Many producers use remote drug delivery devices. If you are thinking of using one, or if you have used one in the past, this article may be a good review. Dart guns have their pros and cons but the Beef Cattle Research Council has some great resources that can help. It offers guidelines on usage
Are remote drug delivery devices the right choice?
Beef 911: Resources are available to help with that decision
Smoke inhalation can affect cattle
Research shows an effect in housed dairy cattle so outdoor beef animals are surely affected too
Wildfires have exceeded all records in the 2023 season. Both British Columbia and Alberta are expected to see more than two million hectares destroyed. There has been steady growth in the number and size of wildfires since the 1980s. Drought, global warming and storms are generally the culprits and there has been plenty of smoke
Automatic syringes a better solution
Beef 911: Retire those old guns that have done their duty, and get better results
Vaccinations are a cornerstone biosecurity practice for cow-calf operations and feedlots. It is not uncommon for two or more vaccines to be given twice a year. There has been lots written about proper vaccination techniques, vaccine storage, maintaining the chain of refrigeration and other things that affect the way these vaccines perform. I want to discuss the most important equipment
Podcasts a great medium for expert beef advice
Beef 911: Podcasts are convenient and can offer what producers need to know, when they need to know it and with many ways to listen
We are all trying to get factual information on the health, production and welfare of our herds. Sometimes it is hard to stay abreast of all the information. Publications like this one, and websites of the Beef Cattle Research Council, Canadian Cattle Association and provincial beef producers’ groups, can help with that. YouTube videos, if
More information is better when looking for your next herd sire
Beef 911: Scrotal size is a key indicator and getting reliable, consistent measurements isn’t difficult
Scrotal circumference and scrotal palpation are among the quickest, repeatable and fact-revealing pieces of information we can get on bulls. Some breeds get away with less scrotal size, but we have also seen that scrotal size, on average, has gone up through selection. Because it is quite heritable, fertility improves. However, we are probably reaching
Often a tranquilizer makes things easier for cattle and their owner
Beef 911: There is a non-prescription product that has many uses and can be administered by producers
There are many times when tranquilization makes it easier on both cattle and the operator. The main tranquilizer I am talking about is acepromazine, a member of the phenothiazine tranquilizer family. It is not a prescription product and producers can be trained in its usage and in the way it is delivered. Since the dosage is pretty
It’s more rare these days, but grain overload has a big impact in cows
Beef 911: Mixed rations and better storage have reduced cases, but take care when increasing grain in a ration
Grain overload has been drastically reduced over the years thanks to nutritionists, total mixed rations and fewer incidents of accidental ingestion. But let’s review the condition, treatment and, most importantly, the ways to prevent it. Grain overload occurs when there is over-consumption of a carbohydrate source, most often grain. I have treated severe overload when
We have very safe pharmaceuticals, but they must be used properly
Beef 911: Mistakes can happen if you don’t pay close attention to labels and used the correct route of administration
There are various toxicity tests that determine how effective a product is and how to safely use it. There is an acronym called LD 50 (for lethal dose), which is the concentration or amount of a product to kill 50 per cent of the patients. Fortunately, most cattle products we use are very safe. But
We should celebrate change and raise those low vaccination rates
Beef 911: Thoughts on how things are getting better, the joy of hydraulic chutes, and vaccination hesitancy
They say the only constant is change, and one only has to think back on how we used to do things to see the great changes that have happened in the cattle industry. Advancements in technology, vaccines, reproductive technologies, nutrition, handling, production genetics and animal welfare are abundant. I think most of these changes have been positive and, above
Birthweight isn’t as straightforward as it should be
Beef 911: Believe it or not, the methods for determining this critical number can vary a great deal
Purebred producers diligently weigh their calves to give the purebred bull purchasers an accurate prediction, adding that information to data on bull selection and calving ease. It is highly heritable, so birthweight and birthweight EPDs, as well as calving ease, are usually listed in bull sale catalogues. Purebred and commercial products need to be aware of several
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