Herd Health

Most people think of damage as a tornado blowing through or a wildfire spreading across acres of land. Others imagine a wrecking ball tearing down an old building. For people in Texas, damage can be depicted by a group of wild pigs, a thought far more threatening than you would think.

A 10 percent calf crop – just the thought can make even the toughest rancher cringe. Although it sounds like a nightmare or a poorly managed cow herd, it’s actually what some Western ranchers are battling due to a tick-transmitted disease commonly referred to as “foothill abortion” or epizootic bovine abortion.

Ticks are one of the more unpleasant members of the arachnid (spiders, mites) family. They live on the blood of other animals, cause great discomfort, spread disease, cause anemia and lead to infections.

Flies are a pest problem in feedlots and dairies – they not only reduce animal performance but can also make confinement operations a pest to their neighbors.

For some livestock producers, fly season is not that far away. Producers in Southern states are already, or will soon be, dealing with their impact.

What is scours?

Scours, also known as calf diarrhea, is the result of inflammation in the intestinal tract. The USDA reports that 61 percent of calfhood sickness is due to scours. Severe cases of scours can affect animal growth and impact overall performance and profitability.