It’s a funny thing about walking among beef cattle — I tend to catch things that I wouldn’t otherwise see by staring at them from a truck. Take spotting cattle with pinkeye for instance. The other week, I was walking along with the feedlot manager after the feedbunk was filled. Most of the beef finishers […] Read more
Untreated pinkeye can be costly
Reduced weight gain on calves means fewer marketable pounds
In-season breeding management tips
Preparing bulls for breeding begins before turnout
Every year, I receive calls from a few people looking to increase the nutrition and care of their beef bulls just prior to the breeding season in order to assure good fertility on pasture. On each of these calls, I find it difficult to tell producers this type of attention should have already been done […] Read more
Dairy Corner: Doubling the weight of newborn calves
Consider an accelerated feeding program over 56-days
When I tour a calf barn along with dairy producers, I often ask them what their main goal in raising baby calves to weaning? Many people respond that they wish to double the newborn’s bodyweight by weaning. My first thought is that this objective is truly challenging from any angle. To start, I calculate the […] Read more
Dairy Corner: Tips for preventing selective eating
Recently, I attended the 2016 Western Canadian Dairy Seminar and took in several of the excellent presentations. One of the talks was by Tom Oelberg, who discussed the mixing of the milk cow’s Total Mixed Ration (TMR) as well as some of the improper diets that are often put down in the feed bunk. This lecture made […] Read more
Deworming cows can add to profits
Proper dose can improve weight gains, and reduce parasite load on pasture
Just after the new year, a rancher who runs a few hundred late-spring cows called me. He was having difficulty getting his weaned calves on background feed and they were just not doing “good.” Although, he dewormed these calves once off-pasture with a commercial pour-on, I told him they might still have stomach worms. So […] Read more
Reviewing dairy records can point to somatic cell count fix
In the last year, I have reviewed in extensive detail the somatic cell count (SCC) records from dozens of DHI-monitored and robot barns. As a result, I re-educated myself as to the dynamics of reducing high SCC in any particular herd in order to achieve a lower incidence of mastitis and higher milk production. My […] Read more
Copper critical for pre-calving cows
It doesn’t take much to correct a deficiency so watch for symptoms
Recently, I gave a dinner presentation to a group of beef producers outlining the importance of feeding a good mineral program to pre-calving cows. Afterward, I was surprised by the number of questions about the possibility of a copper deficiency in their beef cattle. With calving season underway or soon to start, we all agreed […] Read more
Proper body score pays dividends
Target pre-calving feeding to avoid animals that are too skinny or too fat
The warm weather we had a couple of months ago has given me a false sense of security. I somehow think climate change lasts forever, yet one good arctic blast snaps me out of it. In the same way, producers should make sure that their pre-calving cows’ plane of nutrition is adequate during the last […] Read more
Proper diet reduces risk of lame cows
A well-balanced ration and a clean barn are a great combination to keep dairy cows mobile
Recently, I conducted a barn walk in a 300-cow robot-milking dairy and within 10 minutes I spotted more than a half-dozen limping cows. I did not know what caused them to limp, but after I talked to the dairy manager, I discovered that lameness was a significant problem on his operation and several of these […] Read more
Beware of “things” in dairy cow water
Dairy Corner with Peter Vitti
A professor who once taught our nutrition class a long time ago (a long time ago) said the actual amount of water drunk by lactating dairy cows was important for milk production. However, she said it was the “things” that existed in their drinking water, which often limit their health and production during lactation. Even […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
