preventing disease through vaccination, nutrition, shelter and low-stress cattle handling.

“We must build trust in cattle with caregivers. Cattle that don’t trust people hide their clinical signs until much later in the disease process, which decreases treatment success. Acclimating cattle builds trust and allows us to visualize cattle illness or disease sooner,” Thomson explains.

He emphasizes the importance of understanding cattle from birth, particularly highlighting the critical nature of colostrum intake.

“By six hours of age, we could tell if that calf was going to be failure of passive transfer,” he says, underscoring the importance of early health interventions.

2. Diagnostic testing is essential: Veterinarians should focus on understanding the root causes of health issues through comprehensive testing, rather than just guessing or treating symptoms.

3. Antibiotic stewardship matters: The goal is to use antibiotics judiciously — getting the right antibiotic to the right animal at the right time, while understanding the broader context of animal health.

“Antibiotics are incredible, essential tools for human and animal health. We need more antibiotics,” he says. “Antibiotic stewardship is getting the right antibiotic in the right animal at the right time. The core to antibiotic stewardship is a veterinary client patient relationship.”

4. Technology and human interaction must work together: New technologies like active tags and artificial intelligence can help improve animal health, but they cannot replace the importance of hands-on care and veterinarian-producer relationships.

“Just because you have a baby monitor doesn’t mean you don’t need a mother,” he says.

Thomson sees technology as a tool to enhance, not replace, human care. Active tags and wearables can help identify sick animals earlier, but they require skilled interpretation.

5. Holistic approach to animal health: Success comes from understanding the entire life cycle of cattle — from cow-calf operations through feedlots — and addressing health challenges at each stage through communication, proper management and continuous learning.

Thomson says it all starts with breeding the cow herd with a tight calving window. He says this results in more calves the same age at branding and weaning that are the proper stage to receive vaccines.

Colostrum is key to calf health throughout its life. He stresses the importance of newborn calves getting colostrum in the first six to 12 hours. Past that time there is little passive immunity absorption.

“I’m talking about improved health of that calf throughout its life, that’s where it all starts,” he adds. “The industry continues to do a better job of vaccinating and preconditioning and preparing cattle for the feedlot.”

To decrease stress and morbidity at the feedlot, Thomson suggests preconditioning. This includes getting calves bunk broke and used to the water tank before sending them to the feedlot.

“There’s two reasons why animals get sick,” he says. “One, an overwhelming dose of a pathogen, that they’re naive to or, two, suppressed immune system.”

In summary, Thomson sees tremendous potential in integrating data, improving diagnostic capabilities and developing more targeted health interventions. However, he cautions progress requires patience, collaboration and a willingness to challenge existing practices.

He is optimistic about the future of the beef industry, particularly its ability to produce a versatile food product.

“Beef feeds every socioeconomic strata,” he explains, from ground beef to the white tablecloth restaurant where consumers celebrate the biggest and greatest days of their lives.

Be sure to check out the podcast to learn more about what it really takes to build a connected, resilient health system from cow-calf to packer.

Smart Calf Rearing Conference Comes to the U.S.

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 16:00:00 GMT

The 4^th annual Smart Calf Rearing Conference will be held September 24-27, 2025, in Madison, Wis.

This will mark the first time the biannual global conference -- focused on both scientific and on-farm applications of raising calves -- will take place in the U.S. The event will be held on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, just prior to the 2025 World Dairy Expo, also held in Madison.

Following a welcome banquet and reception on Wednesday, September 24, Thursday and Friday’s agenda will feature noted speakers from around the world, addressing topics that include:

Is the microbiome our secret weapon to raise healthy calves antibiotic free?
Re-evaluating nutrition models to predict calf growth.
Beyond passive transfer: The role of colostrum in programming immune development in calves.
The impact of transportation on young dairy calves: New insights and a bumpy road forward.
Data-driven nutrition, disease, and welfare management of calves: Shaping the next generation... of cows.

The final day of the conference – Saturday, September 27 – will focus on producer perspectives and hands-on demonstrations of calf management. It promises to bring science to the farm, featuring talks from calf experts on colostrum management, group housing strategies, calf health, and how to succeed with automated feeding systems. Separate registration for just the producer day is available.
A scientific poster session also will demonstrate research focusing on calf health, nutrition, physiology, and welfare.

The first 3 days of the conference will take place at University of Wisconsin Memorial Union in Madison. The final day will be held at the university’s Arlington Agricultural Research Station near Arlington, Wis.

Along with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the conference is being hosted jointly by the University of Guelph, Förster-Technik, and Trouw Nutrition. Additional support is being provided by Dairy Tech, Inc.; Lallemand Animal Nutrition; Lely; SCC: and Vita Plus.

The Smart Calf Rearing Conference will bring together scientists, industry leaders, and calf raisers, all of whom are looking into the future or raising calves. Registration is being managed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A full agenda and housing information can be accessed here .

Step-by-Step Weaning: How to Choose the Best Method

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 17:01:12 GMT

Weaning is a stressful time — stressful on calves, cows and producers.

Weaning can have a major impact on a calf’s short and long-term health, growth performance and economic returns. Minimizing weaning stress should improve calf health and weight gain.

“Weaning can be approached many different ways depending on what facilities are available,” says Jason Warner, Kansas State University extension cow-calf specialist.

Four beef cattle extension specialists chime in on weaning methods, including the pros and cons of each option.

“Everybody’s got an opinion,” says Ron Lemenager, Purdue University beef specialist. “I don’t think it’s a one option fits all.”

He also encourages producers to minimize any additional stressful events at weaning time, such as castration, dehorning, vaccinating, physical separation or transportation.

“While we can’t eliminate all stresses, castration, dehorning and the first round of vaccinations can be done preweaning in many situations to reduce weaning stress,” he says.

The three weaning methods discussed by the specialists include:

Fence-line weaning.
Calves and cows are separated by a fence but can still see each other. Fence-line weaning is considered a low-stress method because calves can still see, hear and smell their mothers, which helps reduce the psychological stress of separation. This method helps calves settle down faster.

“Fence-line weaning is ideal if the facilities are available,” says Megan Van Emon, Montana State University extension beef cattle specialist.

John Hall, University of Idaho extension beef specialist, agrees.

“When you’re set up for it and used to it, my preference is fence-line weaning. We’ve gotten along very well with it over the years at the research station here. Those calves do settle down more easily,” Hall says.

Warner says fence-line weaning requires good fences and the ability to gather and separate cows and calves that rejoin each other.

“Many producers often remove calves from their dams, leave the cows on pasture and then place the calves in pens or feeding traps,” Warner says. “If producers do the opposite — take cows to the pens and leave the calves on pasture — then it is generally best to keep a few older, trainer cows with the calves during the initial weaning period to help reduce stress. Nutrition is key during this time period regardless of the approach used.”

There are pros and cons of putting the cows or the calves in the lot. If the lot is dusty, it might be a better option for the cows, due to health concerns. Ideally, it would be a grass lot, not dirt.

“Putting the calves in a lot gives an opportunity to really keep a close eye on those calves,” Lemenager says. “I can get them into the handling facility if I need to — a lot easier than if I’ve got to move them off of pasture.”
Nursing prevention tools.
Devices, such as nose flaps or clips, can be placed in a calf’s nose to prevent nursing while allowing them to remain with their mothers. This is also considered a low-stress weaning option.

Lemenager explains his apprehension with the nose flaps are the lesions they create.

Both Hall and Van Emon say nose flaps help reduce anxiety at separation but require additional labor to put in and remove.

“There’s been some research done on nose flaps that seems to have positive benefits if you’re trying to early wean,” Hall explains. “But it is a whole different level of stress for the rancher and cattle to get those animals up, put the nose flaps in, and then take them out at weaning time.”
Abrupt weaning.
This method is the complete separation of calves from cows. This can be separating and taking straight to the sale barn or it can be to a completely different location owned by the rancher.

“Here in the West, we tend to wean straight onto a truck and into the sale barn,” Van Emon says.

This method can be the most stressful on the calf if they go straight from a pasture setting with mom to a new location they do not know and are subjected to a new concentrate diet and water source.

Lemenager’s preference is abrupt weaning with his personal cow herd. He moves the calves nine miles away from their moms to be weaned and backgrounded. He says with this method, the cows and calves cannot hear each other and the bawling is done in three days.

He gets the calves used to eating with a pre-weaning creep feed and drinking out of a water tank. At weaning, the creep feeder moves with the calves in a grassy lot with shade and easy access to both a water tank and an automatic waterer along the perimeter fence.

Hall says asking calves to transition from pasture to a dry lot setting with a feed bunk and from creek water to a water tank can be stressful and hard to understand. If possible, allow the calves access and train them to feed bunks and water tanks before weaning.

He encourages producers to choose the weaning method they are most comfortable with, that works for their specific ranch and fits their facilities, labor and management style.

“Don’t try a new method during a challenging weaning year,” he summarizes. “The goal is to reduce stress as much as possible for both cows and calves.”

Your Next Read: When Is the Best Time to Wean?

There’s a Lot of Info in That Little TSU

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 17:06:26 GMT

“The sky’s the limit if you have that sample,” says Jim Butcher, a Simmental seedstock producer from Lewistown, Mont.

He’s talking about all the things you can learn about the genetic potential of your cattle that is contained in a tissue sampling unit (TSU). The genomic information you get from each sample can, collectively and individually, help you more quickly move your herd’s genetic progress forward in an intentional, science-assisted direction.

There’s lots of info in that little vial.

(Allflex)

For commercial cow-calf producers, submitting the DNA sample in a TSU will return a scoresheet on each animal ‘s genetic merit for different indexes and specific traits, says Leoma Donsbach, owner and founder of Data Genie, LLC.

She calls herself a data accountant, helping customers attach the data on their operation to their record-keeping system. She says almost all her customers use TSUs to collect DNA and obtain genomic data.

Genomics are becoming more and more popular with commercial beef producers, she says.

“For replacement females, the ability to have a snapshot of that female’s genetic potential leads to increased confidence in keeping that heifer. You can say, ‘This heifer is more likely to be here until age six or seven by looking at her stayability metrics.’”

Say, for example, you’ve done your visual appraisal and picked 50 heifers as potential replacements, but you only need to keep 40. Visually, those heifers are very similar. But genetically, they could be very different, depending on what genes they received from their parents.

That’s where the TSUs and the genomic data they provide come in. First, test all 50 replacement candidates.

“Then breed them and find out which ones are bred,” she says. Even if everything went right, that still leaves some extras. “You can go back and use the genomic data to select the traits you want and/or use a maternal or terminal index to make those final decisions. You use it like comparing genomically enhanced EPDs when buying bulls.”

Beyond replacement selection, you can extrapolate the DNA data on your heifers when marketing your steers, she says. “On average, your steers will have similar genetics to your heifers. That information may add to their sale price.”

Then There Are The Bulls

Just like heifers, bulls can be full siblings and still be remarkably different in their genetic makeup.

“We’re great phenotype collectors of birth weights, weaning weights, all that,” Butcher says. “But you really don’t know what you have until you know what genes that particular animal picked up.”

When seedstock producers send in a TSU, they get back genomically enhanced EPDs. That, Butcher says, allows him to supply more accurate information about young bulls for his customers and help them make the best bull-buying decisions they can within their budget.

Indeed, not every bull is suited for every ranch. Studying the genomically enhanced EPDs gives you greater confidence in the true genetic potential of young bulls.

“You lessen the probabilities that you’re buying an animal that won’t help you move your program forward,” Butcher says.

Your Next Read: Building the Next Generation Cow Herd Using Genomic Testing

No One is 'Winning' in a Prop 12 World: 6 Witnesses Testify Before House Ag Committee

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 16:44:46 GMT

U.S. pork producers and American consumers are facing significant cost increases due to Proposition 12. And the data keeps proving it. In a House Committee on Agriculture hearing, “An Examination of the Implications of Proposition 12,” Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) said Congress must provide a fix for Prop12.

“It begs the question – if producers are paying more, and consumers are paying more, who is winning?” Thompson said during the hearing on July 23. “Thankfully, the complexity and unfairness of Prop 12 has been realized by both sides of the aisle.”

Six witnesses testified before the full House Agriculture Committee on the implications of California’s Proposition 12 for farmers and food prices.

Overregulation Hurts Farmers
Pat Hord, an Ohio pork producer and vice president of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), shared his family farm’s story with the Committee. He said, “Despite producing Prop 12-compliant pork, I am here to say Prop 12, and an unmitigated regulatory patchwork, threatens our farm.”

Prop 12, a California ballot initiative, bans the sale of pork that does not comply with the state’s prescriptive and arbitrary production standards. Though enacted in a single state, Prop 12 has created sweeping consequences nationwide by fueling market volatility, imposing costly new mandates on producers, and paving the way for a patchwork of inconsistent state regulations.

“Spending my entire life raising pigs in a variety of ways, I’m convinced it’s best to allow production methods and consumption demands to take shape in the open market, as opposed to arbitrarily shaping them through poorly worded and short-sighted ballot initiatives,” testified Matt Schuiteman, a farmer and Iowa Farm Bureau board member.

The data shows Prop 12 is creating economic hardship. As of the first quarter of 2025, 12% of small pork operations have exited the market or shifted production away from breeding, citing regulatory uncertainty and high transition costs.

“Prop 12 opens a Pandora’s box of state regulatory overreach that threatens family farms across the country,” NPPC shared in a statement. “This overregulation hurts farmers, increases prices for consumers, and compromises our nation’s food security.”

Unjustified Price Increases
But it wasn’t just pork producers voicing their concern at the hearing over the obstacles caused by Prop 12.

“Harm is what Prop 12 has caused, smashing like a wrecking ball the livelihoods of small restaurants and the communities we serve by disrupting supply chains and dragging up the cost of culturally vital foods like pork,” said Lily Rocha, executive director for the Latino Restaurant Association. “It’s brought economic devastation to families already stretched thin.”

Rocha said Prop 12 is a death sentence for small businesses operating on razor-thin margins.

NPPC economist Holly Cook testified that USDA research and recent scanner data confirm the impact on consumer costs.

“A study released in 2024 by economists at USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist compared retail pork prices and volumes in California and the rest of the U.S. for a period preceding Proposition 12 (October 2019-June 2023) and for 8 months after its partial implementation date (July 2023-February 2024),” Cook said. “After subtracting any price increases that were also observed in the rest of the U.S., the study attributed the following prices increases in California to the impact of Prop 12: 41% increase in pork loin prices, 17% increase in pork rib prices, 17% increase in pork shoulder prices, 16% in bacon prices, and 20% increase in fresh ham prices. Overall, the report suggests a 20% average increase in the sales prices for pork products covered by Proposition 12 and minimal impacts on products not covered by the law, such as sausage.”

Recent retail data also revealed a decline in pork volume sales in California and a 2% to 3% decline in California’s share of national fresh pork sales. Retail scanner data compiled by Circana confirms that these trends have held up over subsequent periods, Cook added.

“From July 2024 to June 2025, the second year of Proposition 12’s partial implementation, prices for popular covered pork products in California were 24% higher on average, with a range of 12% to 33% higher across covered products, than they were in the year leading up to implementation (July 2022 to June 2023),” Cook said. “This compares to an average 3.6% increase for the entire U.S. over the same period.”

In short, Californians are spending more but consuming less pork than they were before Prop 12.

A Contentious Issue
Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, professor and Extension specialist at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, noted the importance of recognizing that there are agricultural interests on all sides of the Prop 12 debate.

“Certainly, there are agricultural producers, groups and businesses in favor of congressional action to overturn Prop 12,” she said. “Similarly, there are agricultural producers, groups and businesses strongly against Congress taking such action, many of whom have already gone to the expense to comply after Prop 12 was passed and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Ranking Member Angie Craig (MN-02) pointed out during her comments that Prop 12 is clearly a contentious issue, and merits thoughtful, bipartisan discussion.

“We cannot ignore the questions and challenges Prop 12 raises,” Craig said. “Even the Biden administration’s ag secretary said we need to treat this issue seriously to ensure stability in the marketplace. I agree that we cannot have 50 states with 50 different regulatory frameworks because of the significant challenges it would present to producers, but I believe that there are ways to avoid that situation.”

She also shared that many pork producers have made significant financial investments to make their operations Prop 12-compliant and that Congress needs to be mindful of the voters in California who exercised their rights under their state constitution to adopt this policy.

Thompson reminded the room that Justice Gorsuch noted several times in the majority opinion that Congress would be well within its power to act. Although Thompson doesn’t agree with the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Prop 12, he agrees that Congress can and must act to rectify the burdens Prop 12 has imposed on interstate commerce.

Travis Cushman, deputy general counsel, litigation and public policy for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said in his testimony, “When a single state can condition access to its market on compliance with production mandates that override the judgment of veterinarians, farmers and experts nationwide, Congress must act. This is not a theoretical concern. It is already harming farmers, confusing the courts and threatening the viability of a national food system.”

Cushman believes the language that the Committee passed in the 2024 Farm Bill restores clarity, restores congressional authority and interstate commerce, and protects both producers and consumers from a patchwork of conflicting amenities.

The Patchwork Problem
“When we talk about any premiums that do exist in the market today, the prospect of a patchwork threatens the certainty and the sufficiency of those premiums in the long run,” Cook said following the hearing. “NPPC is seeking to provide certainty to all producers about the environment in which we’re going to be making these decisions and investing in the future of the industry.”

Cook said it was a long day on Capitol Hill, but it was encouraging to hear producers share just how much they care about the animals they raise.

In fact, Hord spoke to misconceptions that Prop 12 enhances animal welfare, citing American Veterinary Medical Association and American Association of Swine Veterinarians opposition to the law and how those pen requirements can “unintentionally cause harm” to animal welfare.

“There were some good discussions around producers caring for their animals and maximizing animal welfare, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because they have every economic incentive to do everything they can to maximize animal welfare,” Cook reflected.

She noted there were productive discussions on the impacts of Prop 12 from the farm level through the supply chain and all the way to the consumer.

“Producer voices are so strong,” Cook said. “Being able to deliver their stories to their representatives and members of Congress on the impact these issues are having on their farms is always the strongest message lawmakers can receive.”

Heat Stress in Cattle Costs Real Money

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 17:10:18 GMT

Cattle rid their bodies of heat in three ways — radiation, convection and evaporation.

“If your cattle can’t use all three methods, they’ll overheat fast,” says Eric Bailey, University of Missouri Extension state beef nutrition specialist.

Summer heat knocks weight off calves and pounds off milk, Bailey says. Losses come in the form of less gain, weaker fertility and other health issues.

“Heat stress costs real money,” he says.

Producers can reduce heat stress by providing adequate shade, proper fly control, access to water and the right choice of pasture grass.

Tall Fescue Pastures Turn Up the Heat

Cattle grazing on tall fescue grass when temperatures rise is a recipe for disaster.

Toxic endophytes in fescue can turn up the cattle’s body heat. Their efforts to keep cool can melt profits. But there are practical fixes that keep weight and profits steady, Bailey says.

Most fescue pastures in the Fescue Belt carry endophytes that make toxic ergot alkaloids, which mess with your cattle’s ability to stay cool, he says.

These toxins tighten blood vessels, cut blood flow to the skin and prevent heat from escaping. They make it hard for cattle to sweat and pant, essential tasks to rid their bodies of heat. Third, ergot alkaloids delay shedding by lowering prolactin. This leaves cattle with shaggy coats that trap summer heat.

Summer temperatures, especially heat waves, make cattle on fescue vulnerable to problems. Normally, cattle can tolerate temperatures of 31 C or 88 F. Cows likely consume enough ergovaline by Memorial Day to make heat stress worse during the summer.

Small Amounts Cause Big Losses

Even ingesting small amounts of ergot alkaloids can result in reduced weight gain and smaller calves, less milk, lower fertility and lighter wallets, says Bailey. He offers these suggestions on avoiding losses from heat stress:

Rotate toxic tall fescues with other grasses such as clover, or interseed pastures with nontoxic novel-endophyte fescue to dilute.
Consider investing in full pasture renovation on the worst fields. See the Alliance for Grassland Renewal website for information on renovating tall fescue pastures.
Provide supplemental feed in the range of 0.5% to 1.0% of bodyweight per day to dilute ergovaline in the diet.

Maintain Good Fly control

If you have cows on tall fescue, pay special attention to fly control .

“If your cattle are on toxic tall fescue and they are crowding together to dodge flies, the deck is stacked against them,” Bailey says.

Cattle tend to bunch up to avoid flies, especially stable flies that attack their legs. They congregate in the middle of the pasture and avoid the field edges where flies gather most.

Bunching traps heat, cuts radiation and convection in half, and raises humidity significantly. “In severe cases, cows quit radiating heat and actually begin to heat up even in the shade,” Bailey says.

Here’s the fix:

Drag pastures to break up manure, which is a breeding ground for flies.
Use fly tags, traps or parasitic wasps to cut fly numbers.
Finally, rotate pastures to break fly life cycles.

Give your herd shade

Bailey gives guidelines to discourage bunching and encourage cattle to space out in pastures:

Provide 20-30 square feet of shade per cow.
Provide portable shade structures that allow airflow.
Place water troughs 50-100 feet apart to encourage animals to spread out.

Finally, radiation and convection need cool surroundings and airflow to work, says Bailey.

“They fail when it’s hot and crowded. Evaporation is the last line of defense in a heat wave, but humidity and fescue toxins can cripple it,” he says.

For more information, see the MU Extension publication “Tall Fescue Toxicosis” (G4669) .

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The Smell You'll Never Forget: A Calf Infested with New World Screwworm

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 16:41:22 GMT

“The stench…it’s like roadkill stewed in infection,” explains Jose Santiago Gallardo Espinosa, a cattle producer from Chiriqui, Panama, describing an animal that has been infected with New World screwworm (NWS). “You’ll smell it before you see it.”

He goes on to describe the appearance. “That little dehorning scrape you didn’t worry about? Now, it’s a fist-sized hole pulsating with maggots. Not on top, under the skin. Hundreds of cream-colored worms with screw-like spines, eating your cow alive.”

It’s a Plague in Panama

Gallardo is a Panamanian livestock production specialist and animal science professional with a diverse and practical background in cattle production, agricultural policy and international ranch management. He currently serves as the technical assistance team manager at Cooleche, R.L., where he leads strategic initiatives in cattle production and technical outreach.

“⁠This ain’t ‘just flies.’ We’ve buried calves eaten alive in 48 hours,” Gallardo stresses. “Post-calving cows are sitting ducks, I found one last week with maggots deep in her vulva, she was trembling as she tried to nurse her calf.”

An animal health professional treating an animal in Panama that has been infected by New World Screwworm.

(Jose Santiago Gallardo Espinosa)

To catch NWS and stop the spread, Espinosa encourages daily wound checks including navels on newborns, vulvas on fresh cows, sheaths on bulls, branding cuts and tagging nicks. Some red flags include a wound that swells overnight or oozes cloudy fluid and a milk tank mysteriously dropping.

“Treat every scratch like a ticking bomb,” he says adding if you find one with a wound acting a little strange, you should “peel back skin edges, and if you see rice-grain maggots with dark spines — sound the alarm.”

He says more than 6,500 cases have erupted across Panama, marching north through Central America like a plague.

“For years, our U.S.-Panama barrier kept NWS at bay,” Gallardo says. “We’d see maybe 25 cases a year — it was a nuisance, not a crisis. Then 2023 hit, and overnight our pastures became war zones.”

He says the reality in Panama is rainy season is maggot season.

“Here, in Chiriquí’s dairy country, it is the perfect storm,” he says. “Rainy season humidity of 90%, 85°F heat and flies everywhere. A single-infected cow bleeds $10/day in lost milk — its life or death for small dairies.”

NWS in Nicaragua

Ernesto José Sequeira Enríquez, an agronomist from Camoapa, Nicaragua, says NWS was eradicated from Nicaragua in the 1990s. He says he first encountered it during an internship in Brazil where he experienced the serious challenge the fly causes.

“When cases began appearing here again last year, I was able to use what I learned in Brazil to prepare veterinary supplies and train people on prevention and treatment,” he explains.

(Ernesto José Sequeira Enríquez)

He says it’s essential to enforce a daily inspection routine, checking every animal carefully for open wounds.

“When you find an infected animal, you’ll typically see a bleeding wound,” Sequeira says. “If the infestation has progressed, there will be a strong, foul smell due to tissue damage and the presence of larvae.”

He encourages U.S. producers to be prepared with sufficient supplies of veterinary medicines and insecticides for both treatment and prevention and to adjust management practices to reduce risk. For example:

When dehorning, branding or ear tagging, apply insecticide spray to the wound immediately.
Ensure proper care of newborn calves by disinfecting the navel with iodine solution as soon as possible, since that is the most common entry point for infestation.

“Although complete control of screwworm is not possible, taking preventive measures significantly reduces the economic and productivity impact of it,” he says. “Early detection and consistent preventive practices are critical to minimizing losses.”
Sequeira stresses a producer’s eyes and hands are their best tools to fight NSW.

“My warning to U.S. ranchers is this isn’t just a Panama problem,” he summarizes. “Newborn calves are maggot magnets. If you lose one calf to a navel infestation, you’ll never sleep again. Make inspections sacred — no excuses. Report fast and hide nothing.”

It’s Endemic in Brazil

Marcelo Costa is a veterinarian, professor and cattle business consultant in Brazil and Paraguay. In 1999, Costa was taught embryo transfer at Camp Cooley in Franklin, Texas. He then returned to his family’s third generation ranching operation where they started Camp Cooley Brazil.

“I have been dealing with screwworm all my life since it is endemic in Brazil,” Costa says. “Screwworm-infected animals happen all months of the year.”

A wound in the animal skin full of screwworm and new fly eggs in the skin borderline

(Marcelo Costa)

Like others, he has experienced finding infected animals with bleeding, foul-smelling wounds. He says animals show discomfort and may not follow the herd as normal.

“Newborn calves are usually the more attacked category because of the navel’s wet and bloody tissue,” he says. “If a screwworm infects the navel, it may open a door at the site for more severe infections that may cause diarrhea, pneumonia and other diseases.”

Costa stresses how much NWS costs producers beyond animal loss and decreased productivity.

“One of the biggest problems with NWS is the increased labor with vigilance and animal treatment,” he summarizes.

Guatemala Producers Are Learning to Cope with NWS

“Screwworm came to teach us the times are changing, and that any type of production is possible and open to any complication,” says Oscar León, a livestock production specialist and agricultural business administrator from Guatemala City, Guatemala. “Brazil learned how to cope with it, and Guatemala is in the process of it. The U.S. is not exempt from it, unfortunately. But with the adequate measures and prevention techniques, one can learn and teach others. We can make the impact less harmful on our production and wallets.”

(Oscar León)

León currently manages his family’s cattle operations and leads LAVAT S.A., a company that imports and distributes innovative animal health and nutrition products tailored to the needs of the Guatemalan livestock sector.

He explains it is important for producers to look for and treat any open wound or bruise as they are the first indicators.

“If an open wound smells like the scent of rotten meat, you will find the presence of screwworms feeding off live tissue,” he says. “Prevention and early timing are the best ways to treat screwworm. Make sure to take your time, observe your cattle, search for a bruise or wounds and treat them properly.”

He also stresses the importance of making sure everyone who works in the farm or ranch is aware of NWS and knows how to react if an infection is found.

Educating U.S. Producers

Chris Womack, a veterinarian and rancher from San Angelo, Texas, says he remembers helping his dad treat calves with NWS infestations.

“I can still remember the smell,” Womack says. “I thought it was cool because I was a little kid, and we dug maggots out of the calves. I can still smell it like it was yesterday, and it was horrible to look at them.”

Womack shares a historic context of NWS, which he says means “man-eater,” on the “Registered Ranching” podcast with Tucker Brown.

Womack also describes the emotional toll on the producer when faced with NWS.

“If you’re a steward of an animal and it has half of its head rotting off, or its abdomen is a gaping wound because the maggots are eating it up, or it gets in their ear and they’re walking around in circles with brain damage because they got meningitis, well, it’s devastating.”

Womack summarizes NWS isn’t just an agricultural issue, it’s a human health concern. Historical accounts and recent data from Panama show NWS can affect humans, particularly vulnerable populations like homeless individuals or those in areas with limited medical access.

Womack says the experiences with NWS during his childhood is the reason he is a veterinarian today. He says there is a generational ignorance in the U.S. regarding NWS, and that is something he is committed to fixing.

“The only way we can overcome ignorance is education,” he stresses.

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How to Reduce Calf Transportation Stress

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 19:00:00 GMT

Now that summer has started, many of us will try to take a quick break and travel somewhere for vacation. We are still a couple of weeks away from leaving, but I am already feeling the stress that comes with travel. Growing up, my parents would start planning at least a month in advance. Do we have someone to do chores? Do they need to be retrained to milk and feed the cows? Does any fence need fixing? Just like we might feel some stress about traveling, our animals might feel the same. To help keep stress low, it’s best to be like my parents and start early.

Start at the Day of Birth

Both replacement heifers and bull calves are at record-high prices. Survey data indicate that 43% of replacement heifers are raised off the farm and leave at around 3 days of age. Eighty percent of non-replacement calves leave the farm before they are a week old. Whether calves are leaving to enter the beef industry or being transported to a contract heifer grower, getting the calves off to a good start is essential.

Calves cannot handle stress as well as older animals. The primary reason is their underdeveloped immune systems. Ensuring that calves receive an adequate amount of high-quality colostrum will help manage stress responses. Maternal antibodies from colostrum will be present in the immune system until the calf is around 21 days old. The calf’s immune system is not fully developed until approximately 60 days old. Therefore, not only is colostrum important, but other supportive therapies like adequate feed, water, and the use of vaccines are also crucial.

Stress and Disease

Transportation exposes calves to many new stressors early on. Commingling, temperature changes, and limited feed and water can increase disease risk. Research shows that diseases caused by transport stress can decrease average daily gain by 0.01 to 1.7 pounds. These losses result in lower carcass weights and reduced milk production in the first lactation.

Perform Pre-Transport Assessments

Transporting healthy calves will pay off in the long run. Well-prepared calves have had adequate colostrum, navels disinfected, and access to water and milk. If calves show signs of dehydration, illness, injury, or navel swelling, they should stay on the farm. Some research has shown that keeping calves on the farm until they are at least a week-old leads to higher average daily gains and fewer incidents of respiratory diseases.

Take The Edge Off: Meloxicam Eases Calf Pain After Dehorning

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 19:00:20 GMT

Managing calf pain has become a growing priority, not just for animal welfare, but for veterinarians, producers and consumers who are paying closer attention to the way animals are cared for. And while calves tend to bounce back quickly after dehorning, research continues to show the physiological effects of pain and inflammation linger longer than the visible signs suggest.

A study out of Kansas State University, published in the Journal of Dairy Science, took a closer look at how meloxicam, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), can help calves through the stress of dehorning. And more importantly, whether giving it before or after the procedure makes a difference.

In the trial, 30 Holstein bull calves were split into three groups - one got meloxicam 12 hours before dehorning, another got it immediately after and the third group received no pain relief at all. Over the course of a week, researchers tracked signs of pain and stress, including hormone levels, inflammation markers and how sensitive the calves were to touch around their horn buds.

Here’s what they found:

“The administration of meloxicam in the MEL-PRE and MEL-POST calves had a considerable impact on physiological indicators of pain and inflammation when compared to the CONT group,” the researchers note.

Put simply: the calves who got meloxicam — no matter when — handled the procedure better.

At just four hours post-dehorning, meloxicam-treated calves had significantly lower levels of cortisol — the stress hormone that spikes when animals are in pain. And five days later, they still had reduced levels of substance P, which is an indicator of discomfort.

However, not every measurement showed a difference. Eye temperature and haptoglobin (a marker of inflammation) were about the same across all groups. But when it came to prostaglandin E2 (PgE2), a chemical that fuels inflammation, the timing of treatment stood out. Calves who got meloxicam after dehorning had lower levels of PgE2 for up to three days compared to those treated beforehand or not at all.

This suggests that administering meloxicam after the procedure appears to extend its anti-inflammatory impact.

“The precise timing of meloxicam administration proved to be a factor, particularly influencing the duration of certain anti-inflammatory effects,” the researchers explained.

In the end, this study confirmed meloxicam can play an important role in easing pain and reducing inflammation in calves after dehorning. While both before- and after-treatment helped, the timing did seem to influence how long the drug’s effects lasted, especially when it came to certain inflammation markers. The difference in PgE2 levels suggests there’s still more to learn about how best to time pain management. But overall, the research supports meloxicam as a practical and effective tool to improve calf comfort during one of the most stressful early-life procedures.

Protect Your Livestock: Signs of New World Screwworm

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 15:45:16 GMT

Lizeth Olivarez doesn’t know if people will have the stomach to deal with New World screwworm (NWS). She’s a sixth-generation rancher who runs cattle in the U.S. and in Mexico at Las bendiciones Ranch in Realitos, Texas, and Rancho El Cuellareno in Guerrero, Tamaulipas.

Although she hasn’t experienced it herself, she has grown up hearing story after story about NWS from both her grandfather and father who dealt with NWS when the deadly fly struck in the 1960s. With reports of NWS in seven states in Mexico, the U.S. continues to bolster its defenses to keep the pest out.

(USDA)

“The first time around NWS was eradicated by using sterile flies dropped from planes in a box that look like a Big Mac burger box with a target sign on it,” Olivarez says. “The only way to eradicate the NWS is with sterile flies.”

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a five-pronged plan to combat NWS on June 18 partnering with Mexican counterparts and using this sterile insect technology to stop the spread.

“It’s important to clarify we currently don’t have [NWS] here in the U.S.,” says Russ Daly, Extension veterinarian for South Dakota State University.

He admits it’s a strange name for a fly – New World screwworm – because it makes you think it’s a worm.

“It’s not actually a worm – it’s the larvae of the NWS fly that deposits its eggs in animals,” he explains. “They can get big in size, up to two-thirds of an inch. The first person who described them might have thought they look like little worms. They have ridges that are spiral, and that allows these larvae to burrow down into the animal. That’s how they get their name.”

The NWS fly lays eggs and larvae in open wounds of warm-blooded animals. Daly says NWS’s function is similar (but different) to a maggot. Domestic blow flies lay their eggs on dead tissue. The resulting maggots feed on the dead tissue. The difference with NWS is it lays its eggs on living tissue and will feed on living tissue.

“NWS is not easy to recognize,” Daly adds. “You really need an entomologist to recognize the fly and the larvae. For recognizing a problem in the animal, it might come down to recognizing a larval infestation that is showing up in unusual circumstances.”

(Lori Hays)

It’s Not Just a Cattle Problem
Megan Niederwerder, executive director of the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), says it’s important to remember this is not just a cattle disease – it impacts other livestock species and humans as well.

(Lori Hays)

“The fly can deposit its larvae in any open wounds as well as surgical sites such as castrations and umbilical sites after a newborn animal is born. It can also deposit its larvae in any mucous membranes,” Niederwerder says. “Keep an eye on non-healing wounds or wounds that have a foul odor or bloody discharge.”

She says the animals often feel discomfort and pain due to this non-healing wound so they may isolate themselves and be off feed.

“It’s really important to stay vigilant as we think about increasing awareness and understanding of what the fly looks like,” Niederwerder says. “We also need to understand what the clinical signs may look like as the introduction and incursions in Mexico have increased the risk for the U.S., too.”

Although the cases in Mexico have been primarily cattle, she notes there have also been cases in pigs, horses, sheep, goats, dogs and even in humans in Mexico.

“We really don’t like to think about that human part of it,” Daly says. “I don’t want to downplay it, but in people, we would certainly know when we have an irritation or when a fly is on us. But we need to think about the people who potentially are debilitated and wouldn’t know they have a fly on them for a long period of time or that something’s wrong.”

Watch Out for the Unusual
Olivarez urges producers to call their veterinarian immediately if they suspect NWS. During the 1960s outbreak in the U.S., she says most ranchers first noticed it around the umbilical cords of newborn calves.

“It affected ranches the most, especially those that had cattle out on the range where you need manpower to monitor for open wounds, cuts or sores of any kind as well as cows with newborns since the fly will attack the umbilical cord,” Olivarez explains.

She says it’s not only important to monitor cattle but also pay attention to wildlife and pets that live on your property since they could indirectly bring NWS.

Daly challenges livestock producers to pay attention to unusual situations. If you have an animal that suddenly has a lot of necrotic tissue that fly larvae (maggots) are trying to clean up, Daly says that’s a sign producers need to take seriously.

(Lori Hays)

“If there isn’t a wound or a very good reason why there would be an infestation of those larvae that should tip off animal owners, caretakers and veterinarians,” Daly says. “There needs to be some sort of break in the skin to attract the NWS fly, but that something can be so minuscule you wouldn’t even notice it.”

He says it could be as small as a bug bite and is often so tiny producers don’t know how the initial entry even happened.

“NWS does its damage by burrowing into living tissue,” Daly explains. “But they can be drawn to the animal through secretions from that minor break in the skin, and then start to invade the living tissue as well. In addition, once the NWS sets up the wound and causes the infestation, normal blow flies then can come in and get in there, too.”

(Lori Hays)

The females lay their eggs very quickly, he adds. It doesn’t take long for the larvae to develop from there. He says the flies like to deposit their eggs on their “victims” in the afternoon.

“They choose this timing because when it cools off at night, it helps the development of the eggs into the larvae,” Daly says. “This all happens within 10 to 12 hours. If you have a fly that gets into a nick on a pig in the afternoon, for example, by next morning, there’s larvae starting to burrow in already.”

The fly has a lifespan of 28 days, Olivarez shared with followers of Texas Farm Bureau on TikTok.

@txfarmbureau Ever heard of the New World screwworm? South Texas rancher Lizeth Cuellar Olivarez breaks down why this tiny pest is a big problem for livestock. #texasfarmbureau #agtok #farmtok #fyp #screwworm ♬ original sound - texasfarmbureau

“During this time, NWS can lay eggs four times and lay 300 eggs each time,” Olivarez says. “If it goes untreated, after three weeks the larvae will fall and convert to a fly that then goes looking for another animal to attack.”

Treatment Tactics Aren’t Pretty
If an animal becomes infested with NWS, treatment is not easy or pleasant. The larvae have to be removed, Daly explains.

“NWS does respond to some insecticides that we would use for show pigs or horses during the summer to keep the flies off,” Daly adds. “But in order to get that animal healed up, the larvae have to be flushed out and removed by a veterinarian. These infestations can lead to secondary infections to worry about. And, if the infestation has gone deep enough, there could be severe muscle damage or damage to other organs that are beyond help.”

Treatment products need to be considered, adds Lisa Becton, assistant director of SHIC. Because of this, wound care is key during NWS infestation.

“If you have animals that have sores, it’s very important to treat that wound,” Becton says. “You may or may not be able to use a sealant, whether that’s iodine or antibacterial. Wound care is very important to help get a wound healing fast, even if you also have to use antimicrobials for an animal to help prevent other infection.”

It is treatable, but NWS is a painful event for animals and humans alike, Becton says. Rapid identification and action are critical.

Stay Alert, But Don’t Panic
Livestock trade and wildlife migrating due to different issues with climate and weather have helped move the infestation further north.

“The flies actually don’t fly that far,” he explains. “They typically fly less than 10 to 12 miles in their life span. So, they aren’t flying over on the wind and getting into these new places. It has more to do with animal movement.”

Fortunately, Daly says NWS is like any other fly in that they need somewhere to overwinter, so they won’t survive freezing temperatures. However, if they moved into this region in June or July, they would have a foothold until the frost.

“When we let our guard down and don’t look for it as much, or don’t use the sterile flies as often, that’s when things fire up again,” Daly says.

He says it’s not time to panic, but it’s important to be observant. The basics of good animal husbandry remain the most important thing for producers to focus on now.

“Sometimes it’s much easier said than done, especially in outdoor raising situations,” Daly says. “From fly control to monitoring animals, the best way to snuff something out like this quickly is good observation and animal care.”

Your Next Read: New World Screwworm: The Billion Dollar Battle at the Southern Border

New World Screwworm: The Billion Dollar Battle at the Southern Border

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 18:27:59 GMT

Nearly 60 years ago, the U.S. eradicated New World screwworm (NWS). Today, the risk of reintroduction is real. So real that Ethan Lane with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) says it’s not a matter of if NWS will reach the U.S. but when.

“We need to spend $300 million now to save us $8 billion down the line in eradication costs,” says Lane, who serves as the senior vice president of government affairs. “This is a marathon, not a sprint, and it’s going to take years to re-eradicate New World Screwworm and push it back to Panama.”

As the fight to keep NWS out of the U.S. ramps up, the economic impact on ranchers and the industry is top of mind.

“Successfully eradicating New World screwworm from the U.S. in 1966 cost stakeholders’ tens of millions of dollars,” says TR Lansford III, DVM, deputy executive director and assistant state veterinarian with the Texas Animal Health Commission. “The freedom from NWS provides an estimated $1 billion in direct benefits to livestock producers and $3.7 billion in benefits to the general economy annually.”

Financial Impact of NWS On Ranchers
Regular, large-scale outbreaks of NWS started occurring in the U.S. in the 1930s. According to APHIS, producer losses have reached:

1930s and 1940s — $5 million to $10 million per year
1950s and 1960s — $60 million to $120 million per year
1970s — $132.1 million per year (While the U.S. successfully eradicated the devastating pest, there have been outbreaks, primarily in Texas, since then.)

(APHIS)

Experts agree if NWS reaches the U.S., eradication today will be far more expensive due to the size of the cattle herd, speed and distance of cattle movement in commerce, and increased wildlife interfaces.

“Historically it cost tens of millions, and now it’s estimated to cost into the billions of dollars to eradicate this pest if it gets back to the U.S,” Lansford says.

Based on historical data from an isolated outbreak in Texas in 1976, per-head impact reached $452 in today’s dollars, totaling $732 million.

“[NWS] is a highly impactful foreign animal pest because it is expensive and deadly,” Lansford says. “Back in 1935, when screwworms were endemic in Texas, the state lost about 180,000 head of cattle alone in that year.”

Lansford says the industry will see decreased livestock production and increased veterinary services, medication, insecticide, labor and vehicle costs for the inspection and treatment of NWS.

“Infested wounds and/or mucous membranes and lesions created by this pest cause significant distress and damage to an animal, which can lead to chronic conditions making the animal less marketable and less productive in its lifespan,” he adds.

USDA Investment to Fight NWS
The reopening of Moore Air Base in Texas as a sterile fly distribution facility has an estimated price tag of $8.5 million. A brand new production facility, which would take two to three years to build would cost $300 to $600 million, depending on location and resources.

“That doesn’t include what it would cost to continue to operate one of those facilities,” Lansford says. “Certainly, research dollars also need to be spent to develop more effective treatments and other methods and modalities that we can use to help offset not only the infestations, but help prevent those infestations.”

USDA is also investing $21 million in the renovation of an existing fruit fly production facility in Metapa, Mexico, to further the long-term goal of eradicating NWS.

Border Closing Impacts U.S. Cattle Industry
Since May, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has suspended imports of live cattle, horses and bison from Mexico to keep NWS out of the U.S. Many U.S. cattle feeders depend on Mexican cattle to fill feedlots, especially now when the U.S. cattle inventory is at a 74-year low.

“Mexico exports, on average, 1.2 million head of cattle to the U.S. each year,” says Kathy Simmons, chief veterinarian for NCBA.

Obviously, that number will take a hit with the border closed, but Simmons says even prior to the May 11 suspension, mitigation protocols for NWS, including wound inspections, for cattle from Mexico allowed less than 25% of the usual numbers to cross the southern border each month.

As the U.S. fights to limit the impact of NWS, it’s a long-term battle, reminds Lane with NCBA.

“They’re getting those flies on that leading edge of the incursion. As I understand it, that is slowing the advance in a way that is very good to see,” he says. “The fact is, there are just so many different vectors. There are so many different ways this thing can move north, and we’re going into the hot season where flies thrive. So it’s really about slowing it, about preparing and about making sure we have the resources to meet it and push it back down as quickly as possible. But certainly everyone’s trying to focus right now on trying to hold the line as much as humanly possible.”

As Lansford has come to realize: “This pest will be one that leaves quite a mark on our economy.”

Your next read: How to Win Beef Consumers’ Trust: Authenticity and Responding to Concerns

Consumer Trust: A Veterinarian’s Role

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 14:48:18 GMT

This article was written by David Friedlander, the Senior Director of Market Research for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

With information so readily available at one’s fingertips, ensuring a trusted source of information from the cattle industry is critical. Animal caretakers may field questions on how animals are raised from many interested groups. Who better to provide unbiased information related to animals than the voice of a veterinarian?

Through the first three months of 2025, fresh meat sales reached an all-time high compared to year ago levels¹. Protein is top of mind as it relates to health and wellness and consumers are looking for help navigating the crowded informational marketplace.

By the end of 2025, over 325 million people are projected to have internet access in the United States² with the majority using a mobile device or smartphone to access it³. News and information are now at the consumers’ fingertips. For a host of reasons, consumer trust among mass media outlets is at an all-time low⁴.

From a veterinarian or farmer/rancher perspective, how does one share information related to production practices? Who is the trusted source of truth among consumers?

Referencing the National Cattlemen’s Beef Associations’ (NCBA) Consumer Beef Tracker, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, both a veterinarian and farmer/rancher rise to the top, above all other sources⁵. In fact, more than 60% of consumers note both a veterinarian and farmer/rancher as the source of truth followed by more than 50% consumers looking to government agencies, specifically, USDA, FDA and CDC.

(Consumer Beef Tracker, NCBA)

When asking respondents about perceptions specifically related to beef, 90% of respondents had a positive or neutral response. Taking this one step further, when asking respondents about the production perception of beef, 80% had a positive or neutral response⁵.

Although overall perceptions related to beef are positive, when asking respondents about their knowledge specifically related to how cattle are raised and grown for food, data show slightly more than 25% of respondents noted either “knowledgeable’ or “very knowledgeable”⁵about how cattle are raised and grown for food.

However, when consumers make purchases, 70% claim they have some level of consideration of how food was raised and grown for food. When narrowing down to concerns related to how cattle are raised for food, less than 35% of respondents have a specific concern, with animal welfare rising to the top⁵.

Given the challenging media landscape and lack of trust among consumers, NCBA looked to producers and a veterinarian to help raise overall perception related to how cattle are raised for food.

(Consumer Beef Tracker, NCBA)

Given the challenging media landscape and lack of trust among consumers, NCBA looked to producers and a veterinarian to help raise overall perception related to how cattle are raised for food. Capturing a day in the life of local producers and a veterinarian, NCBA shared the level of care, overall well-being and hard work that goes into raising cattle.

When surveying consumers, both before and after seeing the featured video, the positive response grew from just over 30% to nearly 75% among respondents. Perhaps even more encouraging, negative perception decreased from nearly 30% to just 5% after seeing the featured video ⁶.

Integrating industry education resources such as those in the Beef Checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) and associated programs is one way that veterinarians can continue to be this trusted voice. Elevating cattle care through that partnership with the producer impacts animal health, product quality, and consumer confidence . Considering the consumer aspect of raising cattle is one area where veterinarians may have not previously contributed, though it is apparent that their influence goes beyond animal health.

In a marketplace filled with competing messages and general mistrust among consumers, it is very encouraging to see high levels of trust by consumers, specifically, in those individuals that have one-to-one experience with the animals, namely the veterinarian and the farmer/rancher to help share out the broader message of animal care.

There is still work to be done from a consumer perspective but having a trusted leader to share the message is a great place to start. For more consumer insights and Beef Checkoff-funded research, visit https://www.beefresearch.org/ .

References
¹Circana
² Statista, 2025 projections based on actuals through 2023
³DataReportal: GWI; Meltwater; We Are Social
⁴Gallup 1927 - 2024
⁵NCBA Consumer Beef Tracker, January – December 2024
⁶NCBA: Raised and grown asset testing, October 2023

Urgency in Action: We Must Eradicate New World Screwworm

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 14:53:14 GMT

New World screwworm (NWS) continues to threaten the U.S. cattle industry. The potential impact is devastating — the larvae can kill an animal in just four to seven days if not quickly detected and treated.

Colin Woodall, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association CEO, discussed the hurdles of controlling the spread of NSW on the latest episode of the “Unscripted” podcast .

“We have to eradicate it from here,” Woodall stresses. “We need to eradicate it from Mexico. We need to eradicate it from Central America. We need to push this thing all the way back down to South America.”

The NSW fly and its larvae are flesh-eating parasites that pose a significant threat to warm-blooded animals.

“This is not just a cattle issue,” Woodall says. “This could be dogs. This can be cats. It can get into people. So, anything that is warm blooded could be a host for this flesh-eating parasite.”

Woodall says NSW is approximately 700 miles from the U.S. border, having breached the isthmus of Mexico in the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz, adding that Texas is expected to be the first point of entry if the fly continues to move north.

“We’re going to look at every eradication option possible, because we have to get rid of this thing,” he says. “This is not something that can become endemic to United States. We have to eradicate it from here.”

Woodall says the situation has been complicated by cooperation challenges with Mexico. Earlier attempts to transport sterile flies were hindered by bureaucratic obstacles, with planes unable to land and flies dying before deployment. This led Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to close the border, sending a clear signal to the Mexican government about the need for more serious action.

He explains cooperation has reportedly improved, with USDA teams planning to visit Mexico to assess the current situation. The primary strategy for control involves releasing sterile flies into the wild to disrupt breeding and push the population back southward.

Woodall says NCBA is actively working on several fronts to address the threat:

Pushing for the establishment of a domestic sterile fly production facility.
Exploring genetic engineering technologies for fly control.
Investigating treatment options (such as ivermectin) and helping producers understand how to detect and treat potential infections quickly. Woodall says treatment is possible, explaining ivermectin has proven effective in killing larvae and treating wounds. However, early detection is crucial due to the rapid progression of infection.
Conducting education and awareness campaigns to explain the threat without causing panic. He says misinformation has been a significant challenge. A recent false report about NSW in Missouri caused panic and temporarily impacted cattle prices. He adds that while the threat is serious, it’s not a cause for panic.

“While everybody needs to be aware, they don’t need to panic, and that’s the thing we want everybody to understand,” Woodall summarizes.

NCBA is taking an active role in addressing the threat of NSW through education, technological exploration, government collaboration and a clear commitment to preventing its spread.

Your Next Read: Secretary Rollins Announces $21 Million Investment to Renovate Fruit Fly Production Facility

Cow Herd Scorecard: Evaluating Performance Post Calving

Wed, 14 May 2025 21:59:31 GMT

Tracking performance and evaluating herd success is a year-round process. Similar to tracking athletes, consider developing a scorecard to monitor your herd.

Understanding how your herd is performing throughout the year is important when considering management, nutrition and culling decisions.

For spring-calving herds, now is the time to evaluate and review calving success and failures.

“This is a good time of year to review your records, and if the numbers aren’t where you want them to be, you can make management adjustments under the guidance of your veterinarian, nutritionist or another adviser,” says Jason Warner, Kansas State University cow-calf Extension specialist. Warner was a guest during a recent K-State Beef Cattle Institute Podcast .

A herd’s postcalving scorecard should include:

pregnancy percentages
death loss
calving ease/calving complications – prolapse or retained placenta
udder scores
body condition score
mothering ability and disposition
calving interval

Two areas Warner tells producers to focus on are the number of live calves born compared to the number of cows exposed to bulls at the start of the breeding season; and the number of cows that became pregnant early in the breeding season.

A top priority for Bob Larson, K-State veterinarian, is to have calves born early in the calving season.

“The goal is to have 65% of the calves born in the first 21 days, and 85% to 90% of the calves born within the first 42 days of the season,” Larson say. “If that happens, I know that the cows were in good body condition at the start of the breeding season and the bulls were fertile.”

Larson references USDA’s National Animal Health Monitoring Service (NAHMS) for national averages on abortion and calf death loss.

“The national average is between 1% to 2% for calf death loss and that will vary from year to year within the same operation,” Larson said. “If the producer is calving out a high percentage of heifers, that can influence the calf death loss percentage.”

Scorecard Prep
Ron Lemenager, Purdue professor and beef Extension specialist, suggests producers consider creating a spreadsheet to calculate important percentages, prior to filling out their postcalving scorecard.

He encourages producers record and monitor these numbers each calving season:

Number of cows exposed
Number of cows pregnant
Number of cows pregnant / Number of cows exposed = % Pregnant
Number of pregnant cows kept to calve
Number of cows that calved
Number of cows that calved / Number of pregnant cows kept to calve = % Calving
Number of Live Calves
Number of Live Calves /Number of cows that calved = % live calves born
Number of live calves after one month
Number of difficult or assisted birth (dystocia, prolapse)
Number of cows with bad udders
Number of cows BCS 5 or 6
Number of cows with poor disposition and poor mothering ability
Number of cows that calved in the first 21 days
Number of cows that calved in the second 21 days
Number of cows that calved in the third 21 days
Number of cows that calved after 63 days

Lemenager explains using the spreadsheet to calculate the percentages can help producers identify specific problem areas in their calving and breeding processes and allows them to troubleshoot their herd’s breeding performance.

“Tracking herd performance allows producers to zero in on their problems and determine what issues are really facing the herd,” he summarizes.

Understanding the challenges facing a cow herd can help producers determine what nutrition or management strategies can be used to improve their herd’s postcalving scorecard in future years.

Your Next Read: Spring Cattle Processing Tips to Enhance Herd Health and Diminish Stress