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
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
Managing scours so they don’t manage you
Scours, the most common disease in calves, can quickly put you behind the financial 8-ball
Reading Time: 2 minutes Scours can put you in a financial hole in a hurry. “For every percentage of the herd that you lose, the rest of the herd has to pick up the slack,” said Claire Windeyer, assistant professor in production animal health at the University of Calgary. Producers who had relatively low calf mortality, around five per […] Read more
Have a game plan before calving season gets underway
The risk factors that can sicken young calves are numerous but some can be mitigated, says veterinarian
Reading Time: 2 minutes The upcoming calving season will be a time of risk for disease on cow-calf operations. Pathogens that cause disease in young calves are present in all herds, so careful management is necessary to prevent them from getting sick. “Cow-calf producers most often deal with scours, septicemia, respiratory disease, and joint or navel ill,” said Dr. […] 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
Stockmanship schools on offer
Classes run June 13-14 in Red Deer and June 16-17 in Cochrane
Reading Time: < 1 minute Richard McConnell and Tina William are presenting a two-day Proper Stockmanship School in Red Deer (June 13-14 at the Red Deer County Office) and Cochrane (June 16-17 at the Weedon Pioneer Community Hall). Topics include pressure and release; instincts of humans and livestock; the predator/prey relationship; positioning and movement; and sorting, weaning, receiving, and loading livestock. […] Read more
Thin cows will cost you money
Reading Time: 2 minutes Dry conditions have dramatically reduced forage growth — and that increases the value of a feeding management program. “Getting the cow through summer in good body condition and maintaining calf growth rates is the first step,” said provincial beef and forage specialist Barry Yaremcio. “Nutritional requirements of a lactating cow are 25 per cent higher […] Read more
Suckle strength linked to calf vigour at birth
This simple assessment is an even better indicator than calving ease, says University of Calgary researcher
Reading Time: 2 minutes A researcher at the University of Calgary has found a simple way to test for calf vigour — look for calves that suck. “Suckle reflex is a really promising indicator of a calf’s ability to consume colostrum,” said Dr. Elizabeth Homerosky, who presented at the 2015 UCVM Beef Cattle Conference. Colostrum consumption is one of […] Read more
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