We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
Most producers know that calfhood pneumonia, or bovine respiratory disease (BRD), is one of the leading health concerns impacting calves on even the best-managed dairies. The disease challenges young calves face when they are most vulnerable can have lifelong productivity and profitability implications.
Serious disease, lifelong impact — bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is one of the leading health concerns impacting heifer calves on dairies, even on the best-managed operations. Be armed with these three facts about BRD, and know the signs to watch for should BRD find its way into your herd.
It’s good to have goals. It gives you something to shoot for whether it’s in your personal life or as a dairy producer. On your dairy, there are a wide variety of goals you can strive to accomplish. Some may relate to basic protocols while others may center on performance.
Thousands of dollars are invested in every heifer from the point of birth to her first calving. With this in mind, a 100-cow dairy will invest nearly $112,000 a year, and a 1,000-cow dairy will put down over a million dollars.
With fall approaching, we expect the normal abundance of calves being sold. In the U.S., the majority of cow herds are managed for spring calving, which gives us a large run of calves in the fall.
Animals can experience stress in all aspects of beef cattle management. Some stressful events are in a producer’s control, and some are not. But in any case, producers should do what they can to minimize stress that can compromise immune systems and make cattle more susceptible to disease.
As weather begins to warm, it is easy to think you’re out of the woods from the health risks spurred by the cold, winter months – but not so fast there, friends.
Temperatures have cooled off, days are shortening and many producers are in the throes of weaning and preparing to ship this year’s calf crop, marking it officially fall.
