Feeding Cattle Without Distillers’ Grains

Sinking oil prices may force cattle feeders to use alternatives for the most popular byproduct in the ration.

Since the advent of the ethanol boom in the upper Midwest, distillers’ grains (also known simply as distillers’) have become a staple ingredient in cattle rations. Known to enhance both ration palatability and animal performance, distillers’ grains are a natural fit for all classes of cattle, from feedyard to cow-calf production. Current low global oil prices, tight grain supplies and decreased fuel demand have cut the profit potential of fuel ethanol production. The resulting market pressure has forced some ethanol plants to close, at least temporarily, interrupting the supply of ethanol coproducts and mandating a quick move to feeding cattle without distillers’ grains.

Intranasal vs. Injectable Respiratory Vaccines

Choose the right product at the right time for young calves.

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is still a major cause of sickness and death in young beef and dairy calves. While vaccination remains one of the most effective ways to prevent losses associated with BRD, it’s often assumed that intranasal vaccines are the best approach in younger calves. However, recent research shows that previous perceptions about injectable respiratory vaccines may not be accurate, and both types of vaccines have a place in BRD prevention.

A Prickly Situation

Cactus moth now in Texas, eating prickly pear cactus, a vital weed needed by livestock during drought.

Prickly pear cactus has its detractors. Long hated for its clusters of barbed spines, or glochids, that are difficult to remove, it has been cursed, hacked, burned and sprayed.

Prickly pear is also used by a variety of wildlife and cattle and is prized as a part of the Mexican-American diet. There is even a small industry devoted to rearing insects, called cochineal scale, that feed exclusively on prickly pear. These scales produce a vivid red dye, called cochineal or carmine, sometimes used as a natural coloring agent in cosmetics and beverages.

Calfhood Vaccinations: Proper Timing is Crucial

Time calfhood vaccinations properly to get the most bang for your buck.

The young calf’s temporary protection from colostrum antibodies begins to wane after a few weeks; calves must then build their own immunities. Vaccinating at the proper time can help them create immunity. Vaccinating too soon, however, may not stimulate much immune response. If the calf still has maternal antibodies in its system, those antibodies tend to interfere with the calf building its own immunity. Its body sees no need to respond.

STD Awareness Month Doesn’t Just Apply to Humans

Trichomoniasis is a costly sexually transmitted disease that can quickly spread across an entire cattle herd.

April was STD Awareness Month, and cows should not be left out of the conversation.

“Trichomoniasis, or trich, is a sexually transmitted disease that has the ability to cut a calf crop in half,” says John Davidson, senior associate director of beef professional veterinary services with Boehringer Ingelheim. “A bull’s value can be wiped out in a single service with an infected cow or heifer.”

Staggering Deficiency

A cattleman’s guide to understanding and preventing grass tetany.

Spring has arrived, and soon cattle producers will be thinking about turning their cattle out on nice green pastures. Spring grazing is always an exciting time, but before you turn out those pairs to green grass, consider a hidden concern of grazing.

Grass tetany can be a challenge for producers during spring and early summer grazing when there is an excess of potassium in their forage. Fortunately, with proper management and care, grass tetany can be prevented, says Kevin Glaubius, director of nutrition at BioZyme  Inc.

APHIS Proposes New List of Reportable Animal Diseases

Public has 60 days to comment.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing a new National List of Reportable Animal Diseases to further strengthen the country’s ability to detect, respond to and control animal diseases. The new list will provide a consolidated, comprehensive set of guidelines to ensure federal and state animal health officials quickly receive information about potential cases of communicable animal diseases. This helps ensure that serious diseases are reported earlier, which can help speed our response time and lessen the overall effect on producers and the economy.