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.

We’ve learned a lot from the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have learned to stock up their pantries and the basics of home cooking; businesses have learned productivity can be maintained while working from home. And, beef veterinarians, well, they have learned there are similarities between managing cattle and human health.

Imagine for a moment, you are on a youth beef quiz bowl team with questions focused on testing your knowledge of cattle health.

By now it is well established that despite greater knowledge of animal health and management, analytical abilities and advanced antibiotic technologies, morbidity and mortality has increased over the past 10-plus years.

It’s estimated nearly 9% of beef cattle operations have a calf persistently infected (PI) with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV). This might seem like a small percentage, but presence of BVDV can mean a risk for something more.