Long incubation period a tricky part of Johne’s disease

Long incubation period a tricky part of Johne’s disease

Eric Knock

Tri-State Neighbor

Have you ever had a thin cow with diarrhea that would not put on weight? If so, you might have been dealing with Johne’s disease. I regularly receive questions about this condition, so this article is an attempt to provide some basic information on Johne’s (pronounced Yo-knees) disease. Johne’s disease is caused by in infection in the intestine with the bacteria Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis. Cattle generally are infected early in life by the fecal-oral route but will not show signs of the disease until months to years later after a long incubation period.

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Veterinary Feed Directive changes effective on January 1, 2017

Veterinary Feed Directive changes effective on January 1, 2017

Kathy Lee

Michigan State University Extension

A considerable amount of information has been written this year about the upcoming Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) changes. Earlier in the year, some people probably thought “I have plenty of time to get ready or I will deal with it later.”  Well, “later” is here!

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Study finds $60 to $80 per head advantage for bedding

Study finds $60 to $80 per head advantage for bedding

Beef Producer

Will providing bedding result in enough extra performance to outweigh the additional expenses in both material and labor? The answer is often yes. Depending on conditions, the ability to provide bedding to feedlot pens is certainly a valuable tool to increase cattle comfort and performance during extreme weather conditions in the Northern Plains.

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How to Get Started In the Cattle Business

How to Get Started In the Cattle Business

Kathy Voth

On Pasture

The Louisiana Ranchers and Growers Association is putting together a series of instructional videos on raising cattle. The first one features On Pasture author Don Ashford. He and his wife Betty have been in the cattle business since 1956. With that many years behind him, he’s got a good idea of what works and what doesn’t. Here he starts with what the basics.

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A System Approach to the Cattle Business

A System Approach to the Cattle Business

Emme Troendle

American Simmental Association

“It’s like any rancher: you love it, or you don’t do it.” says Joe Davis, owner and operator of J. Davis Cattle, located outside a little South Carolina town, called Westminster, on the northwestern tip of the state. “I have had cattle for close to 35 years, but I didn’t get into the ‘cattle business’ until 2001 when I retired from Duke Energy, where I was a manager for 30 years.”

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Docility: Is it a performance or convenience trait?

Docility: Is it a performance or convenience trait?

Justin Sexton

The Prairie Star

As calving season approaches, many ranchers look forward to the newborns that represent hours of studying sire summaries and bull catalogs.

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Has Santa come early for cattle producers?

Has Santa come early for cattle producers?

Nevil Speer

Beef Magazine

Call it what you like – Santa rally, Trump rally, whatever – the cattle market has rallied and we’ll take it. And while it certainly won’t bail out long-running concerns around equity drain, sellers were finally able to enjoy an extended run on the positive side of weekly negotiations.

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Diagnosis Doubts

Diagnosis Doubts

Dr. Ken McMillan

DTN/The Progressive Farmer

Uncertainty regarding the reason for the loss of a heifer, should be cleared up with a necropsy, not with assumptions that blackleg has hit the herd.

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Supplementing cows grazing corn residue

Supplementing cows grazing corn residue

Rick Rasby

Angus Journal

There are some corn residue fields that should not be grazed by livestock due to topography/landscape and/or corn grain yield, but there are very few of those fields in Nebraska.

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Will Ionophores be Affected by Regulation Changes

Will Ionophores be Affected by Regulation Changes

Kim Mullenix, Ph.D.

Cattle Today

What is an ionophore? An ionophore is a feed additive used in beef cattle rations to improve feed efficiency and animal gains. Ionophores improve fermentation characteristics in the rumen, which leads to improved production efficiency. These additives are also known for their ability to help with the control of bloat, coccidiosis and acidosis. The primary forms of ionophores used for beef cattle on pasture include monensin, lasalocid, and laidomycin propionate. Trade names of these ionophores include Rumensin, Bovatec, and Cattlyst.

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