Study shows Johne’s disease can be controlled affordably

Study shows Johne’s disease can be controlled affordably

DVM NEWSMAGAZINE

A Wisconsin field trial has proven that a Johnne’s disease control program is both effective and affordable.

For the past six years, the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine’s Dr. Mike Collins, in cooperation with the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, United States Department of Agriculture and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection has conducted a trial on nine Wisconsin dairy herds ranging from 72 to 1,400 cows.

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Seven Steps To High Calving Rates

Seven Steps To High Calving Rates

Boyd Kidwell

Progressive Farmer

With 800 brood cows, Tim Sutphin of Dublin, Va., knows the importance of calving season. He and wife, Cathy, run a 2,270-acre cow/calf operation at Hillwinds Farm in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. “With a calving season of 60 days, our livelihood for the year is determined in a short period of time,” says Sutphin.

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Calf Abortions: Elusive Profit Robbers

Calf Abortions: Elusive Profit Robbers

cattlenetwork.com

The problem is easy to identify: early embryonic deaths that lead to repeat breeders and delayed calving result in reduced income, and abortions after the breeding season result in no income. The cause, however, is typically much more difficult to determine. In fact, over half the abortion cases sent to diagnostic labs end up in the “undetermined cause” category.

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Evaluating Cow Nutritional Status

Evaluating Cow Nutritional Status

John Dhuyvetter, Area Extension Livestock Specialist, North Dakota State University

The early onset of winter, extreme cold conditions, and marginal hay quality have contributed to cattle stress and a poorer nutritional status of cows than normal. Visual appraisal of cows for flesh and body condition is useful in evaluating their status, implications for production, and appropriate feeding strategies.

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Blizzard wreaks havoc on livestock producers

Blizzard wreaks havoc on livestock producers

Steve Miller

Tri State Livestock News

Most producers in the region don’t appear to have suffered large-scale livestock losses from the March 23-24 blizzard, but they definitely lost some animals, according to preliminary reports from Extension officials and others.

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Disease Profile: Bluetongue

Disease Profile:  Bluetongue

Walter J. Tabachnick, Chelsea T. Smartt, and C. Roxanne Connelly

University of Florida

Bluetongue is a disease of ruminant livestock that is caused by the bluetongue virus. Bluetongue virus does not cause disease in humans. This virus is transmitted to livestock by selected species in the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). These small insects are biting midges and in some areas are called no-see-ums, sand flies or punkies. Bluetongue virus was among the first recognized insect borne viruses. The disease was first described in livestock in South Africa in 1902.

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Fertilizing Pastures

Fertilizing Pastures

Dr. Bruce Anderson, Professor of Agronomy, Agronomy & Horticulture, University of Nebraska

After adding a hundred, sixty, or even just forty pounds of nitrogen per acre to your pastures in past years, did your grass grow really nice in April and May? Then did it get stemmy in June with cows trampling and laying on it more than eating it? And by August was most of the grass brown or dead, much of it matted down, with the only green material so short that cows could barely get any of it? If this describes your pastures, do something a little different this year.

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Death tax could mean end for fifth-generation rancher

Death tax could mean end for fifth-generation rancher

Clayton T. Leverett

Austin American Statesman

I am the owner of a ranch that has been in my family for five generations. If current trends continue, I’ll be the last in that line. My family’s way of life is threatened by the death tax.

My great-great-grandfather was a rags-to-riches pioneer. In the late 1860s, James Clayton Stribling Sr., son of an immigrant from England, moved from his birthplace in Tennessee to Texas. Arriving with little more than the shirt on his back, he began leasing land to graze cattle.

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Update on grades and brammers

Update on grades and brammers

Steve Cornett

Beef Today

Gosh. I hope I don’t sound defensive here, but my recent piece about more Choice cattle and instrument grading included a gratuitous tease about Brahman influence cattle, and—no surprise here, now that I think about it—it upset some big ear guys.

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Managing Newly Purchased Yearling Bulls

Managing Newly Purchased Yearling Bulls

Twig Marston

Yearling bulls represent a large commitment to beef operations. Besides their purchase price, they are the future genetic material of the herd that can influence several generations of stock. Because yearlings still have a significant amount of growth and development ahead of them, they require a higher level of care and management than their older counterparts. This is especially true now as yearling bulls can possess considerably more genetic potential for growth than their ancestors.

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Will Preconditioned Calves be the Standard in the Future?

Will Preconditioned Calves be the Standard in the Future?

Dave Sparks, DVM, Area Extension Food Animal Quality and Health Specialist

Cow/Calf Corner

Many cow calf producers have given preconditioning, or value added programs some serious thought in the past and decided it didn’t fit their program.  After all, it requires more work, more risk, more expense, and more facilities.  It has been hard to see how the increased return is worth it!

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Oats as a Feed for Beef Cattle

Oats as a Feed for Beef Cattle

Oats is lower in energy and more bulky than other common feed grains since it threshes with the hull intact. The hull commonly accounts for 24 to 30 percent of the weight of the oat kernel. Since oat grain yield and quality are highest under relatively cool growing seasons, it is produced and fed primarily in the northern part of the Great Plains.

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Senate Passes Death Tax Relief

Senate Passes Death Tax Relief

Beef Today

The Senate passed an amendment on Death Tax relief in a vote on the budget resolution yesterday, according to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. The Senate voted 51 to 48 to pass the amendment sponsored by Senators Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Jon Kyl of Arizona as well as Senators Ben Nelson, Chuck Grassley, Mark Pryor, Pat Roberts, Mary Landrieu, Mike Enzi, Susan Collins, and John Thune.

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Trends equal opportunity

Trends equal opportunity

Compiled By Kindra Gordon

The Cattle Business Weekly

What’s the next big trend for 2009 and beyond? Perhaps it’s yet to be discovered. But, the December 2008 issue of Entrepreneur magazine featured several trends they believe will become more mainstream in the year ahead.

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Hawkins receives Distinguished Service Award

Hawkins receives Distinguished Service Award

Lansing State Journal

Kathleen Hawkins, of Mason was recognized for her commitment to agriculture and natural resources and for her leadership at the community, state and national level when she received the MSU Distinguished Service Award to Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Making the presentation was Lou Anna Simon, MSU president, and Jeffrey Armstrong, dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

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