The livestock industry needs a comprehensive, cohesive plan to address the virus. Producers, their employees and veterinarians need clear answers and support from U.S. agricultural leadership, moving forward.
Veterinarian Brian Heuedepohl of Williamsburg, Iowa, and feedlot owner Mike Finnegan of Parnell, Iowa, work together closely on a replacement heifer development program.
There are more myths about distillers’ grains and gluten feed than I can list. One of the more interesting is that distillers’ grains will cause foot rot and bloat, when in fact distillers’ grains, with their dense mineral content, improve bone and hoof hardness and will reduce the chance of bloat if fed correctly.
As we get nearer to spring calving season, our clinic will begin to get calls of aborted fetuses, near-term stillbirths and lost calves. These cases can be frustrating, as often we will not get a definitive diagnosis of what caused the problem. It is important for producers to understand a couple of things when deciding if it is worth the expense and effort to run diagnostic tests on individual ill or dead animals.
Fall means there are a lot of calves being weaned, shipped and received. By now, hopefully, you have a plan of action in place to keep the process as calm and stress-free as possible for the animals. Additional stresses at weaning and processing can inhibit immunity.
