On-Call / Vet

You’ve been training the cows to come into the catch pen for the past couple of weeks. You got your help all lined up. You’ve got the vet scheduled for the exact time you wanted to work cows. Everything appears ready to go work your herd. But wait-have you taken time to give your facilities an inspection? This may not be the first thing you think about when planning fall herd work, but it may be the most critical and important thing you can do to ensure an efficient and safe working day for your cattle, your help and yourself.

Implanting calves with growth promoting implants is one of the most profitable practices for cattle producers. Unfortunately, my experience suggests that many local producers are simply not taking advantage of growth promoting implants in their calves. This could be due in part to a lack of familiarity with implants and their appropriate use or potentially, a deficiency in management strategy necessary to realize benefits.

Fall is now officially here, fall calving is in full swing and now is the time to start thinking about your bull power for breeding season coming in less than two months. Too many times in my practice over the past 20 years I have seen cattlemen plan and strategize for handling cows and heifers for the upcoming breeding season, only to forget that their bulls are an equally important part of the breeding equation. I would suggest, rather than a last minute rush, that you start planning now to make sure the bulls are ready to perform.

It is that time of year when clients start asking me if they should start feeding extra magnesium to avoid grass tetany.  Over the years, my advice has been that most people should just supplement on a year-round basis.  I know most people are familiar with grass tetany, but I thought this to be a good time for a refresher course on the cause, treatment and prevention of this condition.

Arguably the most significant health concern regarding dairy production is that of mastitis. By definition, mastitis is inflammation of the mammary gland of the cow. This inflammation is typically a result of invasion and infection of the mammary gland by bacterial organisms. When considering the strategic treatment and prevention of mastitis, bacterial organisms are commonly divided into two groups: contagious and environmental pathogens.

The harsh conditions of winter can present a challenge to some horses in maintaining an adequate body condition. Colder temperatures require increased calorie intake to maintain body warmth. Loss of body condition is often a very gradual process, occurring over several weeks to months, the problem can "sneak up" on horse owners if they are not proactively observing and maintaining their horse’s body condition.

Recently in southwest Missouri we have seen an increase in number of herds affected with Trichomoniasis. This disease is a reproductive nightmare. It can be devastating to the owner. Reducing the calf crop and eliminating any significant income for that herd.

Knowing when to assist with calving

Spring is here (or maybe multiple springs from all the rain many of us have had) and you have your calf crop on the ground and are thinking maybe you should be going over the farm equipment before hay season starts. Something else you should be thinking about is getting ready for breeding season so that you have a new calf crop for next year.  Some planning now on your part can go a long way to making next year’s calf crop successful.

In the last issue we discussed pinkeye as a major cause of disease in cattle during the summer months. Another problem that frequently presents itself in my chute during the summer is foot rot. I have seen numerous cases of foot rot in cattle this summer already. The disease is caused primarily by a bacterium called Fusobacterium necrophorum and is a significant cause of lameness in cattle – beef and dairy alike. Like pinkeye, mortality from the disease is generally absent but morbidity can get high with up to 25 percent of the herd affected in severe outbreaks. Foot rot can be a significant source of lost production. Cows that are lame from foot rot tend to lie around, eat less and produce less milk. Whether that milk is going into the bulk tank or into the calf, less milk means less money to the producer. Additionally, treatment costs and the occasional animal with unresolving lameness represent further economic loss due to the disease.