Calf scours is one of those problems that instantly puts cow/calf producers on high alert—and for good reason. It’s the number one cause of financial loss in young calves, costing operations time, money, and sometimes entire calf crops if it gets out of hand. What makes calf scours in cattle especially frustrating is how quickly it can appear and spread. One day calves look fine, and the next you’re dealing with diarrhea, weak calves, and long nights in the barn. It can feel like a wildfire moving through a pasture, leaving producers scrambling to get ahead of it.Part of the challenge is that calf scours isn’t a single disease. It’s a clinical sign associated with several causes, ranging from management issues to infectious pathogens. No matter the trigger, the result is the same—diarrhea that prevents the calf’s intestines from absorbing fluids and nutrients. That fluid loss leads quickly to dehydration, weakness, and a calf that just can’t keep up. If left untreated, scours can escalate fast, turning what looks like a minor issue into a life-threatening emergency.
Ask any experienced producer, and they’ll tell you just how serious scours can be. Calf scours is the leading cause of death in calves between 2 and 30 days of age, and dehydration is usually the real killer, not the infection itself. The good news? Calf scours is highly treatable when caught early. With quick action, proper treatment, and a solid prevention plan, most calves can recover and go on to perform well. In the sections that follow, we’ll break down what causes calf scours, how to spot it early, and the practical steps you can take to protect your herd and your bottom line.
If there’s one myth that hangs around ranch country year after year, it’s the idea that a hard freeze wipes the slate clean on parasites. I get where it comes from—we see bermudagrass die back, flies disappear, snakes vanish, bugs go quiet, and everything suddenly feels…dead. But parasitology doesn’t follow the same rules as the rest of the ranch. A cold snap doesn’t magically “sterilize” your cattle or your pastures. In fact, for several parasites, winter is not a problem at all—it’s their 
If you wean calves in the fall, you already know it’s one of the most important—and sometimes most stressful—times of the year. Calves are adjusting to life without mom, their immune systems are under pressure, and the weather can’t seem to make up its mind from one day to the next. Those temperature swings, along with increased parasite activity and post-weaning stress, make fall a prime time for health problems to sneak in. Respiratory disease, in particular, can spread fast in weaned calves when their defenses are already down. The good news? A little planning now can save you big headaches later—think less weight loss, fewer treatment costs, and a lot fewer sick calves.
Bovine Respiratory Disease—better known as BRD—isn’t just one illness. It’s a catch-all term for respiratory diseases in cattle, most often showing up as 
It’s August—and at first glance, your cattle might look like they’ve weathered summer just fine. The calves are filling out, the cows are holding condition, and the pastures, while a little crispy, are still holding up well. But don’t let that surface-level calm fool you. One sneaky issue that could be dragging down performance and profits without making much of a scene is 
Trichomoniasis—Trich for short—isn’t just another hard-to-pronounce disease. It’s a serious and costly problem that can infiltrate your herd and significantly impact your bottom line. We’re talking fewer calves on the ground, lower weaning weights, and a longer, more frustrating breeding season. And the worst part? You often don’t realize it’s there until it’s already done the damage.
Internal parasites are one of those hidden problems that every beef producer has to deal with. You might not always see them, but they’re constantly working behind the scenes—dragging down productivity, health, and profits. These parasites increase maintenance energy requirements, mess with nutrient absorption, and keep the immune system working overtime. All of that adds up to lost performance.
Summer pneumonia, sometimes referred to as pasture pneumonia, tends to develop late in the season for producers. It usually hits calves that are still on pasture and haven’t been weaned yet—typically between one and five months old. The frustrating part? It often affects calves that look perfectly healthy one day and are sick the next.
Nobody wants to walk out to the pasture and see a sick cow. Cattle diseases don’t just hurt the animal—they can slow down your whole operation and hit your wallet harder than expected. Sick animals may eat less, grow slower, or lose condition, and treating them takes time and money you probably hadn’t planned on spending. The good news? Many common issues can be spotted early and dealt with before they turn into big problems.
Pinkeye, a highly contagious disease in cattle, can spread rapidly if not promptly addressed. This bacterial infection, which primarily affects the eyes, can lead to irritation, excessive tearing, and in severe cases, blindness. Given its mode of transmission through direct contact and flies, an outbreak can swiftly engulf an entire herd. Therefore, early detection and immediate action are crucial, as managing it becomes significantly more challenging once it takes hold.
