Herd Health

Autogenous or herd-specific vaccines remain an important tool for veterinarians in their efforts to help protect animal health.

There are many commercial vaccines available to protect cattle against infectious agents. Some are modified-live vaccines, and others are killed products. It’s not always easy to decide which ones are best when vaccinating calves.

As calving season approaches, we all try to make sure our cows have enough good-quality feed to get through gestation and lactation. Often, there are no problems meeting energy and protein requirements, but vitamins and minerals can easily be overlooked.

Animal health continues to be a major concern for all sectors of beef production. As the saying goes, “You can’t get over a bad start,” and this holds true for calf health.

Consumer concerns regarding the potential for antibiotic use in livestock production to result in antibiotic residues in animal products is creating changes in purchasing decisions of many restaurant chains.

Calving season is the beginning of our 2019 cash flow. Healthy calves on the ground lead to more cash in your pocket, while disease problems in the calving barn lead to increased expenses and less cash in your pocket.