Officials at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas, broke ground on a $15 million feedlot research complex. The WTAMU Foundation Research Feedlot and the Paul F. and Virginia J. Engler Foundation Feedlot Education Facility will be used to conduct research that improves the beef industry nationwide. Construction will start this winter. Source: Feed & Grain, … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – November 13, 2025
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, November 6, 2025. Link. Most read posts from November 6, 2025 AHD Bulletin – Speed eating cats, skateboarding dogs . . . Thailand’s pet boom. Link. Everyday cat behaviors, early health signals, behavioral, bonding trends. Link. Gratitude is never garbage. Link. If you don’t train, don’t complain. … [Read more...]
Body condition scoring for success
Right now, when cows are slicked off and in the second trimester of pregnancy, is the most accurate and easiest time of the management cycle to evaluate their BCS. Producers should manage their calving season, genetics, grazing system, supplementation program and herd health to achieve an average BCS of 5 to 6 (target 5.5) in the mature cow herd at calving time, writes Mark Z. … [Read more...]
University of Nebraska-Lincoln working to understand, reduce methane emissions
Reducing methane emissions can yield climate benefits quickly compared to other greenhouse gases due to its shorter half-life. A moderately heritable trait, methane production is influenced by several factors, including diet, feed intake, animal and microbial genetics and stage or phase of production. This article shares how researchers at UNL are exploring genetic tools and … [Read more...]
Opportunities to unlock the potential of dairy heifers
When pregnant heifers are ready to enter the milking herd there are unique requirements, challenges and opportunities to consider. Mike Hutjens shares four strategies to increase growth and production and improve heifer programs on dairy farms. His article is a good outline for discussions on farm or to share in newsletters or other targeted communications Source: Dairy … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – November 6, 2025
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, October 30, 2025. Link. Most read posts from October 30, 2025 AHD Bulletin – Convenience, connection matter just as much as price. Link. Canine sports medicine has a promising future. Link. It is time to communicate about pet holiday safety. Link. The power of your brain. Link. The empathy … [Read more...]
Convenience, connection matter just as much as price
In this article, My Vet Candy reviews survey results from a paper titled, “U.S. Residents' Self-Reported Access to Veterinary Care and Implications for Care-Seeking Decisions.” The survey of more than 1,100 adults asked what “access to veterinary care” meant. In summary, the results show most people value and respect veterinary professionals, but they often feel shut out and … [Read more...]
4 ways chickens can benefit from pumpkin
As a follow-up to last week’s post about feeding pumpkins to horses <Link>, Ana Hotaling shares the value the various parts of pumpkins provide for chickens. She asserts that pumpkin is considered a superfood. This is a good article to share with backyard chicken owners. Source: Hobby Farms. Link. As a follow-up to last week’s post about feeding pumpkins to horses … [Read more...]
Insects could help turn farm food waste into sustainable livestock feed at industrial scale
Researchers have found a sustainable and large-scale way to turn farm food waste into animal feed using black soldier fly larvae. The researchers found that the larvae grown on food waste with the new, novel bio-conversion unit provided a nutritious, high-quality protein source for livestock feed. Source: DVM 360, October 13, 2025. Link. Unlike the common house fly, the … [Read more...]
First open-source dairy farm ‘digital twin’ unveiled
Amazing new technology lets dairy producers get closer to cows from farther away and it is open-source. Scotland’s Rural College Dairy Research Centre, has unveiled farm-twin, the world’s first open-source Digital Twin platform designed specifically to transform dairy farming. By replicating the physical environment in a digital space, it enables farmers to monitor … [Read more...]
Round crowding pens work better
There is always something to learn or reinforce about the most humane ways to handle cattle. Implementing low-stress handling techniques when working with cattle is important to reduce stress and protect workers. These techniques recognize the cattle’s natural tendencies <Link>. A round crowd pen will work better than a straight crowd pen because, as cattle go around a … [Read more...]
Dry fog a possible alternative for disinfecting supplies entering farms
Veterinary student Lindsey Britton’s research was recognized during the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference. Her study looked at dry fogging systems as an alternative disinfection method and demonstrated efficacy in reducing pathogen viability, including Salmonella spp. Two different disinfectants were fogged from a Micro-spray unit and evaluated: a) hypochlorous acid and b) … [Read more...]
BiomEdit awarded $2 million to develop AI model reducing cattle methane emissions
BiomEdit, an animal health biotechnology company, has received nearly $2 million from the Bezos Earth Fund’s AI for Climate and Nature Grand Challenge to develop the Rumen Digital Twin, an artificial intelligence model aimed at reducing methane emissions in cattle while enhancing productivity and welfare. Source: Feed & Grain, October 24, 2025. Link. … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – October 30, 2025
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, October 23, 2025. Link. Most read posts from October 23, 2025 AHD Bulletin – Temple Grandin: Get yourself in through the back door. Link. AAHA resources complement vet tech support, development. Link. Free book; guidance to help navigate behavioral euthanasia decisions. Link. What do they value? … [Read more...]
Beef-on-dairy shaking up the dairy industry
Three-quarters of dairy operators are engaging in beef-on-dairy methods, writes Karen Bohnert, referencing insights from the 2024 Milk Business Conference. Sharing historical perspectives, she notes the rise of beef-on-dairy practices is not without challenges. For animal health pros servicing and supporting dairies, the article is a good background for on-farm … [Read more...]
BEEF takeaways going into Fall 2025
Reviewing the dynamics of the 2025 beef industry through August, Clint Peck summarizes industry events, challenges and market opportunities. Source: BEEF, September 3, 2025. Link. Life in the cattle business just keeps getting more interesting” … [Read more...]
Naval infections third most common cause of disease in calves
The umbilicus isn’t just an anatomical leftover from fetal life; it’s a critical gateway for infection and a window into broader calf health and welfare, writes Andrea Bedford. This article is another good reminder to emphasize early calf care with producer teams. The importance of early disinfection and dipping are critical practices in early calf care. Source: Dairy Herd … [Read more...]
80 percent of calves sell through livestock auctions
Input from nearly 500 beef producers is assembled in the recent 2025 Farm Journal State of the Beef Industry survey. The marketing guidance for producers to provide weaning, health and genetic data to buyers is a key takeaway from the article worth discussing with producer clients. Source: Drovers, October 20, 2025. Link. Ranchers need to get more active in marketing their … [Read more...]
Oligoimidazolium carbon acids found to prevent udder infections with no adverse effects
A team of international scientists has unveiled an alternative class of potent antimicrobial compounds that could be used to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria that cause bovine mastitis in a recent study. Not yet commercialized, this approach to mastitis will be one to watch. Source: Feedstuffs, October 14, 2025. Link. Novel compounds called oligoimidazolium carbon acids … [Read more...]
Pork is the ultimate muscle-building protein per National Pork Board-funded study
Ongoing human nutrition research continues to complement the Taste What Pork Can Do campaign, positioning pork as a nutrient-dense and versatile protein. Source: The Farmer, October 14, 2025. Link. Taste What Pork Can Do!” … [Read more...]
Make the call and Just ASK
Commentary The call from a local but unrecognized number seemed random. Still, I answered it. It was from my dog’s veterinary clinic. Sharing her name and the clinic’s, the vet tech was calling to check on my dog, noting I hadn’t responded to two wellness visit emails. Yes, I remembered one of the emails but did not act on it at the moment, nor did I act on one text message … [Read more...]
Preparing chickens before winter coops them up
Offering guidance to backyard poultry raisers, veterinarians recommend fall health checks as insurance for chickens’ winter survival. They highlight four common health issues that affect chickens in the fall: Mites and lice Internal parasites Respiratory issues Abnormal molting Source: Chicken Whisperer. Link. INSIGHTS: This is a good article to share with … [Read more...]
Vaccinating calves early pays off later
Despite producer pushback on the economics of strategic vaccination, preconditioned calves are table stakes, especially with the current market conditions. Timed vaccination can also support reduced antibiotic use. Vaccines against BRD pathogens (such as IBR, BVD, PI3, BRSV, Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida) are widely available. Still, their effectiveness … [Read more...]
Bluetongue in the Midwest
Vince Collison, DVM, shares recent experiences with Bluetongue virus infections in northwest Iowa in this article. He reviews the virus, how it is transmitted and how it affects animals who contract the disease. In the U.S., the biting midge Culicoides sonorensis is the primary vector of the virus that most frequently infects sheep and whitetail deer. Source: The Stockman, … [Read more...]
Windrow grazing provides nutrition, cost advantages
Here’s an idea that has caught on in row crop country. Aaron Berger shares how windrow-grazing annual forages allows producers to cut the crop at an optimum time for quality in late summer or early fall and increase harvest efficiency through strip-grazing the windrows. With crop harvest progress more than 80 percent complete, this method may be a good discussion topic with … [Read more...]
Don’t overlook heifer fertility
Commentary Acquiring, raising and developing heifers is one of the highest expenses of milk production. Managing them intentionally and separately provides an opportunity for veterinary teams to educate dairy teams about heifer development and improve herd performance. In many cases, heifer care, feeding and reproductive programs are not held to the same standards and … [Read more...]
Beware tall fescue toxicosis
Fescue toxicosis is commonly seen in cattle grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue. Most often associated with spring and early summer grazing, tall fescue toxicosis is a threat in the fall, especially to new bulls and cattle grazing pastures to the ground. Heather Smith Thomas shares many considerations when dealing with tall fescue to reduce the incidence of toxicosis in this … [Read more...]
Feeding by-products advances dairy productivity and sustainability
Feeding by-products are no longer just useful; they’re essential. By-products, including soybean meal, corn distillers grains, canola meal, beet pulp, soy hulls and citrus pulp, are often the result of food and industrial processing. While these ingredients are undesirable for people, they’re rich in nutrients that cows can digest and convert into high-quality … [Read more...]
First-of-its-kind system eradicates residual dairy barn methane
The large-scale field trial of the Methane Eradication Photochemical System represents the first real-world validation of a scalable technology capable of eradicating methane emissions from livestock barn air. The prototype MEPS unit, housed in a standard 40-foot shipping container, processed air samples from a 250-cow, open-sided dairy barn on a dairy farm in … [Read more...]
High-dose oxytocin allows sows to pass on greater immunity
Research at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine indicates that administering a high dose of oxytocin to sows 12 to 20 hours after farrowing can significantly improve colostrum quality and passive transfer of immunity. For producers, improving early passive transfer can reduce pre-weaning mortality, lower disease treatment costs, and improve overall herd … [Read more...]