Inflammation is a complex biological response triggered by the immune system in response to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, tissue injury, or stress. In mammals, including beef cattle, understanding the inflammatory response is of utmost importance as it can have significant implications for health, productivity, and overall well-being.

This is quickly shaping up to be a year that all cattle producers, both big and small, won’t forget any time soon. As sale barns across the country begin to crush previous record highs in calf prices, the decision to keep or sell the 2023 calf crop will be weighing heavy on every producer’s mind.

When I visit a farm, my favorite question to ask is, “What part of the dairy you are most proud of?” Typically, the answers include some sort of cow performance measurements, such as milk production, pregnancy rates or genomics.

Successful dairies achieve consistent performance by implementing protocols that reduce variation within their operation. They do everything they can to limit the internal and external pressures cows face, while creating resilient animals that can withstand the pressures beyond their control.

Pasteurella, also known as shipping fever, affects the respiratory tracts of cattle and can cause pneumonia, permanent damage and eventually death in some animals.

The beef packing industry has made significant improvements and progress in the application of pathogen interventions in the processing plant since the 1993 Jack in the Box E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. Yet even with these tremendous efforts, beef recalls due to the pathogens E. coli O157:H7 and the other “Big 6” enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHECs) and salmonella still occur. 

When was the last time you experienced “the best of both worlds?” As a figure of speech, you simply enjoyed the advantages of two very different things or situations at the same time.