Livestock producers need an integrated pest management plan to control the loss of production due to filth flies while cattle graze summer pastures. This may include the movement of livestock, mechanical disruption of grazing areas, mechanical removal of flies and the use of natural and chemical insecticides or repellents.

When cattle start rubbing and losing hair in late winter or early spring, lice are often the first suspect. Follow-up checks by producers and veterinarians, however, show the cause is not always that simple.

While NWS is currently not present in the U.S., speakers and officials at the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Convention in Fort Worth, Texas, March 28-29, gave indications the spread is being successfully kept at a distance away from the U.S. – for now. But plans are in motion for its arrival, possibly as early as this summer.

The spring season brings longer days, greener pastures and a sense of relief from the freezing temperatures. However, the spring also carries its own set of challenges, as it is one of the most challenging times of the year for cattle health.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins launched the construction of an $8.5 million sterile fly dispersal facility on June 18 at the Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas, and announced a comprehensive five-pronged plan to bolster the USDA’s efforts to control New World screwworm (NWS).

For more than 70 years, the USDA has fought to keep New World screwworms out of U.S. livestock, but the battle has incurred some heavy costs along the way.

The calendar never lies. While it may feel like New Year’s celebrations have scarcely fizzled, the calf crop is on the ground, the winter feed supply is dwindling, and patches of green grass are beckoning.

While there are no proven vaccines or products for the control of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), sound immunity is a core component of the cow’s physiology and ability to produce efficiently and economically. A sound nutrition program supports immunity in both the long and short term and certainly will have positive effects on reducing HPAI incidence.