Reading Time: 4 minutes We heard years ago about resistance with fly tags. I believe the first one was called Bovaid and with no other tags on the market, researchers noticed resistance developing after a few years. Soon other companies were making tags with a different family of chemicals in them, so producers could rotate them and not allow […] Read more
How to prevent parasite resistance to worms and flies
Beef 911: Developing and using good protocols will keep these valuable treatments working for you and your herd
We all need to be ever vigilant when it comes to rabies
Beef 911: This fatal disease is very rare, but animal owners and rural residents should always be on the lookout for telltale signs
Reading Time: 4 minutes We don’t hear this disease mentioned very often, but when we do there is a very scary connotation attached to it. Rabies is virtually always a fatal disease to all mammals, and zoonotic to humans with no curative treatment once clinical signs develop. Only prevention through vaccination and a strong surveillance program have kept incidence […] Read more
Dispelling the myths about steroid use in beef production
Beef 911: Talk about ‘steroid-free beef’ is misleading — they are rarely used and only for very specific reasons
Reading Time: 3 minutes There has been lots said lately about added steroids in beef. Although steroids are used for very specific treatments regarding specific conditions, their use if anything is minimal and has been greatly reduced even further with the NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). This article will go over specific uses where steroids produce beneficial results to our […] Read more
An ounce of prevention is worth 100 pounds
Beef 911: Calves that get sick early in life struggle to catch up with their herdmates and are prone to getting ill again
Reading Time: 3 minutes Over the years, many of the effective treatments for bacterial scours and some for pneumonia in newborn calves have been taken away from us. You all remember products such as synergistin, gentomycin and baytril which have either been discontinued or prescribing them is highly frowned on for a number of reasons I won’t get into […] Read more
The facts about the dangers of antibiotic resistance
Beef 911: The cattle industry is doing a good job to prevent resistance and we are improving those efforts
Reading Time: 4 minutes There has been volumes written on antibiotic/antimicrobial resistance in the last several years. This article will highlight some of the key points on how well the cattle industry is doing so far and predict what changes veterinarians may make in their recommendations going forward. For those of you who crave more detailed information, there are […] Read more
You can still get good protection by vaccinating very young calves
Beef 911: The label may say it’s not approved for young calves, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work
Reading Time: 4 minutes There has been a lot of trial work over the years regarding vaccinations of our calves and when would be the most ideal time. Immunologists would debate this but as situations on farms changed and herds got larger, trends changed. Producers no longer boostered vaccines at four to six weeks apart as was often recommended. […] Read more
Calving problems are becoming rare, but be prepared to act
Beef 911: The first key step is to note when the birth process starts and investigate if too much time passes
Reading Time: 3 minutes Numerous articles have been written over the years on how and when to intervene at calving, how to recognize malpresentations, and what to do about them. Producers now see fewer and fewer calving-related problems as our breeding has improved and we select for easy-calving heifers with larger pelvises and moderate birth weight bulls. Ensuring cattle […] Read more
Here’s how to assess the risk when bringing in calves
Beef 911: Mingling animals, transport times, light weights, and even weather can be factors that increase the risk of BRD
Reading Time: 4 minutes There are many factors to consider when bringing in calves to feed in order to minimize BRD (bovine respiratory disease), which is still the No. 1 cause of morbidity and often mortality in our feedlots. Knowing the history of the calves regarding weaning time, distance transported, vaccination, and health history — as well as upcoming […] Read more
We need to do better when it comes to castration
Beef 911: Doing it early and properly brings benefits to the producers, addresses animal welfare concerns, and prevents problems later on
Reading Time: 4 minutes We now have many tools at our disposal when it comes to castration of calves in the beef and dairy sectors of our industry. When used together in skilled hands, newer techniques at castration along with NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories) will ensure welfare issues are addressed. Much has changed in the feedlot industry. Cattle are not […] Read more
Body condition scoring pays dividends
Beef 911: Having a good handle on body condition allows you to fatten thin cows and feed less to fat ones to boost performance
Reading Time: 4 minutes Body condition scoring really means assessing the condition and fat cover on your cow to enable you to feed them for optimal growth and reproductive performance. It may mean separating the fat and thin groups from the main herd, which allows you to feed them separately to save feed on the fat ones and build […] Read more