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There has been a lot of discussion about late-term death loss in
finishing cattle in recent years. There are obvious economic
consequences of losing an animal that has been on feed for a long period
of time, and those costs increase as feeder prices and feed costs
increase.
Heart failure has been emerging as an increasingly important disease
in feedlot cattle. There are many causes of heart failure in cattle,
including exposure to low oxygen levels at high elevations, bacterial
infections of the heart muscle and toxins that affect cardiac function.
One challenge in the livestock industry is keeping animals healthy,
and a key factor is being able to detect illness early and treat early
with less stress and setback for the animal and less cost to the
producer.
For over two decades, rural America has faced a crisis very few are
talking about: a shortage of veterinarians. This shortage puts stress on
both veterinarians and producers, affecting the entire food animal
system.
It’s that time of year when many producers will begin weaning calves, and new cattle will be entering stocker and feedlot operations. During this stretch, stress is the number one issue that will influence health and performance.
Most cattle producers are primarily concerned about meeting the minimum
nutrient requirements for the cow herd. In many parts of the country,
given the dry conditions, most producers are concerned about being able
to provide a minimum amount of forage to allow them to hold on to the
cow herds and maintain an acceptable level of production.
In cow-calf operations, reproductive rate is the foundational productive
function of the enterprise. Obviously, if cows do not become pregnant,
then no calves are produced for revenue generation the following year.
Most beef producers who routinely test cows and heifers confirm
pregnancies when their calves are either weaned or preconditioned in
late summer. However, experts recommend checking for pregnancy much
sooner, especially during a dry spell.
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