Latest News From Veterinary - General

Low-Stress Trailer Loading
Low-Stress Trailer Loading

As with loading out, trailer loading is another production event that can be high stress on both the animals and people, but it needn’t be that way.

Strategic Culling Vital During Drought
Strategic Culling Vital During Drought

Many cattle operations will find themselves without enough feedstuffs to maintain their current herd size. Producers have several strategies to manage herds with limited resources, including creating a culling plan.

Do Imported Rescue Dogs Pose Threat to Livestock Industry?
Do Imported Rescue Dogs Pose Threat to Livestock Industry?

Each year, several thousand dogs enter the U.S. for resale or adoption. In a recent Hogs on the Hill article, NPPC chief veterinarian Liz Wagstrom wrote that it’s time to sound the alarm on importing rescue dogs.

Bouncing Back from Failure
Bouncing Back from Failure

Failure is a part of life, but how we bounce back from it determines how successful we will become.

Avoid, Adapt, Alter, Accept: Stress Management Tools for Farm Families
Avoid, Adapt, Alter, Accept: Stress Management Tools for Farm Families

The only certainty during spring planting is uncertainty. Farmers face many challenges: too much rain, too little rain, long hours, crop diseases and pests, machinery breakdowns.

The Surprising Truth: 4 Things You May Not Know About Reaching Goals
The Surprising Truth: 4 Things You May Not Know About Reaching Goals

Why don't we finish goals? Jon Acuff, best-selling author and motivational speaker, says we often focus on the wrong thing when we talk about our goals. Here's what he says it takes to finish the goals that matter.

Merck to Help Produce COVID-19 Vaccine, Won’t Impact Livestock Sector
Merck to Help Produce COVID-19 Vaccine, Won’t Impact Livestock Sector

Merck will start manufacturing the COVID-19 vaccine in its human manufacturing facilities later this month.

Grandin, Mitloehner Serve Up Facts About Animal Ag and Greenhouse Gases
Grandin, Mitloehner Serve Up Facts About Animal Ag and Greenhouse Gases

How can livestock production be a part of the solution? Temple Grandin and Frank Mitloehner discussed strides in sustainability and the future at the Online Top Producer Summit and Trust in Food Symposium.

Timing Matters: It pays to get more cows bred in the first 21 days
Timing Matters: It pays to get more cows bred in the first 21 days

Dr. Todd Bilby, associate director of ruminant technical services for Merck Animal Health, will share how to get more cows bred in the first 21 days, why it matters and how to improve those numbers.

Animal Agriculture Alliance Releases 2020 Conference Recordings, Sets 2021 Date
Animal Agriculture Alliance Releases 2020 Conference Recordings, Sets 2021 Date

Sessions focus on equipping food and agriculture stakeholders with the tools needed to bridge the gap between farm and fork.

Hannah Thompson-Weeman
What’s Next for Animal Activism in 2021 and What Can We Do About It?

As much as 2020 has shown us being flexible is just as valuable as having plans, I still believe there is merit to taking a moment to reflect on some of the trends we’ve seen and how they may impact us moving forward.

Greg Henderson
California’s Prop 15 Will ‘Punish Farmers and Ranchers’

Californians will vote on Proposition 15, which is billed as tax reform, except neither side can agree on exactly what gets reformed. Farmers and ranchers are rightly wary of the repercussions.

Search is On for the Best Farm-Themed Costume in 2020
Search is On for the Best Farm-Themed Costume in 2020

Halloween 2020 may look a little different, but regardless of what your community says about trick-or-treating, there is no reason why your kids shouldn’t have fun dressing up this year.

<p>Field-Day-Lobby.jpg</p>
Farm Journal Announces 365-Day Extension of Farm Journal Field Days

Live events and online content combine to deliver information and resources when farmers need them most.

Certified Angus Beef strip steaks
CAB: Another Billion In The Books

While the Certified Angus Beef ® brand saw its first sales decline of pounds in 16 years, 2020 was still the fifth year in a row of sales in excess of one billion pounds.

Squeeze Chute Work
Squeeze Chute Work

Low-stress squeeze chute operation is important because research has shown cattle that become agitated in the chute have tougher meat and more dark cutters, and up to 40% of administered vaccines won’t be effective.

#FarmON Concert featuring Lee Brice, Justin Moore, Martina McBride, Rodney Atkins and more.
#FarmON Concert is Tonight: Watch Live at 7 Central

Watch the #FarmON Concert benefiting the 4-H Fourward Fund with Lee Brice, Martina McBride, Justin Moore, Rodney Atkins and more. Watch a replay of the concert below.

.
A Western Governor Is At Odds With Agriculture

No one really expects a 21st Century governor or ag commissioner to know how to milk a cow or castrate a calf. But is it too much to ask that they understand food doesn’t just come from the grocery store?

While lesions are sometimes unavoidable, there are management practices that veterinarians and cattle producers can abide by to protect animal welfare and maintain meat quality.
Three Ways To Prevent Costly Injection-Site Lesions

While lesions are sometimes unavoidable, there are management practices that veterinarians and cattle producers can abide by to protect animal welfare and maintain meat quality.

.
What Would Will Rogers Say About The GAO Act?

Meet the Great American Outdoors Act, a funding package passed by Congress three times the amount needed - in the middle of a pandemic with the national debt already past $26 trillion.

Rebuilding from Fire: Resiliency Defines this Community
Rebuilding from Fire: Resiliency Defines this Community

The 2017 Starbuck wildfire devastated rural ranching towns across four states. Three years on, resilience in both the land and people bands this community together.

Greg Henderson
Burger King Tells A Whopper!

Burger King does not care about the prosperity of your farm or ranch. Oh, BK would never admit to as much, but that’s the only conclusion one can draw from its latest drivel disguised as an advertising campaign.

Working cattle
Glenn Selk: Lessen Heat Stress When Working Cattle

Cattle have an upper critical temperature 20 degrees cooler than humans.  When humans are a little uncomfortable at 80 degrees and feel hot at 90 degrees, cattle may well be in the danger zone for extreme heat stress.

The maps are made using seven-day forecasts based on four weather parameters – temperature, humidity, wind speed and cloud cover.
Worried About Potential Heat Stress? Consult These Forecast Maps.

The maps are made using seven-day forecasts based on four weather parameters – temperature, humidity, wind speed and cloud cover. Each parameter plays a significant role in the overall heat balance of feedlot cattle.

Summer Campaign Puts Beef on the Grill
Summer Campaign Puts Beef on the Grill

The Checkoff-funded Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. brand, managed by NCBA, kicks off summer grilling season with a multi-pronged campaign to encourage consumers to cook beef on the grill all summer long.

African horse sickness is transmitted by insects
Officials On Alert For African Horse Sickness

U.S. animal health officials are concerned about possible introduction of African horse sickness, which is caused by a virus transmitted by certain insects.

Livestock hauling
Bovine Emergency Response Plan Prepares First Responders

First responders aren't always trained how to handle an accident involving cattle. The Bovine Emergency Response Plan (BERP) teaches emergency responders to address accidents involving cattle transport vehicles.

.
Insect Apocalypse

Insects responsible for pollinating human food crops are declining due to modern farming, activists say. Such claims are wrong, says the Genetic Literacy Project, and any insect declines are likely due to urbanization.

South African Bont tick
Why Cattlemen Should Care About Dog Import Legislation

A massive threat to the US food supply could be hiding beneath the fur of an imported dog. Heartwater is a rickettsial disease that threatens protein food supplies by infecting and killing cattle and other ruminants. 

Broilers
DOJ Alleges Chicken Price-Fixing Conspiracy

Alleging a conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids for broiler chickens, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced indictments Wednesday in Denver’s federal court against four company executives.

Dr. Bruce Wren
Bruce Wren, DVM, 1934-2020

Dr. Wallace "Bruce" Wren, DVM, passed away May 20, 2020. A 1958 graduate of Kansas State University's school of veterinary medicine, Wren spent 60 years advancing bovine medicine and mentoring many young veterinarians.

Steer with RFID tag
Justin Sexten: Technology’s Role in Traceability

The advancements in technology and handling of data privacy we are currently witnessing provide a useful structure to look at options for a traceable beef product.

.
Serbian Cheese A Bargain Compared To Bundy Trials

Uncle Sam wasted some of your money on a boutique Serbian cheese, which is better than throwing good money after bad in a bungled, years-long attempt to lock up a handful of disgruntled Nevada ranchers.

Merck partners with American Hereford Association
Merck And Hereford Announce Partnership

Merck Animal Health announced a five-year partnership with the American Hereford Association (AHA) to educate members on the importance of animal health programs in maximizing cattle's genetic potential.

Nebraska Sandhills
Nalivka: American Sustainability

"The concept of sustainability that will be tested the next few years concerns economic security. Our U.S. public debt has become unsustainable, an issue that must be addressed."

Angus VNR: Forward Motion on Sustainability Practices is Important

Consumers are curious about their food. Wayne Morgan, of Golden State Foods, talks about sustainability initiatives and actions the supply chain can take moving forward.

Performance issues can occur when ponds, tubs or other open containers are contaminated with manure, dissolved solids, nitrates, algae and sulfates.
Beef Cattle Health Linked To Water Availability, Quality

Performance issues can occur when ponds, tubs or other open containers are contaminated with manure, dissolved solids, nitrates, algae and sulfates.

Building a BudBox: Part Two
Building a BudBox: Part Two

Although the design is important, it is more important to obey the principles and operation of the BudBox. Even atypically-shaped and sized boxes can work well if the operators obey the principles and work them properly.

Jimmy Sterling and cowboys of Sterling Cattle Company, Coahoma, Texas.
McKnight: The American Rancher Has Always Been A Critical Worker

"Cattle production is an essential part of our daily lives," writes TSCRA president Robert E. McKnight, Jr. "I am proud to be part of an industry that works to care for the people, livestock and land of this country."

Naive calves effortlessly flow around the handler and up the chute because the BudBox makes our idea the animals’ idea.
Building a BudBox: Part One

Unlike the other crowd pen designs, the BudBox is unique in how it makes our idea the animals’ idea so they willing do what we want.

Glenn Selk: Using Artificial Insemination In Very Warm Weather
Glenn Selk: Using Artificial Insemination In Very Warm Weather

Producers who synchronize and artificially inseminate replacement heifers or cows have already begun the process. If hot weather arrives during the AI season, some management and breeding alterations may be helpful.

FDA Grants Conditional Approval for New Baytril 100-CA1 Injection
FDA Grants Conditional Approval for New Baytril 100-CA1 Injection

Bayer Animal Health has released a new treatment for bovine clinical anaplasmosis.

.
Court Calls Beef ‘Contaminated,’ Lawson Can Jump Again

World-class long jumper Jarrion Lawson’s four-year ban from competition was overturned because the beef he ate was called “contaminated” by a three-judge panel. Science says the judges were wrong.

.
Jill Biden ‘Trucks A Vegan’

Vegans tried to interrupt Joe Biden's victory speech in Los Angeles, but his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, was having none of it. Twitter had a field day.

Technology can help prevent treating cattle that are not ill.
Justin Sexten: Unseen Costs, Clear Opportunities

We often consider the saving or revenue opportunity from technology, but this data reveal where the unexpected opportunity lies in the middle, preventing unnecessary treatment or finding calves we didn’t know were ill.

Liver abscesses cost $60 million
Reimagining Liver Health In Beef Cattle

You can’t look at a pen of feedyard cattle and know which ones have liver abscesses. Even technologies like ultrasound or blood tests don’t uncover it, but it costs the industry $60 million annually.

Cattle First Documentary Highlights Commitment to Cattle Health
Cattle First Documentary Highlights Commitment to Cattle Health

Boehringer Ingelheim premiered the new “Cattle First” documentary at the 2020 Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio.

Daniel Thomson Selected as New Chair of Animal Science at ISU
Daniel Thomson Selected as New Chair of Animal Science at ISU

Thomson is an internationally known leader, researcher and instructor in animal health management, animal welfare and beef cattle production.

Wade Taylor, DVM (left), and Tom Noffsinger founded the PAC group.
Integrate Cattle Info

Production Animal Consultation (PAC) Veterinarians Aim to Fine-Tune Beef-Cattle Management from Birth to Slaughter.

AABP Updates Dehorning Guidelines
AABP Updates Dehorning Guidelines

Due to an emphasis on animal welfare and newer pain mitigation options available, AABP updates its calf dehorning guidelines.