Herd Health

As scientists continue to look for new parasiticides, the cattle industry must look for ways to preserve the efficacy of current and future deworming products on the market.

If your cattle could talk – or sing – “Shoo fly, don’t bother me” would likely be a common mantra heard throughout the summer season as they annoyingly swat their tails across their backs.

Consumers have a desire to feel connected with their food. Most are several generations removed from agriculture and are genuinely curious about where their food comes from and how it was raised. The Consumer Beef Tracker, a continuous online survey run by National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) on behalf of the beef checkoff, identified that 58% of consumers had a “concern” with how cattle are raised. The tracker, which targets 500 consumers per month and is census balanced for age, gender and region, found that of those consumers who acknowledged a concern, most cited “animal welfare” as the main source of their apprehension.

Flies are much more than a nuisance. Their economic impact can reach deep into a cattleman’s pockets.

Venomous snakes pose a danger to stock and stockmen alike because they live and work in snake habitat. Rattlesnakes are the most common risk, but in some regions copperheads and cottonmouths (also called water moccasins) are a concern.

Fly management is no small component of herd health. Limiting them reduces disease, increases animal comfort and allows greater efficiency.