Our News Category
Chris Reinhardt, Extension Feedlot Specialist
Reprinted from www.asi.ksu.edu/beeftips
The nutrition of the early weaned (90-120 days of age) calf is not greatly different than that of the normal age (~205 days) calf; however, there are several key factors to consider.
Whether or not you’ve ever fed calves, you’re more qualified to wean your calves than anyone else, provided you’ve got some quality feedstuffs and appropriate facilities. The reason? If you can simply move the calves or cows to an adjacent pen or pasture from one another, the stress of weaning is nearly eliminated. And this greatly reduces the risk of subsequent disease.
Many ranchers have instituted fenceline weaning, in which the calves are placed in a pen or pasture adjacent to their mothers, and can have nose-to-nose contact with them. Or the cows are placed in a pen and the calves are allowed to graze in an adjacent pasture. These systems have proven highly effective at reducing stress on calves. Oftentimes the cows create more noise after weaning than the calves. After a few days, the calves can be completely separated without additional stress. This speaks volumes about the nutritional needs of the calf; it needs only some occasional, short-term contact and proximity from the dam, but nutritionally, the calf is ready to be on its own.
When the calf nurses, a groove closes, shunting milk from the esophagus, bypassing the reticulum, rumen, and omasum, straight to the abomasum. But, when a calf either grazes or eats solid feed from a bunk, feed enters the reticulo-rumen and begins fermentation. Once the rumen has been ‘inoculated’ (usually very soon after birth) with bacteria and protozoa from its environment, and has been ‘fed’ through grazing, the calf is a functional ruminant—this is the normal scenario for beef calves.
The rumen and the calf are both accustomed to grass and the rate of energy release from forages. So the first feed offered to the calf during its weaning transition should resemble what they’ve been consuming up to this point– that is, good quality forage. Good quality hay from either grass, grass/legume mix, or annual grains will work well. This hay should be spread out, either long-stemmed or very coarsely chopped, in the very same bunks where the calves will be fed. Provide all the hay the calves will eat in a day, which will normally be about 10-15 pounds per head per day.
It is counter-productive to train the calves to eat from a bale feeder only to later try to re-train them to a bunk, and the attraction of good quality, loose, long-stemmed hay in the bunk is the best way to accomplish this. Also, on either the first or second day after weaning, place about 2-3 pounds per head of a nutrient dense starter ration on top of the loose hay. This ration should be a mix of 25-35 percent ground hay, and the remainder made up of a blend of cracked or ground grain and a source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Byproducts such as dry distillers grains, wheat midds, corn gluten feed, and soy hulls work well to provide both energy and protein, and can be used to
replace all or a portion of the grain in the diet. With the inclusion of byproduct feeds to supply all needed protein, a commercial source of
vitamins and minerals can be used to balance the diet.
If the calves are healthy, vigorous, and eating well, the loose hay can be reduced and eliminated over a period of 3-4 days, but if
health and intake of the ration are poor, continue to place 3-4 pounds of loose hay in the bunk until health and intake improve.
Economic return from early weaning is driven primarily by ensuring future productivity of the cow herd, but proper management of the calves can contribute as well. Plan to have feed and space for these calves for at least 30 days, and 45-60 days may be even better. That will give the calves time to recover any lost weight from the weaning transition, recover from any respiratory disease they may have endured, and fully respond to the vaccination protocol given at weaning time.
Another benefit of feeding these calves for a time is that given their young age and lean stage of growth, these calves convert feed to gain very efficiently (often in the range of 4:1); therefore, the cost of gain can be very economical, compared to commercial feeding, depending on the cost of your local feedstuffs.
Based on current estimated Kansas costs of alfalfa hay, cracked corn, dried distillers grains, and a medicated mineral/vitamin supplement, calves can be fed for approximately $1/day (not including yardage or labor). If no major health challenges occur, we should expect the calves to gain at or above 2 lb/day. This results in a feed cost of gain of about 50¢/lb, while current commercial feedyards are experiencing feed costs of gain of about 80¢/lb for finishing cattle.
There are many ways to effectively manage these special calves. The most important thing is to get them the needed nutrition, preserve the cow, and preserve the range.
USAgNet – 09/19/2011
With a dry growing season this year, barns of livestock producers are going into the Winter with lower than normal stocks of hay. Challenging weather has also made the availability of hay scarce, pasture supplies short and hay prices have risen as a result.
It’s important for hay buyers to beware of the quality and weight of the hay they are buying according to Tim Schnakenberg, agronomy specialist with University of Missouri Extension.
“Even though hay may look similar when sitting in a stack or in rows ready for sale, the variability in quality and weight of hay is significant,” said Schnakenberg.
Referring to large round fescue bales, Schnakenberg says a bale may range in weight from 500 to 1800 pounds depending on the baler used and the conditions at harvest. Protein levels in a bale may range from 4 to 18 percent.
Variables include the maturity of the forage when harvested, weed content, moldiness, leafiness and color. Buyers should also be cautious of the level of toxic nitrates that may exist in sorghum sudan or johnsongrass-containing hay.
Schnakenberg encourages hay buyers to test hay before purchasing it. There have been many fields of mature, first-cutting hay baled late in the season this year and offered for sale to the public.
“At the going price of grass hay these days, some producers may find a better deal buying alfalfa hay and not having to supplement to get their beef cows through the Winter. Another option may be a limit-fed program using corn or feed by-products,” said Schnakenberg.
Buyers should review the RFV (Relative Feed Value), protein levels and weights of bales they are buying and make decisions based on the quality and the price per ton. Producers are also advised to make the most of their Winter pasture in times such as these.
Schnakenberg recently calculated the current cost of feeding hay to the cost of feeding fertilized stockpiled fescue and found that a cow may be fed stockpiled fescue at cost of around $.37 per day compared to over $.80 per day to feed fescue hay.
Sandy Johnson, livestock specialist
In years with ample rainfall, there may be a tendency to take grass production for granted. If there are so many acres, we expect it to produce so much grass and run so many head of cattle. Putting up hay or even mowing the lawn (non-irrigated) can give us a good indication of forage growth conditions in general. When dry conditions prevail, the normal grazing plan must be changed; and it can be hard for producers to make timely changes for several reasons. Enacting a “plan B” is generally expensive, time consuming, and otherwise unappealing. Some objective measure of grass production would likely help producers make more timely decisions.
Forage use must be measured so it can be managed. Basic yearly records to keep on each pasture include: date of turnout, number of head, average weight, same three points at the time of removal, and rainfall. The other record needed is some measure of utilization at the end of the season. This could be as simple as a light (1 – 33 percent), moderate (34 – 66 percent) or heavy (67 – 100 percent) estimate of forage utilized, based on a comparison to an un-grazed area. A grazing exclosure (area within pasture that is excluded from grazing) is a useful tool to compare how much has grown in comparison to how much is remaining in the pasture. Two steel posts and a wire panel tied in a circle makes an easy and effective grazing exclosure. In dry years, it is last year’s un-utilized portion that supplements the current dry year’s growth, protects the soil surface and improves infiltration when it does rain.
A grazing stick is another tool to measure forage production. It was originally developed for use in higher rainfall areas and monoculture pastures but can be adapted to other regions. The use of a grazing stick is dependent on appropriate local or regional calibration that reflects the leaf density of the pasture. Height of the forage in inches is converted to pounds of production per acre. Complete online directions of how to calibrate and use a grazing stick can be found at this site from the Noble Foundation http://www.noble.org/ag/forage/grazingstick/index.html. A minimum of 400-800 pounds per acre should be remaining after grazing in short grass regions.
Another method to measure utilization is quoted below and comes from a Nebraska and South Dakota resource entitled “Drought Management on Range and Pastureland: A Handbook for Nebraska and South Dakota.” This publication contains lots of good range management information that easily translates to western Kansas. Don’t let the title make you think it doesn’t apply, because if you are not in a drought, you are just preparing for the next one.
“Proper utilization during the growing season is generally the removal of 50 percent or less of the present, current year leaf and stem tissue by weight. A simple procedure can be used to develop a visual perception of percentage forage utilization. Clip the current year growth from random bunches or tillers at the ground level. Wrap the samples with string or tape. Balance the sample on your finger. The point of balance is the height at which 50 percent of the leaf and stem material would be removed. Clip the sample at this point and balance each half to estimate heights for 25 and 75 percent utilization. Since utilization often differs across the pasture, you will need to monitor average height of utilization throughout each pasture. Estimates of the stubble height at which a target level of utilization will occur should be made when the cattle enter each pasture.”
Take time at the end of the grazing season to evaluate the amount of grass utilized in relationship to the rainfall received and growing conditions. This will help build a good grazing management plan that can take advantage of additional growth when conditions improve and provides specific guidance when needed rains do not come.
By Admin
October 4th, 2011
Successful Early Weaning: Consider Water, Weaning Method, Vaccination Program and Animal Handling
Larry Hollis, Extension Beef Specialist
Reprinted from www.asi.ksu.edu/beeftips
With the hot, dry Summer currently being experienced in many parts of Kansas, traditional weaning plans may need to be significantly altered. Cows are out of grass in many areas, and grass is extremely short in others. Early weaning of calves should be strongly considered. Considerable research has shown that it is a much better use of resources to wean the calf early, and either sell or feed the calf, than try to feed the cow enough to sustain lactation through a drought. Doing this will hold feed costs down both now and this Winter when you are trying to get cows in condition to (1) survive the Winter, (2) calve successfully, and (3) be in reasonable body condition score (BCS) to breed back next year. Many cows may be close to drying up on their own because of the lack of feed, so the primary thing they may be providing is merely companionship for the calf.
Consider these factors when early weaning.
• Water. Freshly weaned calves need plenty of fresh, clean water, especially if weaned during the heat of summer. Hopefully they have had access to water alongside their mothers, but if their mothers are drinking from an elevated tank or tub that calves cannot reach, they may need to be provided with a readily-available, closer-to-the-ground water source so that they are trained to drink from it prior to actual weaning time.
• Weaning method. Research has shown that “soft” weaning methods such as fence line weaning or nose clip weaning result in better maintenance of existing calf weights or subsequent calf performance than traditional “hard” weaning methods (abruptly separating cows and calves and placing calves in a drylot or unfamiliar pasture situation). When calves are weaned with either soft method, calves have the benefit of knowing their way around the pasture, including where shade, water and feed are located. If facilities permit (calf-proof fences between 2 adjoining pastures), fence line weaning is preferable over nose clip weaning because it does not require running calves through the chute twice to install and remove the nose clips. Hard weaning methods always result in greater calf weight losses than soft methods. Also, hard weaning, especially when calves are weaned in dry, dusty pens, almost always results in more respiratory health problems.
• Vaccination program. If some of the better calves need to be held for replacements, or calves are typically marketed through a value-added preconditioning program or marketing system, they will benefit from the same preconditioning and vaccination program that would be utilized if they were held until normal Fall weaning time. Feeding programs following weaning need to be adjusted to meet the needs of these lighter calves. When processing calves during the hot Summer, be careful to make sure that vaccines are handled properly, because heat can spoil vaccines rapidly if they are not kept refrigerated during transit and chuteside while working calves. If modified live virus vaccines are used, it is imperative that they also be protected from sunlight. Over 60% of viral particles in the bottle or syringe will be inactivated by only 1 hour of exposure to sunlight. Keeping the vaccine bottles and syringes in a cooler except when animals are actually being injected will help protect the product from both heat and sunlight.
• Working cattle. Try to gather cattle into loose grass traps or large pens near the working facility where they have plenty of space prior to
being worked. If possible, this should be done the evening before working the cattle. Try to have all work completed by 10:00 in the morning. Also, fresh water needs to be available both before and soon after working through the chute.
We can’t escape an occasional drought, but we can manage our way around them and reduce their negative impact. With a little advance planning, early weaning can be accomplished and the herd set up to recover more quickly once it finally starts raining again.
September 8, 2011
Reprinted from www.noaa.gov
La Niña, which contributed to extreme weather around the globe during the first half of 2011, has re-emerged in the tropical Pacific Ocean and is forecast to gradually strengthen and continue into winter. Today, forecasters with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center upgraded last month’s La Niña Watch to a La Niña Advisory.
NOAA will issue its official winter outlook in mid-October, but La Niña winters often see drier than normal conditions across the southern tier of the United States and wetter than normal conditions in the Pacific Northwest and Ohio Valley.
“This means drought is likely to continue in the drought-stricken states of Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico,” said Mike Halpert, deputy director of the Climate Prediction Center. “La Niña also often brings colder winters to the Pacific Northwest and the northern Plains, and warmer temperatures to the southern states.”
Climate forecasts from NOAA’s National Weather Service give American communities advance notice of what to expect in the coming months so they can prepare for potential impacts. This service is helping the country to become a Weather Ready Nation at a time when extreme weather is on the rise.
Seasonal hurricane forecasters factored the potential return of La Niña into NOAA’s updated 2011 Atlantic hurricane season outlook, issued in August, which called for an active hurricane season. With the development of tropical storm Nate this week, the number of tropical cyclones entered the predicted range of 14-19 named storms.
The strong 2010-11 La Niña contributed to record Winter snowfall, Spring flooding and drought across the United States, as well as other extreme weather events throughout the world, such as heavy rain in Australia and an extremely dry equatorial eastern Africa.
La Niña is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon located over the tropical Pacific Ocean and results from interactions between the ocean surface and the atmosphere. During La Niña, cooler-than-average Pacific Ocean temperatures influence global weather patterns. La Niña typically occurs every three-to-five years, and back-to-back episodes occur about 50 percent of the time. Current conditions reflect a re-development of the June 2010-May 2011 La Niña episode.
NOAA’s National Weather Service is the primary source of weather data, forecasts and warnings for the United States and its territories. NOAA’s National Weather Service operates the most advanced weather and flood warning and forecast system in the world, helping to protect lives and property and enhance the national economy. Visit us online at weather.gov and on Facebook.
NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Facebook, Twitter and our other social media channels.
From Mama to Autonomy: Weaning ways
By Peggy Joseph-Potter RN, BSN, MHA
Weaning is more about the health of the cow than the calf. Lactation requires 50% more feed, 70% more energy, and twice as much protein as pregnancy alone. As Fall approaches and pastures decline, difficulties can arise as breeders attempt to maintain the cow in good body condition for Spring calving. It is therefore more prudent to wean mature calves rather than continue to supplement the pregnant cow. Calves are usually ready to wean at 5-7 months of age, however they can be weaned sooner if conditions necessitate the separation of calves and cows.
Spring calves means Fall weaning. Weaning is one of the most stressful times in your calf’s short life. While the mature calf no longer needs to supplements its nutritional needs with mama’s milk it depends on her for its emotional needs. Planning, preconditioning and optimizing your calf’s health make this a much less distressing transition. The old timers may have many stories and methods for completing this process; newer research provides opportunities to make this a much less traumatic experience for young calves.
In this article, I will discuss some of the new ways, some of the old ways and provide you with supporting data that may help you to make the best decision for your situation.
Pre-conditioning is essential for the maintenance of health and immunity in the newly weaned calf. Providing essential nutrients through the introduction of bunk and creep feeders allows calves to acclimate their eating habits to prevent weight loss during this stressful period. Preconditioning calves involves getting them used to eating and drinking out of a bunk feeder or trough. This should be done without the cows around, as cows tend to be more pushy and bossy around the feeders and may not let the calves in at all.
A creep feed or precondition ration for calves should include a mix of grain silage and legume-hay, with the addition of a concentrate supplement that includes protein. There are many good calf starter products available and your local feed store can help you develop a program to meet your needs. Make sure any supplement provided does not contain animal byproducts due to the danger of BSE. Try to keep feeders free from mold and dust as their presence may lead to the development of pneumonias.
The goal is to minimize the stress level of both mom and calf during the weaning process, therefore other stress-laden procedures such as vaccinations, castration and dehorning should precede any attempt to separate the pair. Calves should also have good parasite control products introduced either as a pour-on or through injection prior to weaning, as they are more susceptible to worms during this period. We also try to break our calves to tie and lead before weaning as this socializes them to the human presence and reduces that which is unfamiliar after they leave their moms.
Methods for Weaning: There are several methods for weaning, ranging from low stress natural to abrupt separation.
Natural weaning takes place without human intervention. The calves and cows are left together until the calf decides it no longer needs to nurse or the mother cow kicks it off prior to the arrival of her next calf. This technique provides the least amount of stress to the calf however; it takes its toll on the bred cow as their bodies try to prepare for the birth of yet another calf. They will usually lack the conditioning necessary to supplement their newborn’s needs leading to a lower birth weight calf.
Traditional corral weaning. This method can be traumatic for calves as they are abruptly removed from their mothers and separated at the same ranch or shipped to a new location. Weight loss is likely to continue to occur until the calf adapts to its new surroundings. Significant preconditioning is necessary to sustain the calves during the process and there may be permanently lower conditioning than a calf weaned in a less stressful manner. Some of these changes can be prevented by removing the cows and leaving the calves in an area with other cattle that are familiar to them.
Pasture Weaning. The combining of pasture weaning with fence-line weaning can be accomplished simply by placing them side by side and moving the cows to another location, this allows the calves to stay in an area familiar to them. Pasture weaning is ideal when drought conditions are not present as free-choice grazing allows the calves to eat as desired. Since we place our cow-calf pair on pasture after the first 15-30 days this transition has been easiest for us to accomplish. That does not mean we do not have some disruption for the first day or two however, we have found this method the most humane and least stressful for the pair.
Fence-Line Weaning. This method allows calves to maintain physical contact with the cows and in most cases prevents the calves from nursing. It works best if an electric wire is present and even better if a double fence is available to keep the mother and calf separated. We have had a few of the most determined calves get through what we thought was adequate fencing. Fence-line weaning allows the pair to see and smell each other but prevents the calves from nursing. They generally will stop trying after the first three to five days.
Spiked Nose ring weaning. Nose rings or flaps can be applied to the calf’s nose to prevent suckling. This method allows the cow and calf to stay together in the same pasture or paddock. The nose flaps are noxious to the cow as they contain uncomfortable spikes that prevent the cow from accepting the calf’s gestures to nurse. Calves will usually stop trying after the first three to five days. However it can take two or three weeks for the cow’s bag to dry up; therefore do not take the rings off too soon, or you will have to start all over.
The goal in any weaning process you chose is to minimize the stress level on both the cow and calf. For the calf, even a vaccinated animal can have reduced immunity leading to the development of disease especially those affecting the lungs such as pneumonias. The pregnant cow adapts more easily after the first 3-5 days, however it may take longer if she is a first time mother.
Highlights:
Wean calves during good weather to reduce stress and possible disease processes,
Separate cows and calves so that they can still see and smell each other,
Do stressful procedures such as breaking, vaccinating, castrating, and dehorning prior to weaning,
Feed calves in bunk or creep feeder to acclimate them to eating and drinking on their own,
Provide adequate nutrition through appropriate rations of grain, hay, and supplements,
Socialize your animals prior to weaning to decrease their fear of the unknown,
Wean animals in surroundings with familiar, compatible paddock mates.
Having healthy, happy calves takes planning and preparation. The transition for both cow and calf can be made low stress by taking a few extra steps to reduce the fear and provide a sense of security for your animals.
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge our friends and members in Texas and the East Coast who are indeed suffering the wrath of Mother Nature. Our thoughts and prayers are with each one of you as you struggle to meet your needs and those of your livestock.
Bibliography
(1997). Feeding and Handling Calves. In M. &. Ensminger, Beef Cattle Science (p. 727). Danville: Interstate Publishers, Inc.
Thomas, H. S. (1998). Storey’s Guide to Raising Beef Cattle. Storey Publishing.
Peggy and her husband, Bob Potter, own and operate PJ Ranch LLC in Winton, California. They are Miniature and Standard Hereford owners and active participants in the MHBA since 2002. She is employed as a critical care nurse for a local medical center.
by: Heather Smith Thomas
Reprinted from www.CattleToday.com
Fall is a good time to run cattle through the chute for their semi annual vaccinations. Many ranchers try to accomplish as much as they can during this trip through the chute including pregnancy checking, applying substances to control parasites, vaccinating pregnant cows, and perhaps bangs vaccinating heifer calves while the veterinarian is there, if you live in a state that requires Brucellosis vaccination of heifers.
Pregnancy testing time is the best time to vaccinate and delouse cows, and there is no point in treating an open cow who will soon be sold. Vaccinations and Fall treatments can be given to each animal after the veterinarian determines whether or not she’s pregnant. At the same time, you should also consider the following management practices to keep your cow herd in tip top shape.
Cull open cows
Most ranchers sell cows who turn up open, since there is no profit in running a cow an extra year without producing a calf. If you are producing seedstock, trying to raise cattle who are fertile and efficient, you’ll want to cull any cows who are less fertile and efficient than the rest of the herd. Your customers who are buying seedstock from you want genetics that will improve their herds and increase their profitability. Culling open cows and late calvers can dramatically alter a rancher’s profit picture. A “freeloader” cow costs as much to maintain as a good, early calving cow, and it does not pay to keep her. The occasional exception may be a first calf two year old who raised a good calf, but didn’t breed back because she was putting so much energy into milk. This is a hard age, since the heifer is still growing and trying to produce milk; she may not cycle in time to breed back during a short breeding season (and most ranchers try to have a short season, so the calves are grouped in age and size). Some of these good young cows, with their whole life still ahead of them, may be profitable to keep, if a rancher has the feed to run them the extra year. But an older cow has no excuse for being open and it is wise to sell her.
Vaccinations
Ranchers in many regions must vaccinate at least twice a year for Redwater, to keep from losing cattle. The current 8 way clostridial vaccine protects against Blackleg, Malignant Edema, Sudden Death Syndrome, Redwater, Black’s Disease, and types B, C and D Enterotoxemia. Adult cattle do not need to be vaccinated against all of those, but since there is no other vaccine for Redwater and Black’s Disease, this is the only option for ranchers who must protect cattle from these health hazards.
Clostridial vaccines can cause tissue reaction and swelling and sometimes abscesses and scar tissue. No matter which clostridial vaccine you use, it should always be given subcutaneously, and preferable in the side of the neck. That way, any tissue damage that occurs can be easily trimmed out at slaughter without sacrificing good parts of the beef carcass.
Most veterinarians now recommend vaccinating all cows for Leptospirosis in the Fall as well as in the Spring. Leptospira can cause abortion at any stage of pregnancy, and the Lepto vaccination is effective for only six months. Lepto is one of the few truly cheap vaccines, so it makes sense to protect bred cows throughout pregnancy by means of semi annual Lepto vaccinations.
Some herd management specialists also advocate twice a year vaccination for IBR and BVD, in some herds. Since pregnant cows cannot be given modified live virus vaccinations for these diseases without risk of abortion, the standard procedure is to use modified live virus vaccine before the breeding season in the Spring, and a killed vaccine product during pregancy, in the Fall. This type of program is not necessary in all herds, but is very beneficial in some, especially for young cows (first and second calvers).
Yearling heifers need two doses of Scour Guard before calving. This product will help prevent scours in newborn calves. Timing of the second dose is critical — it must be given at least two weeks before heifers start to calve. But the first dose can be given as much as a year before the second dose. Most ranchers wait until pregnancy testing time to give the first dose, simply because it doesn’t make economic sense to put nearly two dollars worth of scours vaccine into an open heifer. Giving it in the Fall is better than waiting until calving season is near and hoping you have enough time between doses for the shots to do any good.
Any cows which did not receive a Scour Guard injection last year need two doses before calving, in order to confer immunity to calves through colostrum. Yearling heifers and any cows you may have added to your herd during the past year should get an initial priming dose at preg checking time.
Check with your local veterinarian for advice on a vaccination program and schedule that will protect against common diseases in your area and specific situation. You won’t need to worry about venereal diseases if your cattle are in a controlled breeding situation — bred only to your own uninfected bulls. You won’t need to give clostridial vaccine to adult cattle unless you live in the mountain West. But you will need to vaccinate for Leptospirosis wherever you are, and sometimes IBR and BVD.
Parasites
Parasite control is also important in a Fall management program. The primary parasites to worry about are grubs, lice, worms and in some locations liver flukes. Many ranchers use a pour on product that is effective against both grubs and lice, and some use Ivermectin to control grubs, lice and worms. Ivomec (a brand of ivermectin) has the advantage of killing both external and internal parasites, but does not kill liver flukes or tapeworms. In order to control biting lice, Ivomec pour on must be used. Injectable Ivomec does a very good job on grubs and sucking lice, but not biting lice.
Lice are one of the most costly and underrated parasites of cattle, accounting for millions of dollars lost each year due to reduced feed conversion, weight loss, anemia and sometimes even death. During the last cold months of Winter and into early Spring, lice can be a constant cause of irritation putting additional stress on cattle and draining energy reserves.
Most veterinarians recommend Fall treatment of all cattle for lice control. You should also assume that any new animal brought into the herd is carrying lice. New animals should be isolated and treated, whatever time of year it’s brought in, before being put with the herd. Most products for lice have a two treatment protocol and the new animals should be kept isolated until they’ve had both treatments. Any animal in the herd suspected of having lice should be treated in early Fall before lice populations build up (to help keep lice from spreading to the rest of the herd) and all animals should be treated in late Fall before infestation becomes severe. Effective control of lice requires two treatments two weeks apart if using a product that kills only lice and not the eggs. The second treatment kills lice that hatch out in between.
If cattle are being put through a chute, a pour on is usually the simplest way to control lice. Oil based pour ons are formulated to travel through the hair coat so the chemical spreads over the whole body of the animal. Other pour ons are systemic and absorbed into the body to kill lice, grubs and other internal parasites at the same time. Some of these must be used before Winter to avoid toxic reactions due to grubs being killed while migrating through the esophagus or spinal nerve canal.
The dying grubs release substances that cause swelling and inflammation in the tissues (choking or bloat in the esophagus, or temporary paralysis if in the spinal canal), which could lead to death of the animal unless the reaction is reduced with prompt and proper treatment. Check with your veterinarian for advice on insecticides and which products might be best for your situation and climate. Cattle can be treated for grubs after heel fly season is over, no more risk of new eggs being laid, and about three months before the anticipated first appearance of grubs. Treatment for grubs in northern regions should be given before December, while treatments in warm southern states should be no later than mid October.
Check each cow closely
This is also a good time to check cows for problems that might affect future health or productivity. As they go through the chute, check cows’ eyes for injury or signs of early cancer lesions (these are primarily a problem in cows with non pigmented skin, but do occasionally occur in dark skinned cattle), which can often be successfully treated in early stages, before they become malignant. Check face and jaw lumps to see if they are soft tissue abscesses that should be drained or bony infections that must be treated with sodium iodide.
Check teeth on any older cow who seems to be losing weight (a cow who has lost teeth may not be able to chew feed properly and will be difficult to keep in proper body condition to feed her calf and breed back). This is the time to make culling decisions on cows with serious problems such as bad teeth, bony lump jaw, bad eyes, bad udders, etc. It’s also a good time to carefully assess body condition to see if cows came through summer in good flesh (if pastures were good) or thin (if pastures were dry or sparse towards Fall). This will help you decide whether to wean calves early to enable cows to regain needed weight before cold weather.
Body Condition Scores are rated 1 (emaciated) to 9 (obese). Most stockmen try to keep cows at score 5 or 6 for best health and fertility. The ideal score will depend upon the genetics of the cattle; some cows need more flesh covering than others to cycle and breed successfully and produce milk for their calves. Know your cattle and try to keep enough flesh on them for optimum production.
When weaning calves and putting cows through Winter, remember that high producing cows may have body condition pulled down more than the cows who give less milk, and will go into Fall and Winter carrying less flesh. These high producing cows need a higher plane of Winter nutrition to get ready for the next calving and lactation. A good practice is to check body condition in Fall and sort out thin cows and young ones (yearlings, first calvers and sometimes second calvers) to feed separately. If cows will be on hay or any type of supplement during Fall and early Winter, this will ensure the young or thin ones get their share. It is not cost effective to feed the whole herd to meet the needs of young ones and thin ones; the majority of the cows don’t need the extra feed. It’s better to sort them in the Fall, or whenever they go from an adequate pasture to dry pastures or hay, so the ones who need the extra nutrients will be the ones who get it.
Cows should not be left on marginal Fall or Winter pastures while still nursing calves, or they’ll lose too much body condition. A research project at Kansas State University a few years ago showed that cows on unsupplemented pasture who continued nursing calves until December lost about 150 pounds and 1.5 points in body condition score by their next calving. If calves must be left on the cows this late, pasture must be supplemented. When the pastures get dry, it is often better to wean the calves. It is cheaper to supplement the weaned calves, rather than the whole herd.
Fall working is one of the rancher’s best opportunities to make management decisions that improve the herd health situation and also affect profit or loss. This is a good chance to have “hands on” every cow and to know what is happening.
Australia and New Zealand are separated by the Tasman Sea, affectionately known as “The Ditch” or “The Pond”, although the countries are just over 1400 kms (869 miles) apart at the closest points. Tasmania is a large island off the south-east corner of Australia and this is where Boomer Creek Farm is found. Boomer Creek takes its name from the common reference to a male kangaroo as a “boomer” owing to a booming noise heard as it bounds across land at speeds of up to 70 kmph (40 mph). Joy and Colin Walters felt this to be an appropriate name for their farm which comprises 400 hectares (988 acres) on the East Coast of Tasmania with beautiful views over Great Oyster Bay leading out into the Tasman Sea.
Since the early 1970s the Walters have had standard sized polled Herefords, then around 1994 their neighbour purchased some Lowline cattle of Angus derivation. Colin and Joy loved the idea of having smaller sized cattle but being “red and white” breeders did some research and discovered Miniature Herefords. Their first purchase was a recipient cow which produced Boomer Creek Atom and shortly afterwards they purchased a heifer, KT Real Roberta (imported from the USA). This was the start of their Miniature Hereford herd.
Having always had polled Herefords it wasn’t long before the Walters realised this would be a much better option than horned minis but it was a case of “do-it-yourself” as there were no polled minis outside of the States. Starting in 1999, they followed the American system of using small standard polled Hereford females with a miniature bull. After considerable searching they eventually found some with frame scores between 4 and 5 and later another one with a frame score of 2 – actually of Classic size. So began the “breeding down” programme to produce polled Miniature Herefords.
For the first five years it was a very slow process with having to keep the size down as well as eliminating horns and also keeping the breed line different. It meant using a horned mini bull across standard polls then using a different horned mini bull to establish another line then back across a standard poll to lose the horns. This could have taken many more years except that in 2004 another Australian breeder imported polled Miniature Hereford embryos from Straitside Ranch in the States from which two heifers and one bull – all homozygous polled – were born. Sired by SSR Micah and out of SSR Miss Misty the bull, Boomer Creek Felix, with a frame score of 1, really sped up the polled breeding programme. With now over 40 progeny, all polled and of frame score 1 or less, he has become the “foundation sire” of polled minis “Down Under.”
Normally the Walters run around 50 breeding cows of which 95% would now be Miniature Herefords, mostly polled. At least twenty of these are homozygous polled and most of them now have three , four and even five generations of Miniature Herefords on both sides of their parenthood. The demand for polled minis in Australia has really taken off as prospective owners/breeders see the big advantage in having no horns to deal with. Half of Colin and Joys’ herd was sold in the last financial year (including horned) with some animals going across Bass Strait to New South Wales and Victoria. They could have sold more but ran out of available stock!
A big part of promoting Boomer Creek cattle is through showing and the Walters have been very successful even against standard Herefords and other breeds. The animals are presented immaculately and well trained.
Joy Walters with Miniature Hereford bull, Boomer Creek Mack – Junior Champion, Grand Champion and Interbreed Champion bull in 2010. A grandson of Boomer Creek Felix.
Seven of these polled Miniature Hereford heifers are by Boomer Creek Felix.
Good breeding and presentation deserves to win. Some of B.C. Felix’ progeny.
It is thanks to the outlook and perseverance of such Miniature Hereford Studs in the States as Straitside Ranch (Betty and the late John Johnson) and Long Creek (Susan and Ron Himmelberg) and Boomer Creek (Colin and Joy Walters) in Australia that polled Miniature Herefords have become available for Hereford breed enthusiasts looking for smaller cattle without horns. For those of us following in their footsteps we can only build on the foundation they have laid – the hard work has already been done.
Reprinted – Source unknown
This time of year, when the cattle are being worked and shipped, is usually a time of high stress on ranch marriages – not unlike calving, lambing, planting, haying, combining, feeding, and all of the other seasons of ranch wife life.
Julie Carter of Carrizozo, New Mexico, whose ‘Cowgirl Sass’ articles sometimes appear in Agri-News, wrote these Ranch Wife 101 Guidelines, which seem very appropriate to share during shipping season. She is obviously a genius because these are good enough to hang on the refrigerator!
Never – and I repeat never – ever believe the phrase, ‘We’ll be right back,’ when he has asked you to help him do something on the ranch. The echoing words, ‘This will only take a little while,’ have tricked generations of ranch wives and still today should invoke sincere distrust in the woman who hears them.
Always know there is no romantic intention when he pleadingly asks you to take a ride in the pickup with him around the ranch while he checks water and cattle. What that sweet request really means is that he wants someone to open the gates.
He will always expect you to be able to quickly find one stray in a four-section brush-covered pasture, but he will never be able to find the mayonnaise jar in a four-square-foot refrigerator.
Always load your horse last in the trailer so it is the first one unloaded. By the time he gets his horse unloaded, you will have your cinch pulled and be mounted up – lessening the chance of him riding off without you while your horse tries to follow with you hopping along beside it, still trying to get your foot in the stirrup.
Count everything you see – cattle especially, but also horses, deer, quail or whatever moves. Count it in the gate, or on the horizon. The first time you don’t count is when he will have expected that you did. That blank eyelash-batting look you give him when he asks, ‘How many?’ will not be acceptable.
Know that you will never be able to ride a horse or drive a pickup to suit him. Given the choice of jobs, choose throwing the feed off the back of the truck to avoid the opportunity for constant criticism of your speed, ability, and eyesight. ( How in the $@*!&* could you NOT see that hole?’)
Never allow yourself to be on foot in the alley when he is sorting cattle on horseback. When he has shoved 20 head of running, bucking, kicking yearlings at you and hollers, ‘Hold ‘em, hold ‘em!’ at the top of his lungs, don’t think that you really can do that without loss of life or limb. Contrary to what he will lead you to believe, walking back to the house is always an option that has been exercised throughout time.
Don’t expect him to correctly close snap-on tops on plastic refrigerator containers, but know he will expect you to always close every gate. His reasoning is that the cows will get out, but the food cannot.
Always praise him lavishly when he helps in the kitchen – the very same way he does when you help him with ranch work – OR NOT!
Finally, know that when you step out of the house, you move from ‘wife’ to ‘hired hand’ status. Although the word ‘hired’ indicates there will be a paycheck (that you will never see), rest assured that you have job security. The price is just right, and you will always be ‘the best help he has’ – mainly because you are the ONLY help he has!”
Well we loaded up with great anticipation the livestock (12 head but it felt like 40) and 4 grandkids and headed to Houston. Everything was good and going well. But were we ever surprised when we arrived and unloaded. There before our eyes were some bald spots. Now these were not little either, as a matter of fact they looked HUGE to us. And not on one heifer but two, no THREE (yikes)!! We couldn’t believe our eyes and the grandkids were shocked they had worked so hard on that hair and now here they were with heifers and bald spots. But we began to look around and realized we were not alone and that was comforting (if you can be comforted in that situation). So I thought hey why not have a Biggest Bald Spot Award. Surely we could win that one with hands down from the looks of it. With that thought in mind of having a fun award I began to ask anyone that wanted to join in to come on and many did. Even Jeff Fulgham entered, but not his heifer (who had no bald spot), he entered his own head can you believe that. Well when the voting was done we had a winner. And the winner was not LK Robinson Farms with that huge bald spot on that heifer but instead Jeff Fulgham and the bald spot on his head. Jeff in turn donated his bald spot winnings to the MHYF and was just happy to have received the very first Biggest Bald Spot Award given at a Miniature Hereford Show (and hopefully the last but who knows maybe not). His winnings and donation totaled $200.00. We want to thank everyone that participated and Jeff for his donation to the Miniature Hereford Youth Foundation. Hope to see everyone again next year and hopefully with no bald spots.
Sherry Robinson
LK Robinson Farms Inc.
