Southeast (U.S.)

Beef Producers Be Aware: Dangerous Asian Longhorned Tick Continues Migrating West

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 13:21:51 GMT

The Asian Longhorned Tick (ALHT) poses a serious threat to cattle health. ALHTs carry Theileria, which is a protozoan parasite that infects red and white blood cells. It can lead to anemia and, in some cases, death.

ALHTs are native to eastern Asia, eastern China, Japan, the Russian Far East and Korea but were introduced to Australia, New Zealand and western Pacific Islands. In other countries, it can also be called a bush tick, cattle tick or scrub tick.

In the U.S., ALHT was first detected in New Jersey in 2017. Since then, it has spread to more than 20 states with recent confirmations in Illinois , Michigan and Iowa .

According to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) ALHTs are known to carry pathogens, which can cause disease and may also cause distress to the host from their feeding in large numbers. For example, a dairy cow may have a 25% decrease in milk production after becoming a host.

A female can reproduce without a mate and lay up to 2,000 eggs at a time. This can cause great stress on a heavily infested animal and result in reduced growth and production. A severe infestation can kill the animal from excessive blood loss.

Asian longhorned tick life stages and relative actual size.

(Photos of unfed ticks by Centers for Disease Control. Photos of engorged ticks by Jim Occi, Rutgers, Center for Vector Biology.)

What does it look like?

Unfed ALHTs range from a light reddish-tan to a dark red with brown, dark markings. While the adult female grows to the size of a pea when full of blood, other stages of the tick are very small — about the size of a sesame seed.

Adult females are a grey-green with yellowish markings. Male ticks are rare.

APHIS reports it only takes a single tick to create a population in a new location.

The above photos are of a AHLT engorged (on the left) and an adult AHLT not engorged.

(New Jersey Department of Agriculture)

ALHTs need warm-blooded hosts to feed and survive. They have been found on various species of domestic animals — such as sheep, goats, dogs, cats, horses, cattle and chickens — and wildlife. The tick has also been found on people.

What are the health risks?

APHIS says ALHTs are not known to carry Lyme disease, but they can cause tickborne diseases affecting humans and animals such as:

Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Heartland virus
Powassan virus

APHIS says those diseases have not been confirmed outside of a laboratory setting in the U.S. In addition, U.S. ALHT populations can transmit U.S. Theileria orientalis Ikeda strain (Cattle theileriosis) in the laboratory.

In an Iowa State University release , Grant Dewell, Extension beef veterinarian and associate professor, says cattle affected by Theileriosis will show signs of lethargy, anemia and difficulty breathing. They may develop ventral edema, exercise intolerance, jaundice and abortions.

“Although signs of Theileriosis are similar to anaplasmosis, younger animals and calves often display more severe signs compared to mature cows and bulls,” he says. “Due to anemia from both tick infestation and Theileria, the risk of death can be elevated. If cattle producers suspect either Theileria or ALHT, have a veterinarian collect appropriate samples and submit them to a veterinary diagnostic lab.”

According to an Oklahoma State University press release , under laboratory conditions ALHT is a competent vector of numerous pathogens that can cause disease in humans, including Rickettsia rickettsii (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever), Heartland Virus and Powassan Virus.

In “ Clinical Infectious Diseases, ” Bobbi Pritt, MD, MSC, with the division of clinical microbiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., reported a human bite that occurred in New York in 2019. She says though the report of a human bite isn’t surprising, it proves the invasive longhorned tick continues to bite hosts in its newest location.

“This is extremely worrisome for several reasons,” she writes. “One reason is Asian longhorned ticks can carry several important human pathogens, including the potentially fatal severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus and Rickettsia japonica, which cases Japanese spotted fever. While these pathogens have yet to be found in the United States, there is a risk of their future introduction.”

Also, Pritt says several other human pathogens have been detected in the ticks, but it’s not clear if the ALHT species are able to transmit them to humans. They include Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, and Borrelia species. Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria.

She warns the organisms are present in states where ALHTs have been found and that it’s possible the tick — known to be an aggressive biter— might be able to transmit Heartland virus given its close relationship to SFTS virus.

How to Tackle Ticks

According to APHIS, various strategies effectively mitigate tick populations on hosts and in the environment.

Regular tick treatments should be effective against ALHTs. Consult your veterinarian or agriculture extension agent about which products to use.
Check your livestock for ticks regularly.
Safely remove ticks from people and pets as quickly as possible. If you think you’ve found an ALHT, seal it in a zip-top bag and give it to your veterinarian for identification.
Habitat modifications can help prevent ticks on feedlots and pastures. This may include mowing grass, removing trees, reducing shade by thinning trees, understory removal and placing mulch barriers.
Apply acaricide using label instructions to tick habitats, such as woodland edges and grassy patches, during times when ticks are most actively seeking hosts. Although it varies by year, ALHTs are generally active from March to November. Consult your state and local regulations for approved acaricides.

“Cattle producers should aggressively control external parasites this summer,” Dewell summarizes. “Insecticide ear tags alone are not enough to control ticks. Consider incorporating a back rubber or regularly applying a pour-on during the summer. Pyrethroid-based products are also available that include a tick control label. If an increase in tick infestations is observed, an avermectin pour-on may be the best intervention.”

Your Next Read: 1,500-lb. Carcasses the New Normal, Not the Exception

Another Sign of Trouble in the Ag Economy: Farm Bankruptcies Are on the Rise

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 14:03:46 GMT

It’s no secret there’s trouble in the ag economy. As AgWeb reported in March , the Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor found 62% of ag economists think the row crop side of agriculture is currently in a recession, and 85% think the situation will accelerate consolidation on farms and among agribusinesses. A new report from Bloomberg Law shows family farm bankruptcies are also on the rise.

Bloomberg Law’s Alex Wolf and Skye Witley recently reported that family farm bankruptcies had already increased by 55% last year compared to 2023. And there’s no sign of that slowing down, as Wolf and Witley report bankruptcies are trending even higher this year. That’s as farmers continue to grapple with depressed agricultural commodity prices and high input costs.

Farm bankruptcies are on the rise in the U.S.

(Bloomberg)

“And while much of the industrywide distress predates his second stint in the White House, (President Donald) Trump has quickly nudged more farmers closer to the brink of going under and created turbulence for producers trying to make ends meet,” Wolf and Witley reported in the Bloomberg Law story. “Unpredictable tariffs, immigration overhauls, federal program cuts and frozen Agriculture Department funding are now part of the discussions farmers are having as they seek financial help.”

The report shows the last time farm bankruptcy filings soared was in 2019, which was the height of the previous trade war with China. The previous Trump administration sent farmers more than $20 billion in Market Facilitation Program payments (MFP) to help cover export losses.

Following that financial aid to farmers, the report shows family farm bankruptcies, filed under Chapter 12 of the U.S. bankruptcy code, declined each year until 2024.

According to court records, the number of new cases in 2024 jumped to 216 from a near 20-year low of 139. The report also shows those filings have continued to speed up this year, with 82 cases filed over the first three months of 2025, which is nearly double the figure for the same period a year ago.

$10 Billion in ECAP Money to Farmers

More help is on the way, if not already on farm. That’s because the American Relief Act of 2025, which was passed by Congress late last year, authorized the $10 billion for ECAP payments to help offset losses growers incurred during the 2024 crop year. Those payments are being dispersed now, and farmers have until August to sign up.

According to Joe Glauber, former USDA chief economist and a current emeritus fellow with the International Food Policy Research Institute, direct payments have helped farmers. But the threat of farm bankruptcies, and the reality of financial pain if markets don’t improve, is still there

“Remember, we are getting a ton of money put into the sector this year from the bill that was passed by Congress in December,” Glauber told “AgriTalk’s” Chip Flory. “So that’s $31 billion coming in with $10 billion of that going out to farmers as direct income support to offset low margins. So, I don’t think we’ll see a lot of farms going out of business. But certainly, if these short, tight margins persist for a long time, then that’s going to affect people.”

Rural Bankers Show Concern

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, the number of farm loans at risk of defaulting is the highest it’s been since 2020 as demand for non-real-estate farm loans has surged while repayment rates dropped. The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago serves the Seventh Federal Reserve District , which includes Iowa, and most of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Ag lenders are also concerned. The most recent Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) shows for the 19^th time in the past 20 months, the RMI sank below the 50.0 growth reading in April. This specific index surveys bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy.

While tariffs and Trump’s focus on trade are causing uncertainty, Ernie Goss, MacAllister chair in regional economics at Creighton University, says ag lenders are actually supportive of Trump’s tough stance on trade.

“The economic outlook for 2025 farm income remains weak, according to bank CEOs. Despite the negative fallout from tariffs, 75% of bankers support the tariffs on China, and 79.2% back the 90-day pause on other tariffs,” Goss told “AgriTalk’s” Chip Flory. “I’m an economist and we economists, we’re not very keen on tariffs and trade restrictions. Nonetheless, the bankers, three out of the four bankers are supportive of what the president’s doing there, and I would argue that the farmers are on the president’s side as well.”

The RMI also found rural bankers remain pessimistic about economic growth for their area over the next six months. The April confidence index increased to a weak 36.0 from March’s 30.4.

“Weak grain prices and negative farm cash flows, combined with downturns in farm equipment sales over the past several months, pushed banker confidence lower,” Goss said.

Cotton Hit Especially Hard

Cotton farmers are especially feeling the pain with younger farmers already having difficulty getting financed for this year. Cheap cotton prices and dwindling demand are just part of the problem. Input costs have climbed, and there’s no safety net to be found from a new farm bill. One Georgia farmer told Farm Journal that the current farm bill is irrelevant and worthless, and if a new one doesn’t get passed this year, the cotton industry is doomed.

“We’re going to plant cotton and don’t even have a clue if we’re going to get our money back,” says Franz Rowland, who grows cotton in Boston, Ga. “There’s no farm bill to support us, and the reference price is so low that it’s not anything that we can depend on. So, we’re going to put several million dollars in the ground and don’t even know if we’re going to get it back.”

As president and CEO of National Cotton Council (NCC), Gary Adams sees and hears the somber situation for U.S. cotton farmers from coast to coast. Adams says the outlook for 2025 is even worse than 2024.

“We’ve gone beyond just losing money now that we’re to the point of losing the farm,” he says. “Unfortunately, where the industry is, that’s what it looks like as we’re going into 2025.”

Darren Hudson is the Larry Combest endowed chair for agricultural competitiveness and director of the International Center for Agricultural Competitiveness at Texas Tech University. Hudson focuses on cotton, and on “AgriTalk” this week, he described why cotton farmers, and the entire cotton industry, is feeling the pinch.

“Cotton is fairly input intensive anyway, and so urea, nitrogen costs, all these chemical costs, they’re facing those just like every other farmer out there, but we’ve had three consecutive really bad moisture years,” Hudson told “AgriTalk.” “So, we have a long way to go to get back to what you think of as normal growing conditions.”

Hudson says three consecutive years of declining production due to drought isn’t just a problem for producers, it’s also the cotton infrastructure that relies on that crop.

“We’ve had three years, you know, that processing infrastructure all that stuff is strained and disappearing, and it’s getting harder and harder to farm as a cotton farmer out here,” says Hudson, who’s based in Lubock, Texas. “We’re not unusual compared to everybody else. We don’t want to sing a sad story, but I think all of ag is in a squeeze at this moment with [commodity] prices versus inputs.”

Is the Ag Industry Ripe for Consolidation?

Another reality for U.S. agriculture, while the majority of farms in the U.S. are small family farms, that sector doesn’t represent the majority of farm production today.

USDA ERS data shows while 88% of U.S. farms are considered “small family farms,” those farms only represent18.7% of the total U.S. value of farm production.

(Ben Brown, University of Missouri )

USDA ERS data shows while 88% of U.S. farms are considered “small family farms,” those farms only represent 18.7% of the total U.S. value of farm production.

On the other hand, while 3.4% of U.S. farms are “large-scale family farms,” that sector represents 51.8% of the total value of U.S. farm production.

Hurricane Helene Wreaks Havoc for Cattle Producers in the Southeast

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 22:04:27 GMT

A cross made from logs still stands, a testament to faith and prayers for protection. Beyond that, miles of trees strewn about or snapped in two. Outbuildings lie smashed to pieces. Downed fences. Flooding everywhere. That’s the scene Georgia cattlewoman Stephanie Miller describes after Hurricane Helene hit the morning of Sept. 27.

“It literally looks like a scene out of a twister movie,” Miller recounts. She and her partner, Kye Lamm, share a rural home in Rockledge, about an hour southeast of Macon.

During the pandemic, many Georgians put up these crosses during a ‘Faith Over Fear’ campaign. Several were still standing after the storm.

(Stephanie H. Miller)

“We could feel the storm come in about 1:30 in the morning. By 2 a.m., we had completely lost power, and we just laid there. I was like, ‘Lord, please let everything hold on.’ About 4:45, we thought it was stopping because it literally sounded like a freight train. Living in Georgia, we know what tornadoes sound like. It felt like and sounded like a tornado for about three and a half hours. At 4:45, we opened the front door because it had got calm. Little did we know that’s when the eye was passing over.”

As the storm ramped up, a 60-year old pecan tree in their front yard came down right in from of them, narrowly missing the house.

“The storm passed through a lot of our area,” Miller says. “In our area in Georgia, we have a lot of cattle. Many of our farmers who row crop also have cattle. We’re right here in the middle of harvest season. We’ve been pretty much throat punched.”

Miller and Lamm own Sundown Cattle Company and background yearlings. They also help other producers with herd management, consulting and putting together lots to send to the Midwest and Texas. They have spent the days since the storm helping with clean up, gathering and recovery efforts.

Sundown Cattle Co. has opened up their backgrounding yard for any cattle producers who need to hold cattle until facilities can be rebuilt.

(Stephanie H. Miller)

“There’s so much loss, both human and livestock,” she shares. “We had to put down nine of our cattle as they were just mangled under the trees.”

With the lack of power and cell service, Miller says it’s been hard to communicate. She says friends, neighbors and other cattle producers have been trying to coordinate help for each other.

“We’re probably about 12 counties linked together, and a lot of us know what we’re all going through,” she says. “Everybody is swapping out services and cell numbers. When we do have cell phone service, we’ve just been lining up everything this week, asking if people need help.”

Miller says they have been calling on each other to help get cattle off the river, bringing in portable corrals, horses and dogs, doctoring cattle and cutting through downed trees with chainsaws to make a path.

There is very little water, and the water that comes in is used quickly. Everyone is without power. Gas for generators is scarce, Miller says.

“People where we’re at today are having to drive 40 to 50 miles to get gas because the gas stations here are mom and pops, and there’s lines. People line up for two or three hours just to get gas,” she explains the reality they are facing.

One of the biggest power providers, Altahama EMC’s entire territory was without power and is slowing starting to come back online.

“None of us have power. No power. No showers. Without power people aren’t able to run wells and water livestock,” she says.

With all of the rain, the ground is saturated and trees that didn’t fall during the storm are falling now and taking down more fences.

“We’re trying to cut our way to the pasture to get some portables in and get those cows off the river,” Miller says.

Cattleman Kye Lamm cuts through downed trees to make a path to get cattle off the river.

(Stephanie H. Miller)

The reality of the storm’s devastation and long-term impacts have started to sink in.

“A lot of our row croppers have been on the urge of just throwing their hands in the air,” Miller says. “They have farmed this land for generations and now are having to make impossible decisions. When you’ve got miles and miles of fence down, and not the time or money to wait for equipment, they’re saying, ‘Sell them; I need them gone.’”

In addition, many farmers still haven’t harvested their crops.

“The peanuts, if you don’t get them out, they’re going to rot in the field,” she adds. “Some hard decisions have to be made.”

Many producers in Georgia are having to make tough decisions to sell cattle now.

(Stephanie H. Miller)

Miller says she’s not sure if the outside world really understands what Georgia and the Southeast are going through. In addition to the cattle business, Miller also hosts a morning radio show about faith, family and farming. While the power was restored to the station, there still is not power to the tower.

“We haven’t really had access to the internet or TV, so I’m not broadcasting right now. I can’t even use that to link people together because we don’t have that access right now,” she explains.

To put this storm into perspective, Millers says Lamm has done a lot of work in Florida and helped cowboy down there during Hurricane Charlie. He said we’re not built for hurricanes up here.

“We’re built for tornadoes, but not for hurricanes,” she says. “We’ve lost so much of our pecan trees. We’re talking 60-to-80-year-old pecan trees. They’re gone. They have a shallow root system. The planted pine trees looked like they could have been harvested at any point this year. Now they’re laid over. If they’re not laid over, they’re snapped in two. We’re a big logging community down here. Every other truck is a rock truck or a log truck. They can only salvage trees for pulp wood now.”

Millers says people have memories of surviving Hurricane Michael in 2018.

“It came through the same path,” she says. “Everybody tried to prepare, but there was no way to prepare for this — miles and miles and miles of destruction and flooding.”

With the port strikes, Miller fears the additional pressure on the supply chain. The meat processing plant in Augusta was also closed due to lack of power.

“When you start to think about the supply chain, it could really be broken,” she says.

Even with all the destruction and despair, Miller remains optimistic.

“We’re still surviving, and we’re working together to make sure everybody is taken care of,” she says. “That’s been the beautiful thing — to see people of all ethnicities, all political backgrounds, no matter what they believe in, they’re coming together and working together to get through this. Something that could easily divide us is actually bringing us together.”

Miller says she sees so much resiliency in the people of the Southeast.

“We feel like we’ve taken it from every direction with this hurricane,” she explains. “But you see people on the side of the road, they may be strangers, but they’re working together. I was riding my horse on the river, when we were trying to push a set out, and I was thinking all these people are literally the hands and feet of Jesus.”

Your next read: Producer Resources for Hurricane Helene Relief

Trade Associations Urge Biden Administration To Act Now To End Port Strike

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 18:11:33 GMT

A coalition of over 270 local, state and federal trade associations have signed a letter urging President Biden and his administration to use all of its authorities to end the port strike, get the ports open and get the parties back to the negotiating table.

Click here to read the full letter.

The associations involved represent:

American manufacturers
Farmers and agribusinesses
Wholesalers
Retailers
Restaurants
Importers
Exporters
Distributors
Transportation and logistics providers
Additional supply chain stakeholders

The Ag Retailers Association (ARA) is among the groups who sent the letter and is encouraging members to let them know how the strike will impact their businesses.

Background:
A port strike along the East and Gulf coasts began on Oct. 1 and will halt the flow of a wide range of goods, potentially leading to shortages and higher costs. According to an estimate from the Anderson Economic Group, a one week strike would cost the U.S. economy about $2.1 billion.

Your Next Read: East and Gulf Coast Dockworkers Now on Strike Over Wage Demands, Halting Key U.S. Cargo Shipments

Producer Resources for Hurricane Helene Relief

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 17:43:27 GMT

As farmers and ranchers impacted by Hurricane Helene and the floods following begin assessing damages and loss, resources are available to help. The Category 4 hurricane affects producers across the Southeast from Florida northward into the Appalachians. Below is a list of resources for cattlemen and women to give and seek aide.

Florida
The Florida Cattlemen’s Association is collecting donations through their Florida Cattlemen’s Foundation: https://fca.memberclicks.net/foundationdonation#!/

For those wanting to donate to relief funds via check, please mail to:
Florida Cattlemen’s Foundation
Hurricane Helene Relief
P.O. Box 421929
Kissimmee, FL 34742-199

Georgia
To support Georgia cattle producers, donations can be sent via mail to:
Georgia Cattlemen’s Association
100 Cattlemen’s Dr.
Macon, GA 31220
Contact Georgia Cattlemen’s Association at (478)-474-6560 or gca@gabeef.org.

The Georgia Cattlemen’s Association is asking for donations of fencing materials. More information can be found on their Facebook page.

North Carolina
The North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association has asked for donations by check:
NC Cattlemen’s Association
2228 N Main Street
Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
Memo- Hurricane Helene Response

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture has asked for donations to be made to:
• The North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund: https://pay.payitgov.com/ncdonations
• Red Cross - North Carolina Region: https://www.redcross.org/local/north-carolina.html

Tennessee
The following resources were compiled by the Southeast TN Young Farmers.

Appalachian Sustainable Development has an extensive list of resources:
https://www.asdevelop.org/hurricane-helene-emergency.../

RAFI also has great information:
https://www.rafiusa.org/blog/helene-disaster-support/

For those of us outside the area that want to help:

UT is putting together a list of people who can house and transport livestock for those in need. If this is something you can help with please fill out the form below:
https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSc3Wd5LujFedW.../viewform

For those wanting to offer hands-on assistance... Blue Ridge Women in Ag, based in Boone, is organizing a farm recovery volunteer corps. Here’s the sign up sheet:
https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSf6K4HCqmSRrm.../viewform

Also if you want to donate money specifically to farmer support, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project is still taking stock and checking in on farmers but will be offering farmer support into the future. https://asapconnections.org/donate

USDA Assistance
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) also reminds communities, farmers and ranchers, families and small businesses in the path of Hurricane Helene that USDA has programs that provide assistance in the wake of disasters. USDA staff in the regional, state and county offices stand ready and are eager to help.

USDA partnered with FEMA and other disaster-focused organizations and created the Disaster Resource Center . This central source of information utilizes a searchable knowledge base of disaster-related resources powered by agents with subject matter expertise. The Disaster Resource Center website and web tool now provide an easy access point to find USDA disaster information and assistance. USDA also developed a disaster assistance discovery tool specifically targeted to rural and agricultural issues. The tool walks producers through five questions that generate personalized results identifying which USDA disaster assistance programs can help them recover from a natural disaster.

USDA also encourages residents and small businesses in impact zones to contact a local USDA office to determine which assistance programs might meet their individual needs.

NCBA Relief Resources
As more information becomes available, please visit our website for more resources and ways to assist at ncba.org/producers/disaster-relief-resource s.

Anger Over Anaplasmosis

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:24:22 GMT

Jason Lewis discovered the first dead cow in September of last year. It was the beginning of an odyssey that left him, the ranch owner and several other area producers questioning their management, relationships with suppliers, and even government oversight on how medicated feeds are produced and the new Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD).

Over the next few weeks the number of dead cows on the 5,200-acre Division Ranch, near Strong City, Kan., where Lewis has been manager for 23 years, had grown to 13. As with any sudden loss of cattle, the deaths were at first a mystery. Initially he thought the deaths were due to blue-green algae, but an analysis of pond water was negative.

Risk of Cattle Contracting Anaplasmosis Grows

This interactive map shows the greatest risk areas for anaplasmosis infections. Every state, except Hawaii has reported cases of anaplasmosis in cattle. An experimental vaccine from University Products LLC has been approved for veterinarian use in 26 states and Puerto Rico. Roll over each state to see more information. (Produced by Lori Hays)

Lewis then called on Tom Jernigan, DVM, to investigate with a necropsy and blood samples from other cows.

The diagnosis was anaplasmosis, a disease prevalent in the Kansas Flint Hills area. Lewis and Division Ranch owner Guy Pickard were well aware the ranch was in a high-risk anaplasmosis area. But that only deepened the mystery of the cow deaths because they were feeding mineral with an antibiotic designed to prevent anaplasmosis. The mineral was purchased from a local feed company that mixed chlortetracycline (CTC) into the product under a VFD written by Jernigan.

“We knew anaplasmosis was prevalent in this area,” Lewis says. “But we thought our preventative measures were protecting us.”

Over the next few months, Lewis and Pickard searched for answers to the tragedy they say cost the ranch north of $35,000. What they found is a system they believe is flawed, and now they hope their experience will serve as a warning to other cattlemen to be more vigilant.

Anaplasmosis is a disease caused by the blood parasite Anaplasma marginale. It is transmitted from animal to animal by biting flies, ticks and contaminated needles or surgical instruments. Once infected, an animal’s immune system attacks the invader, but also destroys infected red blood cells. In an acute infection, the loss of red blood cells inhibits the animal’s ability to provide adequate oxygen to tissues, and death occurs due to suffocation at the cellular level.

Producers have long known about anaplasmosis, and the most popular means of prevention is the use of mineral mixes with CTC.

Veterinarians say feeding CTC at a rate of 0.5 mg per pound of body weight will prevent anaplasmosis infections.

When Pickard and Lewis began to suspect a problem they contacted the Kansas Department of Agriculture. A KDA representative visited the ranch, collected samples and sent them to two different labs for testing, KDA and the South Dakota Agriculture Laboratories.

While KDA found no evidence the mineral batch to be faulty, they reported “the amount of CTC available to the cows was deficient by 56 mg to 151 mg per head per day, or 9.5% to 24.3% of the required amount to control and prevent death loss caused by anaplasmosis.”

“That appeared to be the answer at first,” Pickard says. “But the deficiencies of CTC in the mineral were within the allowable limits. So, while we were paying for a CTC-mineral mix that we thought would prevent anaplasmosis, what we were getting was a product that could legally be 30% short of the VFD as written.”

A 30% allowable variance (meaning the CTC amount could be from 70% to 130% of the VFD) is one few producers—or even many veterinarians—know about, a crucial piece of information Pickard and Lewis want to make known to other producers.

The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine is the federal agency with oversight regarding the use of antibiotics in food animals. As a member of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Pickard was counseled by NCBA to contact the FDA. He was referred to the FDA’s medicated feed specialist, Dragan Momcilovic, DVM. He confirmed to Pickard the FDA allows a variance of 30% for CTC in mineral mixes, a regulation that dates back at least 50 years.

In correspondence with Pickard, Momcilovic wrote regarding the justification for the variance, “the issues boil down to stating that the assay limits take into account the inherent variability in the feed assay method and give some extra allowance for variability due to mixing/sampling.

“As I would put it,” Momcilovic wrote, “the assay limits are a result of necessity dictated by and laws of physics/chemistry.”
For cowboys like Pickard and Lewis, however, the allowable variance still seems excessive. After all, both labs that tested the mineral samples from the Division Ranch indicated their tests to be 99% accurate or better.

“It’s not that simple,” says Gary Sides, beef cattle nutritionist with Zoetis, the manufacturer of Aureomycin (CTC), the only product approved by FDA for feeding as free choice in mineral to beef cattle and one many veterinarians say is the best tool for anaplasmosis prevention.

“There are valid reasons to have a 30% variance because you can have such variation when you sample,” Sides says. “How many samples were taken? Were there any weather events such as heat and humidity? There’s just so many variables that if we reduced the variance there would be horrible ramifications for the feed companies.”

Also, it’s important for producers to understand assay variations do not predict the effectiveness of the product, says William McBeth, DVM, director of veterinary medical information and product support for Zoetis.

“It’s a pass/fail system,” McBeth says of testing samples. “There’s real variability across all free-choice pasture mineral programs. The product is either within the allowable variance or it’s not. The assay limits are not a random number. They were developed by analytical chemists who run hundreds of samples each week.”

There’s also the crucial factor of daily intake. A VFD for CTC does not guarantee that the medication will be consumed by the cows at the recommended rate.

“The producer has to make sure the cows are consuming the product at the recommended rate or it can’t be effective,” Sides says.

As for the feed company that provided the CTC-mineral mix to Division Ranch and others, no one believes they intentionally shorted the product. Indeed, even one of their competitors that spoke with Drovers about this story calls them “a good competitor with a good reputation.” He says like any other business, misrepresenting a feed or mineral product is a quick way to ruin their business.

“I don’t know any company that deliberately puts in 70% of what’s required,” Zoetis’ Sides says. “It’s just not done.”
Yet, the whole episode has left Lewis and Pickard feeling bitter. They provide their cattle with excellent care and management, they have a close working relationship with their veterinarian and they played by the rules of the VFD.

“We still lost 13 cows,” Pickard says. “What I want to emphasize to other producers is to be vigilant about anaplasmosis. You may be providing CTC, but it’s not a guarantee against the disease.”

Distillers Grains Offers Supplementation Options for Cattle Producers

Fri, 07 Sep 2018 00:12:00 GMT

Across much of the Southeast, many producers have experiencing ample rain and plenty of forage, therefore, winter supplementation is far from their thoughts. However, now is a great time to start planning ahead. Typically, three large factors taken into consideration when selecting a supplement are convenience, cost, and nutrients supplied. Often times, we combine the latter two and look at cost per unit of nutrient (e.g. $/lb of protein or energy). Unfortunately, sometimes nutrients supplied are sacrificed to maximize convenience or low cost.

Over past two decades, ethanol production has increased, and in turn, the byproduct of this industry (distillers grains) has become more available. The growing popularity of this feedstuff has led to extensive research evaluating distillers grains in beef cattle production. In fact, several studies have been conducted at the University of Georgia in an effort to evaluate its value, as well as ways to utilize it in a convenient manner. For the remainder of this article, the discussion will focus on dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) because this is the most common form utilized in the Southeast.

Nutrient value and mineral considerations

A summary of the nutrient analysis of approximately 130 DDGS samples submitted to Cumberland Valley Analytical Services (Waynesboro, PA) from the Southeast is presented in Table 1.

This byproduct can be fed as a protein source to replace other more expensive sources such as soybean meal. Distillers grains are also an excellent source of energy, often testing between 85 and 95% total digestible nutrients (TDN). The form of energy also makes distillers grains attractive for grazing cattle. Since the starch is removed, the energy derived from distillers grains is primarily digestible fiber and some fat.

The mineral content of distillers grains should also be taken into consideration. Dried distillers grain is high in phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S), but low in calcium (Ca). Supplemental Ca should be provided to balance the high phosphorus levels to maintain a Ca:P ratio above 1.5:1. If this ratio stays low for extended periods of time, urinary calculi, or “water bellies” may occur. Also, excessive P excretion can have negative impact on water sources increasing the risk of algal bloom.

Sulfur tends to be high and can vary widely between ethanol plants and can be as high as 1%. The total ration should remain below 0.4% S to avoid issues such as Polioencephalomalacia, or more commonly referred to Polio or “brainers”.

Typically, DDGS should be limited to 30-40% of the total intake to avoid any negative impacts of excessive minerals while utilizing the protein and energy available.

Potential for heat damage

Distillers grains is high in moisture directly after the distilling process and

is typically dried down to make transportation and storage easier. If excess heat is applied during the d

rying process, the protein in DDGS can be heat-damaged and become bound protein. This reduces its utilization by cattle. This damage can easily be detected by visual inspection. Properly dried DDGS will have a light golden color; however, as it becomes heat damaged, it will darken in color and have a distinctive burntodor. Figure 1 illustrates the visual difference in an undamaged and a heat damaged load of DDGS. Analysis of load-A, golden in color, indicates 30.7% CP and 2.3% bound protein, while load-B, darker in color, is 26.9% CP and 9.9% bound protein. The adjusted CP, or available protein, for load –A and –B is 28.4% and 17%, respectively. This can create protein deficiencies if not taken into consideration when balancing a ration.

Utilizing DDG in a free-choice hot-mix

An on-farm trial was conducted in Northeast Georgia to develop a hot mix to allow producers to feed DDGS free choice but maintain intake to a safe level. In this trial, weaned heifers were offered tall fescue hay (56% TDN and 10% CP) with DDGS. At first, DDGS was offered free choice, however daily intake reached 12 lb/hd, twice the recommended level! A premix containing salt, limestone, and trace mineral (Table 2) was formulated to limit intake of DDGS while balancing the mineral content. This “hot mix” limited the intake of DDGS to approximately 40% of the daily dry matter intake for both developing heifers (7.8 lbs) and bred heifers (9.3 lb), and resulted

in average daily gains of 1.95 lb for weaned heifers and 1.07 lb for bred heifers. A hot mix is a supplement that contains an intake limiter and allows a producer to put out enough feed to last several days with intake remaining relatively constant across that time. This results in a feed strategy that is more convenient than feeding on a daily basis. This DDGS hot mix could easily be utilized for brood cows and bulls. In fact, several producers have reported success stories from utilizing this strategy.

Despite limitations with sulfur, phosphorus, and fat, distillers grains offer producers an additional option for protein and energy supplementation when cost is not prohibitive. Additional research has been conducted in Georgia evaluating distillers grains for developing bulls, stocker cattle, and finishing cattle. More information on distillers grains and the results of these studies can be found in UGA Bulletin 1482, Using Distillers Grains in Beef Cattle Diets . For more assistance developing beef cattle rations utilizing distillers grains, please contact your local Extension office.