There are many difficult decisions to be made when changing the brand or manufacturer of a vaccine line. The real comparisons can be made when you know what specific diseases you need to vaccinate for in your herd, whether to use a modified live, killed, or combined program and rate the effectiveness of your original […] Read more
Putting thought into changing vaccine lines
Animal Health: With a bit of planning, it is possible to switch from one manufacturer to another
Drought brings its own package of health risks for livestock
Pests, toxic plants and disease can all thrive under dry conditions
With the current lack of runoff moisture and few spring rains across much of Western Canada, certain disease conditions may become more prevalent. It will pay to be extra vigilant this year when checking your herds. We commonly see more blackleg and all the other clostridial diseases in dry conditions. With shorter grass, cattle and […] Read more
Dealing with downer cattle, not simple or easy
Animal Health: There are many reasons a seemingly healthy cow can go down, and quite often no easy procedure to get her back up
Farmers and veterinarians since the beginning of time have pondered over the proverbial downer cow. Typically, a downer cow surprises the farmer. It is often a perfectly healthy animal with no presenting history suddenly found down and unable to rise. Because cattle, especially mature ones, are such heavy beasts, complications can ensue after being down […] Read more
Measuring a bull’s scrotal circumference
Pay attention to minimum measurements for different breeds, but bigger isn’t always better
All producers buying bulls should understand the meaning of a bull’s scrotal circumference. It is good to review some of the common parameters and also clear up a few misconceptions I’m sure are out there. A tremendous amount of information has been gathered and we should use this when making decisions with regards to our […] Read more
Refresher on pulling a calf
Even if you have easy calvers, it's a skill worth perfecting
Producers need to understand the proper use of a calf jack or hand-pulling techniques during a difficult calving, as different malpresentations need to be dealt with slightly differently. When pulling, be cognizant of the stress this puts on both the calf and cow. With more producers selecting for ease of calving in their breeding program, […] Read more
Tips for a healthy calf crop
On-farm biosecurity to reduce disease risk just makes good business sense
Calving season poses the greatest risk for spread of disease on our farms or between neighbouring farms and this is repeated every year. That makes it worth reviewing some common biosecurity practices, which should be stepped up to prevent a scours, respiratory or other disease outbreak. It is a time when both the cow herd, […] Read more
Treatment options for handling retained placentas
Animal Health: A common indicator of placenta retention is a decrease in milk production for calves
Retained placentas is one health problem all producers face every spring. The resulting metritis (uterine infection) and subsequent infertility can have a large economic impact. A placenta is considered retained if not expelled after 24 hours. Infertility related to retained placentas results from the infection not being cleared and the cow either conceiving later or […] Read more
Snow can be an excellent water source for cattle
Eating snow is a learned behaviour which may take a few days for livestock to adjust
For eons, wild animals in Canada especially the large herbivores have relied on snow as their primary water source through the winter. It has been shown that some wild species like reindeer actually prefer snow if given a choice. Canadian ruminants, especially pregnant beef and bison cows and heifers, can do well eating snow. On […] Read more
Animal Health: Important tips for selecting the right antibiotic
With most of the older antibiotics still available and several very effective long-acting antibiotics in use, the choice of products in front of the rancher or feedlot owner has never been greater. Some very effective drugs, especially those in combinations, have been removed from the marketplace over the years. The difficulty for producers — with […] Read more
Practical management tips to control Johne’s disease
Johne’s disease pronounced “YONEES” causes a non-responsive diarrhea with severe weight loss in cattle as well as bison, small ruminants (sheep & goats) and camelids. It may last for months and is invariably fatal. It’s caused by a paratuberculosis organism, similar to tuberculosis, and has a very long incubation period of at least two years. […] Read more
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