With the advent of the reliable pour-on and injectable endectocides found on the market today scratching from lice or mange is a very rare occurrence in cattle herds except when a fall treatment is neglected. As a veterinarian, I am sometimes called on to investigate apparent breaks in the efficacy of these products. In doing […] Read more
Why Are Those Cattle Scratching?
The Hypocrisy Of Own-Use Import Rules
The double standard established by the federal government over the issue of own-use import rules has created many inequalities and hard feelings in the cattle industry. Under the rule veterinarians, animal health suppliers and distributors in Canada cannot bring in cheaper pharmaceuticals from south of the border yet producers can bring them in for their […] Read more
Selecting The Right Antibiotic
The trick is to make the right choice. Hopefully reading this will help. One article cannot hope to cover every eventuality but it will give you a strategy and list of choices for at least the common diseases With most older antibiotics still available and several powerful long-acting ones released, drug choices for the rancher […] Read more
They pay off in more weaned pounds of beef, if you can keep them alive and get their mother to breed back on time
In my practice I often hear producers complaining about twins, mainly because we do sometimes focus on the negative aspects of them. Research has been done on twins over the last 10 years in the U. S. and there were found to be a definite economic benefit. I will try and clarify the positives, negatives […] Read more
They provide shelter…just make sure they don’t shelter disease as well
Many producers use calf hutches at calving season for very good reasons. They are espe ially important when you are calving early in inclement weather. And, with the increasing size of our herds young calves need to get away from the crowded stress of the calving yard. Even summer calving herds will use hutches for […] Read more
Your goal is tight-uddered, soft milkers with good milk production
Although we always have numerous things to evaluate on our cow selection, the importance of udder and teat conformation should not be underestimated. Many a cow is culled later in life because of bad teats. Her calves may have a hard time sucking and getting that much-needed colostrum. Getting a calf sucking on the big […] Read more
Know your limits, and when to quit
Although calf pullers are not used today near as much as in past years they still have an important place in the calving barn if used properly. To me every cow-calf producer and some feedlot owners need one, especially if they are often alone when calving. By following common guidelines when pulling a calf the […] Read more
Basically when all else fails, and it’s a life or death situation
Most uterine prolapses in the spring of the year go very uneventfully for an experienced veterinarian and the owner ends up with a lively cow that goes on to breed back and doesn’t miss a beat. As an aside I know lots of producers ship these cows but your veterinarian will tell you this is […] Read more
Use of fetotomy
Fetotomy, which is a veterinarian’s fancy word for cutting up a dead calf within the cow during the birthing process, still has a valuable place in a competent veterinarian’s bag of tricks. The whole object of a fetotomy is to minimize trauma or damage to the cow. The calf at this point is a lost […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
