“Lice are the forgotten winter parasite,” Jerry Bertoldo said. “They tend to ‘bloom’ during the initial surge of cold weather. Lice will be more obvious after calves are weaned, although their exposure may have happened as early as the calving pen,” he said. Source: Dairy Herd Management, November 10, 2016. Bertoldo said visual diagnosis of lice is challenging because they … [Read more...]
Search Results for: VFD
Building a non-emergency clientele
Animal health pros have historically talked about large animal veterinarians who were in fire truck practices. To change from a proactive environment instead of reacting to emergencies takes effort. Dr. David Van Metre, Dr. James England, Dr. Dee Whittler and John Hall share ideas about how to make this transition and get paid for it. Source: Beef Vet, Winter 2016, page … [Read more...]
NCBA offers free webinar on changing antibiotic regulations October 27
Here’s a resource to share with your cattle customers. Consider having a small group of key customers join you at a clinic, restaurant, community center or such to view the webinar and then discuss implementation of the VFD regulations. It takes place Thursday, October 27 at 7:00 p.m. Central. Source: National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, October 6, 2016. Join the webinar … [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...]
Selfies and other images not proof of VCPR
Videos or photos cannot be used as a way to document the VCPR needed to obtain a veterinary feed directive, according to William T. Flynn, DVM, MS, deputy director for science policy, FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine. Source: Poultry Health Today, August 31, 2016. One key element of the federal VCPR definition requires veterinarians to have sufficient knowledge of the … [Read more...]
Love, hate, indifference on antibiotic rules
John Maday reviews preliminary qualitative feedback from an online survey currently in process. The rules in question include: FDA’s Guidance for Industry 213, which removes performance or production claims from the labels of medically important antibiotics. Expanded veterinary feed directive (VFD) rule which ends over-the-counter purchases of medically important … [Read more...]
Prepare now for next spring’s calving season
Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University animal science professor and Extension reproduction specialist, offers sound advice for cow/calf producers and those who serve them. Veterinarians working with producers on VFD can include a calving season review as part of a management practices discussion. Retail associates, dealers, distributor and manufacturer reps might consider … [Read more...]
Keep backyard chickens healthy
A backyard chicken boom is in full swing. Just like large-scale operations, disease prevention is critical to keep chickens and their human keepers healthy. Most veterinarians aren’t familiar with chicken care. VFD regulations affect treatment options in small flocks just as they do in larger ones. In both instances, preventing disease is a best practice. Source: The Poultry … [Read more...]
Shorten the breeding season
This quote says it all, “While the use of estrous synchronization and AI will increase time and labor for cow-calf producers, there is great value to capture.” Veterinary teams and representatives serving cow/calf producers will gain a deeper understanding of the economics of herd bulls compared to artificial insemination from this article. As veterinarians meet with producers … [Read more...]
FDA targets Carbadox for removal from swine production
Carbadox, the active ingredient in Mecadox ®, a Phibro Animal Health product, helps U.S. hog producers safely control bacterial diseases in early growth stages of pigs. Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took the first steps to take this valuable pharmaceutical away from the swine industry. Tom Burkgren, DVM and executive director of the American Association of … [Read more...]
Beef cattle parasite control now part of VCPR
VCPR is associated with the VFD initiative and references to antibiotics and feed additives today. However, in a roundtable discussion organized by Merial and Bovine Veterinarian, five DVMs from across the U.S. used the VCPR term in conjunction with parasite control programs. The consensus was to include parasite control programs as part of the whole herd management program to … [Read more...]
3 tips for swine production success
Tim Loula, DVM, highlights three management practices for pig producers to be successful in the new parameters being placed upon the industry. He was one of four speakers at a Hubbard Feeds Swine Production Seminar in Okoboji, Iowa. Source: National Hog Farmer, March 24, 2016. Tim Loula, DVM, says it is imperative to get ahead of the curve. He outlined the following three … [Read more...]
Beef and pork no longer need to be COOL (labeled)
Beef and pork producers got confirmation March 2nd that COOL regulations would no longer apply to their production processes. COOL regulatory requirements for chicken, lamb, goat, farm-raised and wild-caught fish and shellfish, perishable agricultural commodities, peanuts, pecans, macadamia nuts and ginseng remain in effect. Source: Beef Producer, March 3, 2016. Under this … [Read more...]
Reps can be full business partners
Veterinarians, especially those working toward more active veterinarian-client-patient relationships in the face of the veterinary feed directive regulations, can be considered reps in this article by Pat Malone of The PAR Group. (See VFD-still much to do, 2/4/16). Leaders, he says, gain and keep wholehearted followers for a given course of action. Consider Malone’s five key … [Read more...]
74,650 in 365 days – a new record
200-plus pounds of milk each day from a single cow? Astounding! It’s all the more reason I often see the dairy cow as a living manufacturing plant, or a milk-making machine. Stories like this underscore the continuous need to maintain preventive health protocols, in addition to optimizing nutrition. In a cow like Gigi, even the slightest health problem could negatively … [Read more...]
Hoe, cows hoe!
Training their palates so cows eat noxious weeds is the topic. Producers will find this article intriguing and valuable. It is an interesting take on managing forage density. Source: Modern Farmer, January 11, 2016. For years, livestock educator Kathy Voth has been telling farmers and ranchers exactly this—that cows can be trained to eat broadleaf “weeds,” which can … [Read more...]
Editorial – Free range is not bug free
I have a small town rural background where chickens roaming free was common. We called it scratchin’ in the stuff and eatin’ the things. The free-range movement has been a growing concern of mine, especially for veterinary practices in urban or ruralpolitan areas. This story begs the question, “are small animal veterinarians or dealers ready to service Chicken Little and her … [Read more...]
Rabies in cattle
Learn or review how cattle get infected with rabies, the two primary forms of it and what to help producers watch for. Gregg Hanzlicek, with the veterinary diagnostic laboratory at Kansas State University, says skunks are the most likely carriers. This is good information to offer 4-H or FFA groups, include with clinic communications or during VFD planning sessions. Source: … [Read more...]
Weather outlook 2016: get a drought plan
This article supports coffee-shop buzz like no other. Get the 2016 weather forecast from Brian Bledsoe, Colorado Springs, CO, meteorologist and ag weather consultant. Source: Beef Magazine, January 2016, page 60. “This El Nino should be history sometime in the spring”, Bledsoe said. “By late spring, it’s probably done. Which should be an indication that you be diligent and … [Read more...]
Editorial – High cell counts have consequences
60,000 or more dairy producers and industry persons subscribe to Hoard’s Dairyman. 5% of subscribers are dairymen Only 1.7% are veterinarians Nearly 80% own more than 50 cows More than 55% of subscribers are younger than 55 years old 30% of subscribers are younger than 44 years old As VFD oversight begins, veterinarians must pay careful attention to what … [Read more...]