All through the year accidents can happen and the need for emergency slaughter can arise. Broken legs during breeding season, fighting or, very rarely during transport, downer cattle, make access to emergency slaughter imperative. In Alberta, the government recently announced changes that will allow a mobile butcher to take video of the animal, which can
Video meat inspection moves a step forward
Beef 911: Changes to allow video ante-mortem inspection and on-farm slaughter make good sense
The goal should always be to produce the healthiest cattle
Beef 911: We need to get rid of the notion that high-risk cattle are the most profitable
I’ve heard it said on the feeder side that high-risk cattle are the most profitable. The argument is that when you run the numbers and take into account morbidity, mortality and all other costs, these cattle have the potential to make the most profit at the end of the day. Of course the big factor
Generics are part of a strong medicine pipeline
Beef 911: The regulatory regime, including patents, means the product lineup is always changing
Generic medicines have been around for a long time in both human and animal medicine. They are essentially copycat products that come out after the protective patents run out on the original product. You are familiar with the ‘apo’ products that are available when you get your human prescriptions filled and it is really no
They’re hard to diagnose but flukes are a concern
Beef 911: Unexplained weight loss is one sign that this parasite may be affecting your herd
I hear of the diagnosis of liver flukes here and there, a condition that can be hard to diagnose and has rather limited treatments. One of the first clinical signs is non-specific weight loss, which can be confused with many things. As well, having liver flukes predisposes cattle to a susceptibility to a clostridial disease (clostridium
Cattle sector knows about learning and adapting
Beef 911: Infectious disease is a constant risk on ranches and feedlots, and we know how to reduce the threat
The COVID-19 outbreak gives us time to reflect on how we do things with our livestock. Cattle producers are in the unique situation in the sense we all know about infectious disease — and mitigating risk. From now on, it won’t be as hard to explain to people how we don’t want visitors, especially around
Technique matters when administering oral products
Beef 911: There are several things to be aware of when using balling guns and oral technique
The use of balling guns or administration of other oral products is increasing in the cattle business, including for NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). In the old days, a few antibiotics such as long-acting sulfa drugs were given as oral tablets or there were big aspirin pills. These are both actually still available today but seldom
Small changes to your livestock care program can make a big difference
Beef 911: A better vaccination program, storing vaccines properly, pain control, and lowering stress are big wins
I was thinking, if there were several points that could make a big difference in today’s modern cattle production, what would those be? Here are some that I hope resonate with producers. There are still holes in many producers’ vaccination programs and one of the most critical is getting IBR and BVD protection into our
Now is a good time to check udders of cows and bred heifers
Beef 911: Paying attention to teat and udder conformation greatly reduces the odds of having a cow with mastitis
Before calving is a good time for scrutinizing the udders of cows and bred heifers. Occasionally chronic infected quarters (probably emanating from the year previous) are highly visible as large swollen quarters compared to the other three. They will often flare up a few weeks before calving as the colostrum is being formed. Usually the
Inducing cows is a risk-and-reward scenario
Beef 911: Many factors need to be considered and no two cases are exactly alike
There comes a time in cow-calf production to induce cows to calve for a number of reasons. This may be because there is an abnormal pregnancy, the cow has a life-threatening condition, the pregnancy has gone on too long leading to health issues or other reasons. All require careful thought and examination as every case
Quick treatment of sick animals is often critical
Beef 911: Sometimes a wait-and-see approach works but often a rapid response is needed to prevent losses
Veterinary medicine, like human medicine, is very complex and difficult to master. Outcomes can rely on a quick, accurate diagnosis and followed up by a timely treatment. If we have made the right diagnosis, detected it early enough and treated with the appropriate product, then the odds of a successful prognosis will go up considerably.
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
