Drought is hard on crops but there can be some value derived from grazing standing corn, writes Aaron Berger. He discusses the economics and nutritional elements for producers to consider in drought-affected areas. Source: Angus Beef Bulletin, August 5, 2026. Link. With a shortage of forage for grazing and hay, current market conditions for fertilizer and corn, along with … [Read more...]
Survey sheds light on small-scale swine farms
A University of Minnesota Center for Animal Health and Food Safety survey sought to understand more about the unique challenges and needs of small-scale pig farmers in California, Minnesota and Texas. The emphasis was on gaining an understanding of their pig health management and disease preparedness. Notably, less than 50 percent had a premises identification number, very … [Read more...]
MSHMP and SDRS; complementary programs for a similar purpose
Kudos to Cesar A. Corzo, University of Minnesota; Quyen Le, Daniel Linhares and Giovani Trevisan, Iowa State University, for this clarifying article. It helps with the alphabet soup that is part of swine research and management, and in this case, where perceived redundancies are actually synergistic. The authors share that the U.S. swine industry benefits from two nationally … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – August 20, 2026
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, August 13, 2026. Link. Most read posts from August 13th, 2026 AHD Bulletin – When pain changes more than movement. Link. Emotionally intelligent leaders consistently exhibit 6 habits. Link. Malone: AI in your hospital? Link. Role of the veterinary nurse in Spectrum of Care. Link. 7 ways … [Read more...]
Thermal image-based approach to mastitis detection in Holstein dairy cattle
A study examining whether thermal images taken from cow udders during milking can be used to detect mastitis using AI produced promising results. The consistent performance of the model to distinguish between healthy and mastitis-affected udders showed that it could reliably analyze new data without overfitting. These results indicate that thermal imaging combined with AI is … [Read more...]
Dry-off deserves a bigger role in transition cow management
Dry-off is more than the end of one lactation; it is the first major biological event of the next one. Challenging the dairy industry’s long-held assumptions, Erminio Trevisi, MS, PhD, asserts dry-off transition deserves the same attention as calving because it marks the first stage of the next transition period. Trevisi’s research findings suggest dry-off does not reset the … [Read more...]
Bull fertility begins long before puberty
Research over the past two decades suggests one of the most influential periods in a bull’s reproductive life occurs during the first few months after birth, when endocrine signals are programming how the testes will develop for the rest of the animal’s life. Andrea Bedford shares key takeaways from The Bovine Vet Podcast featuring John Kastelic, DVM, MS, PhD, who explained … [Read more...]
CLiK™ Extra (dicyclanil topical suspension) Wound Spray receives FDA Emergency Use Authorization
Elanco Animal Health Incorporated announced it has received Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for CLiK Extra (dicyclanil topical suspension) wound spray for application on or around wounds to prevent infestations of New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) larvae (myiasis) in sheep, cattle, goats, swine and camelids, as well as captive … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – August 13, 2026
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, August 6, 2026. Link. þ Most read posts from August 6th, 2026 AHD Bulletin – The 23-hour horse: What confinement costs. Link. 30 studies show vegan dog and cat food generally well digested. Link. Summer pinkeye: A frustrating foe on pasture. Link. Malone: It’s the journey, not the destination. … [Read more...]
The art of immunomodulation in beef cattle
Sponsor Content Immunomodulation, or modifying the immune response, is an emerging area of focus in beef nutrition and health management. Targeted biosolutions may help beef cattle thrive. This Novonesis webinar will explore the connection between the gut and the immune system and provide evidence-based insights into how Bacillus probiotics may help support cattle through … [Read more...]
Summer pinkeye: A frustrating foe on pasture
Matt Hill, DVM, PhD, is quoted in this article saying, “Pinkeye IS a multifactorial disease; it’s not a simple case of ‘this pathogen equals this disease.’ Hill and Laura Meier, DVM, agree that fly load and subsequent corneal damage are major factors that precede Moraxella sp. infections. Hill believes pinkeye tends to follow a cyclical pattern, with severe outbreaks often … [Read more...]
Optimize, don’t maximize: rethinking cow longevity
Cow longevity has become intertwined with conversations around sustainability, profitability and animal welfare. Since every cow will eventually leave the herd, the real question is whether she has reached the point where replacement makes biological and economic sense. The article will support herd improvement discussions with producers. Working to reduce transition … [Read more...]
U.S. finds scrapie for first time in 5 years
APHIS has confirmed classical scrapie in a sheep slaughtered at a facility in Oregon. This confirmed detection could push the earliest possible date for national scrapie-free status to approximately 2033. Source: Feedstuffs, August 3, 2026. Link. Classical scrapie is a fatal, degenerative prion disease of sheep and goats. Also see: National Scrapie Eradication Program, … [Read more...]
Finding the $1,300 herdsire gap in the alphabet soup
Geneticist Murray Hunt, MS, has shaped many of the production measurements in dairy production. In this article, he shares how using subindexes can explain how a bull can be well below average on the traits that empty stalls and still ride his components to a 96th-percentile lifetime profit index. That’s the whole blind spot in one line since health and welfare carry just eight … [Read more...]
August cow-calf checklist: protecting the herd’s bottom line
Each month, cow-calf producers face management tasks related to seasonal and production goals. Kansas State University Extension cow-calf specialist Jason Warner summarizes the top 10 management practices for producers to check off their to-do lists in August. Source: Drovers, July 31, 2026. Link. INSIGHTS: Warner’s article provides veterinary teams with reasons to call … [Read more...]
Don’t just measure sow longevity. Measure what drives it
Commercial references Some swine operations overlook early factors influencing whether a sow ever reaches her full productive potential. Zinpro’s Lucas Rodrigues, PhD, believes operations benefit from paying closer attention to claw health information as a KPI because it helps provide a more complete management picture. Rodrigues notes that while claw lesions develop … [Read more...]
5 hard realities of managing the Asian longhorned tick
Complimentary The Asian longhorned tick is an emerging threat to cattle producers across the U.S., capable of spreading quickly and impacting herd health. In this Farm Journal TV exclusive, you'll learn what every producer should know about identifying the risk, recognizing early warning signs and implementing practical strategies to help protect your operation. Source: … [Read more...]
Animal Health Institute announces its officers and executive committee
The Animal Health Institute's Board of Directors recently elected Jamie Brannan of Zoetis as board chair and Brad McCollum of Ceva as vice-chair for the 2026-28 term. Joseph N. Huff, president of Colorado Serum Company, was elected to another term as treasurer. Richard R. DeLuca Jr., executive vice president and president of Merck Animal Health, continues as immediate past … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – August 6, 2026
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, July 30, 2026. Link. Most read posts from July 30th, 2026 AHD Bulletin – U.S. states grapple with workplace noncompetes. Link. NARMS Strategic Plan for 2026-2030. Link. Malone, Little leadership. Link. IBPSA Fast Bites – July 26, 2026. Link. Keeping small ruminants cool especially during the … [Read more...]
Debunking the myths of distributive veterinary education
Distributive clinical education is no longer an experimental approach but a well-established model that prepares graduates for contemporary veterinary practice, writes Stacy Anderson DVM, Ph.D., DACVS-LA. Addressing some of the misconceptions that persist, she says the available evidence and graduates’ success demonstrate that high-quality clinical education can occur outside … [Read more...]
FDA releases NARMS Strategic Plan for 2026-2030
The newly released the NARMS Strategic Plan: 2026-2030 marks the 30th anniversary of the NARMS program. The plan is anchored in three themes that reflect a commitment to improve and expand antimicrobial resistance monitoring and data sharing, plus translate decades of surveillance data into actionable research and evidence-based policy. Source: Feedstuffs, July 24, 2026. … [Read more...]
Keep coyotes, raccoons and other predators away
This slideshow is a reminder that habits to entice wildlife near homes increase risks to domestic pets. Consider sending it to pet owners via social media or in newsletters. Coyotes and foxes are dangerous to free-range cats, backyard chickens and small dogs. Source: Fix it Homestead, July 15, 2026. Link. Slide show Link. Related: 8 things that bring skunks too close in … [Read more...]
Small ruminants are cool. Keep them that way. Especially during the fair.
Goats and sheep may be more heat-tolerant than cattle, but it’s still critical to reduce their exposure to heat stress as much as possible. It decreases dry matter intake, weight gain, milk production, body condition and overall performance. Temperature-humidity index, or THI, is the most accurate measure of animal heat stress in goats and sheep, which can be moderately … [Read more...]
Docility: Understanding pressure and selection
The selection processes used to improve herd outcomes take many forms. As an industry, culling practices receive plenty of attention <Link>. In recent years docility, often discussed as a behavioral or management trait, is now known to be moderately heritable. Neogen’s Kirk Ramsey, DVM, offers a view of where docile cattle behavior plays out in herd development and how … [Read more...]
Understanding Theileria (“TIE-leer-ee-uh” (thī-ˈlir-ē-ə)
Complimentary Content Podcast guest Dr. Gregg Hanzlicek provides the latest information on the emerging disease theileriosis, a growing protozoan threat to thousands of cattle, their owners and those who care for the health of the herds. Most frequently associated with long horn ticks, it is often confused with anaplasmosis. Source: EAHAO podcast, Medgene, July 29, 2026. … [Read more...]
New World screwworm field guide now available
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service released a field guide for beef cattle producers to help guide operators through the detection, reporting, collection, submission, treatment and prevention processes. It is available online at AgriLife Extension’s New World screwworm resource hub at https://tx.ag/screwworm (4th bullet on the left). Fact sheets and the latest news about … [Read more...]
What milk can tell us about heat stress
New analysis suggests milk mid-infrared spectrometry could become an unexpected tool for selecting dairy cows that are better equipped to cope with heat stress. Rather than relying on environmental measurements such as temperature-humidity index, the approach estimates an individual cow’s physiological response using information collected through routine milk … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – July 30, 2026
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, July 22, 2026. Link. Most read posts from July 22nd, 2026 AHD Bulletin – Malone: The power of questions. Link. Nurses consistently ranked as America’s most trusted profession. Link. Pets are one of the most important relationships in people’s lives. Link. How sleep shapes canine behavior. Link. … [Read more...]
Headbutting gives goats brain damage
It’s often assumed goats must be protected against head injury by the shape of their skull and strong neck muscles but a new study challenges that assumption. Researchers have found early signs of neurodegeneration in headbutting goats at just one year old <Link>. Three, 6-month-old male goats were acquired for the study. They were recorded for six months to track the … [Read more...]
Cyber criminals hit Fairlife. Are your customers’ dairies next?
A cyberattack caused Fairlife to suspend all U.S. production operations on July 16. Fairlife owner, Coca-Cola, assures customers that existing products are safe. This Dairy Herd Management article highlights the reality that if hackers can break through Coca-Cola’s defenses, they’re able to get into most any dairy’s system. Based on this incident and recommendations from … [Read more...]