December 20, 2018 | Vol. 11 : No. 12
Control what you can and deal with the rest.
Cattlemen can’t stop drought or hurricanes, but they can set their herd up to be successful during “everyday” challenges.
“We can manage their feed. We can manage their health protocol. We can’t manage their stress,” said Kelly Sanders, Westway Feed Products. “From my feed standpoint, how do I mitigate that problem the best I can?”
Andy Acton, veterinarian at Deep South Animal Clinic at Ogema, Sask., Canada, says there are two problems when dealing with calving in cold weather. One is hypothermia; the other is frostbite. They don’t always happen together, he says. A calf can be very chilled, but not frostbitten, so there is no frozen tissue. Adverse effects will vary, based on temperature, wind chill and how much time a calf spends in cold conditions.
The heart is a muscle, and when it has to work harder, the organ will eventually remodel itself. This is the case in cattle suffering from what’s been known as high-altitude disease (HAD), brisket disease or bovine high-mountain disease (BHMD).
This topic was covered in the second innovation workshop sponsored by Neogen at the 2018 Angus Convention hosted in Columbus, Ohio, Nov. 3-5. Hannah Garrett, Neogen territory manager based out of Wyoming, explained the finer details of HAD and how it is possibly trickling down to lower-elevation feedlots.
Foot rot is an infectious condition that causes swelling, heat and inflammation in the foot, resulting in sudden, severe lameness.
Bill Lias of Interstate Vet Clinic, Brandon, S.D., says the main organism causing foot rot is Fusobacterium necrophorum which is an anaerobe — an organism that thrives in environments without oxygen.
“If it gains entry to the foot (usually through a scrape or nick in the skin between the claws), it causes infection and swelling. This organism is found in feces and considered ubiquitous in the environment — pretty much everywhere,” he says.
Old man winter has arrived in much of the United States, which means colder days as many producers are preparing for calving season. Just as the temperatures decrease, the cows’ nutrient requirements increase.
“During extreme cold, the cows’ nutrient requirements can increase up to 10%-25%,” said Lindsey Grimes-Hall, BioZyme Inc. nutrition and field sales manager. “The number one nutrient cows need in the winter and as they approach calving is protein.”
Following recommendations to treat the threat of internal parasites in cattle herds is a proactive way to protect production gains, and therefore profits, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert.
Jason Banta, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist, Overton, said internal parasites can cause reduced appetite; reduced digestion and absorption of nutrients; lessened immune function; reduced performance, such as lower calf and yearling growth rates; and lower pregnancy rates in cows.
Much of the Southern Plains will have wheat pasture to utilize as winter feed for stocker cattle, replacement heifers, and, in some cases, for adult cows. Both at and after calving time next January, February and March, “grass tetany” could occur in a few situations.
