The old days of treating everything in the fall with an ivermectin-type (macrocyclic lactone) product year after year and always expecting excellent results are perhaps going away.
Tag Archives flies
Test for parasites in cattle herd to avoid over-medication
Animal Health: Parasite control is complicated, and herd management needs to be reviewed from time to time
Implement a good pinkeye control program
Understand how it is spread to keep cattle healthy
I’m hearing about more cases of pinkeye in cows and in their calves than in the last few years. A few milder winters might have had something to do with it — not enough overwintering face flies (that spread the disease) were killed off. Each cow or calf infected with untreated painful pinkeye (caused by […] Read more
Nature’s fly control program
Parasitic wasps won’t eliminate flies, but can reduce numbers
With the arrival of spring comes the new crop of flies. Since experiencing fly strike last year, controlling the fly population is more of a priority. Last summer we began to notice not only were sprays not working as well as they used to, they are getting harder to find. This is due to tighter restrictions […] Read more
Untreated pinkeye can be costly
Reduced weight gain on calves means fewer marketable pounds
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
Tips to help keep horn flies off your cattle
Even a couple hundred of the tiny horn flies can knock 20 pounds off a calf
A few years ago, a friend in Saskatchewan asked me to help him treat his beef cows before they went on pasture with pour-on insecticide for horn flies. His job was to push up the cattle in the chute and my job was to use the applicator-gun and squirt pour-on liquid along each of the […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
