Tightening calving seasons creates management and economic benefits. Done wrong, the benefits turn into costs. Les Anderson, University of Kentucky Extension beef specialist, says takes at least two years for producers to tighten a year-round calving season into a 75-day controlled calving season. Source: Drovers CattleNetwork, September 2016. Anderson offers eight steps to … [Read more...]
BVD war turns 70
After 70 years, BVD still wages war on cattle health and producers’ wallets, writes Wyatt Bechtel. He presents economic losses for dairy, beef, stocker/feedlot and all cattle and calves as documented by studies in the U.S and summarized by Derrell Peel, livestock marketing specialist with Oklahoma State University. Source: Dairy Herd Management, September 2016, page … [Read more...]
Journal of Swine Health and Production
For your convenience, we have linked to the table of contents from the latest issue of the Journal of Swine Health and Production. The story The Winds of Change, by Brian Schantz, DVM, is a revealing account of the dynamics of practice in a rural area and the importance of community. Source: Journal of Swine Health and Production, September/October 2016. … [Read more...]
Industrial farms contribute to sound environmental practices
Livestock producers and farmers often get lumped together in terms such as, big ag, industrial farms and factory farming. These are not negative terms. In fact, industrial farms are good for the environment. Jayson Lusk, Oklahoma State University agricultural economics professor explains why in this well-researched op-ed. Source: New York Times Sunday Review, September 25, … [Read more...]
Cull cows early and often
Cull cow weight and cull cow price have long been listed as key factors that affect profitability for cow calf producers. Jason Faubion, assistant director of the Ranch Management Program at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, recommends culling early and often to keep the ranch operating as efficiently as possible. Cows only earn a profit – and therefore their … [Read more...]
2-step calf weaning
Pressure from consumer groups challenges all levels of food animal care. It also makes our industry consider other ways to approach “what we already know.” Our team liked this article as it challenges the nomenclature for shipping fever and introduces a possible solution that more closely fits natural herd behaviors. “There is no event we impose on cattle more stressful than … [Read more...]
Transition time is critical for milk and more
Phil Cardoso, University of Illinois, shared his presentation, “Fine-tuning transition cow care,” with listeners on the monthly Hoard’s Dairyman webinar. He strongly urged producers to limit the change in body condition scores by 0.5 for the entire lactation and dry period. “It is tough, but we really need to minimize the condition shifts.” Source: Hoard’s Dairyman, … [Read more...]
Collectively curing beef’s $35 million bruise
Cattle today are bigger than they were 30 years ago, thanks to improved genetics and better husbandry. In fact, finished cattle have outgrown the trailers used to haul them. Industry consensus and research show that larger cattle being hauled in equipment designed in the last century are creating welfare and product quality issues, resulting in $35-million-plus industry wide … [Read more...]
Don’t kiss your chickens
Backyard chicken raising continues to grow. Owners love these chickens, too. In fact, they may love them too much. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last week that an emerging public health trend in the form of increased outbreaks of salmonella. Source: The Washington Post, September 14, 2016. It doesn’t help that, according to the available data, a … [Read more...]
USDA Veterinary Services needs feedback
Emerging animal diseases have the potential to negatively affect animal health, public health, and trade. Continuing work begun in 2014, this week, the Veterinary Services (VS) division at the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service released an update titled “Emerging Animal Disease and Preparedness Plan.” The agency seeks comments on the document, which expands on the … [Read more...]
Anthropocene epoch defined by chicken bones
In contrast to the dinosaurs (Cretaceous period), some species, with human help, have spread rapidly across the world. Despite being domesticated thousands of years ago, it is only since the mid-20th century that mass poultry production has spread across the world. Production and consumption of chicken meat is forecast to continue growing, making its presence in future fossil … [Read more...]
It’s a lousy time of year
Cooler weather brings a greater risk of lice. The USDA estimates that U.S. livestock producers lose $125 million each year to it. Protecting cattle includes understanding the life cycle of lice, recognizing the potential damage and using effective methods of control. If not controlled, a single adult female in September can result in approximately 1 million lice by … [Read more...]
Baxter Black: The curious cow
We think you’ll get a laugh from this Baxter Black story about on-farm adventures of a cow and a chicken. Source: Dairy Herd Management, September 12, 2016. By Ag Day TV. … [Read more...]
Castration method allows barrows fast, efficient growth
Castration of male pigs is a long-held, proven practice. It is performed to avoid boar taint in the meat of sexually mature males as well as reduce aggression toward other pigs and people. Cheryl Day shares alternatives to physical castration, challenges, breeding selections and the regulatory environment. Source: National Hog Farmer, September 2016, page 12. For hog … [Read more...]
Educate yourself and clients on ringworm
Recognize ringworm, treat it and educate clients fast says Chris Keller, Animal Dermatology Center, Studio City, California. The zoonotic potential of this disease must not be underestimated. Frequent client communication and patient monitoring are the best ways to assure a successful outcome. He discusses how the disease presents, diagnosis, treatment and environmental … [Read more...]
Tail docking on the way out
The National Milk Producers Federation has confirmed that tail docking will not be permitted under the National Dairy FARM Program (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) as of January 1, 2017. The American Association of Bovine Practitioners has opposed the practice for 20 years and California banned it in 2009. Yet, some owners still engage in it. The Journal of Dairy … [Read more...]
Farmers are often misunderstood
Farmers have a unique lifestyle that integrates business life, family and friends. Non-farm people may have perceptions that farmers have it pretty good compared to their own lives. John Phipps challenges farmers to view their situation from the perspective of non-farmers. Source: Top Producer, Summer 2016. Many things farmers take for granted can strike non-farm family … [Read more...]
Control feral hogs successfully
There’s more focus on wildlife control as we continue to encroach on remote areas. Much attention is given to elk, whitetail deer and other species. Yet, feral hogs are terribly invasive. They also pose a serious disease threat to domestic livestock operations, pets and people. A coordinated effort in Missouri seeks to eradicate feral hogs. New technology is promising … [Read more...]
Packgoats? Yes, packgoats!
“Packgoats are the premier pack animals on the planet,” said Dwite Sharp, who breeds, raises and trains packgoats in Morris County, Kansas. Goats raised to be pack animals are used for backpacking, camping and other outdoor recreational activities. Although does may be used, packgoats are usually wethers, or castrated male goats.” Source: Midwest Ag Journal, August 29, … [Read more...]
All U.S. poultry is ‘antibiotic-free’
All poultry meat that enters the U.S. food supply is, by definition, antibiotic-free or, more specifically, it is free of antibiotic residues by the time it reaches consumers — regardless of how the birds were raised. “There is absolutely no nutritional difference in meat from poultry raised without antibiotics compared to poultry that receive antibiotics,” says Mike Lacy, PhD, … [Read more...]
Unique cattle influenza virus studied, named
The executive committee of the International Committee of Taxonomy of Viruses officially announced a new genus, Orthomyxovirdae, with a single species, influenza D virus, because of its distinctness from other influenza types—A, B and C. This is the first influenza virus identified in cattle, explained Professor Feng Li, South Dakota State University. Source: Bovine … [Read more...]
Feeding for the perfect (cow) pie
Dan Gary, an Amarillo, Texas, ranch consultant, suggests that you can use cow-pie-ology to monitor the nutritional status of a cow herd. He relates cow pie configuration to nutrient balance. If nothing else, we believe you’ll get a chuckle out of the discussion of the perfect cow pie. Source: Beef, September 2016. 'There is no better method of determining the nutritional … [Read more...]
World Dairy Expo turns 50
Dairy Herd Management celebrates the 50th anniversary of the World Dairy Expo in this commemorative edition. No doubt about it, the annual event champions much of the progress that strengthens the dairy business, domestic and foreign. When Expo started in 1967, cows averaged just 8,800 lb. of milk per year. We needed no fewer than 13,500 million of them to produce 120 … [Read more...]
Calf weaning methods compared
Steve Boyles, Ohio State University (OSU) Extension specialist, recently compared pasture weaning to drylot weaning in an OSU Beef Cattle newsletter. Boyles looked at a recent study that compared three weaning methods for calves averaging 180 days old: drylot weaning + complete visual and auditory separation from dams pasture weaning + fence-line contact with dams … [Read more...]
Climate-friendly cows
Methane from cows is estimated to be the source of one-third of the world’s methane emissions. A study in Finland identified areas of genetic variation linked to the amount of methane produced per kilo of milk produced. The potential to select for a reduced methane emission cow warrants further study. Source: The Beef Site, August 31, 2016. A recent study using cows in … [Read more...]
Wilting black (wild) cherry leaves pose livestock risk
As little as 1.2 to 4.8 pounds of wilted black cherry leaves could constitute a lethal dose for a 1,200 pound dairy cow, says Rory Lewandowski, Ohio State University Extension educator. Recent storms in Michigan and across the country make this reminder valuable. Veterinary teams and retailers can offer this information in posts, websites and newsletters for customers in areas … [Read more...]
Industry, not activists should establish cage-free definition
Chad Gregory, CEO of the United Egg Producers (UEP), told a group of producers and allied industry representatives that farmers should stop reacting toward cage-free demand. Rather, they should go on the offensive and define what a cage-free system should be. UEP estimates that 190.4 million hens, or about 66 percent of the current national flock, will be required to full … [Read more...]
Routine use of dry cow therapy under investigation
USDA National Animal Health Monitoring Survey data shows more than 80 percent of U.S. dairy herds managers treat 100 percent of their cows’ quarters at the end of dry off. Plus, almost all herds treat a majority of all quarters. This practice is now undergoing a reexamination of the use of antibiotics on dairies with the goal of using them responsibility and only for animals … [Read more...]
Pinkeye remains a challenge in the fall
The main cause of pinkeye in cattle is the ever-changing bacteria, moraxella bovis. Many subtypes of the bacteria can be found even in one infected animal. This can make it difficulty to treat and preventing. Pinkeye can rob producers of weight gain in addition to the labor costs of treatment. Source: Drovers CattleNetwork, August 17, 2016. Vaccination, fly control, … [Read more...]
Egg binding in pet birds
Cockatiels, budgerigars (e.g. parakeets) and finches are the most popular pet birds worldwide and the species most commonly affected by egg binding. These birds tend to present with more severe clinical signs, possibly because of their small size. Egg binding is the failure of an egg to pass within a normal period of time. Although there can be variability and numerous … [Read more...]