VETERINARY

How Arizona Is Preparing the Public To Scout for New World Screwworm Threat

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 13:12:08 GMT

With its high temperatures and few winter freezes, Arizona is ripe territory for infestation from New World screwworm (NWS).

Ryan Wolker, state veterinarian with the Arizona Department of Agriculture, says he thinks the threat to his state from NWS is significant.

“It is definitely a concern,” he says. “The New World screwworm detections in Mexico have surpassed 3,000 premises and have come within approximately 370 miles south of the southernmost point of Texas, but obviously that can change quite rapidly, especially with the animal movement within the country of Mexico itself.”

Wolker has concerns about the impact NWS could have on Arizona’s already-stressed cattle ranchers.

“There was a limited outbreak of NWS in Texas in the 1970s, and USDA conducted a study of that economic impact in 2016,” he says. “Even without adjustment for increased inventories of animals since that time, because obviously, herd sizes are larger, feedlots are bigger, etc, the economic impact of that same outbreak in Texas now, only counting for inflation, would be looking at a cost to producers and lost revenue in the neighborhood around $1.4 billion.”

At a recent Trust In Beef Sustainable Ranchers Tour event in Willcox, Ariz., Wolker and the Arizona Livestock Incident Response Team (ALIRT) began an initiative to get ahead of the potential economic damage.

The Arizona Livestock Incident Response Team (ALIRT) gathered at YY Ranch during a recent Trust In Beef Sustainable Ranchers Tour event to hone tactical skills needed for a possible New World screwworm response in the state.

(Photo courtesy of Dr. Betsy Greene, University of Arizona extension specialist )

After gathering the team to practice on-the-ground incident response at YY Ranch, Wolker and Betsy Greene, extension specialist with the University of Arizona, unveiled the first of the state’s saddlebag scouting kits that are available to ranchers.

The kit includes:

Specimen collection vials with tweezers.
Specimen baggies with cotton balls for safe transport.
Collection and mail instructions.

“The whole point is, we can get and find things faster,” Greene says. “If someone sees it, gets a sample, then we can deal with it.”

Greene and Wolker urge ranchers to begin scouting now in their herds, looking at open wounds for any signs of infestation. Hunters should scout not only their harvests but any carcass they encounter during hunts.

In addition to specimen collection, Wolker stresses the importance of gathering additional data as well.

“Take some pictures for documentation purposes,” he says. “If you’re proficient with Google Maps, drop a pin to grab those GPS coordinates for us.”

The Arizona Livestock Incident Response Team (ALIRT) is a cross-functional team that aims to improve the diagnosis and response to unexplained livestock deaths in the state by providing resources and expertise from the Arizona Cattlemen’s Association, Arizona Department of Agriculture, USDA and University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.

(Photo courtesy of Dr. Betsy Greene, University of Arizona extension specialist)

NWS scouting kits are available to ranchers through ALIRT . The team has issued a resource with additional scouting and specimen collection tips .

Additional resources can be found through your local Extension office, large animal or equine veterinarian or through the Arizona Department of Agriculture Animal Services Division.

AgriTalk Host Chip Flory recently visited with Wolker about NWS. You can hear the complete discussion here:

Visit trustinbeef.com for information about upcoming stops on the 2025 Sustainable Ranchers Tour and make your plans to attend.

Your next read: Stay up-to-date on NWS with Drovers coverage.

Castration Considerations to Minimize Stress and Maintain Performance

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 17:21:56 GMT

Approaches to castration should be made with operational objectives and animal welfare in mind. Producers should consult with their herd veterinarian for a castration protocol that includes consideration for animal age, facilities available, castration method and pain control.

Calves castrated at younger ages — ideally under 3 months — generally experience less stress, recover quicker and have fewer complications. Unless a bull calf is being kept for potential breeding purposes, delaying castration is unnecessary. If castration must be done on older animals, it is critical to use appropriate pain control and consider surgical methods carefully.

Good restraint for bovine castration is essential. Well-designed working facilities with secure head catch and squeeze are good choices in most instances. For smaller calves, restraint can be done in a calf cradle or on the ground with proper equipment. Beef Quality Assurance guidelines should always be followed.

The primary methods used to castrate are surgical removal or elastrator band. The decision on technique should be made in coordination with the herd veterinarian and consider animal well-being and the recovery environment. If banding is chosen, animals should be vaccinated for tetanus prior to the procedure.

Local anesthetic utilized at the time of castration can decrease the initial pain of castration and help provide additional pain control for up to 5 hours after the procedure. Sedatives may also be combined with local anesthetics for broader pain control during castration.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) may also be added to the plan to provide immediate pain control along with longer activity. Certain NSAIDS with a single dose can provide up to 48 hours of pain control. NSAID formulations include oral, injectable and topical applications. For those that band calves, there are now bands impregnated with the local anesthetic, lidocaine and provide pain control for more than two weeks after banding.

Research in providing pain control has been shown to promote weight-gain and feed intake following castrations and in calves older than seven days decrease the instance of respiratory disease. Pain medications require veterinary prescription.

The Smell You'll Never Forget: A Calf Infested with New World Screwworm

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 16:41:21 GMT

“The stench…it’s like roadkill stewed in infection,” explains Jose Santiago Gallardo Espinosa, a cattle producer from Chiriqui, Panama, describing an animal that has been infected with New World screwworm (NWS). “You’ll smell it before you see it.”

He goes on to describe the appearance. “That little dehorning scrape you didn’t worry about? Now, it’s a fist-sized hole pulsating with maggots. Not on top, under the skin. Hundreds of cream-colored worms with screw-like spines, eating your cow alive.”

It’s a Plague in Panama

Gallardo is a Panamanian livestock production specialist and animal science professional with a diverse and practical background in cattle production, agricultural policy and international ranch management. He currently serves as the technical assistance team manager at Cooleche, R.L., where he leads strategic initiatives in cattle production and technical outreach.

“⁠This ain’t ‘just flies.’ We’ve buried calves eaten alive in 48 hours,” Gallardo stresses. “Post-calving cows are sitting ducks, I found one last week with maggots deep in her vulva, she was trembling as she tried to nurse her calf.”

An animal health professional treating an animal in Panama that has been infected by New World Screwworm.

(Jose Santiago Gallardo Espinosa)

To catch NWS and stop the spread, Espinosa encourages daily wound checks including navels on newborns, vulvas on fresh cows, sheaths on bulls, branding cuts and tagging nicks. Some red flags include a wound that swells overnight or oozes cloudy fluid and a milk tank mysteriously dropping.

“Treat every scratch like a ticking bomb,” he says adding if you find one with a wound acting a little strange, you should “peel back skin edges, and if you see rice-grain maggots with dark spines — sound the alarm.”

He says more than 6,500 cases have erupted across Panama, marching north through Central America like a plague.

“For years, our U.S.-Panama barrier kept NWS at bay,” Gallardo says. “We’d see maybe 25 cases a year — it was a nuisance, not a crisis. Then 2023 hit, and overnight our pastures became war zones.”

He says the reality in Panama is rainy season is maggot season.

“Here, in Chiriquí’s dairy country, it is the perfect storm,” he says. “Rainy season humidity of 90%, 85°F heat and flies everywhere. A single-infected cow bleeds $10/day in lost milk — its life or death for small dairies.”

NWS in Nicaragua

Ernesto José Sequeira Enríquez, an agronomist from Camoapa, Nicaragua, says NWS was eradicated from Nicaragua in the 1990s. He says he first encountered it during an internship in Brazil where he experienced the serious challenge the fly causes.

“When cases began appearing here again last year, I was able to use what I learned in Brazil to prepare veterinary supplies and train people on prevention and treatment,” he explains.

(Ernesto José Sequeira Enríquez)

He says it’s essential to enforce a daily inspection routine, checking every animal carefully for open wounds.

“When you find an infected animal, you’ll typically see a bleeding wound,” Sequeira says. “If the infestation has progressed, there will be a strong, foul smell due to tissue damage and the presence of larvae.”

He encourages U.S. producers to be prepared with sufficient supplies of veterinary medicines and insecticides for both treatment and prevention and to adjust management practices to reduce risk. For example:

When dehorning, branding or ear tagging, apply insecticide spray to the wound immediately.
Ensure proper care of newborn calves by disinfecting the navel with iodine solution as soon as possible, since that is the most common entry point for infestation.

“Although complete control of screwworm is not possible, taking preventive measures significantly reduces the economic and productivity impact of it,” he says. “Early detection and consistent preventive practices are critical to minimizing losses.”
Sequeira stresses a producer’s eyes and hands are their best tools to fight NSW.

“My warning to U.S. ranchers is this isn’t just a Panama problem,” he summarizes. “Newborn calves are maggot magnets. If you lose one calf to a navel infestation, you’ll never sleep again. Make inspections sacred — no excuses. Report fast and hide nothing.”

It’s Endemic in Brazil

Marcelo Costa is a veterinarian, professor and cattle business consultant in Brazil and Paraguay. In 1999, Costa was taught embryo transfer at Camp Cooley in Franklin, Texas. He then returned to his family’s third generation ranching operation where they started Camp Cooley Brazil.

“I have been dealing with screwworm all my life since it is endemic in Brazil,” Costa says. “Screwworm-infected animals happen all months of the year.”

A wound in the animal skin full of screwworm and new fly eggs in the skin borderline

(Marcelo Costa)

Like others, he has experienced finding infected animals with bleeding, foul-smelling wounds. He says animals show discomfort and may not follow the herd as normal.

“Newborn calves are usually the more attacked category because of the navel’s wet and bloody tissue,” he says. “If a screwworm infects the navel, it may open a door at the site for more severe infections that may cause diarrhea, pneumonia and other diseases.”

Costa stresses how much NWS costs producers beyond animal loss and decreased productivity.

“One of the biggest problems with NWS is the increased labor with vigilance and animal treatment,” he summarizes.

Guatemala Producers Are Learning to Cope with NWS

“Screwworm came to teach us the times are changing, and that any type of production is possible and open to any complication,” says Oscar León, a livestock production specialist and agricultural business administrator from Guatemala City, Guatemala. “Brazil learned how to cope with it, and Guatemala is in the process of it. The U.S. is not exempt from it, unfortunately. But with the adequate measures and prevention techniques, one can learn and teach others. We can make the impact less harmful on our production and wallets.”

(Oscar León)

León currently manages his family’s cattle operations and leads LAVAT S.A., a company that imports and distributes innovative animal health and nutrition products tailored to the needs of the Guatemalan livestock sector.

He explains it is important for producers to look for and treat any open wound or bruise as they are the first indicators.

“If an open wound smells like the scent of rotten meat, you will find the presence of screwworms feeding off live tissue,” he says. “Prevention and early timing are the best ways to treat screwworm. Make sure to take your time, observe your cattle, search for a bruise or wounds and treat them properly.”

He also stresses the importance of making sure everyone who works in the farm or ranch is aware of NWS and knows how to react if an infection is found.

Educating U.S. Producers

Chris Womack, a veterinarian and rancher from San Angelo, Texas, says he remembers helping his dad treat calves with NWS infestations.

“I can still remember the smell,” Womack says. “I thought it was cool because I was a little kid, and we dug maggots out of the calves. I can still smell it like it was yesterday, and it was horrible to look at them.”

Womack shares a historic context of NWS, which he says means “man-eater,” on the “Registered Ranching” podcast with Tucker Brown.

Womack also describes the emotional toll on the producer when faced with NWS.

“If you’re a steward of an animal and it has half of its head rotting off, or its abdomen is a gaping wound because the maggots are eating it up, or it gets in their ear and they’re walking around in circles with brain damage because they got meningitis, well, it’s devastating.”

Womack summarizes NWS isn’t just an agricultural issue, it’s a human health concern. Historical accounts and recent data from Panama show NWS can affect humans, particularly vulnerable populations like homeless individuals or those in areas with limited medical access.

Womack says the experiences with NWS during his childhood is the reason he is a veterinarian today. He says there is a generational ignorance in the U.S. regarding NWS, and that is something he is committed to fixing.

“The only way we can overcome ignorance is education,” he stresses.

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Dung Dynasty: A Critical Role in the Sustainability

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 12:57:36 GMT

Cattle are the original model for sustainability. They are able to take a moderate to poor forage that no other species will eat to reproduce, convert it to food for other species to consume, and provide fertilizer for the forage it took in the first place.

In 2017, it is estimated that 29% of all U.S. land is primarily used for livestock grazing. It is estimated that 20-47% of pastures are smothered by dung after 200 grazing days. In order to maintain the grazing pasture, dung beetles play a critical role in the sustainability of cattle production in the U.S.

Dung beetles, also known as scarabs, play a vital role in sustainability for cattle production in the U.S. Depending on the type of dung beetle, each has a role in releasing fertilizer and freeing pastures from the feces for new growth to form.

There are three functional types of dung beetles worldwide: dwellers, tunnelers, and rollers. Dwellers work to aerate the dung so it can be broken down by nature more efficiently by mother nature than ones that do not have dung beetles. Tunnelers burrow underneath and integrate dung into the soil to act as fertilizer. And finally, rollers spread the dung over large distances and bury it, fertilizing the soil across the pastures. All of these combined release nitrogen, ammonia, phosphate, and organic matter, and in turn reduce soil compaction as well. Which, in a study completed in Florida, has equated to $120 million saved by freeing and fertilizing grazed pastures.

Over the years, more farmers and ranchers have become more aware of the value of dung beetles, and questions are being raised about maintaining the overall population. One of the questions being asked has been whether do parasiticides we commonly use in beef cattle practice impact the effects of dung beetles in the pasture.

Several studies have shown negative effects across the globe on macrocyclic lactones (ex., Ivermectin) and the dung beetles. However, none have been done in the U.S. It is also known that macrocyclic lactones are predominately excreted through the feces, and anywhere from 62-98% of the active ingredient has been found.

Therefore, there was a need to evaluate macrocyclic lactones and the effects of fecal pat degradation and dung beetle populations in a commercial cow-calf operation in Iowa . Our original hypothesis was that macrocyclic lactone would have an effect on dung beetles compared to cattle that did not receive it.

Results from Year 1

This is preliminary data from one year of a two-year study. There was no statistical difference between treatment groups and the number of dung beetles collected between intervals. There was also no difference in dry-matter percentage between treatment groups.

(Iowa Beef Center)

Treatment did have a small statistical difference (p <0.05) in female calves only for both weaning weight and average daily gain between cows that received doramectin and cows that did not (Table 1). No treatment difference was noted in calf performance between male calves. There was no statistical difference between dung beetle populations between treated and non-treated pastures (Figure 1).

(Iowa Beef Center)

Based on this preliminary data set, there is no evidence that doramectin decreases the population of dung beetles or fecal pat degradation in a cow-calf operation in central Iowa. However, a continuation of this study needs to be completed in order to note if there is a pasture or age of cow effect from this study.

Acknowledgements: IVMA Bovine Pre-conditioning Grant for funds to complete the project, McNay Research Farm for the cattle, and Zoetis for supplying the Dectomax for this project.

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Drovers Beef Biz: New Solutions for Cattle Producers

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 19:14:16 GMT

What’s new in the cattle industry? Here’s a look at new products to help with the treatment of parasites and to elevate forage production.

Doramectin Topical Solution Launched by Bimeda US

A new topical solution for the treatment of internal and external parasites is available through Bimeda.

Doracide contains 0.5% doramectin (5mg/mL), the dose is 5 mL/110 lb. and is available in a 5-liter presentation.

The weatherproof formulation controls 33 types of internal and external parasites including gastrointestinal roundworms, lungworms, eyeworms, grubs, horn flies, mange mites and sucking lice in cattle. It is the only pour-on to provide 28 days of protection against some of the most damaging internal parasites. Doracide also offers the longest duration of protection against two species of cattle lice, 77 days for Biting Cattle Louse (Bovicola (Damalinia) bovis) and 42 days for Long-Nose Cattle Louse (Linognathus vituli).

New Self-propelled Forage Harvesters Introduced from John Deere

High quality forage output, more power, precision and uptime, were the focus for the new John Deere F8 and F9 Series self-propelled forage harvesters , according to the company. John Deere announced the machines are built from the ground up with customer input to elevate forage performance and farm productivity.

“We’ve combined our strongest hardware with our newest and smartest precision ag technology to create higher-quality forage,” says Bergen Nelson, John Deere go-to-market manager for harvesting equipment.

Deere says the new F9 Series comes in two engine options — John Deere 18X and Liebherr V12 24L — with five horsepower options ranging from 700PS to 1020PS; the F8 Series comes with the JD14X engine bringing six horsepower options, ranging from 425PS to 645PS.

It also says the new machines offer improved automation with a higher level of comprehensive technology offerings compared with previous models.

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Exploring Next-Generation Phenotyping that Drives Commercial Profitability

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 15:43:19 GMT

Traditional genetic improvement programs have been built on collecting phenotypic data such as birth, weaning, yearling and carcass weights.

“Those phenotypes have driven the industry’s increase in productivity — productivity on the rail and in the feedyard,” says Troy Rowan, University of Tennessee assistant professor of beef cattle genomics. “Commercial data is going to be more and more important. The seedstock producer has traditionally been our main collector of phenotypic records. We understand we need to measure things like disease resistance and fertility in the environments that matter to the commercial producers. So, we’ve got to integrate those commercial records. And there’s new technologies coming online that are going to help us get there easier and in a more consistent and accurate way.”

Rowan recently authored a white paper that examines industry research and results from the Imagine: AGI’s Beef Genetics Forum , which took place Sept. 25-26, 2024. Hosted by Angus Genetics Inc. the event was attended by professionals from academic, research, allied industry and ranching backgrounds.

“The big question the Angus Association wanted to ask their producers and folks from across the industry is, ‘What are we missing?’ and ‘What are the technologies and approaches that are going to allow us to work toward increasing profitability,’” Rowan explains.

One of the major themes of the paper is the numerous technological developments poised to affect phenotype collection. Examples include computer-vision technology and wearable sensors.

“By using these technologies to measure traits on continuous scales rather than the categorical scales we currently use for traits like hair shedding or foot angle, we can increase precision of phenotype measurements and consequently improve the quality of EPDs (expected progeny differences) over time,” Rowan says.

He also discusses the types of data most important and economically viable for the industry to pursue. Advancing terminal and maternal traits, health and other challenging areas of production will require data integration and more advanced tools.

“We should work on developing genetic selection tools that capture all elements of commercial profitability, continuing to improve yield and the eating experience of our end product while also making our cow herd more efficient, adapted and productive,” Rowan summarizes.

In the paper, Rowan says the greatest opportunities moving forward rely on capturing and leveraging commercial data throughout the value chain.

“This will require radical collaboration and coordination between industry partners,” he writes. “While individual data points from a commercial herd or a processing plant may not be individually valuable, capturing multiple sources of data in the aggregate will enable genetic evaluations to fill important gaps in their systems with high-quality tools.”

He says the efforts that leverage new technologies and integrate new data sources will require five main considerations:

Phenotypes are, and will always be, the backbones of genetic evaluation: While much of our forward-looking focus is on new and novel phenotypes measured by increasingly complex technologies, we still have far from complete reporting for our core economically relevant traits (ERTs). No amount of genomic testing can make up for a lack of phenotypic reporting. In the immediate term, the continued adoption of whole-herd reporting will improve genetic predictions and open opportunities to extract new phenotypes.
Standardization of phenotype collection, both by producers and via algorithms, will be essential. “From the inception of genetic evaluations, we have worked to standardize trait definitions and best practices for recording,” Rowan says. “This motivated the creation of the Beef Improvement Federation, which continues to publish best practices. Next-generation phenotyping technologies will have many more variables that can impact raw phenotypes, making the standardization of recording, processing and cleaning even more important.”
Seedstock producers may not be able to shoulder the full financial burden of phenotypic collection. “Seedstock producers have traditionally borne the full cost of phenotyping with the understanding that records will help increase the accuracy of EPDs for their animals,” he explains. “However, as we seek to measure more expensive phenotypes, the economics of phenotyping will become more difficult.”
Genetic evaluations will have to balance the deluge of new technology with the resulting payoff in EPD quality and utility. “Not every phenotype is worth measuring,” Rowan says. “As new technologies come online, genetic evaluations will need to consider the costs and return on investment carefully.”
Data sharing will be essential to leveraging the impact of phenotypic collection across industry segments. Economically important phenotypes can be collected at every step of the beef supply chain. From cow-calf operations to feedlots to processors to consumer feedback, data is constantly being collected. When we can tie this data back to an individual animal and its genetics, the possibilities of improving efficiency, animal well-being and consumer experience are limitless.

To hear more discussion about the white paper, you can listen to “The Angus Conversation” podcast: Genetic Innovation Requires Leadership and Data — The Phenotype Paradox in the Beef Industry.

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OSU Receives $250M Investment to Build World-Class Veterinary Teaching Hospital

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 19:20:20 GMT

Veterinarians are essential, from rural ranches to urban centers, fueling economic growth and ensuring the safety of our food supply and public health. Last week, Oklahoma State University received $250-million state funding appropriation to support the construction of a new, state-of-the-art veterinary teaching hospital.

The current veterinary hospital was identified as a key concern when the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine was placed on probationary accreditation in the fall of 2024. The American Veterinary Medical Association has since returned the college to full accreditation status emphasizing that continued compliance is tied to facility upgrades.

“We have a building and equipment that is not reflective of the quality of people we have here,” says Rosslyn Biggs, DVM, OSU assistant clinical professor and director of the Center for Rural Veterinary Medicine.

Biggs says the program’s primary goal is to create practice-ready veterinarians, with a particular focus on mixed and large animal veterinary medicine.

She compares students trained in the current hospital to high-quality livestock coming off a used cattle trailer. “It’s not what the trailer looks like, it’s what stepped out of the trailer that matters, right? It was the product that we were producing.”

She explains that while the building is outdated and past its useful life, the quality of educational output remains exceptional. Just like a trailer’s appearance doesn’t define its value; the hospital’s old infrastructure doesn’t diminish the quality of veterinarians OSU produces or the service it provides. She further elaborates that just as a trailer might need new floors and lights, the hospital needs updates to match the quality of its faculty, staff and students.

“This investment is program-changing,” Biggs says. “It’s program-changing, not only for our students and faculty and staff, but also for animal owners across the state, particularly our farmers and ranchers in rural areas that need the support to do what they do — feed and clothe the world.”

This investment, the largest state appropriation in university history, combined with $78 million allocated in 2023, marks a significant step in advancing the future of veterinary education, food security and public health in Oklahoma.

“We have a great foundation, but this investment is positioning us to be where we should be,” Biggs adds. “We have a priority to serve rural areas, to serve the animal owners there, and help support the veterinarians and work with them, hand in hand.”

The new hospital will feature modern equipment and technologies essential for both large and small animal care, including advanced imaging tools (CT, MRI, radiography and ultrasound), a linear accelerator for oncology treatments and an aqua cow float tank.

The new 255,000-sq.-ft. facility will replace the existing 145,376-sq.-ft. veterinary hospital, which was built to serve 60 students but now supports more than 150. With this expansion, OSU will address one of the most urgent infrastructure needs in its veterinary program while expanding its ability to train the next generation of veterinarians.

Biggs summarizes the investment will allow OSU to upgrade its infrastructure, technology and diagnostic capabilities.

“The goal is to create a facility that meets modern standards and can serve the state and region for decades,” she says.

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Protect Your Herd: Essential Tips for Preventing Pinkeye Post Pasture Turnout

Mon, 26 May 2025 13:40:04 GMT

As herds are being turned out on pasture, most calves will get an immunity boost for select diseases through a vaccination program.

“Arguably the most common health nuisance on pasture — pinkeye — doesn’t have an easy vaccine solution with consistent efficacy,” says Chris Clark, Iowa State University extension beef specialist. “In part, this is because pinkeye is complicated, involving multiple bacterial strains and risk factors.”

The solution? Prevention, prevention and early intervention.

Prevention Points

Reduce corneal irritants. The cornea provides a protective layer over the eye, and when it is healthy, bacteria cannot attach. Irritants that damage the cornea allow bacteria to colonize and infection to occur. Common irritants on pasture include UV light, seedheads and dust.
Control fly populations. Flies contribute to cornea irritation, but the primary role of flies in regard to pinkeye is carrying the bacteria from one animal to the next, and facilitating transmission. Because flies can travel distances, the adage “your fly control program is only as good as your neighbor’s” bears truth. But by taking steps in your herd, populations can still be significantly reduced. Multifaceted approaches are the most effective.
Prioritize nutrition. Multiple macronutrients and micronutrients are essential for an effective immune response. A well-balanced mineral program is important in keeping the herd healthy. Mineral supplements can become costly, so a solid understanding of mineral levels in the available feed and water can help reduce some costs without sacrificing animal performance.

Early Intervention

Check cattle regularly and watch closely for early signs of infection. Once clinical signs are observed, initiate treatment as soon as possible to minimize complications and severe cases.
Treat with systemic antibiotics labeled for pinkeye and be diligent in following label directions. Weigh animals to ensure appropriate dosing. Use good injection site practices to ensure optimal drug absorption.
Adjunct therapy such as eye patches, stitching eyelids shut and subconjunctival injections are sometimes used in addition to systemic antibiotics. Evidence is somewhat inconsistent regarding efficacy of these practices. Eye patches have been shown to speed corneal ulcer healing, but for best results, leave a spot open to facilitate drainage and airflow when applying. Pinkeye increases sensitivity to UV light, so shade can be helpful for animal comfort. Pain associated with pinkeye may warrant the use of an anti-inflammatory as well. Topical ointments and sprays are also sometimes used.

“As with all health challenges, work closely with your veterinarian to develop a plan for dealing with cases,” Clark says. “Before using any medications, talk with your veterinarian about safety and legality for use in the eye, required dosing schedules and required withdrawal times.”

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Unlocking Success with Cow Herd Health Metrics: A Scorecard Approach

Fri, 23 May 2025 15:12:10 GMT

Tracking performance and evaluating herd success is a year-round process. Similar to tracking athletes, consider developing a scorecard to monitor your herd. Understanding how your herd is performing throughout the year is important when considering management, nutrition and culling decisions.

The first scorecard suggested was post-calving ; the next one to consider is herd health metrics. Illness and death loss in a cow herd are situations cattle producers must routinely address.

To help producers know where their herd health metrics should be, experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute offered some guidelines during a recent “Cattle Chat” podcast .

“The first metric in cow-calf operations that I look at is the first treatment response percentage,” says Brian Lubbers, K-State veterinarian.

He recommended producers aim for an 85% to 90% treatment success rate when treating one of the most common illnesses: Bovine Respiratory Disease, also referred to as BRD. He says that metric can be deceiving.

“Producers who aggressively treat BRD cases are likely treating some animals that didn’t have BRD, and that leads to a high spontaneous recovery rate,” Lubbers says. “If you are seeing a 100% first treatment success rate, you may be treating some animals who didn’t need the treatment. Very high treatment response rates should at least trigger a conversation with your veterinarian about case definitions.”

K-State veterinarian Bob Larson says another metric that producers should be aware of is the percentage of death loss in the calves. During the first year of life, there are three key times when calves are more susceptible to death: at birth, between birth and three weeks of age, and from about one month to weaning, he says.

For each of these periods, producers can expect a 1% to 2% loss, Larson explains, however, that percentage will vary from year to year.

“In the first year of life, difficult births, scours and pneumonia are some of the reasons that calves get seriously ill and sometimes die,” Larson says.

K-State beef nutritionist Phillip Lancaster says what he monitors in the herd is the body condition of the cows.

“If the cows are receiving good nutrition and maintaining their body condition, that is an indicator of the overall health of the herd,” Lancaster says.

Along with those metrics, Logan Thompson, K-State beef cattle extension sustainable grazing specialist, recommends producers treat the herd against parasites as part of an overall wellness program.

“Treating the herd against parasites is an easy win from a production efficiency and cattle longevity standpoint, and it increases the rate of passage of grass through the rumen,” Thompson says. “It is a hard metric to measure, but in some herds, cattle that are treated for parasites have an increased efficiency between 20[%] to 30%.”

In summary, the key takeaways from the podcast are:

Health metrics are multifaceted and require careful tracking.
Different perspectives (veterinary, nutritional, sustainability) offer comprehensive insights.
Metrics should be specific, measurable and contextualized.
Collaboration with veterinarians is crucial for effective health management.

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Spring Pastures Alert: Be Aware of Frothy Bloat Risk

Tue, 20 May 2025 12:09:31 GMT

Death losses from pasture bloat are estimated to be approximately 2% annually but are sometimes much higher (10% to 20%) on individual pastures.

“Costs of bloat include not only losses of livestock but also decreased productivity from avoidance of the most nutritious pastures due to bloat risk,” says Michelle Arnold, DVM and University of Kentucky ruminant extension veterinarian. “Bloat incidence varies year-to-year depending on the relative presence or absence of clover; years with low residual grass cover in the fall, especially after fall drought, and sufficient moisture in the spring will favor clover dominance.”

Frothy bloat occurs when cattle graze forages high in soluble protein and low in fiber, most commonly pastures with a high percentage of immature legumes (alfalfa, white clover) or succulent, vegetative wheat or rye pastures.

“This disorder is caused by the interaction of many factors including environmental conditions, the structural and chemical composition of the forages present, and physiologic factors within the animal,” Arnold explains.

Because it is multifactorial, frothy bloat occurrence is sporadic, unpredictable and difficult to completely prevent. It is most reported when cattle, especially yearlings, graze legume or legume-based pastures (over 50% legumes) in the late winter and early spring.

What is Bloat?

Ruminant animals produce large volumes of gas through the normal fermentation process during forage digestion. This gas is predominantly belched (eructated) or it passes through the gastrointestinal tract. If something interferes with gas escape from the rumen, pressure builds up and causes an obvious distension in the left flank of the abdomen, a condition known as bloat.

The swollen rumen occupies a large amount of space within the abdomen resulting in compression of the lungs and diaphragm, which interferes with breathing and tissue oxygenation, obstruction of blood flow to vital organs and potentially the rapid death of the animal. Bloat may be classified into one of two types — free gas or frothy — with both possible in cattle whether on pasture or in a confinement feedlot setting.

Free gas bloat in pastured cattle is most often due to obstruction of the esophagus (choke) with rapid onset of bloat and death if not addressed quickly. Free gas bloat from choke can be relieved by passing a tube down the esophagus into the rumen, simultaneously clearing the esophageal obstruction and releasing the trapped gas.

Frothy bloat, on the other hand, results when fermentation gases become trapped within a stable foam in the rumen (like the head of a beer) and the animal is no longer able to belch up the gas. Simply passing a tube into the rumen will not solve the problem, because the froth prevents gas from leaving the pressurized rumen. For effective relief, anti-foaming agents must be delivered directly into the rumen to disperse the foam and allow the gases to escape.

Frothy Bloat Characteristics

Frothy bloat results when fermentation gases become trapped in a stable foam in the rumen that cannot be released by eructation. Requirements for this foam to form are:

Consumption of a highly digestible, high-protein forage (such as alfalfa, white clover, wheat) that results in rapid gas production, promotes the growth of ruminal microbial populations and increases rumen fluid viscosity.
The presence of fine plant particles (from ruptured chloroplasts) that cause gas bubbles to coalesce in rumen contents.
Active ruminal bacterial production of an excessive amount of bacterial “slime” (a mucopolysaccharide complex also known as a biofilm).

“The incidence of bloat is variable between animals and depends on the individual animal’s rate of forage fermentation and production of ruminal gas, the digesta passage rate and the foaming properties of rumen contents,” Arnold says.

For example, a slower passage rate allows more time for foam formation and a higher chance of bloat. Similarly, the abundance of certain salivary proteins within saliva decreases that animal’s formation of rumen foam.

“Some animals have a genetic predisposition to bloat, and chronic bloaters should be culled,” Arnold says.

Signs of Bloat

According to Arnold, the signs of bloat are easily recognized if observed; the problem is an animal may go from normal to dead within an hour.

Cattle with early bloat display a distended left flank, and they stop grazing, may kick at their belly and be reluctant to move.

As bloat advances, the animal may appear distressed (may vocalize, eyes may bulge), stand up and lie down repeatedly, strain to urinate and defecate, exhibit rapid and open mouth breathing, grunting, staggering and, in advanced cases, the animal will go down.

“Death is rapid at this stage due to compression of the lungs, diaphragm and major organs by the distended rumen,” Arnold says. “Animals that are mildly affected can be drenched orally or through a stomach tube with a liquid anti-bloat preparation containing the surfactant poloxalene. After dosing, it is encouraged to keep the animal moving to allow the preparation to mix with the frothy rumen contents.”

Severely bloated animals in distress need immediate veterinary attention. Arnold says this may be achieved by inserting a wide bore trocar and cannula into the rumen at the highest point on the left flank (where the swelling is greatest).

“After gas and froth is released, an anti-bloat preparation can be poured through the cannula into the rumen to help break down all remaining froth/foam,” she explains. “If poloxalene is unavailable, vegetable oil (250-500 mL) or mineral oil (100-200 mL) can be used.”

In most cases of advanced frothy bloat, a trocar and cannula will quickly plug up with foam and will not be adequate to relieve the pressure.

“In those cases, a 10-to-20-cm incision will have to be made using a scalpel or clean, sharp knife inserted into the highest point of the left flank,” Arnold says. “It may be necessary to manually remove the frothy material from the rumen. In these emergency cases there is usually no time to wait for a vet to arrive, so livestock owners will have to do this themselves. Veterinary attention is still necessary to irrigate the abdominal cavity, clean and stitch the wound and begin antibiotic treatment to prevent serious infection.”

Prevention Tips

Arnold shares these tips to help prevent frothy bloat:

Avoid grazing cattle on lush, rapidly growing, immature legume or wheat pastures. “This is exceptionally important if the forage is wet from dew or rain,” she says. “Moisture plays a role in a forage’s bloat potential. Hungry cattle graze more aggressively when moved to a new pasture, so they should not be moved to new pastures with high legume content until midday — after the dew has dried and after they have grazed or consumed hay in the morning.”
Watch cattle closely for the first few days on new pasture. “Bloat onset may be observed within an hour after introduction to new pasture, but cattle more commonly bloat on the second or third day following introduction,” she says. “Observe animals closely following any abrupt change in the weather.”
Slow the movement of cattle to new paddocks when practicing rotational grazing to offer cattle more mature forages in pastures.
Provide cattle with free-choice access to anti-bloat blocks or offer feed daily that is top-dressed or mixed with poloxalene.
Ensure cattle always have palatable grass hay available.
Provide additional calcium to growing cattle grazing wheat pasture. “Cereal grains are notoriously low in calcium; ruminal and gut motility is greatly compromised in animals with subclinical deficiencies of blood calcium,” she says.
Always provide a good trace-mineral mix to grazing cattle as high potassium and low sodium levels in the rumen are associated with bloat.
Provide access to a clean water source.
Long-term control is based on growing grass-legume mixtures and/or incorporating bloat-resistant legumes into pastures.

Your Next Read: Liver Flukes: Understanding and Effectively Managing the Parasite

Drovers Beef Biz: Companies Announce Solutions for Cattle Producers

Fri, 16 May 2025 16:26:55 GMT

What’s new in the cattle industry? Here’s a look at new products, new websites and more that offer opportunities and solutions for U.S. cattle producers.

Spray-On Antimicrobial Solution Available for Use in Animal Health Facilities

Merck Animal Health in partnership with Good Salt Life, LLC announced the commercial availability of the silane quaternary ammonium salt, which will be marketed and sold in the U.S. as ARMATREX . The spray can be used in animal health facilities to help with biosecurity measures by addressing environmental pathogren load.

ARMATREX is an odorless, colorless and non-toxic solution that creates an invisible and durable barrier to inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi, mold and algae, the company said in a release. The barrier provides up to 90 days of protection and antimicrobial activity and can enhance biosecurity when used in conjunction with cleaning and disinfecting protocols.

The ready-to-use formulation does not require mixing or measuring. ARMATREX can be applied with induction-charged technology to provide uniform coverage of treated surfaces, decreasing product waste. It does not cause microbial adaptation, resistance or mutation, Merck says.

Bimeda US Launches Bovine Appeasing Pheromone Analog

Stress effects all cattle, on every operation, regardless of location or management approach and an analog of the naturally secreted bovine appeasing pheromone (BAP) is now available through Bimeda. SecureCattle is a pour-on solution that improves productivity by decreasing the impact of stress on cattle.

SecureCattle’s proprietary formulation makes application easy and convenient with ONE 5 mL dose, applied in ONE location on the back of the neck regardless of age or weight. It is available in a 1000 mL plastic bottle, that comes with a pre-calibrated 5 mL applicator and will treat 200 head, Bimeda says.

Aurora Pharmaceutical Delays Price Increases

Aurora Pharmaceutical announced they are holding off on any price increases until at least July 1, citing the company’s commitment to supporting the farmers, ranchers, and pet owners who are already feeling the weight of economic uncertainty, they announced in a release.

“Our customers are the heartbeat of this industry,” says Mike Strobel, veterinarian and company CEO. “I know firsthand the pressures that producers and pet owners face — because I’ve lived them. This is not the time to make this kind of change. It’s a time to be there for the people who care for animals every day.”

Aurora Pharmaceutical cites recent surveys showing nearly 30% of pet owners are delaying or forgoing preventive veterinary care due to rising costs, including heartworm and flea/tick medications. In the agriculture sector, tariffs on many operational needs have caused some farmers to make difficult decisions about livestock health and treatment, according to the release.

TechMix Announces New Website

TechMix, a water supplementation company, launched an updated global website designed provide a streamlined, easier to navigate, resource-filled website. Found online at TechMixGlobal.com , the website features product, research and education information to help users better understand animal management, make informed decisions on course of action, and learn how non-pharma supplementation provides sustainable and effective tools.

Users can navigate by species, challenge or concern, product, and others, depending on the needs of the visitor., the company said in a release Products can be purchased directly from the site, or a convenient resource is available for finding sales representative information.

Your Next Read: Cow Herd Scorecard: Evaluating Performance Post Calving

Liver Flukes: Understanding and Effectively Managing the Parasite

Fri, 16 May 2025 11:58:42 GMT

While liver flukes rarely result in cattle death losses, understanding their underlying impact is important for cattle health and an operation’s bottom line.

“The biggest problem with flukes is their impact on production,” says Jody Wade, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim. Liver flukes are one of the more complex parasites in beef production.

Before setting up camp in the bile ducts of the liver, juvenile flukes cause damage in the small intestine and abdominal cavity as they travel, leaving cattle with weakened immune systems and lost growth potential.

Cattle with liver fluke infections can go months without showing clinical signs. Depending on the level of infection, cattle can experience loss of appetite, rough hair coat, decreased performance, weight loss and poor reproductive efficiency.

“The ones that really pay for it on the back end are the packers,” Wade explains. “When they start harvesting cattle and find flukes, they have to condemn those livers.”

Liver condemnations can lead to significant financial losses, particularly for feedlots and processors.

Diagnostic Testing is Key for Awareness

Wade explains diagnostic testing is needed to confirm liver fluke presence, which often goes unnoticed.

“We’re finding flukes in regions we never thought they would be,” he observes. “Unless you’re taking fecal egg counts and actually looking for liver flukes as a cow-calf operator or a stocker, you’re not going to find them.”

Diagnostic testing in regions like Kansas and Tennessee has confirmed the presence of liver flukes, challenging the misconception that liver flukes are confined to the Gulf Coast or Pacific Northwest states.

Routine testing isn’t just crucial for fluke control, it’s important for sustainable management of all internal parasites.

“Not a lot of producers are routinely testing, because it can be a time burden,” Wade explains. “But I still encourage producers to do it, because once we do, we have a really good snapshot of what is happening on the operation, which allows us to create the most strategic deworming plan.”

When producers send fecal samples for diagnostic testing, he reminds them to specify their desire for liver fluke analysis. A general diagnostic test will only look for common gastrointestinal parasites.

Liver Flukes Require Special Management

“Right now, there are only two products in the marketplace available for effective fluke management,” Wade says. “When selecting a product for liver fluke control, it’s important to look for a product that has clorsulon , or is specifically labeled for fluke coverage.”

He further explains that the available products are only effective against adult stages and do not kill juvenile flukes, which cause the most damage. But, when applied correctly, the elimination of adult flukes can disrupt the production cycle and reduce the risk of pasture reinfestation.

Understanding the life cycle of liver flukes, from egg to adult, is essential for implementing effective control measures. Unlike other internal parasites, flukes need an intermediate host to propagate. For flukes, this is a common freshwater snail.

The fluke larvae migrate to snails, where they multiply. Once they exit the snail, cattle can ingest them by grazing on infested grass or drinking infested water.

While it isn’t realistic to keep cattle away from areas that also attract freshwater snails, sustainable deworming practices like pasture rotation and refugia, the practice of only deworming high-risk animals, are also ways to help control liver flukes and other parasite populations.

“Effective fluking really comes down to timing,” Wade says. “In the southeastern part of the country, like in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, September is probably the best time to deworm for those liver flukes. In the Pacific Northwest, it’s a different deal. Most parasitologists will tell you to deworm between March and May, because it’s a later liver fluke season in that region.”

Wade says education is key to closing the gap between awareness and action.

“Sometimes, knowing that liver flukes may be a problem and not acting on that knowledge can be more harmful than not knowing at all,” he summarizes.

By adopting evidence-based practices, cattle caretakers can protect their herds, improve production outcomes and reduce the hidden costs of liver flukes. If flukes have been previously found in your area, Wade recommends getting a baseline for the herd through diagnostic testing. Only then can a sustainable, strategic deworming program be built through collaboration with a herd veterinarian.

Read More: Spring Cattle Processing Tips to Enhance Herd Health and Diminish Stress

More Than Annoyance: Flies Can Impact Health and Profits

Tue, 06 May 2025 15:16:34 GMT

With fly season approaching, now is the time to evaluate and refine your fly management plan for 2025.

“If your 2024 control efforts underperformed, consider adjusting your approach,” says David Boxler, Nebraska Extension livestock entomologist. “The best control method will depend on several factors including efficacy, cost, convenience and your current herd management practices.”

He also reminds producers that horn flies can migrate from neighboring untreated herds, masking the effectiveness of your efforts and increasing fly pressure. For this reason, Boxer recommends a comprehensive, integrated fly control.

The horn fly is one of the most damaging pests of pasture and rangeland cattle across the U.S., Boxler says in a recent “ UNL Beef Watch .”

“Adult horn flies are blood-feeding insects that take an average of 30 blood meals per day,” he says. “Their populations can build rapidly and often exceed the Economic Injury Level defined as 200 flies per animal. Once fly numbers surpass this threshold, cattle experience reduced weight gain and milk production due to fly-induced stress and altered grazing behavior.”

Observing your cattle during summer months is key to detecting fly pressure. Boxler asks, “Are they constantly tossing their heads, swishing their tails or twitching their skin?”

These signs of fly irritation indicate a more effective control strategy might be needed.

“If you are seeing flies, ticks, lice or insect damage to your cattle herd, we know there is an economic impact; however, that impact can become far greater than production or weight gain loss alone,” says Ashby Green, DVM, Neogen senior technical services veterinarian. “Insect pressure affects grazing patterns of cattle, it affects their comfort and it can lead to health issues. Some of those health issues can be definite, such as anaplasmosis.”

The vectors responsible for spreading anaplasmosis include horse flies, stable flies and ticks. This condition has been reported in most states across the U.S., while the disease has been recognized as endemic throughout the South and several Midwestern and Western states.

“With horn flies, we’re looking at mastitis risk, so that’s going to impact both dairy cattle and also our cow-calf operations,” says Jonathan Cammack, Oklahoma State University assistant professor and state extension specialist. “A lot of times, horn flies will feed on the udders of the animals, and they transfer the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria because they land on the manure, then they go back to the animal to feed and bring those bacteria with them.”

Several other conditions are propagated by flies or ticks, including pinkeye, which can be spread by face flies and causes inflammation and ulceration of the eyes. Pinkeye-affected calves are, on average, 35 lb. to 40 lb. lighter at weaning compared to healthy calves, according to a University of Kentucky report.

Cammack says that due to flies, “We’re looking at probably $6 billion in losses annually to U.S. cattle production, and that encompasses everything from actual loss in production due to decreased weight gain or decreased milk production, veterinary needs associated with treatment of cattle with exposure to pathogens from some of these insects, and then also the control measures associated with managing those individual fly species.”

Ticks present economic risks as well. Cammack says that during a 100-day growing period producers can see a decrease in total weight gain in calves by about 20 lb. For stockers, over that same 100-day period during the summer months, they can experience a decrease in weight gain by about 60 lb.

“With what current prices are, 60 lb. could translate to a significant amount of money returned when we’re talking about the few dollars that it might cost for some tick control,” he says.

(Neogen)

Controlling flies and insects: Tips to implement
Now is the time to take steps to control flies and ticks, as populations emerge with the warmer weather.

In “ Stopping Flies in 2025: Tips to Battle These Economic Pests ,” Cassandra Olds, Kansas State University Extension entomologist, shares four steps to controlling flies

Know what flies you’re dealing with.
Reduce populations.
Eliminate breeding grounds.
Consider chemical control options.

Similar to Olds, Green recommends using a multi-pronged approach to insect control. Fly tags, feed-through insect growth regulator (IGR) products, pour-ons, back rubbers and dust bags can help diminish the population. A pour-on with an IGR destroys the larval development in flies and greatly reduces the fly population. For ultimate control using a pour-on, look to a unique combination of actives within one solution that includes an IGR, an adulticide, and a synergist that supplies relief to cattle from infestations and provides producers with a reliable solution that helps minimize handling, time and labor costs.

“Both back rubbers and dust bags can be highly effective if managed correctly. Keep in mind, when these are put out to withstand the elements, including moisture and rain, it’s key to keep the dust fresh or the oil recharged in your back rubbers. Otherwise, they will diminish in their ability to control flies quickly,” Green advises.

Cammack stresses the importance of accurate dosing by the individual animal’s weight and following label guidelines.

To best control flies and insects on cattle operations, “the easy and effective way is the best way,” Green summarizes. “It’s up to you and with the help of your veterinarian to help create that combination.”

Your Next Read: Functional Facilities Reduce Stress and Boost Efficiency

Functional Facilities Reduce Stress and Boost Efficiency

Fri, 02 May 2025 11:19:39 GMT

As cattle producers prepare for working cows and calves before grass turnout, it’s important to evaluate facilities and make sure they are in working order before running the first cow in the chute.

A well-maintained pen and chute system is key to making processing day stress free — on both the cattle and the people. Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute experts, along with K-State extension veterinarian A.J. Tarpoff, shared their cattle working facility recommendations during a recent “ Cattle Chat ” podcast.

Preventative maintenance is key to keeping working facilities in good working order and reduce the likelihood of injuries to people or cattle.

“Before processing, start with basic preventative maintenance, such as making sure the gear teeth are in order, that the movable points are well oiled,” says K-State veterinarian Brian Lubbers.

Take the time to walk through the system just as cattle will on processing day.

“Before you start moving cattle through the system, walk through the alleyways to see if there is anything protruding that will cause the cattle to get injured or balk as they are being pushed ahead,” says K-State veterinarian Brad White.

Considering a new set up?

Tarpoff encourages producers looking to build or revamp working facilities to consider investing in what they use regularly. He also reminded producers to think about how they can get multiple functions out of one system.

“Cow-calf operators are going to be using their system for a lot of different things,” Tarpoff says. “A simple, well-built straight alley with functional sorting gates that can be used for sorting, loading and processing is one of the best investments producers can make for their cow-calf operation. It’s easy to invest in something you regularly use.”

K-State beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster says it is important to build a facility with labor force in mind because sometimes people are moving cattle alone.

“Keep it simple. You don’t need to build an elaborate facility but instead design a system that will work for the labor you have available,” Lancaster explains.

Make sure facilities are set up in a way that works best for the size of the cattle that are being handled.

“Think about what is the right size for the herd — how many cows will I need to move, can I change the width easily for cows versus calves? These are questions producers should be thinking through,” says K-State veterinarian Bob Larson.

The function of the crowding area, often called a “tub,” is to funnel cattle into alleyway on the way to the squeeze chute or loadout. The crowding area must be designed and located so cattle can be easily moved into this area from a common sorting alley that is fed by holding pens. There are two commonly used systems. Mark Johnson, Oklahoma State University beef cattle breeding specialist, in a recent release compared the two systems.

(Whit Hibbard)

Sweep tub

The circular crowding area, with totally enclosed sides and crowding gate, is effective because the only escape route visible to the animal is through the alleyway leading to the squeeze chute or loadout. To further encourage cattle to exit crowding area, the solid crowding gate is intermittently moved toward a closed position. This effectively restricts the cattle to a successively smaller area as they move into the alleyway.

A roughened concrete floor is desirable to provide an all-weather surface and for ease in cleaning. This design of cattle working facilities is to use circular crowding areas and working chutes. The circular designs take advantage of cattle’s tendency to circle and crowd toward the outside of a curved passage.

The curved crowding area and working chute encourages cattle to move in a continuous flow toward the squeeze chute. Solid enclosures shield the animals’ vision from distractions outside the working area while focusing their attention on moving out of the crowding tub. When a balky animal needs to be prodded, it is only a short walk from the squeeze chute to any location along the curved working alleyway.

“Cattle can normally be worked in less time with a curved alleyway than with a straight one,” Johnson says.

The crowding alley also should be curved with totally enclosed sides.

“Cattle move more freely because they cannot view the cattlemen or squeeze chute until they approach the palpation cage or rear gate of the squeeze chute,” he adds. “Sloping sides in the working alleyway confine the animal’s feet and legs to a narrow path, which in turn, reduces balking.”

Sloping sides also reduce the capability of an animal to turn around in the crowding alley. Sloping sides are well matched to cow-calf operations because varied sizes of cattle can be worked efficiently in the same system. Recommended width for the bottom of the alleyway is 16 inches with the top at 28 inches. Emergency release panels can be constructed as movable crowding alley side panels that can be opened.

Johnson says an important consideration is that the cattle handler does not need to be inside the sweep tub. The handler works from the outside of the tub and alleyway while processing the cattle.

Naive calves effortlessly flow around the handler and up the chute because the BudBox makes our idea the animals’ idea.

(Whit Hibbard)

Bud Box

The same concepts regarding the alleyway leading to the squeeze chute or loadout still apply. The primary difference is the way in which cattle are coaxed into the alleyway. The Bud Box is a rectangular pen in which the alleyway leading to the chute is placed at a right angle at the point of entry. The design is simple and with proper handling techniques can be highly effective.

Cattle are brought into the box, and the position of the handler along the opposite side of the box stimulates cattle to move by the handler and into the alleyway. The gate that is closed behind the cattle as they moved past the alley forms the box.

“The Bud Box requires a basic understanding of cattle handling principles and may require additional training for inexperienced producers,” Johnson says “The effectiveness of the design and the manner in which cattle flow into the alley is the result of the cattle handling skills and the attitude of the handler. Proper use of the box requires the cattle handler to be inside the box with the cattle.”

The Bud Box contrasts the large, circular, sweep systems. The absence of large, fabricated bends makes it easier to construct. The box typically has open sides and does not require crowding gates, which reduces the material cost and footprint of the facility. A typical box is 12 feet wide and 20 feet long. It is closed on one end with a gate at the other end. A Bud Box can be constructed and deconstructed from portable panels.

“The decision of incorporating a sweep tub or bud box into your cattle working system should be based on considering a number of factors determining what is the best fit for your budget and type of operation,” Johnson summarizes. “There are numerous YouTube videos available on the web showing examples of working cattle through, and the construction of, both sweep tubs and Bud Boxes.”

Your Next Read: Streamline Spring Cattle Processing with These 3 Stress-Reducing Steps

Effective Needle and Syringe Strategies to Ensure Spring Processing Success

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 11:11:48 GMT

As pastures green up, cattle producers are preparing for spring processing. Vaccines play a vital role in animal health, and achieving the best results requires combining them with good management practices. One key to an effective vaccination strategy is selecting the proper needles and syringes.

“When selecting a needle, determine the appropriate route of administration, whether it is subcutaneous (SQ) or intramuscular (IM) from reading the product label,” says Nick Wagner, DVM and professional services veterinarian for Neogen. “Next, determine the weight of the animal, not only for proper dosage, but also for selection of the appropriate needle.”

The route of administration determines the length of the needle, while the size of the animal determines the gauge or diameter of the needle.

Wagner explains viscosity of the product is another factor in selection of the proper gauge. Lighter calves require a smaller diameter needle, whereas heavier stock require a larger diameter needle. It is important to note, as the number of the gauge increases, the diameter decreases.

Refer to the chart to help decide which needle gauge and length to use.

Needle selection guide

(Neogen)

Wagner says implications to selecting the wrong needle can include:

If the needle is of the improper length, it will not enter the correct tissue and absorption of the product can be altered, resulting in failed efficacy.
In the case of a young animal, if the needle is too long, there is potential to strike bone or a nerve.

“When selecting a needle, you will want to select a sharp, durable and detectable needle,” he says. “It must be standard practice to avoid contaminated, burred, bent or broken needles.”

To help combat the chances of a needle breaking, use a more durable, specialized stainless-steel needle with a thick-walled cannula. Detectable needles also offer producers an option that can be easily identified and found by the metal detection systems within beef processing plants.

“The only 100% detectable needle is made of a specialized, highly ferritic, stainless-steel alloy,” he says.

Producers must also consider the syringe. For injectable products, options include single-use, disposable or multi-dose syringes that would either be a barrel refill, a bottle mount, or a line fed.

“With multi-dose syringes, implementation of an effective identification system to prevent product cross-contamination and selection of equipment with UV protective features are valuable considerations,” Wagner says.

Producers have multiple syringe options. For injectable products, options include single-use, disposable or multi-dose syringes that would either be a barrel refill, a bottle mount, or a line fed.

(Neogen)

Proper care and use
Wagner reminds producers to make sure syringes are thoroughly cleaned before use.

“To clean syringes, use hot, deionized or distilled water that is 180˚F or greater,” he says. “Do not use any soaps or disinfectants when cleaning syringes, as doing so could risk contamination and impact the internal contents and product efficacy.”

With regard to multi-dose syringes, be sure to lubricate the O-Rings in them.

“Never use any petroleum-based products, as those could cause problems with contamination,” he adds.

For storage, it is always best to store syringes in a clean, dry location.

Before using multi-dose syringes, it is key to ensure they are properly calibrated. To accomplish this, you can set the syringe for a 2 mL dose, use water and simply measure the output into another syringe, such as a disposable one. It is recommended producers consistently check the calibration throughout processing.

Wagner says one frequently asked question is, “How often should needles be changed or replaced?”

If a producers is managing any blood-borne pathogens in their herd, such as anaplasmosis or bovine leukosis, it is best practice to replace the needle after every animal. If a herd is not affected by blood-borne diseases, the producer can use needles for up to 10 to 15 injections, with some newer technology needles providing durability for up to 20 injections.

“When using a multi-dose syringe, it is best practice to change the needle when you refill the syringe to maintain sharpness and prevent any accidental contamination,” he says. “Change bent, burred or dirty needles immediately.”

He also reminds producers of the importance of recordkeeping for each individual animal.

“If you follow these best practices, along with selecting a needle of the proper gauge and length, you will ensure safe and effective injections,” he summarizes.

Your Next Read: Effective Strategies to Ensure Spring Processing Success

Your Veterinarian: A Critical Partner for Success

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 21:24:16 GMT

When it comes to livestock production — whether beef, dairy or swine — a knowledgeable large-animal veterinarian is a critical resource for producers.

The veterinarian’s duties have grown through the years from emergency calls and service to now include consultation and planning to improve cattle and dairy herds as well as swine operations.

Craig Bieber of Bieber Red Angus in Leola, S.D., says working with a vet is essential to his herd’s success.

“I don’t know how people do it without a relationship with their vet,” Bieber says. “A good working relationship is so important. As producers, we can’t be on top of every animal disease or problem there is.”

Bieber says he is lucky to have a comprehensive clinic with five veterinarians near his ranch. He meets with his team of veterinarians three or four times per year to discuss health strategies.

“Our diversified livestock operation uses a team of veterinarians for the health and well-being of our cattle, swine and sheep plus our livestock guardian dogs and family pets,” says Sarah Jones of Red Hill Farms in Lafayette, Tenn.

The Jones family works with its primary veterinarian, Roger Thomas of Thomas & England Veterinary Services in Smiths Grove, Ky.

“Dr. Thomas is essential to our operation,” Jones says. “Without our team of veterinarians, we couldn’t provide the very best care for our livestock. Dr. Thomas is our first call for issues we are not comfortable treating without consultation. Our operation also uses additional veterinarians for pregnancy ultrasound, cattle embryo transfer, sheep artificial insemination, sheep embryo transfer and swine consulting.”

In an unscientific survey, Drovers asked its Facebook followers, “How important is your veterinarian to the success of your operation?”

One follower wrote, “Essential. Having our veterinarian of a little over 40 years, we have created herd health programs for pre-breeding and pre-calving, as well as vaccination programs for calves at birth and weaning. We review these programs every year.”

Another said, “Our vet from Vale Veterinary Clinic is key to the success of our program through integrated research and herd health management our vet is priceless!”

Unfortunately, a few respondents noted they don’t have a close large-animal veterinarian near them or that they must take individual animals to an equine veterinarian for consultation, affirming the need for more large animal vets.

(Farm Journal)

The evolving role of dairy veterinarians

Traditionally seen as the guardians of animal health, focused primarily on treating sick individual animals, today’s dairy veterinarians are expanding their roles.

Scott Bohnert of Bohnert Jerseys in East Moline, Ill., exemplifies the modern dairy farmer’s reliance on veterinary expertise. At his dairy, home to 700 Jersey cows and an equal number of replacements, Bohnert leans heavily on his long-time veterinarian, Ryan Schaefer of Blue Grass, Iowa. Their working partnership of more than 15 years highlights the evolving importance of veterinarians in dairy.

Schaefer collaborates closely with Bohnert, conducting routine herd health and pregnancy checks twice a month — but their relationship goes far beyond basic animal care.

With a deep understanding of the dairy industry’s challenges, Schaefer consults closely with Bohnert on various critical topics. This trusted advice plays a pivotal role in helping Bohnert and his team drive their dairy operation forward.

“Ryan and I work very well together,” Bohnert says, acknowledging how Schaefer’s insights into disease prevention, vaccine management and industry trends keep his farm thriving in a competitive market.

This collaboration reflects a broader trend in agriculture where veterinarians serve as essential consultants instead of just animal doctors. Their role extends to strategic decision-making, helping farms navigate through diverse challenges like disease outbreaks, regulatory changes and economic pressures.

Swine veterinarian’s critical role

The swine producer and veterinarian relationship is critical in managing health issues in the swine herd.

“I can’t overstate how important our farm’s relationship is with our veterinarian,” says Mike Paustian, a swine producer from Wolcott, Iowa. “We treat that relationship as one of the key parts of our team that we’ve assembled to help advise our farm.”

Paustian, who is contact with his veterinarian every week, challenges the misconception that veterinary involvement is costly.

“I don’t see how you’re going to get a bigger bang for your buck than getting a veterinarian who knows your herd, to provide input into issues you’re having,” he says.

Paustian says he also appreciates a veterinarian who approaches work with a sense of curiosity and a desire to understand things better, which aligns with his own approach to constantly seek improvement.

Ben Barcovtch, a pig farmer from Berwick, Pa., says a strong veterinarian relationship is essential to the success of his pork operation.

“They support proactive herd health, help improve productivity, strengthen biosecurity and provide expert guidance during health challenges,” Barcovtch says. “The vet practice I work with is a key partner in maintaining animal well-being and our overall profitability.”

The veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) is the basis for interaction among veterinarians, their clients and their patients, and it is critical to the health of animals.

“Our VCPR is a partnership that allows more proactive and long-term strategies instead of just responding to needs as they arise,” says Rob Brenneman, owner of Brenneman Pork in Washington, Iowa. “This allows both parties to focus on preventative care, optimized service offerings focused on system health and stability.”

Thank you

April 26 is World Veterinary Day . Observed annually on the last Saturday of April, the day aims to celebrate the contributions of veterinarians to the health of animals, people and the environment. “Animal health takes a team,” is this year’s theme and summarizes the collaboration between veterinarians and beef, dairy and swine producers.

“I believe that sincerely communicating appreciation is one of the most important things farmers and ranchers can do for their veterinarians,” says Jones of Red Hill Farms.

Veterinarians are considered trusted advisers with an integral role in the livestock industry. A recent survey released by Boehringer Ingelheim shows 94% of animal owners appreciate the work of veterinarians, compared to only 49% of veterinary professionals feeling who think the profession is appreciated.

The survey is part of Boehringer Ingelheim’s “Going Beyond” campaign, which seeks to spotlight aspects of veterinary work that too often remain unseen and underrecognized.

In support of World Veterinary Day, the “Going Beyond” campaign also released a video asking animal owners to guess what type of professional meets the description of a range of compelling job responsibilities and characteristics.

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Stopping Flies in 2025: Tips to Battle These Economic Pests

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 17:34:25 GMT

With warming weather and cattle going out onto pasture soon, now is the time to consider fly control options.

“Every year, stable and horn flies cause significant economic losses, but a good fly control program can minimize this impact,” says Cassandra Olds, Kansas State University Extension entomologist, in a recent “ K-State Beef Tips ” article. “Although often grouped together, these are very different flies that need different control approaches.”

Olds shares these tips to stopping flies, or at least reducing their impact this year:

Step 1: Knowing what you have
“The first step in developing a good fly control program is knowing who you have,” Olds explains.

Horn flies feed 20 to 30 times a day and stay associated with their chosen animal 24/7, with females only leaving briefly to lay eggs. Stable flies in contrast only feed once or twice a day, remaining on the host for a short period of time (3 to 5 minutes).

When not feeding, flies are resting in shaded areas such as building sides and vegetation. This short feeding time means producers often underestimate their stable fly burdens.

While both flies affect pastured cattle, horn flies are not a problem in confined settings such as dairies and feedlots. This is because horn flies need fresh, undisturbed manure as a breeding site while stable flies can develop in any decaying plant matter such as hay bales, feed bunk spill over and decaying grass.

Step 2: Reduce populations
Olds explains with either fly species, using non-insecticidal control methods are essential for slowing insecticide resistance. For horn flies, pasture burning in spring kills any flies overwintering, which can significantly reduce fly populations emerging as weather warms. A healthy dung beetle population will also significantly reduce your fly numbers for free.

“Dung beetles are very susceptible to macrocyclic lactones so avoid using injectable and pour on avermectins (abamectin, eprinomectin, ivermectin etc.),” Olds says.

Because horn flies die within hours of being removed from cattle, non-chemical walk-through traps can be effective if animals pass through it regularly.

Step 3: Eliminate breeding grounds
Round hay bales result in significant wastage, which when mixed into the manure contaminated mud around bales provides a prime breeding site for stable flies.

Olds explains each round bale can produce 200,000 stable flies.

“Reducing hay waste and spreading/drying areas around finished bales is key to reducing stable fly numbers,” she says. “In feedlots, minimizing feed spillage and waste is critical to remove breeding sites for stable and house flies.”

Parasitoid wasps are available from multiple sellers and should be released around fly breeding sites. These are very effective if released before fly populations emerge and released repeatedly though the fly season.

Be careful using insecticides if using parasitoid wasps as they are very small and sensitive to these chemicals. Keeping vegetation surrounding pen areas short and exposed will remove sheltered resting areas, making life more difficult for the flies.

Step 4: Consider chemical control options
Olds stresses chemical control options should be used as a supplement not the basis of a fly control program.

“For horn flies, insecticidal ear tags are an effective method of control if correct rotation is used,” she adds. “Rotate the chemical class of your tag annually, in year one using pyrethroid-based products, year two use organophosphate-based products and year three use macrocyclic lactone tags. Repeating this three-year cycle will reduce the selection pressure on the fly populations, slowing down the spread of resistance.”

Olds also shares these tips for effective tagging.

“Tag both ears and place the tag directly into the ear,” she explains. “For the tag to be effective, it must come into direct contact with the animal’s skin, which is greatly reduced when daisy chained.”

Little of the tag touches the body when attached to another tag.

(Cassandra Olds, Kansas State University)

Olds also instructs producers not to tag young calves and adds mature bulls with thick necks might not benefit from tagging unless the tag can touch the skin.

“Although the box may label products as effective for four to five months, field trials have shown that tags only remain effective for 90 to 100 days,” Olds says. “If possible, wait until fly populations are noticeable before tagging animals to get control over peak fly activity period. After 90 days, remove the tag to reduce the risk of insecticide resistance developing.”

To increase coverage, pour-ons of the same chemical class as the ear tag can be used to increase coverage.

“Be aware that a macrocyclic lactone pour-on will impact dung beetle populations,” Olds says. “Make sure animals are dosed accurately according to weight and ensure head to tail coverage. Due to their low contact time with the host and preference for the legs, topical insecticidal treatments are generally not useful against stable flies.”

Spraying the legs can provide some relief, although it should be used sparingly as most sprays are pyrethroid based, not allowing for effective annual rotation. Baits and premise sprays can be useful in controlling both house and stable flies, look for areas where flies are found resting such as building walls, fence posts and inside sheds and shelters.

Another option is feed through insect growth regulators (IGRs) to control horn fly. Olds says it is important cattle consume the correct amount, which can be difficult under free-choice conditions.

“Under-dosing will result in resistance developing over time, reducing product efficacy,” she says. “Although labeled for stable fly control also, when manure containing the IGR is diluted in the mud and hay, it is no longer effective.”

Often marketed as dung beetle safe, Olds says evaluations of these claims in most species have not been carried out, and their true impact remains unknown.

“Insecticide resistance to IGRs can and does happen; to slow this, rotate annually between Methoprene-based (Group 7A) and diflubenzuron-based products (group 15),” she adds.

The Veterinary Entomology website provides a searchable database that can help producers select the right products. Producers can select from type of animal, insect and application method.

The Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) codes are given for each product in addition to trade names.

“For on-animal use, select the best product to allow an annual rotation between pyrethroid (Group 3A), organophosphate (Group 1B) and macrocyclic lactone (Group 6) groups,” Olds says.

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Uncover the Economic Power of Bulls

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 16:07:14 GMT

When cattle producers consider making bull purchases for their cow-calf operation, those bulls need to be evaluated relative to the benefits each offers the bottomline, according to Mark Z. Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist. Johnson says producers need to find the value proposition of those bulls.

Value proposition is defined as how a product or service can meet a customer’s needs and help them achieve their goals.

He shares these key points for producers to remember.

The initial cost of the bull is only one part of the profit equation. Value added to calves is equally important.
Identifying the trait (or traits) of primary economic importance is critical to determining the value proposition of each bull.
Producers need to have a budget and it needs to be realistic.
When multiple traits have economic importance, determining the value proposition of a bull is more challenging. It will require looking at current levels of production in traits of importance in order to determine where to focus selection pressure.

Put pencil to paper
Johnson gives the example for a cow-calf producer who needs two more Angus bulls for the spring and has narrowed down the selection list to the following five bulls to purchase private treaty.

ID	CED	BW	WW	YW	CEM	HP	MW	Marb	$B	Price
1	12	0.2	70	120	9	13	76	0.35	154	$10,000
2	4	2.9	82	141	12	6	96	0.79	180	$8,000
3	15	0.1	78	145	14	17	86	1.80	215	$12,500
4	5	3.5	91	157	8	5	99	0.71	185	$7,500
5	11	0.7	63	108	8	10	65	1.90	189	$5,500

The bulls are all spring yearlings and will be approximately 15 months of age at turnout and accordingly should be expected to cover 15 cows this year. All the bulls have passed a Breeding Soundness Exam and sell with a registration paper and a breeding soundness guarantee.

“The buying decision boils down to identifying the right bulls for your operation,” Johnson says. “The right bulls to buy are the ones most capable of adding value to the calf crop sired relative to their purchase price.”

The bulls selected need to:

Complement the females to which they will be mated
Offer genetic values of economic relevance to the marketing endpoint of the calves they will sire.

As an example, your operation intends to use the bulls as terminal sires on spring calving cows, four to six years of age. After weaning, the calves will run on cool season grass until marketed as yearlings. In this operation the trait of primary economic importance is Yearling Weight (YW).

What bulls would you buy and why?
Johnson says to calculate the profit potential of each bull, assume each bull will sire 125 calves over their lifetime of service. Each will have the same salvage value and the value of a pounds of YW sired will be $2.50.

Table 1. Use the least expensive bull as the baseline to compare.

(Mark Z. Johnson/Lori Hays)

Table 2. The “Value Proposition” of each bull over their lifetime of service.

(Mark Z. Johnson/Lori Hays)

Read more: Answer These Cow Herd Questions to Help Make Smart Bull Selections

Three Questions to Ask Yourself When Preparing to Purchase Bulls

Livestock Export Testing Safeguards Against Infectious Diseases

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:14:00 GMT

For producers looking to export livestock, the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory is the only laboratory in Texas authorized to perform testing on any livestock destined for export.

The lab is authorized to perform testing that meets U.S. Department of Agriculture , USDA, and international requirements, TVMDL’s livestock export testing safeguards human and animal health internationally by mitigating the spread of diseases and ensuring the sustainability of international commerce.

“The goal of export testing is to ensure we don’t move infectious diseases around the world through exported animals,” says Terry Hensley, DVM, TVMDL assistant agency director and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service veterinarian, Bryan-College Station. “As a diagnostic lab, we are doing our part to run the tests requested by a certain country.”

Those countries establish regulations with organizations like the World Organization for Animal Health. They indicate which diseases need to be tested for, the acceptable tests, and sometimes even timeframes for testing.

From paperwork to protocols, the export testing process can be complex. TVMDL strongly encourages clients to consider the following when requesting export testing:

Be aware of the destination country’s animal health requirements.
Organize paperwork and samples.
Proactively submit samples to ensure timely results.

Stay aware of a destination country’s animal health requirements

Hensley explains that export testing focuses on ensuring compliance with the health certification standards of the destination country. Neglecting exact protocols can cause clients to face delays, quarantines, rejections or worse at import-country borders.

“If there are problems when those animals get to that destination country, it could be bad,” Hensley says. “They can either be given the option to send those animals back to the U.S., or sometimes they’re going to do retesting. In the worst case, they get euthanized at the point of destination.”

Therefore, clients must work closely with their veterinarians and take time to orient themselves to the updated animal testing regulations of the destination country. Communication with the USDA and the destination country ensures an appropriate plan and reduces the risk of error.

The types of tests required may vary depending on where animals are transported. Some of the more common serological tests TVMDL performs for export are to detect antibodies to diseases such as brucellosis, bluetongue and bovine leukemia. Testing is mainly performed using blood samples. However, other sample types may include nasal swabs, fecal or tissue samples and, in some cases, milk or semen samples.

Hensley recommends clients ensure samples are stored and shipped according to the instructions outlined on each test’s listing on the TVMDL website. These instructions ensure samples are handled and shipped in a manner that would help them arrive at TVMDL in a testable condition.

Organizing paperwork and samples

“I think the key is good communication and organization,” Kalyn Green, assistant section head for serology at TVMDL, says.

Paperwork should include all forms of identification for each exported animal, such as the official identification numbers and microchip numbers. All samples must be labeled and linked to the animal from which it was collected. Green encouraged the use of electronic forms to minimize human error and illegible handwriting on labels.

Besides animal and sample identification, she also mentioned that premise ID, sample collection date, country of export and veterinarian signature are often needed and sometimes forgotten.

Proactively submit samples to ensure timely results

Clients should submit samples for testing well ahead of all regulatory deadlines or departures. In addition, some tests must be performed within a certain timeframe before export.

“Timing is huge,” Green says. “Some tests require a specific window before export, for example, within 30 or 60 days of departure. Also, account for how long it takes to get the results. For some of our serologic tests, if we have a suspect reaction, we must send the sample to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory for confirmation.”

Export testing can be complex but is a manageable process with the proper preparation and information. For more information on export testing at TVMDL, visit https://tvmdl.tamu.edu or call the College Station lab at 888-646-5623.

This story originally appeared on the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory website.

Research To Address Potential Disease Transmission Between Livestock and Wildlife

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 21:52:50 GMT

The H5N1 bird flu — widespread in wild birds worldwide and the cause of outbreaks in poultry, U.S. dairy cows and even several recent human cases among agricultural workers – is a prime example of mixed species disease transmission occurring where wildlife and livestock interact.

Sapna Chitlapilly Dass, Ph.D., assistant professor in microbial ecology and microbiome interactions, Department of Animal Science, is studying the ongoing threat of emerging pathogens that can necessitate prompt deployment of medical countermeasures for life-saving interventions. She is also part of a research team at a Texas A&M AgriLife in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Dass wants to address the potential of disease transmission at the rangeland level rather than waiting until it reaches the SARS-CoV-2 virus level in the human population. She worked extensively on solving problems with COVID-19 in the supply chain.

“Dairy cattle are not a known host for avian influenza, so that was quite a shocker when it jumped species,” she says. “Disease transmission is inevitable, and we will see more with unusual hosts getting this disease. So, we should take care of what we can fix before it can become human-to-human transmission.”

Dass is leading a research initiative dedicated to identifying pathogens, monitoring transmission pathways, and implementing rapid responses to address the potential danger posed by unidentified pathogens that could lead to severe epidemics.

The project, “A systems approach to understanding wildlife-farm animal-environmental drivers of zoonotic disease transmission in the food supply chain,” is funded by a $3.03 million U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service grant.

History tells us
Out of the 400 recorded instances of emerging infectious diseases since 1940, Dass said bacterial pathogens constitute 54%, viral or prion pathogens 25%, protozoa 11%, fungi 6%, and parasitic worms 3%.

This graphic shows the potential for infectious disease spread in the environment.

(Sapna Dass/Texas A&M AgriLife)

Despite their lower frequency, RNA viruses, such as those responsible for HIV, influenza H1N1 and H5N1, SARS-CoV-2, Lassa virus, Ebola virus and MERS-CoV have caused the most devastating recent emergence events.

“Human intersection with ecosystems, which is driven by urban expansion, along with the proximity of agricultural lands to wildlife habitats and the extending range of wildlife reservoirs collectively amplify the occurrence of zoonotic diseases,” Dass says.

This research project employs SARS-CoV-2 as a model virus to study spillover events from white-tailed deer to livestock, examine mechanisms of virus persistence in the environment, and assess their potential impact on human health.

“We want to determine what we can do before a disease reaches the point of vaccinating humans; fix the root cause,” she said. “The root cause is the wildlife and livestock intermingling. If we can take care of that, we can prevent overwhelming the healthcare system, which took a beating during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.”

The project
The project allows both wildlife and livestock to be put in a controlled environment to see whether the transmission happens. It is a lengthy procedure, but the USDA’s National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, has done a phenomenal job of cohabiting the animals so “we can get real-world disease transmission results,” Dass says.

“With our systems approach, we can look at environmental maintenance of the virus, using our Biosafety Safety Level 3 facility at the Global Health Research Complex,” she says. “For example, what occurs in a water trough or elsewhere when both livestock and wildlife drink water from the same source on the rangeland?”

Dass says this complex research requires collaboration between scientists from different specialties working together — people in animal disease, veterinary biosciences, wildlife and genomics.

The team working with Dass includes:

Tammi Johnson, Ph.D., AgriLife Research wildlife disease ecologist and associate professor in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Uvalde, concentrating on wildlife disease ecology.

Martial Ndeffo, Ph.D., assistant professor, Texas A&M Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Bryan-College Station, who specializes in infectious disease transdisciplinary modeling.

Paola Boggiatto, Ph.D., DVM, National Animal Disease Center, Ames, Iowa, who works on mixed species disease transmission between whitetail deer and livestock at the animal biosafety level 3 lab.

Jason McDermott, Ph.D., Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, who specializes in systems biology and multiomics modeling.

“Infectious disease transmission is expected to happen,” Dass says. “But we’ll find out if and how it can be controlled by limiting exposure.”

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Management Tips for Receiving New Calves Into Feedlot

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 12:34:00 GMT

One of the most critical times for cattle coming into the feedyard is within the first two weeks. Feedlot owners and cow-calf producers can use best practices for helping those cattle get off to a good start when entering the yard.

“The biggest thing we’re trying to do is reduce stress the whole time,” says John Hepton, a cattle nutritionist and feedlot owner in Idaho. “We want them to come in and be handled quietly and correctly. We want them to come to a clean pen with plenty of space and dry conditions.”

Hepton says typically they let cattle sit one day and process them the next day, which is something he’s learned from experience.

“For example, let’s say they were long-haul calves; we might let them go two days before we process them. Basically we’re wanting them to rest and be comfortable. And we’re always looking for early signs of pneumonia or BRD.”

Hepton says they typically we’ll feed them hay a day or two before introducing a ration.

“We’ll then introduce a palatable starter ration and avoid feeding too much starch early,” he adds.

Jessica L. Sperber, Nebraska Extension Feedlot Specialist says it’s important to offer familiar feedstuffs in the first seven days to “bunk break” cattle. She offers these suggestions:

Offer long-stem grass hay
High quality forages are essential to get adequate energy into the animal while their intakes are depressed.
Feed a natural protein source that is adequate in rumen undegradable protein (RUP) content to support calf protein requirements.

“The most likely source (and presumably cheapest) is distillers’ grains, which are approximately 30% protein, with 65% of that protein as RUP,” Sperber says. “RUP is required most in rapidly gaining, young animals.”

Additional feed consumption considerations:

Provide bunk space of 16-18” per head as a target
Low intakes on newly received calves are common and generally improve in the weeks following receiving.
In week one, cattle will generally consume 1.0 to 1.5% of body weight (BW) on a DM basis
Stressed calves may consume lower than 1.0% of BW, exhibiting signs of anorexia.
Target intake to reach 1.5% of BW (DM basis) by day 14 to reduce morbidity/mortality.
By week three, calves should be consuming 2 to 2.5% of BW (DM basis).
A 21- to 28-day transition or “step-up” period is often required to get cattle to consume greater than 1.5% BW (DM basis) and to transition calves from a high-forage to a high-grain diet.
A low energy density diet (high-forage diet) improves rumen health early in the feeding period.

Water intake

Access to plenty of water is important, Hepton says.

“It’s nice to have overflow tanks to where they can hear water running if you can,” he adds.

Sperber points out water intake drives feed dry matter intake.

“Newly received cattle will walk the perimeter of their pen, so a common thought is that cattle will find the water tank if placed around perimeter,” she says.

She also says to ensure water tanks remain free from algal growth and feed residue.

Initial processing

Processing depends on if the cattle have been preconditioned yet.

“If we don’t know the background, then we assume they haven’t had anything,” Hepton says. “I think there is value in working with ranchers to know what their vaccination program has been, if calves were vaccinated and with what products.”

Hepton says pre-weaning protocols do matter.

“Everybody wants a pre vaccinated, weaned calf,” he explains. “That’s the very easiest thing to bring to the feed lot. Even a good vaccination program, but right off the cow, certainly works. If we know the producers and we know the program, then we may not have to re-vac, or we may do things a little bit different.”

Sperger says processing may include vaccination, parasite control, identification (feedyard tag), implantation, weighing (to determine initial BW), and initial sort.

“Vaccination protocols are critical and should be discussed with your veterinarian, who will consider what is appropriate to each operation and will determine whether and when to administer 5-way viral, 7-way clostridial, and a de-wormer.

Furthermore, Sperber advises that while sorting cattle may improve uniformity in the pen, keeping cattle from similar origins together for the first few weeks on feed may reduce disruption of hierarchy in the pen and reduce health challenges from commingling.

For the yards Hepton consults for and puts cattle in he wants to have very high grading cattle.

“Our target is 90% or better to be choice or prime, which involves both genetics and nutrition,” he says. “It’s also health and management as well, which means less sick events.”

When it comes to receiving those cattle, Hepton reminds buyers and ranchers to use good transportation sources.

“Whether you’re buying them through the sale yard or picking them up off the ranch, it’s important to get them on a truck right away and getting them to the yard,” he says. “We want to have good drivers that are not tossing the cattle around and don’t stop for unnecessary causes. We want to get the cattle to where they need to be so we can get them off the truck and into a comfortable environment.”

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The Critical Role of Longevity and Maternal Performance

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 22:57:48 GMT

By Lauren Gatz, BIF communications intern

“The question that was posed to us was why is longevity and maternal performance important? And I think that question is very obvious to this audience, and it’s because both of those have a huge contribution to the profitability of the cow-calf enterprise,” explains Rick Machen, Texas A&M University Kingsville. Machen was a featured speaker alongside Bob Weaber, Kansas State University, during the 2024 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Symposium June 11 in Knoxville, Tenn.

Machen highlighted that longevity and maternal performance are central to economic success in cow-calf operations. He emphasized that longevity, which he defines as the ability of cows to remain in production over many years, contributes significantly to an operation’s profitability.

“The longer these cows stay in the herd and are productive at or above the average for the herd, the more profitable those cows can be,” Machen says. “By retaining cows that continue to produce calves efficiently, operations can benefit from a lower unit cost of production.”

Both Machen and Weaber addressed the importance of sustainability in the cow-calf industry.

“It’s already been mentioned this morning about the whole issue of sustainability and the three pillars of sustainability being economic, social, and environmental,” Machen says.

He stressed that while we often focus on environmental and social concerns, economic sustainability is crucial. Without a strong economic foundation, social and environmental goals cannot be achieved.

Like Machen, Weaber emphasized the importance of integrating genetics and the environment into the decision making for a breeding program. “From a commercial cow-calf perspective, of course, most people in the room will recognize that it’s the phenotype of that cow and her performance in a production environment that builds herd profitability,” Weaber says.

He highlighted the combined role of genetics and environmental management in creating a productive cow. Throughout his part of the presentation, Weaber emphasizes how management practices, such as supplemental feed and breeding programs, impact a cow’s performance.

“We can’t overlook the impact of our management,” he states, acknowledging that changes to the cow’s environment can impact productivity.

Improving calf crop percentages is one strategy they discussed for increasing revenue.

“Even a modest increase of say 7% for a herd of 100 cows, that’s seven additional calves. Even if they’re not very big calves, by weight and current prices, can generate an additional $10,000 in revenue,” Weaber says.

This statement emphasized the substantial financial impact of increasing calf survival rates and overall productivity.

Machen also discussed the importance of early calving, emphasizing that heifers born early in the calving season are likely to be more productive.

“The idea is that these females that are born early in the calf drop are likely from genetics that are adapted and work in our production system,” he explains.

By selecting for early calving, producers can ensure a longer productive life for their cows.

Lastly, Machen addresses the often-overlooked cost of depreciation.

“Depreciation is a non-cash cost. We don’t write a check for depreciation, but it’s a very real cost in these enterprises,” he says.

Understanding this cost is essential for operations to accurately plan their financials and maintain profitability.

Throughout the talk, Machen and Weaber provided many different viewpoints of how longevity, maternal performance and effective management practices can contribute to the success of cow-calf operations.

To watch the full presentation, visit

For more information about this year’s Symposium and the Beef Improvement Federation, including additional presentations and award winners, visit BIFSymposium.com .

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A Glimpse Into the Cattle Inventory Black Hole

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 14:12:15 GMT

Editor’s Note: This article is part of the Drovers 2024 State of the Beef Industry report, which includes an exclusive survey of cattle producers and their thoughts on numerous topics of importance to the future of their operations. To download the full report, click here .

The industry typically receives a mid-year snapshot of cattle inventories from USDA. At this stage in the cattle cycle, the report would provide insights into the state of expansion.

Unfortunately, the survey and resulting report were canceled this year due to budgetary constraints at USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service (NASS). CattleFax joined other industry groups emphasizing the importance of the report and requesting NASS reconsider.

In the absence of the report, CattleFax has estimated inventories for all classes of cattle to provide the important perspective. While these estimates are not based on the producer-level survey work NASS conducts, inventories can still be estimated within a relatively narrow margin of error via other data sets.

Drovers State of the Beef Industry 2024 Report

(Source: USDA; CattleFax Estimates)

Cows and Heifers

Beef cow inventories are estimated to be 400,000 below a year ago. Beef cow slaughter has been down sharply but not enough to overcome the record-low bred heifer inventory as of Jan. 1, 2024, most of which have now calved and would be counted as cows.

Beef replacement heifer inventories are likely steady to slightly higher but remain historically tight, estimated up a narrow 50,000 head from last year. Spring 2023-born heifers were likely retained and bred at a stabilization pace, with numbers roughly even with year-ago. A few more heifers might have been retained from the fall 2023 calf crop, although this is a smaller percentage of the nation’s herd. The expectation is for a mild expansion pace of heifer retention this fall.

Dairy Cows

Dairy cow inventories are also likely steady to slightly smaller, estimated 50,000 head lower due to a shortage of replacements coming into the year, despite a steep decline in dairy cow slaughter. The dairy replacement heifer shortage, largely due to the beef-on-dairy revolution, will remain a headwind to stabilization and growth of the herd in the near term.

Calves and Feeders

The July report also contained the first estimate of the current year’s calf crop. CattleFax expects the 2024 calf crop to be 700,000 fewer head, a record low, reflecting a smaller breeding herd coming into the year. The smaller calf crop will continue to translate into tighter feeder cattle and fed cattle supplies down the road.

With total on-feed numbers up 100,000 head from year-ago, the feeder cattle and calf supply remaining outside of feedyards would be down 850,000 head or 2.5% from last year, also record small. The July 1 outside supply figure would include the new spring-born calf crop as well as the remaining 2023-born feeder cattle and calves.

Bottom Line

Despite the absence of the July Cattle Inventory report, CattleFax estimates, based on numerous other data sets, cattle inventories will continue to tighten, but with mixed signs of stabilization. Expansion and retention patterns will be closely monitored this fall with confirmation in January 2025’s inventory report.

Reprinted with permission from CattleFax.

Your Next Read: Good News: Consumers Continue To Choose Beef

Time to Rethink Calfhood Brucellosis Vaccination? Page 2

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 13:17:08 GMT

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Reasons to reconsider

Rogers says the metal-tag issue will soon become moot, as the USDA intends, by the end of this year, to discontinue free distribution of the tags in favor of RFID for official identification. By 2021, USDA will no longer distribute the tags at all, and by 2023 the metal tags will no longer qualify as official identification.

Rogers, who raises replacement heifers on his ranch, says he does not intend to vaccinate calves for brucellosis this coming year. Instead, he’ll use RFID tags with numbers matched to traditional dangle tags for redundancy.

Applying the ear tags entails some risk on its own, Rogers adds, as ear infections occur if sanitation is inadequate, and the alternative of using ear tattoos can cause ear warts and discomfort.

The modified-live bacterin vaccine requires veterinary supervision for administration, and while definitive data is lacking, there is some evidence that the brucellosis vaccine might increase stress in calves and interfere with their immune response to other, more important vaccines administered around the same time.

Zaluski also notes that persistent misconceptions about adult vaccination drives some resistance to change. Some producers believe they need the calfhood vaccine administered between four to 12 months of age in case those cattle are subsequently shipped into a state or county that still requires vaccination prior to import. However, Zaluski stated that vaccination of those animals as adults can typically meet import requirements. In the past, use of vaccination in adult cattle was highly restricted because antibody tests could not differentiate between vaccinated cattle and those exposed to field strains of Brucella. That vaccine, however, was discontinued in 1996, and was replaced by a vaccine that no longer interferes with diagnostic tests. Today, adult vaccination provides a fully viable option for that small percentage of cattle sold into areas requiring brucellosis vaccination.

Money better spent elsewhere?

Oedekoven estimates 350,000 heifer calves receive the vaccine every year in South Dakota alone. At around $5 per head, that adds up to a $1.3 million expense for the state’s ranchers, “for a disease we haven’t seen in 20 years.”

For years, the USDA has issued the metal brucellosis ear tags at no cost to veterinarians. Those tags serve as a traceability tool, and some ranchers view low-cost individual identification as a primary benefit of vaccination. In reality, most producers are paying around $5 to $6 just to have their veterinarian clip on an ear tag. In addition, auction markets typically charge about $4 per head to read and record the numbers from metal tags, so each brucellosis vaccine could cost about $9.

For about $2 per tag, producers could switch to radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, with the electronic ID linked to each animal’s complete vaccination and health records, for a savings of $3 per head. Using electronic readers for RFID tags greatly improves accuracy and efficiency, and could reduce that cost to around $1 per head. Total cost for RFID could average around $3.

Oedekoven adds that the brucellosis vaccine in current use does not prevent infection with the bacterial disease. It does prevent clinical signs, including abortion, but the vast majority of vaccinated calves will never be exposed to the pathogen. If brucellosis does turn up in states outside the GYA, Oedekoven says officials can effectively control it as if it were a foreign animal disease, with testing and removal in affected herds.

Oedekoven acknowledges that for some veterinarians, the annual brucellosis vaccination is the only chance they have to visit client operations, establish a VCPR and generate revenue from those clients. Giving that contact up without replacing it with other services would be counterproductive, and some clients might not see the value in changing the way they utilize veterinary services.

However, with at least some clients, veterinarians have an opportunity to use the brucellosis issue as a conversation starter. The veterinarian could outline how the money currently spent on brucellosis vaccination could instead help fund more economically beneficial practices, such as better preconditioning programs, vaccinations against reproductive diseases, calf nutrition, or other practices that generate profits. Some producers will resist change, but others could recognize the value in building a more consultative relationship with their veterinarian and investing in practices that genuinely contribute to their bottom line.

Zaluski notes an example from human medicine, where the polio virus still circulates in some parts of the world. But in the United States we no longer vaccinate children against the disease, and the public-health community was able to re-allocate resources used for vaccination into surveillance and other high priority areas.

During the NCBA Mid-Year Conference in July, Rogers, Oedekoven and Zaluski participated in a meeting of the Cattle Health and Security Working Group, where members discussed brucellosis vaccination. Rogers says at least six state veterinarians participating agreed the industry could move away from calfhood vaccinations.

Back to page 1.

For more on brucellosis and vaccination, see these articles from BovineVetOnline.com:

USDA Withdraws Proposed Change to TB, Brucellosis Programs

NAS Report: Elk are Key Reservoir for Yellowstone Brucellosis

Changes in Brucellosis Test Options for Cattle Exported to Canada

Time to Rethink Calfhood Brucellosis Vaccination?

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 13:16:51 GMT

Efforts to eradicate brucellosis caused by Brucella abortus in the United States began in 1934, according to the USDA, as part of a herd-reduction program following the Great Depression and severe drought. Some states saw this as an opportunity to reduce the level of brucellosis, which was the most significant livestock disease problem in the country at the time. In 1934 and 1935, the reactor rate in adult Cattle tested was 11.5%.

The National Brucellosis Eradication Program, which began in 1956 has dramatically succeeded, with the disease virtually eliminated in the United States. By the early 2000s, the program had eradicated the disease in U.S. cattle, other than occasional infections associated with wildlife in the greater Yellowstone area (GYA). Outside that area, there have been no cases in U.S. cattle since 2010.

In spite of that success, or perhaps because of it, cow-calf producers and veterinarians, particularly in western states, continue to vaccinate calves against brucellosis.

South Dakota State Veterinarian Dusty Oedekoven says history and tradition play key roles in today’s decisions to administer brucellosis vaccines. The disease caused significant losses in cow-calf operations since the 1930s, and once the eradication program began, producers in states not officially free of the disease faced the expense of testing cattle for interstate shipment. South Dakota gained its brucellosis-free status in 2000, with Texas and Missouri soon following.

By 2009, animal health officials were celebrating the eradication of brucellosis in U.S. cattle. But, they recognized that the disease persisted in the GYA, where migratory elk herds serve as a reservoir and sometimes transmit the disease to cattle in adjacent areas in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. Officials in those states, Oedekoven says, have remained vigilant in surveillance and testing to prevent movement of infected cattle out of the GYA.

“We’ve gone about as far as we can with the program, short of eradicating the disease in wildlife,” he says.

Reasons we still vaccinate

Producers perceive some advantages to vaccination, generally unrelated to disease prevention. Some ranchers, for example, see some value to the orange metal tag when selling replacement heifers. Montana State Veterinarian, Marty Zaluski, notes that buyers might feel the tag serves as an indicator of overall health management at the ranch of origin. If a seller cared enough to vaccinate against Brucella, the reasoning goes, they probably care enough to employ good weaning practices, including vaccinating for more widespread diseases such as BVD or viruses associated with respiratory disease.

Oedekoven adds that ranchers want the orange tag in place at sale time in case a buyer intends to move the calves to several western states that still require vaccination for imported cattle.

Zaluski agrees that tradition, along with some perceived benefits and some misconceptions drive the continued practice of vaccinating calves against brucellosis. In 47 states, there have been no brucellosis cases confirmed in more than 10 years, but many producers cling to traditions. In some cases, Zaluski says, producers see it as inexpensive insurance against risk of an outbreak; a risk that Zaluski feels has become extremely low. Others value the practice for individual identification, traceability and a marketing tool, however, comprehensive weaning programs along with RFID linked to records for documentation, could provide much greater value.

Oedekoven notes a clear East-West divide in perceptions regarding brucellosis vaccination. Producers in Eastern states generally have been free of the disease for decades, and generally are less likely to ship replacement heifers to Western states. Producers west of the Mississippi on the other hand, can recall outbreaks and testing, or recall their fathers’ or grandfathers’ stories.

Veterinarians, in some cases, rely on those annual vaccinations as a revenue stream and as one of their few chances, or only chance, to visit client operations and establish professional relationships. Texas Veterinarian Glenn Rogers says that for veterinarians and their clients, it can be difficult to discontinue a service or product, especially if there is any perception of risk in doing so.

Read on for reasons to reconsider vaccination on page 2. >>>

Read on for reasons to reconsider vaccination on page 2. >>>

Rural veterinarian shortage: Are you experiencing it?

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:52:30 GMT

It’s been debated whether or not there’s a shortage of veterinarians in rural areas, with the USDA asking for nominations of areas that are in shortage. Industry experts are suggesting the rural community maybe unable to support a sustainable business model for these practitioners, or maybe veterinary technicians could be better leveraged to help fill gaps.

We want to know what you’re seeing on the ground in your area. Are you a solo practitioner who wishes there was another veterinarian closer to you? Are you a producer who has no trouble getting access to veterinary care no matter when you need it? Let us know by taking the poll below.

Click here to take the poll.

More about the rural veterinarian shortage:

USDA Solicits Nominations for Veterinary Shortage Areas

Is There Really a Rural Veterinarian Shortage?

Veterinary Technicians Key to Underserved Rural Areas

Controlling Flies Associated with Cattle in Dry Lots

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:25:15 GMT

Maintaining beef cattle in a dry lot is an alternative management system to traditional pasture or range beef production initially developed to offset the lack of pasture during drought conditions. Dry lot management continues to be used in situations when grazing is unavailable. There is one production issue that remains constant for any livestock producer in any management system, and that is flies. They are the face fly, horn fly, house fly, and stable fly depending upon the dry lot system utilized. Currently, two types of dry lot management systems are used, completely confined and semi-confined. A completely confined unit will be similar to a feedlot, whereas a semi-confined unit will allow cattle access to graze adjacent pastures on a regular basis. Let’s discuss the different flies that might be found in a dry lot system:

Horn Flies

United States livestock producers lose over $1 billion annually to the horn fly, making it one of the most damaging ectoparasites of cattle. Horn fly feeding causes dermal irritation, anemia, decreased feed intake leading to reduced weight gains, and diminished milk production. Horn flies can spread summer mastitis. Both male and female flies average more than 30 blood meals per day. Eggs are deposited in fresh manure and the entire life cycle can be completed in 10 to 20 days depending upon weather. Newly emerged horn flies can travel several miles searching for a host. Peak summer population numbers on untreated cattle can exceed several thousand per animal.

Face Flies

Historically, face fly activity has been observed east of the Nebraska Panhandle, depending upon climatic conditions. Face flies require areas with higher levels of humidity and rainfall than our other major fly species. Face flies are strong flyers and can move significant distances. If a confined dry lot is adjacent to an irrigated or native range pasture with grazing cattle, confined animals could be bothered by face flies. Usually the female fly is found feeding on various secretions from cattle and other animals: tears, saliva, nasal mucus, blood serum from wounds, and perspiration are all attractive to face flies. Males can be found on cattle, but generally feed on nectar from flowers or liquids from manure pats. The greatest impact of face flies is their capability to transmit pinkeye and other eye diseases to cattle.

House Flies

House flies develop in fresh manure or decaying organic matter mixed with manure, soil, and moisture; all of which can be found in and around a dry lot. These substrates are found next to feeding aprons, around feed bunks, under fences, and around mounds. House flies feed on organic waste material, which includes eye and nose mucous of cattle. When present in large numbers, house flies are annoying to cattle. The house fly can transmit more than 65 human and animal diseases. Mastitis, pinkeye, anthrax, typhoid fever, amoebic dysentery, tuberculosis, cholera, Newcastle disease and salmonella are some of the diseases affecting man and animals that are transmitted by these flies.

Stable Flies

The stable fly is a blood-sucking fly that feeds by piercing the skin and sucking blood. Stable flies remain on the animal long enough to obtain a blood meal (3 to 5 minutes), then fly off in search of shaded site to digest the meal. These flies can feed several times a day, depending upon weather conditions. The bite of the stable fly is very painful and irritating. When stable flies are abundant, cattle will bunch or seek water to stand in to avoid them. Energy normally used to convert feed to weight gain is used in fighting flies. Stable flies develop in decaying organic matter such as spilled hay or straw mixed with manure, spilled feed, and edges of hay piles. The most common locations are next to feed bunks, at edges of feeding aprons, under fences, and runoff drainage retention structures like debris-settling basins.

Management of Flies in a Confined and Semi-confined Dry Lots

Sanitation and Management

House flies and stable flies could be present throughout the fly season in both confined and semi-confined dry lots. Management of these flies first starts with sanitation. Clean-up spilled hay and other feed along edges of feed bunks, feeding aprons, and under fence lines where material is not trampled by cattle. Because flies develop quickly in warm weather, clean-up should be done every 7 days to disrupt the flies’ life cycle. Collected waste products can be either composted, compacted into a mound for future disposal, or spread as a thin layer on crop production sites. Poor fly sanitation management can lead to very high fly numbers that are difficult to control by other methods.

Horn flies and face flies may be a problem in the spring where pastured cattle are adjacent to a completely confined dry lot. This irritation can be short-lived, as horn flies and face flies typically do not develop in dry lot locations due to physical destruction of manure pats by penned cattle. Control products may not be required.

Cattle allowed to graze adjacent pastures to a semi-confined dry lot will deposit enough manure to produce horn flies and face flies. These flies will certainly be pests where cattle are grazing, but can also be an ongoing pest problem when the animals are in the dry lot.

Water Management

Maintaining a dry lot surface is important. Flies need moisture to complete their development, so removing water from lots will help reduce fly numbers. Dry lots should have enough slope to carry water away. Deep weeds and grassy vegetation should be mowed around a dry lot to remove resting areas for flies.

Chemical

Residual sprays are applied to areas where flies can pick up a lethal dose of the insecticide. The residual effectiveness of these insecticides is usually no longer than 2 to 3 weeks. House flies rest on sunny surfaces and tend to come inside buildings at night. Focus residual sprays on sunny surfaces such as fences, outside walls of buildings, and on the inside walls and ceilings of buildings. Stable flies rest on shady surfaces and are seldom found inside buildings. Apply residual sprays to resting sites, such as fences, feed bunks, and vegetation around dry lots. Apply residual sprays to the point of runoff, but do not allow puddles to form, and be sure to avoid contamination of water and feed supplies.

Area sprays provide a quick knock down of house flies and stable flies. An area spray should cover the entire dry lot and fly resting areas. These treatments can be applied with mist blower sprayers, low pressure sprayers and foggers. Since these treatments offer little residual activity, they need to be frequently re-applied.

There are a number of insecticidal baits labeled for use in Nebraska that can be useful for the reduction of house flies or blow flies. They do not impact other fly species.

Insecticidal feed additives/feedthroughs work by incorporating an insect growth regulator (IGR) in the feed. When consumed, the insecticide passes through the animal’s digestive system into the manure and prevents larval fly development. Stable flies and house flies can develop in many areas around a dry lot where fresh manure is not present. Therefore, feed additives may not provide complete house fly and stable fly control. These products can provide a degree of horn fly control that may be off-set by the immigration of horn flies from neighboring herds. Rabon, methoprene (Altosid), and diflubenzuron are three insecticides registered for this purpose, but methoprene (Altosid) is not registered for face fly control.

Dust bags and Oilers/Rubs can reduce horn fly and face fly numbers if used in a forced treatment situation, where the animal has to pass under them. Locate these devices in gate areas that separate the dry lot from the pasture.

Animal sprays can be applied using low pressure and mist blower sprayers. These types of applications need to be re-applied on a regular basis throughout the fly season to achieve adequate fly control.

Pour-ons provide about 3 weeks of horn fly control, limited face fly control, and little impact on stable flies and house flies. Pour-on applications need to be re-applied throughout the fly season.

Insecticide ear tags work by releasing small amounts of insecticide as an animal moves its head. To achieve the maximum level of horn fly and face fly control, two tags should be applied to adult animals. Tag the calf as well, if face flies are present. Also, to enhance tag performance, delay tag application until the last week in May or first week of June. Insecticide ear tags have little impact on house flies and stable flies.

Biological Control

Biological control uses small parasitic wasps (pteromalids) to parasitize house fly and stable fly pupae. A female wasp will insert an egg into a fly pupae, upon hatching the wasp larvae then feeds on the developing fly. The number of parasitic wasps released depends upon the number of cattle present. Companies who sell the wasps can provide a formula or guidelines for calculating release rates and frequency. Make sure to purchase wasp species that parasitize both house flies and stable flies. When using this control method, sanitation and manure management is critical.

To maintain or enhance fly tolerance to current labeled insecticides, please rotate insecticide classes (Modes of Action) monthly for sprays, and yearly for insecticide ear tags, dusts and feed additives/feedthrough (IGRs) products.

For current Nebraska Control Recommendations refer to EC1550, Nebraska Management Guide for Insect Pests of Livestock and Horses

When applying any insecticide control product, please read and follow label instructions.