A high rate of piglet mortality is a consequence of selecting for sows that have large litters. New research will focus on breeding for survival until weaning and survivability to slaughter. Source: The Pig Site, January 18, 2023. Link. The negative side effects of sows giving birth to large litters, often with more piglets than productive teats, means that managerial … [Read more...]
Evaluating the efficacy of intranasal flunixin in piglets
It is common practice to castrate piglets shortly after birth. The procedure is routinely done without any pain management treatments as there are no FDA approved drugs to control pain in pigs. Preliminary research from the College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, showed the off-label use of intranasal flunixin meglumine mitigated pain post-castration … [Read more...]
K-State researchers show value of adding shade to cattle pens
Cattle seek shade, use breezes and their respiration to blow off as much heat as they can on hot days Sometimes that’s not enough. A.J. Tarpoff, DVM, and a team at Kansas State University conducted a multiyear trial researching how shade structures in pens can help cattle in high heat events. Data from the ongoing study shows cows with available shade had an increase in … [Read more...]
Hybrid work is here to stay
Wharton management professor Martine Haas says, “Hybrid work is here to stay.” She says hybrid work seems to be striking a decent balance between what employees want and what employers want. Crafting more bespoke policies based on what works best for employers and employees is important when addressing issues of parity and fairness as some positions cannot perform their … [Read more...]
Study raises concerns about broken tails in dairy cows
Broken tails represent an animal welfare concern and result from improper handling. While the acceptable threshold for broken tails in adult dairy cows listed in the National Dairy FARM Program standards is five percent, a recent study found nearly half of cows had broken tails. The study results are telling of an industry management issue that needs further attention, said … [Read more...]
Animal Health International’s online resource site for GFI 263
Complimentary Content AHI’s new online resource center seeks to help animal health professionals prepare for the upcoming OTC to Rx transition, also known as GFI 263. It contains a robust FAQ section, a condensed timeline of the history of FDA action on antimicrobial resistance, a list of manufacturer products designated for prescription labeling and more. Source: Animal … [Read more...]
Cultivating veterinarian and producer relationships, the veterinarians’ perspective
Surveying a large group of rural, large animal veterinarians about what makes a great relationship between a veterinarian and livestock owner, Meredyth Jones, DVM, MS, DACVIM, found 10 common themes worth noting. Consider sharing this article and list with producer customers. It will strengthen expectations and the veterinary-client relationship and benefit the animals.” – AHD … [Read more...]
Getting goosey
Gail Damerow shares 10 reasons to consider raising and keeping backyard geese. Easy keepers with big eggs, geese are relatively disease-free and are extremely hardy. Long-lived, geese are intelligent and make good watchdogs as well. Source: Backyard Poultry, July 9, 2022. Link. As referenced in article: Raising healthy geese, Timber Creek Farm. Link. (commercial site) … [Read more...]
High priced eggs could make incubators more popular
About 40 million egg-laying hens were lost to avian flu disruptions <Link> in 2022 and the layer population won’t recover overnight. The growth in popularity of backyard flocks may continue to grow as consumers seek to reduce the costs of eggs. Egg prices at the grocery store were elevated throughout 2022 due to outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) among … [Read more...]
Considering access to veterinary care
Veterinarian shortages in the workforce and animal owner access to veterinary care will remain significant issues in coming years. Mark Cushing, JD, shares new and encouraging initiatives and experiments underway to solve access to care at a fundamental level beyond the plethora of call-to-action slogans. Cushing shares survey results from APG/O’Hara that indicate upgrading … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – January 12, 2023
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, January 5, 2023. Link. Most read posts from January 5th AHD Bulletin – Handling tardy clients. Link. Clarifying the recission of the FDA VCPR waiver. Link. Does post-transport, pre-processing rest make a difference in calf growth performance. Link. Virus hunters spotting threats in new … [Read more...]
We’re not winning the war on feral swine!
The collective war on feral swine is 10 years old. In addition to various agencies, landowners and deer hunters affected by feral hogs are deploying effective tactics against pigs. Gray Anderson, PhD, shares 10 noteworthy pieces of intelligence he learned at the 2022 International Wild Pig Conference regarding feral hog biology, new weapons, tactics and more. Source: … [Read more...]
It’s not the cow. It’s the how . . . and the who!
Livestock play a major role in sustainable food systems globally. There are widescale efforts to improve livestock sector practices so that they are more sustainable, more equitable and pose less risk to animal and human health. The trajectory of the livestock sector’s growth can be improved by investing in sustainable intensification and climate-smart strategies, as well as … [Read more...]
Are beef-on-dairy calves being over-vaccinated?
Dan Thompson, DVM, PhD, shares industry concerns about the distinct disparities between the lives of full-blood beef calves and their beef-on-dairy cousins before they reach the feedlot. He reviews the likelihood of over-vaccination, overloading the immune systems and pain associated with near-weekly needle pokes. . . . during the first 90-100 days of their lives, … [Read more...]
Umbilical infections taking a toll on dairy calves
David Renaud, DVM, PhD, considers navel infections to be the most under-diagnosed disease in dairy calves, particularly in the first two weeks of life. Sharing research and on-farm experiences, Renaud and Matthias Wieland, DVM, say the symptoms of diarrhea and pneumonia are often readily seen but umbilical infections are rarely noticed. Renaud encourages veterinarians and … [Read more...]
Calving season begins
Calving season brings promise and challenges to producers and the veterinary teams who support them. An early calf born in Missouri reminds us of the need to help producers get ready for late winter and spring calving. Here are several calving resources we’ve shared in AHD posts over the last seven years. Source: Search results for: calving, Animal Health Digest. Link. … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – January 5, 2022
Top five most read posts from December 2022 - Middle managers are exhausted. Top teams need to listen. Link. Find happiness at work instead of quiet quitting. Link. What a cat friendly veterinary experience looks like. Link. The top pet products of 2022. Link. Thank you! Link. ================================================= Quiz: Surgical … [Read more...]
Silvopasture; forest stewardship meet animal agriculture.
Silvopasture is a regenerative farming method involving the deliberate integration of trees and livestock grazing on the same land. It is one of five forms of agroforestry, and the only one that includes livestock. It is considered a sustainable method of rearing livestock because grazing animals benefit the forested environment and vice versa. Silvopastures can be … [Read more...]
Does post-transport, pre-processing rest make a difference in calf growth performance
A Kansas State University research project evaluated the impact of post-transport rest periods on calf growth performance, mortality and morbidity. The findings show a rest period has little affect on calf performance. Additionally, calf response to anthelmintics and blood serum metabolites were not increased by rest periods. Source: BEEF, November/December 2022. … [Read more...]
The costs of buying, caring for and feeding goats
Goat life spans are similar to dogs and are kept for a variety of reasons. Marissa Ames offers a comprehensive look at the various costs of acquiring and keeping goats for pets, meat, milk and weed control. Source: Backyard Goats, December 22, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
Is it safe to feed Christmas trees to livestock?
Lancaster Farming features Penn State Extension Livestock Educator Chelsea Hill’s article about feeding Christmas trees to livestock. She shares safety and health tips about using them as feed. Source: Lancaster Farming, December 13, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
Anthropomorphism, a threat to animal welfare
Commentary Anthropomorphism, giving human characteristics to a non-human entity, has long been a part of the human experience. In this article from Protect the Harvest, the authors discuss consequences from expecting an animal to emulate human traits. Just as we should not expect a human child to act like a dog, we should not expect a dog to act like a human child, as they … [Read more...]
Clarifying the recission of the FDA VCPR waiver
The Veterinary Virtual Care Association explains how the FDA’s rescission of the Covid-era waiver to agency regulations concerning the VCPR may affect practices and their clients. Source: VVCA, December 28, 2022. Link. This is not a new FDA policy, but simply a federal agency rescission of the COVID-era waiver pertaining to a regulation instituted decades ago. The … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – December 21, 2022
Last week’s most read posts – Happiness and meetings. Link. Last AHD Bulletin - Animal Health Digest Bulletin, December 15, 2022. Link. ==================================================================== U.S. warns of escalating ransomware attacks Source: Security Affairs, October 2022. Link. U.S. government agencies warned that the Daixin Team cybercrime … [Read more...]
Dairy cows need to lay down
If you notice very few cows lying down during a farm call, it may be time to discuss the importance of sternal recumbency and recumbent rumination. Rick Grant says in a cow’s perfect world over 80 percent of rumination should occur when the cow is lying down. Resting with the sternum, or breastbone, on the ground and a slight left-side preference is the cow’s optimal resting … [Read more...]
5 tips to winter cattle through a drought
How cattle owners in drought-affected regions graze and supplement cattle in dry spells have long-lasting economic and ecological effects. Noble Research Institute’s Ranch Manager Clark Roberts offers five tips to consider before making winter management decisions. 1) Consider culling 2) Know the quality and quantity of your forages 3) Know each animal’s demands 4) … [Read more...]
Prepare winter pigs to be summer hogs
Proactively thinking about pig management now will go a long way to having full-value hogs during warm weather and traditionally strong market periods, says Jordan Graham, DVM, MS. Pigs born from the late weeks of November through January have historically been the highest value weaned pigs and subsequent market hogs for the year, making how we manage health important to … [Read more...]
FDA approves revised Micotil 300 labeling
To decrease the risk of accidental human injection and other potential routes of exposure, Micotil 300 is now packaged inside a tamper-proof shroud. Access to the product requires a quick-connect device, which is provided with a tube-fed safety syringe by Elanco or its distributors. Safe use and handling instructions are attached to the shroud so that the user can review … [Read more...]
Dairy industry posts lowest positive drug residue yet; sets new standard
Data from the National Milk Drug Residue Database website dates back to 1994 and represents 99 percent of the U.S. milk supply. A recent report showed only 424 out of 3,879,182 samples tested positive for an animal drug residue. This is lowest positive test rate in the history of the program and it is also the fifth consecutive year fewer than 600 milk samples tested positive … [Read more...]
FDA releases 2021 report on antimicrobial use in livestock
The FDA instituted elements of veterinary oversight of antimicrobials in 2017. The recent 2021 Summary Report on Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed for Use in Food-Producing Animals shows that compared to 2015 (peak year of sales), 2021 sales decreased 38 percent. Sales in 2021 versus 2020 decreased by less than 1 percent between 2020 and 2021. Source: National Hog … [Read more...]