Calves
Weaning can be a stressful period for livestock and humans but making the extra effort to reduce stress on calves can lead to increased performance in the form of less illness and increased weight gain.
New Jersey must “adopt rules and regulations concerning the confinement, care and treatment of breeding pigs and calves raised for veal,” according to legislation signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy on Wednesday.
The discovery of the longhorned tick, already responsible the loss of millions of dollars in revenue to livestock producers worldwide, indicates a potential looming problem for cattle health in mid-Missouri.
Creep grazing has potential to be a cost-effective way to produce additional calf gains using forage rather than the traditional grain-based creep diets.
Why do some of the best calves catch a cough, known as summer pneumonia? K-State experts discuss the disease and what ranchers can do to best mitigate an outbreak in their herd.
When going out to tag calves, most cow-calf producers would prefer to find a new bull calf. However, it’s important to remember the extra options and opportunties heifer calves provide.
Producers should make the decision of whether or not to creep based on economics. Here’s a simple, quick “Cowboy Math” example based on current economics.
Even with the best management practices in place, some stressful events such as shipping are unavoidable. These recommendations can help mitigate the risk of respiratory disease and other health issues.
Times of profitability provide excellent opportunities to reflect on what decisions we made to get here, more specifically what management practices resulted in the improving balance sheet.
Castration of bull calves prior to marketing has long been encouraged. Here’s a look at why this practice is important from a health, animal welfare, beef quality and cow-calf producer’s perspective.
Implanting preweaning is one of the most cost-effective ways to increase production for the cow-calf producer, and research shows implanted steer calves outgain bull calves.
Spring calving brings the promise of working calves and branding season. Each operation is set up differently with varying resources to work calves. How do you minimize cattle stress during this event?
Building a battle plan to protect calves from bovine respiratory disease (BRD) long before antibiotics are necessary should be incorporated into every cow-calf operation.
Calving is underway across the country, which means calf processing and branding (if applicable in your area) is just around the corner. Here’s some things to remember heading into the season.
Young calves continue to dot fields across the country. To help offer young calves a healthy start, Tony Hawkins, DVM, and Ray Shultz, DVM, shared some tips.
Understanding why scours occurs is the first step in preventing the problem. Calf scours outbreaks are the result of a contaminated calving and nursing environment.
Electrolytes can serve as a needed boost for a scouring calf. Here’s a look at what’s in electrolyte products, how much electrolytes should be given and a few ways and tips on how to give electrolytes to a calf.
Providing additional heat in the form of heat lamps for newborn lambs, kids and calves inside a “hot box” can aid in newborn survivability.
After a typical birth the calf should breathe within 30 seconds of delivery, says Dr. Geof Smith, dairy technical services veterinarian for Zoetis. If it isn’t, you need to intervene.
Barry Whitworth, Oklahoma State University Extension veterinarian recommends cow-calf operators keep several doses of colostrum or colostrum replacer handy as calving season is underway in many parts of the country.
How can ranchers quickly identify compromised calves and help predict whether they can acquire optimal passive immunity? Elizabeth Homerosky, DVM, Veterinary Agri-Health Services, set out to find answers.
Plans for calving season should include how to identify and manage cold stress in newborns. Here’s what you need to know.
Calf scours results in sickness, poor performance, medical expenses and death. Here’s a look at the complex disease and one management method found to decrease and even prevent transmission.
For many ranchers, large amounts of snow on ground not entirely frozen has led to some wet and muddy situations. Here’s some tips to help make it through the calving season with focus on animal health.
What was the biggest challenge you faced during your last calving season? Here’s a few things to consider and have ready for when that first calf hits the ground.
What should happen at the beginning of life for a baby calf to get off to a good start? Let’s review the sequence of several steps that need to happen.
Raising an orphaned beef calf can be time consuming and may require additional expense. Additionally, calves may not be thriving at the time they are orphaned so managing health and nutrition can present challenges.
When calves on grass drop like flies, have minimal gains and many carcasses are condemned on the rail, Kansas State University experts uncover the unfortunate cause.
Caffeine may help stimulate at-risk calves that are the result of dystocia (difficult birth), hypothermia from being born in the cold, or being run down from a stressful event such as disease or transport.
What’s the reason behind the length of your calving season? When it comes to your improving your bottom line, the length of your calving season may be a good place to start.