HEALTH & NUTRITION...

Consistent approach during change of ownership keeps top-quality beef on track.

"Unknown" is usually a negative term in the cattle business given all that could go wrong with undisclosed genetics, background, management and health history.

Tim Miller, West Point, Neb., just tries to use what he does know to make the most of those mystery cattle.

"All I do is allow cattle to fully express their genetic potential by keeping them on a consistent plane of nutrition," he explains. To enhance beef quality, he says producers must understand "compensatory gain does not create marbling. We don't know exactly when marbling begins to take place, so it would be best to never compromise an animal's nutrition or health throughout the course of its life."

Miller owns 65 Angus-based cows, but his main enterprise involves managing stockers. A recent, more complex venture included purchasing bred heifers from the Kuchera family of Rose, Neb. Their progeny comprised the group that hit 60% CAB. Read more.

Antibiotic Residues in Distillers' Grains?

Distillers' grains continue to be the subject of controversy. Maybe, as a beef cattle nutritionist once said, it's because distillers' grains are almost too good to be true. But while distillers' grains have, for the most part, been a good, safe feed ingredient for cattle producers, there have been questions raised, quelled and resurrected about how feeding distillers' grains might affect animal health and both the eating quality and safety of beef. Now distillers' grains are under scrutiny for containing antibiotic residues. Read more.

Vaccination with Parasite Control
is a Must for a Healthy Herd

Even if producers do everything else by the book for vaccination, if they don't control parasites and monitor nutrition, they may be throwing that investment away.

"I get a lot of herd health calls from producers asking what to vaccinate for," says Christine Navarre, Louisiana State University (LSU) Extension veterinarian. "I won't even talk about vaccination until we've addressed parasite control and nutrition. Without managing those two issues, they may not get all they can out of a vaccination program."

Navarre is not alone in her concern. Parasites are listed by the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine as one of the common causes of vaccine failure. Read more.

Nebraska TB Update

Earlier this year, Nebraska had its first case of tuberculosis (TB)-infected cattle in almost 17 years. On June 17, a Governor's Emergency Declaration was issued, which mobilized resources and funding to attack the problem. Dennis Hughes, state veterinarian of Nebraska, reports personnel from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services have focused on testing quarantined herds since that time.

Hughes says officials estimate that at least 16,000 head will be tested before fenceline contact herds are completed. As of Aug. 6, 9,420 head have been tested, with no more infected herds discovered. The next step will be to perform testing in epidemiologically linked herds that sold animals (trace-ins) into the herd, as well as testing cattle that were purchased (trace-outs) from the herd. That testing will also involve herds in other counties and other states.

Funding to depopulate infected herds is a roadblock, however, Hughes reports. There are not enough available funds to pay for depopulating the herd. Hughes says political negotiations to secure funding are ongoing. If money is not appropriated, he says the state will be forced to use a test-and-removal herd plan to eradicate the disease from the herd. Visit www.agr.ne.gov/division/bai/tuberculosis.htm for further information.

Dave Sparks

Vet Link

Is pinkeye stealing your beef cattle profits?

Any cattleman who hasn't had a serious episode of eye problems in his cattle can put it on his list of things to look forward to. This syndrome is properly called infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis, which translates to an infection that causes inflammation of the surface of the eye and the tissues surrounding the eye in cattle. Pinkeye can affect cattle of any age, but it is much more of a problem in young cattle, because they haven't yet had the opportunity to develop immune system resistance to it. Although cases can occur any time of year, it is more prevalent in the summer because that is the time of greatest irritation and the time for the presence of vectors. Read more.

Prepare for Grass Tetany Season
with Late Summer Seeding

Justin Sexten, University of Missouri (MU) Extension beef nutrition specialist, counsels farmers to prepare now for grass tetany season next March.

"Establishing legumes in grass pastures is one prevention method for grass tetany, offering several benefits to producers," Sexten advises. "Grass pastures with 30%-40% legumes will provide increased forage magnesium (Mg) and calcium while reducing nitrogen fertilizer needs."

When moisture is available, mid-August to mid-September is the ideal period for seeding forages to harvest a full crop the next growing season.

"Late summer seedings will be most successful," according to Extension agronomist, Craig Roberts. Read more.

Controlling BVD Fetal Infection

When designing a bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) control plan, vaccination for prevention of birth of persistently infected (PI) calves should be a primary target. As the principal source of fetal infection from BVD, PI calves compromise herd health and profitability, as they place the entire herd at risk. Read more.

Cattle Diseases: Common Conditions/Terms

Click here for a list of common conditions and terms related to beef cattle diseases, such as anaplasmosis, brucellosis, BVD, E. coli, IBR and others.

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