Veterinary Regulations

UDSA to Hold Listening Sessions Addressing the Rural Veterinary Shortage

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 17:26:30 GMT

Last month, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the Rural Veterinary Action Plan, which will enhance the support available for rural veterinarians across the US. The plan includes the following action items:

Improve Veterinary Grant Programs
Better Understand the Rural Veterinary Shortage
Recruit and Retain Veterinarians
Catalog Federal Resources Available to Veterinarians
Work with Stakeholders to Understand the Barriers to Entry and Increase Recruitment in Rural Areas

This plan aims to address the rural veterinary shortage due to the low percentage of veterinary school students that come from rural areas or express an interest in rural practice, along with the low number of recent grads entering production animal medicine.

As a part of the working with stakeholders action item, USDA will be hosting two virtual listening sessions for the veterinary workforce on Sept. 29 and 30. The following USDA agencies will be represented at these sessions:

National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Economic Research Service
Food Safety and Inspection Service
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Rural Development

These sessions will begin with a short update on the current veterinary landscape followed by stakeholder comments for the remainder of the meeting. Interested parties are invited to participate and must register for these sessions in advance. Both sessions will cover the same topics.

Register for the September 29 Session

Register for the September 30 Session

Build A Biosecurity Plan Like You Would Eat An Elephant – One Bite At A Time

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 16:31:30 GMT

If biosecurity plans were easy to develop, perhaps most U.S. beef producers would have done one long before now, but there is no easy button for such a plan, and the task can be daunting.

The best strategy to get started is to tackle the challenge like you would eat an elephant, says Lisa Pederson, Extension beef quality specialist with North Dakota State University (NDSU) and North Dakota beef quality assurance (BQA) coordinator. How do you do that?

“One bite at a time,” she says.

Pederson addressed how to develop a practical biosecurity plan in a recent webinar, “Building A Resilient Cowherd,” which was sponsored by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). The webinar also featured Dr. Julia Herman, NCBA beef cattle specialist veterinarian, and Casey Fanta, seedstock manager for Wulf Cattle, based in Morris, Minn.

Prevention Beats A Cure
Biosecurity is the cheapest and most effective means of disease prevention, according to Pederson. She points out that trichomoniasis is a good example of a disease where biosecurity is the most important preventive measure.

(Lindsey Pound)

Herman shares three benefits of biosecurity: 1. Fewer disease challenges mean better animal health. 2. A decreased germ load also results in better animal health. 3. Better animal health means improved potential for economic gains.

Financial implications
Pederson says producers who might have balked in the past about developing a biosecurity plan are more interested today, because of the economic value of cattle.

“Bred cows, four to five years of age, are selling for $2,500 to $3,000 each and maybe more,” Pederson notes. “Bred heifers have pretty easily been selling here in the North for $3,000 to $3,500. All weights of feeder cattle have been selling for $2,000 to $3,000 each. Finished cattle are selling for well over $3,000 a head.”

Fanta says good vaccination and nutritional programs have been foundational to the enduring success Wulf Cattle has experienced in the beef industry.

“Whatever your program is, I feel it’s very important to have protocols in place, a system for the health and well-being of those cattle from the time that they’re born,” Fanta explains. “It all equates to the long-term health and success of your operation.”

Increased risk potential from foreign disease entering the U.S. is another reason veterinarians and beef producers can benefit from developing biosecurity plans.

“The majority of producers have not dealt with a new, highly contagious disease,” Herman says.

The health risks to the beef industry, and the U.S. livestock industry overall, are real and concerning. One is the new world screwworm, which is currently advancing through Central America and into southern Mexico. NCBA has undertaken extensive education efforts with producers in recent months regarding this threat

Another concern, Herman references, is the potential for foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease to enter the U.S. FMD was first discovered in the U.S. in 1870 and eradicated in 1929. Herman says while FMD is not a human health or food safety threat, it would have a significant economic impact on the country’s livestock industry.

This map shows the location of FMD as well as disease-free countries. The disease was found in a water buffalo in Germany in January. More recently, FMD has been found in Hungary.

(WOAH)

NCBA has worked with industry stakeholders on the Secure Beef Supply (SBS) Plan to help producers voluntarily prepare for FMD. If an outbreak does occur, Herman says having an enhanced biosecurity plan in place will help prevent exposing “naïve” cattle to the disease during an outbreak. More information from NCBA is available at Biosecurity Resources

More information specific for veterinarians is available from the American Association of Bovine Practitioners at aabp.org

Producers Need Help
Bovine veterinarians are in a position of trust and leadership to help beef producers understand the importance of a having biosecurity plan and how to create one. Pederson encourages producers routinely to work closely with their veterinary practitioner.

“A strong relationship means more than preg testing and Bangs vaccinating, and calling with calving problems,” Pederson says. “Strong relationship means you use veterinarians for their brains and disease knowledge. Engage them to help you identify biosecurity strengths and weaknesses of your operations.”

For producers who have not started developing a biosecurity plan, it’s a case of veterinarians helping them walk before they can run. Pederson references an elephant cartoon she once found online.

“I like to think about where you can take easy bites of the elephant to eat first,” she says. “Pretty soon, with one bite at a time, you can have that elephant eaten.”

With a biosecurity plan, the point is it can’t be developed all at once, but it can be accomplished one small step at a time when producers, especially with their veterinarian’s help, stick with it until it’s completed.

Five Easy Bites
Here are five factors that are important to consider in a basic biosecurity plan.

1. Help producers identify and develop their team of partners and advisers.
Sit down with producers and talk about the benefits of a biosecurity plan, advises Pederson. Discuss who would be good to include on their team, which might include veterinarians, key employees, nutritionists, Extension specialists, BQA state coordinators, state veterinarian and others.

Build a team that can help you identify risks and how to address them.

(Lisa Pederson)

2. Create a basic communications plan, one that will be straightforward to implement when a crisis does occur.
Help producers create the plan in advance of any crisis, emphasizes Herman.

“We really need to be prepared ahead of time,” she says.

Some of the topics to include in the plan and questions to answer are: Why is there a need to communicate? Who needs to be reached? How will the producer communicate and who with internally and externally? Who needs to know about the plan?

Make sure the plan is written down, so everyone is working off the same document. Also, help the producer decide if the plan needs to be posted in a break room, barn or other facility on the property for quick reference.

3. Address low-hanging fruit. Consider the biosecurity practices that can be adopted with some careful thought but little or limited expense.

The single most important one, Pederson says, is to have separate footwear and clothing for wearing on and off the farm/ranch.

Diseases and pests hitch rides on dirt, dust, manure, critters, shoes, clothes, vehicles and so much more. Remove manure, mud and other organic matter regularly and disinfect as well. As Pederson says: “You can’t disinfect a turd.”

First things to consider implementing are those practices that are of little cost but offer a high reward.

(Lisa Pederson)

4. Have a quarantine/isolation plan for new animals coming on the farm or ranch, whether purchased or acquired.
Isolate new cattle and other livestock for at least 21 days, ideally without the option for nose-to-nose contact. Do not allow for shared feed or water. The isolation can allow you and producers time for observation, testing, vaccination and revaccination, Pederson says.

There are many ways a disease can enter a farm, Herman adds. “Wildlife, rodents and birds are just a few examples,” she says. “That’s why an integrated pest management plan is important.”

5. Help producers adopt good record-keeping practices, if they haven’t done so already.
Pederson says items to keep track of include livestock purchases and sales, as well as livestock movements to exhibitions, rodeos and shows. Good records will be imperative to have should a novel disease outbreak occur, she adds.

Your next read: Hungary Confirms Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak in Cattle

What The Trump Administration's Mass Deportation Plans Could Mean for Agriculture

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:39:38 GMT

Farmers and food industry leaders are warning that President-elect Donad Trump’s plans to deport millions of immigrants could devastate agriculture — an industry in which immigrants make up a good chunk of the workforce.

Nearly half of all farmworkers are undocumented, and industries such as dairy and meatpacking plants are especially vulnerable to labor shortages.

“Admittedly, there are some people who slip through,” says Scott VanderWal, vice president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. “Perspective employers are required to take documentation that appears to be legal and valid. There are times when that’s not the case and then ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] comes in and cleans house, the workers disappear and go wherever they take them and the employers are left without help.”

While the H-2A visa program has grown, it only covers seasonal work and cannot replace year-round jobs at meat processing plants and on dairy and pork farms.

“Our packing plants need labor. Many of our farms use temporary visa labor — educated, skilled individuals work on our sow farms,” says Lori Stevemer, president of the National Pork Producers Council. “We have been experiencing an increased number of denials over the past year, which really makes it a challenge to find workers. The H-2A visa doesn’t work well when we have animals that need care 24/7, year-round.”

Experts say mass deportations would disrupt food production, raise prices and jeopardize the stability of U.S. agriculture.

Deportation falls under the Department of Homeland Security. President-elect Trump has selected South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem to lead that agency.

“With Governor Noem at the helm, she’s going to bring common sense to that discussion and make sure we don’t close businesses, make sure we get everyone in line, get the workforce in line and then make sure we’re following our country’s rules,” says Hunter Roberts, secretary of South Dakota’s Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Meanwhile, farm groups continue to urge for reforms to immigration policies or a guest worker program to secure a stable workforce.

“At the same time as controlling the border, we need to overhaul our labor system,” VanderWal says. “We need to make H-2A apply to your own workers or come up with a decent program that will help.”

We need some type of H-2A visa reform to allow those workers to stay year-round, Stevemer adds.

Even then immigration is likely to continue to be a political hot potato in 2025, and labor shortages will continue to top the list of challenges for agriculture.

Protecting the Herd from New World Screwworm

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 23:49:29 GMT

by Kim Brackett, NCBA Policy Division Chair

Every cattle producer knows that pests are a challenge to our operation, but some pests are far more dangerous than others. One of the new threats to our herd comes from the New World screwworm, which is currently advancing through Central America into southern Mexico and could soon be at our border.

The New World screwworm (NWS) is a fly that has a particularly gory way of harming our cattle. Female NWS flies lay their eggs in open wounds or body orifices and when the larvae hatch, they burrow deep into the skin like a screw driving into wood. These maggots feed on cattle’s tissue, causing larger wounds as they go.

NWS flies and their burrowing larvae cause extensive damage to cattle and infestations can spread rapidly. In 1966, we eradicated screwworms in the United States through sterile insect technique. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) bred sterile male NWS flies that mated with wild female screwworms and failed to produce offspring. Eventually, these flies died out in the U.S. and now they only exist in a handful of South American countries.

Unfortunately, these flesh eating flies are now on the march north.

Since 2022, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of New World screwworms in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala. Just last month, screwworms were discovered in southern Mexico, which raised red flags for us at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).

Once in Mexico, it is easy for screwworms to travel north and appear on our southern border. These flies can hitch a ride on people, livestock, or wild animals, not to mention the thousands of vehicles and cargo containers traveling through Mexico to the United States.

We know how devastating it would be if New World screwworm returned to the United States, which is why NCBA is raising the alarm now. First, we are communicating with Mexico’s cattle industry leaders so they can begin the process of screening for these flies and push for eradication efforts in their country. We are also supporting USDA-APHIS to bolster the use of sterile flies. Recently, we have been concerned that our existing sterile flies might not be getting the job done, and NCBA is pushing for more flies and better flies that will help us beat back these pests.

Although we haven’t confirmed any New World screwworms in the United States, we need you to be on high alert. New World screwworms have orange eyes, a metallic blue or green body, and three dark stripes across their backs. If you see any suspicious flies, please alert your local veterinarian, extension agent, or contact USDA-APHIS Veterinary Services.

Please also pay close attention to your cattle and watch for any open wounds or sores. If cattle exhibit irritated behavior, head shaking, you notice the smell of decaying flesh, or spot maggots in a wound, seek treatment from a veterinarian immediately. Proper wound treatment and prevention is the best way to protect your farm or ranch from a screwworm infestation. NCBA is also sharing the latest updates through our website. I encourage you to visit www.ncba.org/NWS for all the latest information on how to protect your operation.

NCBA is always on the clock to protect the U.S. cattle industry from threats like New World screwworm. Through your vigilance and NCBA’s advocacy, we can protect the United States cattle herd.

Kim Brackett is an Idaho rancher and serves as Policy Division Chair of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).

Elanco Advances A Four-Pillar Livestock Sustainability Strategy

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 18:20:05 GMT

Elanco Animal Health is making significant progress on its four-pillar livestock sustainability strategy, delivering new innovations to producers as well as advocating and changing the narrative on cattle from climate culprit to part of a sustainability solution for producers seeking to lower emissions.

As part of this effort, Elanco has been working to expand access to innovations that can reduce livestock’s environmental footprint. Most recently, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved three combination clearances of Experior and MGA in finishing heifers. Experior is the first FDA-approved product with a gas emissions claim to help reduce ammonia gas emissions per pound of live weight and hot carcass weight for beef steers and heifers fed in confinement. When fed at the approved dose and duration, Experior reduces ammonia gas emissions up to an estimated 16%, according to clinical research studies. ^[ii] This approval for combination feeding in heifers provides cattle feeders with greater flexibility and additional options to improve environmental stewardship.

“Every day, feedyard operators must balance environmental stewardship with economic sustainability and business results,” says Katie Cook, Vice President, Livestock Sustainability and U.S. Farm Animal Marketing. “Research with U.S. feedlot managers and nutritionists confirmed that a combination approval of Experior and MGA would drive them to use Experior as part of their feeding regimen for heifers. ^[iii]

These combination feeding approvals offer beef producers greater flexibility and more options so that they don’t have to choose between the benefits of Experior’s ammonia suppression and the performance attributes tied to MGA. They can feel confident in feeding a combination of products that best fit their business models, while working towards their sustainability goals.”

Nearly 40% of the cattle on feed inventory in the United States is finishing heifers ^[iv] , making this a sizable opportunity for more producers to utilize Experior. The FDA has approved combination feeding of:

Experior and MGA
Experior, Rumensin and MGA
Experior, Rumensin, Tylan Premix and MGA

The combination approval with Rumensin, a product trusted for more than 45 years, opens more opportunities for beef producers to advance environmental sustainability efforts. Rumensin can help beef producers improve efficiency by reducing the total natural resources needed to feed cattle which in turn reduces emission intensity. Rumensin’s mode of action for feed efficiency impacts the emission of methane. Published research shows feeding Rumensin’s can decrease methane emissions approximately 10-15% in a beef animal. ^[v]

In 2023, Elanco’s U.S. dairy and beef customers avoided an estimated 2.3 million metric tons of GHG emissions (CO2e) using Rumensin. Cumulatively, between 2020 and 2023, they’ve avoided an estimated 9.5 million metric tons using Rumensin—the equivalent to taking more than 2.2 million passenger cars off the road for a year. ^[vi]

Changing the Narrative: Livestock Can Be Part of the Sustainability Solution

By utilizing new innovations that improve environmental sustainability and then sharing these stories with governments, stakeholders and others around the world, the livestock industry is making an impact and changing the narrative from cattle as the culprit to the cow as part of a sustainability solution for producers seeking to lower emissions. Over the past year, Elanco has invested in taking this story to unexpected places to advocate on behalf of livestock producers.

This month, Elanco leaders will take the global stage at COP29, the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties, in Baku, Azerbaijan, which is expected to draw more than 32,000 people from around the world to discuss opportunities for combating climate change worldwide. Elanco will be part of several events, including a panel discussion with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) Pavillion, discussing how livestock play an important a role in a sustainable future.

Elanco’s COP29 presence follows several other successful advocacy events this year, including:

South by Southwest (SXSW) Austin, TX
New York City Climate Week
Reuters Transform Food Summit

Earlier this year, Elanco launched a LinkedIn newsletter called Shared Table, featuring Jeff Simmons, President and CEO of Elanco, sitting down with thought-leaders in animal health to examine some of the challenges facing the animal industries today. The first episode dove deep into the topics of Trust, Cows, Milk & Climate , featuring a conversation with Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Director, UC Davis CLEAR Center & Dept. of Animal Science, also known as the Greenhouse Gas Guru. The exceeded LinkedIn typical subscriber metrics, showing the interest in this topic. In September, Elanco published an editorial in Fast Company, titled “ A Climate Solution is here and it has four stomachs ,” which reassured consumers that they don’t have to feel guilty about eating a cheeseburger.

These efforts, combined with others in the livestock industry, are having a powerful impact on U.S. consumers. Elanco consumer research shows that sustainability continues to be important, with 71% of consumers saying that it’s important that the food they buy is produced sustainably. Additionally, 57% of consumers today say that they view livestock as a solution to climate change; an increase of 8% compared to 2021. ^[vii]

Visit Elanco.com , follow Elanco on social media or subscribe to Shared Table on LinkedIn to keep up to date on these efforts.

[ii] Experior FOI (Freedom of Information)

[iii] Elanco Data on File

[iv] Heifer Feeding Keeps Feedlot Inventories Large

[v] 5 J.A.D. Appuhamy, A.B. Strathe, S. Jayasundara, C. Wagner-Riddle, J. Dijkstra, J. France, E. Kebreab. Anti-methanogenic effects of monensin in dairy and beef cattle: A meta-analysis. J. Dairy Sci., 96 (2013), pp. 5161-5173.

[vi] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator https://www.epa.gov/energy/ greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator

[vii] Elanco Data on File

House Passes Bill to Preserve Veterinary Use of Xylazine

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 20:45:55 GMT

The House of Representatives passed the Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act on Tuesday. The Act, in part, fights the illicit use of xylazine in humans while preserving access to the drug for use in animals.

“For beef packers, xylazine is used to quickly and humanely sedate sick or injured cattle in a manner that can safely and effectively be administered by workers. Xylazine has both animal welfare and worker safety benefits at beef plants, and there are no equally safe and effective alternatives,” said Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts.

Xylazine is used to a lesser degree in pigs than in beef. “But it is an issue for vets in general as DEA schedule drugs are a huge hassle and really limit access. It is one more limit on what we can do,” Jim Lowe, DVM, associate dean of Online Programs and Extension at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine told Farm Journal’s Pork earlier this month.

At issue is the concern that xylazine, a drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in animals, is being imported illegally in powder form and added to fentanyl. Xylazine is not approved for human use.

The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act was included in the Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act, H.R. 4531, approved by the House with a vote of 386-37.

“We appreciate the hard work of Congressmen Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and August Pfluger (R-TX) and the Energy and Commerce Committee for including the xylazine measures in the bill passed by the House with strong bipartisan support,” said Potts. “We now call for swift Senate consideration.”

The bill will ensure the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has the power to stop the illegal flow of xylazine to humans, while allowing its continued access for veterinary purposes.

Xylazine Bill Protects Veterinary Access to the Sedative

Over-The-Counter Livestock Antibiotics Officially a Thing of the Past

Thu, 08 Jun 2023 17:39:23 GMT

Farmers have had months to prepare, but on June 11, the FDA’s new directive “Guidance for the Industry #263” will officially go into effect. This means over-the-counter (OTC) livestock antibiotics will no longer be available through traditional retail channels. Instead, these antibiotics will now require a prescription from a licensed veterinarian.

According to the FDA, this is part of a broader effort to combat antimicrobial resistance, a serious threat to both animals and the public health. While livestock producers are continuously working to practice judicious antibiotic usage, this guidance will provide consumers with an extra layer of assurance.

“It’s a confidence thing,” says Jim Lowe, DVM, director of the College of Veterinary Medicine I-Learning Center at the University of Illinois. “The regulators have said, ‘Listen, we want some more oversight here, so we have more confidence in the supply chain.’ My perception is we’re not changing what we’re doing. We’re just going to document and tell people what we’re doing better. It’s about transparency.”

While the guidance states that livestock producers will need to obtain a valid prescription from a licensed veterinarian with whom they have a veterinarian-client-patient-relationship, the prescription status does not require that these products be purchased directly from a veterinarian. Instead, the FDA notes that you may be able to buy prescription animal drug products from various suppliers or distributors pending certain state requirements. These suppliers would then act as a “pharmacy” and customers would have to show a prescription prior to purchasing them.

For a complete list of antibiotics that will no longer be available over-the-counter, click here. Products unaffected by the change include ionophores, antiparaciticides, injectable and oral nutritional supplements, oral pro/prebiotics and topical non-antibiotic treatments. These products will continue to remain available through standard OTC marketing channels.

For more on Guidance for the Industry #263, read:

Preparing for Prescription-Only Antibiotics in Livestock Industry: Important Changes Ahead

Wed, 31 May 2023 18:24:03 GMT

While another month has come and gone for the 2023 production year, if you haven’t already heard, June will hold some significant changes for the livestock industry.

When it comes to livestock antibiotics, many products that have typically been used over-the-counter will now need a veterinary prescription.

“ Just as physicians have started to try and educate people to not utilize antibiotics in those cases, we’re really trying to have the same conversation with the livestock industry ,” says Mike Lormore, DVM, head of technical services over pork and cattle for Zoetis.

On June 11, the FDA’s Guidance for Industry (GFI) #263 will take effect, bringing 91 over-the-counter antimicrobial products under prescription oversight.

While the sales of antimicrobial injectables in 2021 declined by 11% from 2016 , Lormore says the FDA’s guidance is a result of a long conversation around improving the quality of and control systems around antimicrobial use in food production.

The guidance applies to all food animals , including cattle, hogs, ruminants (goats/sheep) and poultry. In addition, it also applies to animals not intended for food, such as horses, pet rabbits and backyard chickens.

“ W hile this change does not require the purchase of products from a veterinarian, going forward, producers will be legally required to obtain a prescription from a licensed veterinarian with whom the producer has a valid veterinary-client-patient relationship ,” says Becky Funk, DVM, and Jesse Fulton in a University of Nebraska-Lincoln article.

Specifically, the veterinary-client-patient relationship (VCPR) is a mutual agreement between the animal owner and the veterinarian where the veterinarian has an understanding of the animals on an operation, the type of care they’re given on a regular basis, their purpose, and the risk factors associated with management of those animals, Lormore explains.

Preparing for OTC Antibiotics to Go Prescription-Only

If you do not have a relationship with a veterinarian, start visiting with a local practitioner so they can become familiar with you and your animals on your operation.

Additionally, Linda Tikofsky, DVM and senior associate director of dairy professional services at Boehringer Ingelheim says, “I think the number one thing to do is just take inventory of what you’re using and what you won’t be able to purchase after June 2023. Go through your drug cabinet, take note of what you’re using and how often you’re using it.”

This will help you prepare for conversations with the veterinarian, discussing standard operating procedures and routine drug orders.

A full list of products to soon require a prescription can be found here .

For more information regarding these changes:

Over-The-Counter Access to Antibiotics is Going Away

Over-the-Counter Antibiotics: What You Need to Know Before June 11

If You ‘Doctor’ Livestock, a New Rule will Determine How or If You can Buy Antibiotics

Beef Implant Changes

For beef producers using growth-promoting implants, additional changes will be taking place in June.

While implants are labeled for sex, age or stage of production, until recently, implant labels did not include directions for reimplantation within the production stage for which they are intended, Sandy Stuttgen, DVM, senior outreach specialist and Taylor County Extension agriculture educator with the University of Wisconsin Extension.

To bring clarity, the FDA has defined specific production stages, which will be used to determine if and when a growth-promoting implant can be administered.

Beef cattle will still be allowed to receive multiple implants across different stages of production, including each of the following phases defined by FDA GFI 191:
• Beef Calves:
1) Pre-ruminant or ruminant beef calves nursing their dams from birth until 2 months of age
2) Ruminating and nursing their dams from 2 months of age to weaning
• Growing beef steers or heifers on pasture (stocker, feeder or slaughter): weaned and maintained on pasture and receiving most of their diet from grazing
• Growing beef steers or heifers in a drylot: weaned and maintained in a dry lot and fed harvested forage (possibly with supplement)
• Growing beef steers or heifers fed in confinement for slaughter: weaned growing and finishing animals confined in group pens or grow yards and fed progressively high-energy diet ad libitum as their sole ration until slaughter

For more on beef implant changes: Beef Cattle Implant Changes: What You Need to Know

Overall, as a good practice in administering any vaccine or implant, Stuttgen encourages producers read the product label and lean on your veterinarian to determine how the products should be best used in the operation.

Iowa Governor Announces Funding for ISU Veterinary Diagnostic Lab

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 14:30:11 GMT

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced $40 million in funding from American Rescue Plan Act dollars to help complete Phase 2 of Iowa State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL). She has also proposed an additional $20M in her budget from the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund (RIIF)—$10M in FY24 and $10M in FY25—to total $60M in state support for the VDL project in a release from her office .

Construction of the front end of a new VDL in Ames is scheduled to be finished this year. The $75-million Phase 1 of the project does not cover the majority of the lab’s operations, Iowa Pork Producers Association noted in a statement. Phase 2, which is expected to cost $62.5 million, would provide an additional 70,000 square feet for laboratory testing, research and support functions.

“Pig farmers and cattle producers across Iowa are extremely grateful Governor Kim Reynolds is providing significant financial support to upgrade Iowa State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Lab and we hope the Iowa legislature will join her in providing additional funding, as she has proposed,” said Iowa Pork Producers Association President Kevin Rasmussen, a farmer from Goldfield, in a joint statement with Iowa Cattlemen’s Association President Bob Noble of Riceville.

Gov. Reynolds explained that the VDL is critical to support and protect not only the Iowa agriculture industry and food supply, but the U.S. as well.

“The new state-of-the-art facility will keep Iowa State at the forefront in helping recognize foreign animal diseases that threaten the nation’s food supply well into the future. We sincerely appreciate her efforts and willingness to keep animal and human health as top priorities,” Rasmussen and Noble said in a release.

This investment will significantly expand the VDL’s capacity to support Iowa’s $32.5 billion animal agriculture industry and will keep this nationally-recognized lab on the forefront of cutting-edge technology, Reynolds said in the release.

“We are deeply grateful to Governor Reynolds for allocating these critical resources to construct Phase 2 of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory,” Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen said in a release. “This funding will help ensure the VDL can continue to provide cutting-edge services and support to Iowa’s livestock and poultry producers.”

The state’s close relationship with the VDL has been essential in implementing the state’s response to the highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said they rely on the VDL’s recommendations as Iowa continues to enhance foreign animal disease preparedness.

Editor’s Note: Fully accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, the VDL provides quality diagnostic services for animal species, including necropsy, bacteriology, serology, histopathology, virology, parasitology, molecular diagnostics, and toxicology as well as offering analytical services. The full-service laboratories at the VDL process upwards of 100,000 cases each year and conducts more than a million tests annually.

USDA Hands Responsibility of RFID Traceability Efforts to APHIS

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 04:19:45 GMT

There are new developments in the rules and tracing of cattle via RFID tags, AgDay’s Clinton Griffiths reports. The USDA has announced it will not finalize a plan introduced by the Trump Administration to approve Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags as the official ear tag for interstate movement of cattle.

Instead, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will use the rule making process for future actions on RFID tags. APHIS has said this means all current approved ID methods can be used until further notice but adds the RFID tags provide the “best protection against the rapid spread of animal diseases,” Griffiths says.