Emphasizing the people side of the cattle business, Temple Grandin, PhD, recently told Wagyu breeders that all the technology you can buy won’t replace actually looking at your cattle. (Equipment) makes handling a lot easier. (But) equipment doesn’t replace management.” – Temple Grandin, PhD Source: Drovers, October 8, 2021. Link. Of the many lessons that COVID taught, … [Read more...]
Asian longhorned tick found in Georgia
The Asian longhorned tick, an invasive species, was recently positively confirmed on a cow in north central Georgia. The ticks can cause severe anemia and tick fever in livestock. If an animal has one tick it’s probably our common Lone Star Tick. If a cow [or other animal] shows up with hundreds of ticks on it, we’re going to be very suspicious that we’re looking at an Asian … [Read more...]
USDA vaccine candidate successful in blocking ASF
One of the USDA African swine flu vaccine candidates has been shown to prevent and effectively protect both European and Asian bred swine against the current circulating African strain of the virus. Source: Feedstuffs, September 30, 2021. Link. A major step for science and agriculture, a commercial vaccine for ASF virus will be an important part of controlling ASF in … [Read more...]
LED technology helps locate cows needing attention
Complimentary Commercial Content Allflex Livestock Intelligence, a livestock portfolio of digital products within Merck Animal Health, introduced new ear tag technology featuring a light-emitting diode last week. The AllFlex V2 monitoring ear tag allows for precision cow management in the pen. Different LED light patterns indicate individual cow needs based on critical data … [Read more...]
Beef up your momma cows
Feeding pregnant cows with a balanced ration will yield calves with more muscle mass. The nutrition part of gestation is critical! It matters the entire time due to fetal changes throughout gestation.” - Ruel "Buzz" Iliff, DVM Source: BEEF, October 5, 2021. Link. Cows can’t handle fetal development entirely on their own. They need a balanced ration for the entire gestation to … [Read more...]
Public agritourism and cuddly animals have inherent disease risks
Greg Cima provides a call to action for veterinarians working with clients whose operations or activities include sharing live animals in public settings. Pathogens are an occupational hazard in animal agriculture. Zoonotic risks are inherent in public venues and interactions. Animal shedding of E coli O157:H7 and Salmonella organisms is highest in the summer and fall, when … [Read more...]
October 2021 skies offer much to see
Turn off smartphones and blue screens and look to the sky in October. The longer nights give us a chance to take pleasure in the sky, according to Michael d'Estries. He says October will present a Hunter’s Moon and meteor showers. Source: Treehugger, October 1, 2021. Link. INSIGHTS: A bit of sky watching in the fall air could be what the stress doctor ordered! Also … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – September 30, 2021
Last week’s. . . . . . most read post More effective communications. Link. . . . AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Sept 23, 2021. Link. But for a genetic parasite, humans might have tails Source: New Scientist, September 24, 2021. Link. Bo Xia’s tail bone injury led to a genetic investigation of why apes, and therefore humans, do not … [Read more...]
Bot flies annoy cattle, horses, pets and humans
The last days of summer weather often spark more bot fly activity before the first frost wipes out the egg-laying females. Bot flies are chunky, beelike flies usually with rounded heads and rarely seen. Like other true flies, bot flies have only a single pair of wings. There are six important species of bot flies that affect the U.S. livestock industry: Hypoderma bovis, H. … [Read more...]
Nuisance birds on the horizon
Birds like European Starlings will soon descend on feedlots and dairies, often roosting in nearby towns. Flocks ranging from 1,000 to 100,000 birds start showing up in October and will stay through March. The goal of a bird eradication program is to make the birds so uncomfortable that they don’t want to be there. One starling will eat about a penny’s worth of feed per day.” – … [Read more...]
University of Florida’s Ram Test and Sale kicks off new program to grow sheep and goat businesses
The University of Florida will hold its first Ram Test and Sale event this Saturday as part of new program to grow the sheep and goat industries in the state. This initiative is made possible by a gift from one of the state’s sheep farmers. The gift also supports upgrades to the UF/IFAS Sheep Unit in Gainesville and will allow researchers to expand the UF sheep and goat … [Read more...]
Getting started with goats for milk
The popularity of self-sustaining food production on small acreages or large backyards includes rabbits, poultry and goats. Heather Smith Thomas writes about raising goats for milk and how their short generation makes goats a great project for 4-H kids. Dwarf goats don’t produce the volume of milk of large goats but their milk is high in butterfat and makes good cheese she … [Read more...]
University of Missouri project studies increasing prevalence of chronic wasting disease
Chronic wasting disease has been spreading throughout the United States for decades, despite efforts to contain it. Since it was first discovered in Colorado in 1967, the disease has been identified in deer in 26 states, and the Midwest has recently seen a particularly sharp increase of its prevalence. Researchers at the University of Missouri have found chronic wasting … [Read more...]
End-of-summer canine checklist
AKC Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Jerry Klein provides an end-of-summer checklist to make sure dogs are in top shape for fall. He reminds dog owners to watch temperatures and use summer thinking until the cold sets in fully. Source: AKC TV. Link. INSIGHTS: This video and others are good resources to use on social media, link in newsletters or targeted communications. … [Read more...]
More deer on roads; time of day, month and year matters
We may be free to move about the country, but crop harvests, hunting season and the annual deer rut add to the risk of accident and injury. The risk of hitting a deer varies by time of day, day of the week, the monthly lunar cycle and seasons of the year. These accidents are partly a function of driver behavior as they are highest when traffic is heavy, drivers are least … [Read more...]
World Dairy Expo starts Sunday
Complimentary Content World Dairy Expo kicks off Sunday and runs through October 2 in Madison, Wisconsin. Animal health pros will be among the representatives of the 650 companies exhibiting this year. Educational sessions and one of the world’s best-known dairy cattle shows will also take place. Safe travels to those attending. Source: World Dairy Expo. Link. World Dairy … [Read more...]
Comparing beef and dairy bull fertility
The increased use of beef sires on dairy cattle has raised questions on the relative fertility of beef versus dairy sires. Since 2008, dairy producers have had access to sire conception rate data. Similar information has not been available in the expected progeny differences published for beef sires for which a different scoring is used. A 2020 study by McWhorter et al. … [Read more...]
Ditch the stink. Mitigate ammonia.
Ammonia in chicken litter can be a health issue for birds and a neighborhood nuisance. too. It is a concern, regardless the size of the poultry operation. Backyard poultry raisers sometimes get behind doing chores as fall activities, shorter days and having kids back in school make maintenance more difficult. Jeremy Chartier discusses how to make the ammonia stink go … [Read more...]
Mycotoxins threaten calves and heifers, too
The 2021 harvest season will no doubt include the dangers of mycotoxins. These toxic substances are produced by molds growing on crops, either before harvest or in storage. Mycotoxins have long been associated with cow problems. New research has quantified the effects on calves and heifers. Source: Dairy Herd Management, August 4, 2021. Link. Researchers identified the … [Read more...]
Fall leaves can be toxic to horses
Fall leaf toxicity is an annual concern for horse owners as some falling leaves are poisonous to our equine friends. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has an extensive list of poisonous trees and plants at www.ASPCA.org. Consider sharing this information with horse owners and local media. Source: The Horse, September 10, 2021. Link. Also … [Read more...]
Toxic, invasive poison hemlock is spreading into gardens, yards, parks across U.S.
Poison hemlock, which resembles Queen Anne’s Lace, is often spotted along highways, in fence lines and on the edges of farm fields. Recently, populations of this toxic and invasive plant have exploded in parks, yards and gardens across the country. Poison hemlock spreads and grows its footprint during late summer and fall. Each plant produces up to 30,000 seeds that ripen … [Read more...]
11 million-plus animals may be affected by ransomware attack
NEW Cooperative in Fort Dodge, Iowa, was recently hit with a ransomware attack that forced the farm and feed supply operation to take systems offline. Blackmatter, the group allegedly behind the attack, is demanding $5.9 million to provide a decryptor. NEW Cooperative claims its software powers grain production and feed schedules for 11 million animals. Source: ars TECHNICA, … [Read more...]
Advancements in regenerative agriculture
The agriculture industry is under constant scrutiny. This includes animal health, crops, chemical use and overall resource stewardship. Even the pet side of animal health is a consideration as so many ag product components feed a growing pet population. We’re sharing an example of how Cargill’s decade-long investment in sustainable agriculture supports partnerships to enable … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – September 16, 2021
Last week’s . . . . . . most read AHD post History of the Bantam chicken. Link. . . . AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin - Sept 9, 2021. The traditional, local, American auto dealership getting a facelift Source: Wall Street Journal, September 11, 2021. Link. For nearly a century, the American car dealership has retained its iconic … [Read more...]
Batch farrowing progress tracked with big data
Ron Ketchem and Mark Rix share the progression results of batch farrowing and provide views of various data depicting progress, challenges and value. Source: National Hog Farmer, September 1, 2021. Link. With the increasing disease challenges to the swine industry and large sow farms and finisher sites, batch farrowing needs to be explored.” INSIGHTS: The use of … [Read more...]
Cows can be potty trained
Cows can be potty trained as easily, if not more so, than toddlers, according to researchers at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. This is good because urine, mixed with feces becomes ammonia, which is an environmental concern. Source: Associated Press, September 13, 2021. Link. If it could be done, toilet training makes it easier to manage waste products and reduce … [Read more...]
Country of origin labeling to be reinstated for U.S. beef
The latest legislation will reinsert “beef” and “ground beef” into the current mandatory country of origin label law that requires country-of-origin labels on many food commodities, including meat from chickens, sheep, goats and deer. Source: BEEF, September 13, 2021. Link. “Only with MCOOL for beef can cattle producers compete in their own domestic market where packers and … [Read more...]
60 percent more milk from 30 percent fewer cows
Dramatic changes have unfolded in the dairy industry during the last five generations. They include more ore milk production occurring on fewer farms, plus large-scale operations expanding into non-traditional markets. Karen Bohnert examines the top dairy states in the next decade. Source: Dairy Herd Management, August 31, 2021. Link. The June 2021 USDA’s Milk Production … [Read more...]
Danish entry methods benefit calf biosecurity (includes video)
Sponsored Content Replicating biosecurity measures of pig- and poultry-raising units, Kevin Janni, agricultural engineer, says a Danish entry allows people to enter livestock barns in a relatively biosecure way, without having to shower in and shower out. The key is that dirty boots or clothing never cross from the dirty to the clean side. Ideally, a hand-washing sink and … [Read more...]
How drought is affecting beef and beyond
Historic drought covers the West and most of the northern plains. One estimate shows that 32 percent of all cattle in the U.S. are under drought level conditions. A panel of experts discussed the current state of the drought during Farm Journal Field Days. These conditions cause severe disruption for ranchers and will have a lasting impact on America’s cattle industry.” – Greg … [Read more...]