The nation’s cattle herd is at a 73-year low due in large part to the historic drought that hit prime cattle production areas. However, Mother Nature was fairly kind during the calving season this year, at least in states such as Iowa.
“In general I think this was one of the nicest calving seasons we’ve had for a while,” says Dr. Brett Terhaar, a technical service veterinarian for Elanco Animal Health, in Winterset, Iowa.
Healthy and productive calves are a huge asset for producers, especially with historically high prices. One lost calf can translate into a financial hit for a cattle operation.
“I have seen minimal problems with scours and pneumonia. I think this set of calves moving to grass is as good as I’ve seen when I look back over the last 10 years,” Terhaar explains.
Management is still the key to disease prevention and ensuring calf performance, he says, but a comprehensive vaccination program provides a good return on investment.
“I can’t make a vaccine that can overcome poor management. So that’s No. 1, animal husbandry. But vaccines are important,” Terhaar adds. “I don’t want to over-vaccinate, but we want to do the basics, and make sure those are done in a timely fashion.”
A mild winter has also been beneficial for cow health and body condition.
He says cow culling has slowed in areas not facing lingering drought but herd rebuilding and heifer retention is also slow.
“Are we seeing heifer retention? I don’t know that it’s much above just maintenance,” Terhaar says. “I think people are enjoying these big prices, so they’re taking the cash for heifers and taking it to the bank, which is probably smart. But at some point, we have got to keep some heifers and make some cows.”
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