Calf Health

Creating healthy, high-value heifers from day one

abby@agproud.com — Sat, 30 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Today’s decisions, beginning even before a calf is born, can determine whether that heifer becomes a long-lasting, productive cow or falls short of her genetic potential.

Rat-tail syndrome in beef cattle

kalyn.waters@ufl.edu — Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Let's get right down to it: the what and whys of rat-tail syndrome (RTS) in cattle. This trait has been around for decades, and most ranchers and cattlemen are aware of it and can easily identify those tight, curly-haired little rascals at birth.

Nurturing calves on pasture: Nutrition and health strategies for growth and resilience

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Ensuring optimal calving care for newborns is a top priority for producers. However, the responsibility doesn’t end as the calves leave the farmyard. Special attention must also be given to their nutrition and overall well-being as they transition to spring pastures and continue to grow during the summer months.

Colostrum management to improve beef calf health

rjv10@psu.edu — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

A tremendous amount of research has been published and continues to be performed related to colostrum management of dairy cattle. Much less research has addressed colostrum management in beef cattle and their calves.

Newborn calf leg issues: Causes, challenges and hereditary factors

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 15:11:26 -0500

Most calves are born without intervention, typically nursing on their own without significant attention from caretakers. They often adapt to their environment quickly, becoming productive members of the herd.

[Podcast] Stay in front of calf health – David Mathes, DBC Ag Products

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode, David Mathes with DBC Ag Products, shares his tips for raising healthy, fast-growing calves. David discusses how to stay in front of calf health with proactive calf care.

Maximize immunity, decrease disease with these five calf health considerations

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Ranchers have so much invested in the genetics and in the long process of getting that live calf on the ground that we want to do everything we can to protect that investment. Let’s look at how to give our young calves the best possible start.

Persistently infected calves invading the cattle industry

abby@agproud.com — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Bovine viral diarrhea virus, or BVDV, is one of the most frequent diseases dealt with in cattle, in all sectors of the industry.

Rotavirus in calves: What is causing the problem and how do we address it?

randal.shirbroun@vaxxinova.com — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Many cow-calf producers can relate to the frustration and challenges associated with scours, or diarrhea in baby calves. The typical and very reasonable questions to ask would include, “What is causing the problem?” and “How do we address it?”

Tackling the challenges of calf scours and coccidiosis

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Neonatal diarrhea, or calf scours, is one of the costliest diseases in the cattle business and is responsible for more mortalities in calves under 1 month old than any other disease.

Key indicators and treatments for calfhood diarrhea

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 00:00:00 -0400

There are a few things you as a producer can do to help increase the odds that your calves will overcome calfhood diarrhea.

Summer challenges for calves: Preventing pneumonia, pinkeye and enterotoxemia

lee.jones@boehringer-ingelheim.com — Thu, 25 May 2023 11:47:45 -0400

Most folks think summertime is typically a time to relax for cattle owners. If we’ve had sufficient rain and grass is good, we can turn cows out and not worry too much except to check water, fences and put out summer mineral. However, there are a few calf diseases that can change those plans.

Spring vaccinations set calves up for long-term success

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0400

It’s never too early to think about a calf’s respiratory health. The steps producers take this spring with young calves not only help protect them through grazing season, but can help prepare the calves for a more complete immune response with preweaning and weaning booster vaccinations.

Preparing for the upcoming OTC antibiotic rules

austincvincent@gmail.com — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0400

This year it is important for ranchers to prepare for upcoming changes to the rules regarding purchasing medically important antibiotics.

West: Scours – dealing with it now, preventing it later

msmall@uidaho.edu — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 00:00:00 -0500

As we patiently wait for the turn of the season, producers will continue to keep a watchful eye on young calf health, especially regarding scours.

Neonatal calf scours: Considering all management aspects

jasonwarner@ksu.edu — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 00:00:00 -0500

A producer makes an initial call to their veterinarian, concerned about a sudden and severe case of neonatal calf scours in their herd of calving beef cows.

Late-term feedyard death loss economics

mcorrigan@axiota.com — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 23:32:57 -0400

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.

Genetic risk factors for heart failure in feedlot cattle

bvanderley2@unl.edu — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 23:22:19 -0400

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.

Five ways to avoid becoming a victim of a PI calf problem

john.davidson@boehringer-ingelheim.com — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 12:21:14 -0400

Persistently infected (PI) calves continue to be a substantial threat to all segments of the cattle industry, but many producers don’t even know they are in the herd.

Don’t Gamble on Weaning and Receiving

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Spring into calving season: Water essential for optimal calf health

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 07:05:55 -0400

Calving season brings the joy of newborns on the farm. Managing the health and development of these calves encompasses many different factors but one nutrient that is often overlooked, or taken for granted, is water. Whether you are running a cow-calf farm on pasture or are raising deacon calves, water plays an essential role in a calf’s development which in turn affects their overall health and wellbeing.

Systems approach to calving success

lee.jones@boehringer-ingelheim.com — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 22:59:18 -0500

We often approach every calving season by addressing parts of the management or farm puzzle. And there is value in doing that.

Clearing the air on calf diphtheria

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 22:53:33 -0500

Respiratory problems in cattle include diphtheria, the infection or inflammation of vocal folds of the larynx (voice box) at the back of the throat.

Managing Mother Nature and the newborn calf

lwaechter-mead13@unl.edu — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 22:42:36 -0500

Spring calving in the Midwest has its fair share of unfortunate weather events. From the 2019 bomb cyclone to the 2021 polar vortex, cattle producers should not be surprised when the weather forecasts the worst.

Addressing cold-weather calving challenges

sam.strahan@ridleyinc.com — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 15:00:01 -0500

In the depth of winter, most of us yearn for the warm, sunny days of spring and the nice green grass that follows. I suspect our cattle tend to enjoy that time of year better as well – but in the meantime, late-term pregnant cows have a major task ahead of them before this “greenup” occurs.

Time to plan for spring herd health management

jrussell@zinpro.com — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 15:00:01 -0500

Winter is here, but it will not be long before the snow and ice melt away and pastures start to green up and become lush. Springtime can bring a host of challenges for beef cattle.

Planning ahead to feed problem newborn calves

jason.smith@ag.tamu.edu — Mon, 03 Jan 2022 22:40:41 -0500

While we all hope that every dam will claim her calf and provide it with what it needs to thrive, the reality is that some will not.

Consider nutritional needs in your calving toolkit

grace.coley@genex.coop — Fri, 24 Dec 2021 15:00:01 -0500

Calving is just around the corner, so now is the time to make sure you have all the tools on hand for a successful calving season.

Practice scours prevention but plan for treatment

shannonw@uidaho.edu — Fri, 24 Dec 2021 15:00:01 -0500

Scours! One of those words that will make most ranchers use “corral” talk immediately, regardless of who is standing around. Scours is a little like a wildfire.

Calving equals colostrum

grace.coley@genex.coop — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 16:18:56 -0400

As fall calving approaches, you may worry more about flies and heat stress than colostrum. However, colostrum is critical to giving calves the start they need no matter the season. It’s just as important to feed quality colostrum during times of heat stress as it is to feed quality colostrum during cold weather.