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June 20, 2012


HEALTH & NUTRITION...


Protect Calves from
a Summertime Struggle

Don't let summer pneumonia get the best of your calves and their respiratory health.

The spring calving season is nearly finished, and cow-calf pairs are out to grass. However, even though the herd is on grass, calves at this age are still susceptible to disease. Respiratory disease may challenge calves even if you've been vigilant in vaccinating the cows and the herd seems healthy. Suckling calves on pasture are susceptible to respiratory disease, commonly known as "summer pneumonia," during July, August and September.

While the calf isn't facing most of the common stressors that cause disease — commingling, transportation, stress and confinement — certain weather conditions can cause problems. Warm daytime temperatures that contribute to heat stress, combined with cooler nights and lack of plentiful fresh water, can wreak havoc on a calf's immune system. This worsens in areas where warm temperature is combined with high humidity. The temperature swings, combined with dust, dry pasture conditions and declining maternal immunity, can result in stress and increased susceptibility to disease. Read more.


Potential in Algae

AgriLife Research study focuses on feeding beef steers with algae coproducts.

Algae typically isn't associated with cattle feed, but a Texas AgriLife Research scientist and a graduate student have found some interesting results that may change this during their three-phase study. Two of the three phases are currently complete, and the third phase is slated for completion this June, according to researchers.

Tryon Wickersham, AgriLife Research animal nutrition scientist, and graduate student Merritt Drewery conducted a study in which coproducts of the production of biofuel from algae were fed with both medium- and low-quality forages. Surprisingly, the steers used in the study were not picky eaters, as they widely accepted the algal residue in a processed form, the researchers said. Read more.


Hardware Disease in Cattle

hardware retrieved from cattleCattle eat quickly, without sorting their feed. They often ingest foreign material, especially when eating hay or processed feed. Veterinarian David Steffen of the Veterinary Diagnostic Center at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, says the overwhelming majority of foreign objects found in cattle stomachs are pieces of wire 2 inches (in.) to 5.5 in. long.

"If shorter, they probably pass through the stomachs without causing a problem," he says.

Foreign objects that don't pass through usually fall into the reticulum. Contractions of this stomach during normal digestion may push them through the stomach wall. The reticulum lies against the diaphragm. Read more.



Rick Rasby

Rick Rasby

Ridin’ Herd

Forage quality vs. forage yield

Volatility in the cow-calf industry continues to be a challenge for producers. Although cow-calf producers seem to be in the driver's seat as a result of low beef cow inventory, overbuilt bunk space in the feedyard and good demand, their annual cow costs continue to rise.


The Kansas Farm Management Association grouped cow-calf clients into high-profit, middle-profit and low-profit producers based on annual cow costs. For the time period 2006 to 2010, annual cow costs for high-profit producers averaged $636.40 per cow; for low-profit producers, annual cow costs averaged $886.14. For middle-profit producers, annual cow costs averaged $755.15.

With the rising cost of inputs, it's hard to think that annual cow costs for 2011 were not higher. It wasn't that long ago that cow costs were about $1 per day, with daily costs being a little cheaper in the summer compared to winter. Now, a more reasonable daily cow cost is closer to $2. The higher corn price has pushed pasture costs in many states higher. Keeping cows grazing to meet their nutrient needs is still the most economical approach to lowering feed costs. Feed costs are the major component of annual cow costs. In some management systems or in some areas of the United States, harvested forages are needed to feed the cow herd. Read more.


Summer Water

Providing a good water supply is a matter of quantity and quality.

A dependable supply of water is extremely important in summer. Cattle always drink more during hot weather. A 1,200-pound (lb.) dry cow might drink about 10.5 gallons (gal.) per day, and a lactating cow might drink up to 30 gallons per day, but both will drink more if weather is hot.

If water becomes contaminated by urine and feces — as when cattle have access to a pond — cattle may not drink as much, and it may put them at risk for disease. Some diseases, such as leptospirosis, can be spread by urine. Coccidiosis, E. coli, salmonella and a number of other diseases can be spread by feces. Read more.


Consequences of Ruminal Acidosis

0612hn_isbcwScientist refutes myth that acidosis occurs primarily among animals receiving a diet that is high in grain relative to forage.

Rumen acidosis can have more far-reaching implications for cattle health than is commonly thought. That was the message shared by University of Saskatchewan animal scientist Greg Penner during the International Symposium on Beef Cattle Welfare, hosted in Saskatoon, SK, June 5-7.

Penner explained that acidosis is a digestive disorder that occurs when the rumen pH declines from the normal range of 6.5-7 to below 5.8. Acute acidosis typically results from an abrupt increase in an animal's intake of feedstuffs that can be rapidly fermented by rumen microbes. This increases acid production and accumulation in the rumen. The low pH environment favors an increase in acid-producing rumen microbes. The result is an imbalance between acid production and the digestive tract's ability to remove acid. Read more.


Plants that Harm Cattle

Monitor pastures for occurrence of poisonous plants and
cattle grazing behavior.


There are many plants that can cause illness, death, abortion, metabolic disorders and other problems in cattle. Death loss from consumption of poisonous plants varies annually (USDA estimates average loss between 3% and 5%), but there are other economic losses as well, such as poor rate of gain or reproductive losses from toxic effects.

Many plants are classified as poisonous, but some vary greatly in toxicity, depending on the conditions in which they grow or when they are eaten. Some make good feed in small amounts or in certain seasons, but are poisonous in different situations. Read more.


Cattle Diseases: Common Conditions/Terms

Click here for a list of common conditions and terms related to beef cattle diseases, such as anaplasmosis, brucellosis, BVD, E. coli, IBR and others.



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