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AP Top News: 8:30 a.m. EDT

Now’s a good time to run your cattle through the squeeze chute for their fall vaccinations. Vaccinations and fall treatments can be given to each animal after the veterinarian determines whether or not she's pregnant....

Understanding consequences of Trich and new rules for disease

published: October 2nd 2009 by: Martha Hollida Garrett

Bull buying season is here and with it comes new rules concerning Tri-chomoniasis (Trich) for bulls purchased out-of-state, effective April 2009 and another new set of regulations for bulls purchased in-state, beginning January 1, 2010....

Establish A Comprehensive Vaccination Program

published: September 23rd 2009 source: BeefToday

A comprehensive vaccination program is an important step in helping livestock owners keep their animals healthy, promote efficient growth and production and avoid unnecessary animal suffering. Think about vaccines like tools in your tool box....

Basics Of Cattle Immunity

published: September 15th 2009 by: Tom Hairgrove, Steve Hammack

To formulate a vaccination program it is important to understand how animals naturally protect themselves from infection and how vaccines and other management factors enhance that protection. There are three major ways the body defends itself against infectious organisms....

Don’t Change Your Route Of Administration

published: September 8th 2009 by: Geni Wren source: Bovine Veterinarian

Physicians are known for their oath of “first, do no harm” to their patients. Though this is not in the veterinary oath, these words should be taken to heart, especially regarding the administration of drugs....

House Bill Would Ban Some Antibiotics For Food Animals

published: September 1st 2009 by: Christina Macejko source: DVM News Magazine

With the backing of the Obama administration, a new measure introduced in the House of Representatives seeks to ban some uses of antibiotics for food animals because they are considered too important for human health....

Foot Rot Info and Management Tips

published: August 29th 2009 source: Pfizer Animal Health

Producers who recognize foot rot and develop strategies to prevent and treat it can successfully protect their cattle herd’s performance. Causing an estimated 75 percent of all lameness diagnosed in beef cattle, foot rot, or interdigital dermatitis, can be detrimental to the health of a herd and profits of an operation....

Fire Ants May Have Met Their Match

published: August 5th 2009 by: Mike Jackson source: TAMU Ag Communications

Life from now on will be harder for red imported fire ants in some North Texas communities, say experts with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. The fire ants’ natural enemies – phorid flies – have been introduced in Red River County, and established populations have spread through areas of Denton County....

An Invisible Cost

published: July 29th 2009 source: Cornell University

When cattle get sick, it hurts performance and quality. But it is not always easy to tell those cattle from the healthy ones. Cattle with chronic pneumonia can cost producers nearly $80 per head, without showing signs of illness....

Different Cattle Pests Require Different Methods Of Control

published: July 27th 2009 by: David Burton source: News-Leader

During a year's time, beef cattle are exposed to a variety of insect pests that may impact their performance and the pocketbook of the beef producer. Advertisement Examples of costly parasites include the common horn fly (which shows up in huge numbers in mid to late summer if not treated against), face flies, ticks, cattle grubs, heel flies, stable flies and horse flies....

Data Backs Preconditioning of Calves

published: July 23rd 2009 source: Pfizer Animal Health

A study of prices received on calves sold through seven video auction sales in 2008 reveals that cattle producers received the highest premiums since 1995 on VAC45 and VAC PreCon calves, and the second highest premium on VAC34 calves....

Hearing Held On Limiting Antibiotics In Farm Animals

published: July 16th 2009 source: Farm Futures

The House Rules Committee on July 13th held a hearing on limiting the use of antibiotics in livestock. Deputy Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein testified at the hearing that restrictions on livestock use would reduce the opportunity for bacteria to develop resistance to drugs used by humans....

Fever Ticks Spreading In Texas

published: July 11th 2009 source: TAHC

Texas animal health officials have cast another wide net in the battle to eradicate cattle fever ticks in South Texas. The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) has temporarily quarantined 152,716 acres in Starr and Hidalgo counties....

Understanding Tuberculosis

published: July 9th 2009 by: Hilary M Sullivan, extension specialist source: New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension

Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by Mycobacterium bovis: an organism closely related to the organism thatcauses avian TB (Mycobacterium avian), human TB (Mycobacterium tuberculosis), and Johne’s disease (Mycobacterium avian subspecies paratuberculosis)....

Watch Withdrawal Times

published: July 1st 2009 by: Michael Fisher source: Colorado State University Extension

Do you know what the withdrawal period is for the various animal health products that you administer to your livestock? For that matter, do you know what a withdrawal period is established for? As livestock producers, we are the first line of defense in ensuring that the American meat supply is a quality, wholesome, and safe product....

Pfizer Announces Program To Assist Veterinarians

published: June 14th 2009 source: Pfizer Animal Health

The future of animal production agriculture will be missing a critical piece--veterinarian. Without support for students to pursue large animal veterinary careers, this aspect of ag is threatened. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, fewer than 10 percent, or about 200 students, graduating each year from U....

Effects Of Heat Stress On Cattle

published: June 3rd 2009 by: Joe Benton source: Oklahoma State University Extension

High temperatures raise the concern of heat stress on cattle. Hot weather and high humidity can reduce breeding efficiency, milk production, feed intake, weight gains and can sometimes cause death. Management can be used to reduce the problem when hot and humid weather is forecast....

Assistance Available To Fight Cattle Fever Tick

published: June 2nd 2009 source: USDA-NRCS

The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is providing technical and financial assistance to ranchers in a 17-county area to help fight the spread of the cattle fever tick. The conservation assistance will be available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for the Rio Grande Domestic Animal Stress/Mortality Statewide Resource Concern, since the cattle fever ticks can carry and transmit a tiny blood parasite called, ‘babesia,’ that can be deadly to cattle....

Calfhood Vaccination Guidelines

published: May 29th 2009 by: John Wenzel, Clay P. Mathis, Boone Carte source: New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension

Calf vaccination is an important part of every herd health program. An effective vaccination protocol can be developed to fit most operation and management approaches. This guide describes three calf vaccination approaches that have been successfully implementedin cow-calf operations in New Mexico....

Implanting For Success

published: May 15th 2009 by: Clyde Lane, Jr. source: University of Tennessee

Growth stimulating implants offer the commercial cow-calf producer a fast, easy-to-use method of increasing the weaning weight of calves when used properly. Implants have been proven effective through research, as well as through routine use in the beef industry....