The fall season can be problematic for a beef producer. As you go into it after a dry, hot summer the entire herd may be stressed. The combination of high heat, short grass, and low water tanks can stress cattle and make them more prone to disease.
This time of year can be a problem for all of your cattle. At the end of summer, the cows are likely pulled down to a thin body condition because of lower quality forage and nursing calves. Your bulls are worn out from breeding and may be on the thin side as well. A typical situation during this time of year is that the calves are dealing with the most stressful time of their life during weaning.
Producers can prevent or minimize health problems in the fall by reducing stress. You can do this by providing adequate nutrition and improving sanitation. Below is some information about 4 types of diseases that you might come across during this time of year.
BRD, or bovine respiratory disease, is a general term for any respiratory disease in cattle. There is a range of factors that can cause this disease. The common names normally used for this disease are pneumonia or shipping fever. Stocker and feedlot operations are often where this disease occurs. This is because of the extreme stress that calves are put under from weaning and then being shipped.
Growing your own feed despite the cost of time and equipment can have many benefits. Having an inventory on hand can reduce some risks of short supplies. It can also help protect you from any seasonal price volatility. Both energy and protein production can better match your herd’s requirements for simple feed use.
Trich, or the more scientific name Trichomoniasis, is a very serious economic problem for cattle producers. Some of the problems that it can cause are a reduced calf crop as well as lower weaning weights. It can cause this because it makes your breeding cows infertile and possibly causes a longer breeding season.
Internal parasites are a problem that every beef producer must face. It is a constant annoyance that can rob a beef operation of its productivity. They impair production by increasing things like energy costs of maintenance, diet digestibility, and immune activity.
With summer arriving treating pinkeye is an issue, many cattle producers will face. As things get drier it means more dust which means an increase in eye irritants.
It is never good whenever your cattle are suffering from a disease. It can rob you of performance while at the same time increasing your expenses.
Pinkeye is a very common as well as a highly contagious disease in cattle. Once it shows up if you do not take proper steps it can quickly affect all of your cattle.
Dehydration among calves is a very serious problem that is often overlooked among producers. It can be caused for many reasons but typically from the summer heat and scours. The time from recognizing the symptoms to providing treatment is very important.
It may not seem like it now but spring weather will be here before you know it. All of the ice and snow (if you get any) will melt away and things will become green again.
