Jeff Grognet, DVM

What is the best time for castration? What technique should be used? Does castration alter growth rates? Castration has long been shown to improve the taste and texture of beef. Bulls usually have tougher muscle with an unpleasant odour. Reducing male hormones through castration also reduces aggression between bull calves, which leads to less wear […] Read more

When an animal dies on pasture, it is often classified as a sudden death because it was not seen ill. There are many reasons for sudden death, and though it is the loss of only one animal, it could signal the start of an outbreak. This is why the reason for the demise must be […] Read more

The twinning rate in cattle is about one in 4,000 births. This number can be increased by using hormones. The advantage would be that rather than getting one calf from a cow, producers would get two. However, there are drawbacks. Stillborn calves occur in only four percent of single calves compared to 13 percent of […] Read more

Sheep producers can make more intelligent decisions about parasite control when they understand the intricacies of worm life cycles. Strategic deworming programs result in healthier sheep, improved profits, and if done correctly, the ability to stop deworming. Sheep harbour many worms in their intestines. Most worms steal nutrients from the food around them, but there […] Read more

For a pregnant cow, just lying down and getting up can be a dangerous manoeuvre. As it drops its front end to lie down or boosts its hind end to rise, its uterus is temporarily suspended in a precarious position. A sudden fall or slip at that moment can cause the uterus to twist on […] Read more

An Alberta company introduced Alfasure in 2003 to combat alfalfa bloat in cattle. Since then, producers have been able to reap the performance benefits of alfalfa feed without worrying about frothy bloat. Bloat is a difficult condition to manage because so many factors trigger its onset. Under normal conditions, nerve receptors in the rumen detect […] Read more

Pregnancy toxemia strikes cows, especially overly fat ones, during the last two months of pregnancy. This metabolic condition is caused by improper feeding. Cows with unlimited access to spring and summer pastures can gain so much weight that their body condition scores rise: up to seven or more on a nine-point scale. When pasture or […] Read more

Most calf deaths occur in newborns younger than one week old. Many can be avoided. By providing superior care to neonatal calves and their dams, producers can improve calf health, increase survival and boost their bottom lines. Dystocia is a major contributor to the loss of newborn calves. Some die during a difficult calving, but […] Read more

The two most costly health problems in the feedlot industry are respiratory disease and footrot. The third, surprisingly, is buller steer syndrome. The aberrant behaviour associated with buller steers has an impact on steer well-being and poses a financial burden to feedlot operators. Buller steers are 3.2 times more likely to die than non-buller steers […] Read more

The breeding season has ended and while your herd bulls can be rested for winter, you still have to get them ready for spring. You need to design a feeding regime to meet their nutritional requirements and establish and implement a vaccination program. When keeping bulls through the winter, do not overfeed or underfeed them. […] Read more