Lots of comparisons can be made between raising bison and cattle. Some things are easier, some things are harder. But every year, I hear of new issues in the bison herds, involving animal deaths, loss of productivity or reproductive failures. One very good thing about the bison industry is it is a close-knit group of […] Read more
Author Archives
Parasite prevention vital as dewormer efficiency fades
In the past, most pour-on products were primarily targeted at lice but for about the past eight years, the efficacy of pour-on dewormers on internal parasites has diminished. This means that after a fall treatment, the internal parasites emerge in spring, excreting lots of worm eggs. This then carries onto the pasture season and pastures […] Read more
Major changes needed to process calves amid COVID-19
Spring processing is here, when larger groups of cattle producers sometimes gather to process the calves. This year, major changes are needed. I think some changes will become the new normal in the cattle industry and some will benefit us in other ways. Livestock producers are among the most knowledgeable when it comes to biosecurity […] Read more
Calcium most obvious option for pregnant downer cows
Many cows that go down close to calving are low in calcium or phosphorus, or both, and magnesium can play a role as well. When colostrum is being formed, there is a large draw of calcium into the udder and this becomes the main cause of the deficiency. To compound the problem, some cows don’t […] Read more
Proper tubing of young calves should be top priority
Tubing a young calf with colostrum, colostrum substitute, electrolytes or for other reasons can be common on cow-calf operations. The procedure must be properly done, keeping in mind biosecurity and that important pledge from the Hippocratic Oath: First, do no harm. This article will outline proper procedures for tubing as well as some treatment parameters […] Read more
Herd health monitoring can have beneficial results for producers
In beef cattle production, there are essential practices we must do to treat animals, and other practices that vary from region to region, pen to pen, or year to year. On some procedures, monitoring must be consistent to enable the producer and the herd veterinarian to set out specific points as to when to initiate […] Read more
Vaccination timing is important but sometimes needs fine-tuning
Vaccines and parasiticides are most effective in livestock when used at the proper time. Fine-tuning the most appropriate and cost-effective times to apply will achieve the optimum results. Over the years, we have sometimes got away with the cookbook-type approach, which means cattle always get treated with a vaccination, are dewormed and de-liced before entering […] Read more
Stress can open the door for Histophilus somni bacteria
The disease organism known as Histophilus somni can cause many illnesses in feedlot cattle. This bacteria has been linked to pneumonia, arthritis, ITEME (infectious thrombo-embolic-meningo-encephalitis), as well as septicemia and heart failure. Stress can bring on diseases caused by H. somni, which is why the stress of weaning and then commingling and transportation to auction […] Read more
Improvements have been made in ear tag retention
The national cattle identification system has been around for slightly less than 20 years. Developers have gone through lots of growing pains and are starting to fine-tune the system. Producers are deriving more benefits from using the farm management systems linked to readers and scales, which are based on the ability to read the RFID […] Read more
Livestock transportation has seen major improvements
A lot of work has gone into the new transportation regulations. For cattle and bison, previous regulations were working well. Long trailer hauls to packing plants or feedlots in Canada and the United States recorded a success rates of more than 99.9 percent. It’s possible to improve, but a lot of the culture around loading […] Read more
