Latest News From Animal health

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Preconditioning for Profit

Price premiums are growing for preconditioned calves in every region.

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Build a Successful Preconditioning Program

It’s all about increasing calf performance and capturing a premium.

BVD: The rules of selling PI-cattle
BVD: The rules of selling PI-cattle

When a bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) persistently infected (PI)-calf has been identified, the owner has to decide what to do with it.

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BVD: Big Viral Dilemma

More than half a century after its discovery, bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) still wages war on cattle health and producers’ livelihoods.  

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Cow-Calf Cowboy College Early Registration Deadline Coming Up

Monday is the early bird deadline to register for Drovers Cow-Calf Cowboy College at a reduced rate. 

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Tracking Brucellosis Transmission

Genomic analysis shows elk serve as self-sustaining brucellosis reservoir.

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Cleaning and Maintaining Cattle Feeding Sites can Increase Production

A K-State livestock specialist shares tips on how to prevent fly populations.

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Disease's Spread Blamed on Elk, Not Bison or Feed Grounds

Researchers say Montana elk are to blame for an animal disease spreading into new areas around Yellowstone National Park.

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BeefTalk: Producers Worry, Calves Survive

Producers must provide the right care for their cattle to survive and thrive.

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New Strain of E. coli Found

Cattle feeders and veterinarians should keep an eye out for E. coli O165:H25, an enterohemorrhagic strain that can cause disease in cattle and potentially poses a food-safety hazard for humans.

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Grazing Management: Toxic Plants Publication Aims to Help Producers

A new K-State publication provides vital information on plants that, if consumed, could harm cattle and other livestock.

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Manage Manure to Contain Johne's Disease

While often considered a condition of dairy cows, Johne’s Disease has increasingly been identified as a concern for beef producers. 

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Proper Injection Sites to Remember at Calf-working Time

Correct administration of any injection is a critical control point in beef production and animal health.  

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BeefTalk: The Goal is 97 Percent Live Calves

Try for a less than 3 percent calf death loss.

Don't Let Your Dollars Go Down the Wormhole

It’s not rocket science—controlling parasites is critical to herd health.

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Profit Suckers: Parasites in Cattle

While there hasn’t been any recent academic institution research on the economic impact of parasites in cattle, a 2007 study, “Economic Analysis of Pharmaceutical Technologies in Modern Beef Production,” by researchers at Iowa State University, found deworming to be one of the most beneficial technologies available to beef producers.

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Veterinary Feed Directive: What You Need to Know

The latest coverage of the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) and how it will impact producers and veterinarians.

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Suspected Mad-Cow Case Could Put French Beef Exports at Risk

French officials found a suspected case of mad-cow disease in the northern Ardennes region, raising concerns that Europe’s biggest producer could lose access to export markets.  

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FDA Announces Final Rule on Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued a rule finalizing three previously-issued interim final rules designed to further reduce the potential risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), sometimes referred to as “mad cow disease,” in human food.

Farmers convert to novel-endophyte, end coping with toxic fescue pasture

Over the decades, cattle farmers learned to work around toxins in fescue grass in their pastures. "We called it 'managing fescue,'" says Craig Roberts, extension forage specialist. "It shou

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Feedyard Producers Needed for Research with Kansas State and Texas Tech

Beef cattle research faculty from Kansas State University and Texas Tech University will embark on a feedlot cattle production and health research program to provide beef industry outreach.

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Parasite Control for Cow Calf Operations

With grass turnout comes exposure to parasites that have overwintered either in the pasture or in the cattle themselves.

Cargill says to cut antibiotic use in cattle by 20 percent
Cargill says to cut antibiotic use in cattle by 20 percent

Cargill Inc, a top U.S. meat processor, is trimming the use of antibiotics in its cattle supply amid concerns among some doctors and consumers about risks to humans from antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

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Preventing Mycotic Abortions in Pregnant Cattle

Information to help protect the cow herd and mitigate monetary loss this calving season.  

Preventing mycotic abortions in pregnant cattle
Preventing mycotic abortions in pregnant cattle

Mycotic abortions, or fungal abortions, are often sporadic in cattle. As producers determine the need to provide supplemental feeds to their calving cow herd, they must also be aware of the causes of these often mysteri

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Cow's Ability to Deliver Better Colostrum

Due to the large body of evidence clearly pointing to the benefits of colostrum for baby calves, much attention has been given to the calf side of the equation: ensuring a calf consumes an adequate amount of high-quality colostrum.

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I'm Putting out High-Mag Mineral, but Cows are Still Going Down?

Grass tetany, also known as grass staggers, magnesium tetany, hypomagnesemia, and wheat pasture poisoning, is a nutritional disorder caused by either 1) an inadequate amount of dietary Mg, or, 2) other mineral related factor that is preventing (antagonizing) dietary Mg from being properly absorbed or utilized. 

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Advocacy in the Beef Industry

Two speakers at the Range Beef Cow Symposium addressed today’s issue of disconnect between consumers and producers. Dr. Ronnie Green addressed why this disconnect is occurring while Michele Payn-Knoper discussed how to fix the problem. 

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Dealing with Worms in the Cow Herd

Veterinarians have an opportunity to help clients improve production efficiency and returns with customized parasite control.

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Prevent Losses in Calving Herds with Nutrition and Vaccinations

Proper nutrient supplementation and vaccination programs can help prevent losses in calving herds.  

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Congestive Heart Failure Feedlot Survey

Clinical signs of congestive heart failure (CHF) in feedyard cattle can resemble those associated with respiratory disease. 

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The Feedlot Death Loss Conundrum

Veterinarians today have access to better vaccines, better treatments and generally better overall cattle management than in the past, and yet the prevalence of feedyard death loss continues to run higher than just a few years ago.

Farm Foundation reports on antibiotic workshops
Farm Foundation reports on antibiotic workshops

Ongoing education will be critical for livestock producers and veterinarians to adapt to upcoming changes in rules governing antibiotic use in animals. That message dominated a new report Farm Foundation presented durin

Cow-Calf Corner: How newborn calves absorb antibodies

Glenn Selk explains how newborn calves absorb antibodies in the first hours of their life.

Treat calf scours early for best results

Diarrhea in neonatal calves is one of the leading causes of morbidity (sickness) and mortality (death) in North America and Europe and continues to be a major cause of economic loss to the beef cattle industry.

Ditch the itch in your herd
Ditch the itch in your herd

Winter is upon us, which means lice are getting prepared to snack on your livestock. Lice infestations typically appear in late fall and peak in late winter, when the air turns colder and cattle stand in groups to keep

Calving Season Tips: Increased energy management during extreme weather is crucial
Calving Season Tips: Increased energy management during extreme weather is crucial

Most spring-calving beef cows are now in their third trimester, or they will be calving soon in late January or February. Since these months also tend to bring on the most volatile and extreme cold periods, cold stress

The three stages of parturition (calving)

Animal scientists and veterinarians agree that there are three important stages of any cow's delivery of the baby calf. Understanding what to expect during the normal delivery can help to determine when a cow nee

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National Grassland Closed After Mysterious Cattle Deaths

Public access to nearly 2,500 acres of the Cimarron National Grassland has been halted after seven cattle were found dead last year.

National Grassland closed after mysterious cattle deaths
National Grassland closed after mysterious cattle deaths

Public access to nearly 2,500 acres of the Cimarron National Grassland has been halted after seven cattle were found dead last year.

Calving Tips: Increased energy management is crucial
Calving Tips: Increased energy management is crucial

Most spring-calving beef cows are now in their third trimester, or they will be calving soon in late January or February. Since these months also tend to bring on the most volatile and extreme cold periods, cold stress

NIAA adds one-day BVD forum to annual conference
NIAA adds one-day BVD forum to annual conference

The National Institute for Animal Agriculture plans to host a one-day forum for beef producers and veterinary practitioners on handling bovine viral diarrhea (BVD). The forum will take place on April 7 in Kansas City.

Some drug purchases will require veterinarian's order

Starting in 2017, livestock producers will need to obtain a written order from their veterinarian before buying certain antibiotics for their animals.

Is "fat" a four-letter word?

Is fat a bad word? Not necessarily. Simply put, fat is just the body's storage form of energy. If an animal consumes more energy than it uses, the excess calories will be stored as fat - money in the bank to

Analysts: No big impact on market from latest bird flu outbreak
Analysts: No big impact on market from latest bird flu outbreak

The recent discovery of avian influenza in Indiana and the resulting depopulation of 400,000 birds will likely only have a negligible impact on the grain and soy markets, just like 2015.

GAO assesses USDA's response to disease outbreaks
GAO assesses USDA's response to disease outbreaks

A new report from U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) outlines differences in the USDA's responses to outbreaks of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) and porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV), known collectively a

Timing is everything (when it comes to colostrum for baby calves)
Timing is everything (when it comes to colostrum for baby calves)

Producers should provide high risk baby calves (born to thin first calf heifers or calves that endured a difficult birth) at least 2 quarts of fresh or thawed colostrum within the first 6 hours of life and another 2 qua

NIAA Annual Conference focuses on biosecurity
NIAA Annual Conference focuses on biosecurity

Animal disease epidemics are a significant concern to the animal agriculture industry. The National Institute for Animal Agriculture will facilitate a discussion on this crucial topic, at their next Annual Conference, A

Cow-Calf Corner: Passive immunity

Glenn Selk explains why passive immunity is important in the first 24 hours of a calf's life.

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Del Miles on Receiving Programs

The first few days an animal spends in a feedlot are critical to their health and overall performance through the feeding period.