Calf hutches are utilized by many producers at calving season and for very good reason. They are especially imperative if calving early in inclement weather and with the increasing size of our herds, young calves need to get away from the stress of crowding. Even summer-calving herds will make use of hutches for shade and
Calf hutches provide many benefits
Beef 911: You will be amazed how many calves make use of these shelters and be pleased with the many benefits
Improper cervical dilation at calving demands quick action
Beef 911: This is one of the hardest situations that comes during calving and recognizing the problem is the first step
One of the hardest calving dilemmas you face as producers, or we face as veterinarians, is improper cervical dilation. When going through the stages of labour before expulsion of the fetus, the cervix relaxes, softens, and opens up (essentially as wide as the vagina) to allow the fetus to enter the vaginal vault. When this
Make sure your calves get off to a proper start
Bee 911: Calves need adequate amounts of high-quality colostrum after birth and substitutes are a good option
There have been many articles written over the years on the value of calves receiving adequate amounts of good-quality colostrum. Also over the years, colostrum substitutes have come into greater and greater usage. Several things have led to this change. Colostrum substitutes have become higher quality and are more convenient than using frozen colostrum. As
Product for reducing shrink worth considering
Beef 911: A feed supplement that counteracts dehydration offers animal welfare benefits and an economic return
We all know that when handling, transporting and shipping cattle, stress is increased and weight loss and carcass changes occur. A new, or should I say reintroduced product, is back on the market after having been shelved by Agriculture Canada for many years. The product is called DeStress and is currently being marketed by a
There’s a simple solution to the increase of clostridial cases
Beef 911: Vaccines for the clostridial diseases are the cheapest on the market, but often aren’t given
There has definitely been a trend upwards of the various forms of clostridial disease seen primarily inside housed dairy cattle. This article will explore how it is possible for these cases to occur and how there are still an alarming number of dairy and beef producers who don’t vaccinate, vaccinate sporadically, or forget about booster
When the temperature soars, feedlot cattle can suffer
Beef 911: Charges that beta-agonists caused severe lameness prompted a study that found an entirely different cause
A few years ago cattle in an American feedlot went down during transport to a packing plant and others developed severe lameness. This condition was eventually labelled fatigue cattle syndrome and became a huge animal welfare issue due to the appearance of severely lame, non-ambulatory cattle. Initially beta-agonists were incriminated but numerous studies have essentially
Get as much info as possible with new animals
Beef 911: Producers are doing a good job of caring for their cattle but often this information is not passed on to buyers
When purchasing or selling livestock, their health status — preventive shots given, deworming, and other relevant information — can be determined by a few simple questions. But these questions are seldom asked in cattle transactions these days. With cattle being of higher value, and often traversing long distances through different geographic areas, this information is
Beef 911: Preconditioning is good for the entire cattle industry
There are a multitude of benefits but producers need to be compensated for the extra work and risk
Older producers may remember a preconditioning program implemented by the provincial Agriculture Department in the 1980s. There were criteria for procedures and shots, while veterinarians certified that procedures such as dehorning and castrating were done properly and correct pre-immunization shots were given properly. Two categories of calves (either pre-immunized or pre-immunized and weaned a specific
Beef 911: We all need to be ever vigilant when it comes to rabies
This fatal disease is very rare, but always be on the lookout for telltale signs
We don’t hear this disease mentioned very often, but when we do there is a very scary connotation attached to it. Rabies is virtually always a fatal disease to all mammals, and zoonotic to humans with no curative treatment once clinical signs develop. Only prevention through vaccination and strong surveillance programs have kept incidence of
Beef 911: Dispelling the myths about steroid use in beef production
Talk about ‘steroid-free beef’ is misleading — they are rarely used and only for very specific reasons
There has been lots said lately about added steroids in beef. Although steroids are used for very specific treatments regarding specific conditions, their use if anything is minimal and has been greatly reduced even further with the NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). This article will go over specific uses where steroids produce beneficial results to our
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