Animal drugs by a different name

Shopping for deals and managing inventory are two ways to lower livestock drug costs. Have you ever been confused by the different brands available? How do you know which is the better buy?

Managing worms at spring turnout

Green is my favorite color. Green tree buds, lawns, and pastures signal that winter is finally over. It’s very tempting to turn young stock out onto newly green pasture. We are tired of indoor feeding and cleaning, and we have fieldwork and other chores to attend to. However, tempting as it is to open the pasture gate, first remember these worm management steps.

Biosecurity: Start with small steps

Producers can take steps to minimize the risk of a disease outbreak on their livestock premises. When beef producers increase biosecurity measures to decrease the likelihood of foreign animal diseases, they are also taking steps to reduce exposure to and disease losses from more common endemic diseases such as bovine viral diarrhea, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, mycoplasma, Johne’s disease, shipping fever, trichomoniasis, warts and ringworm.

Preparing for a foreign animal disease outbreak in swine production

Preparing for a Foreign Animal Disease outbreak continues to be one of the most discussed topics in the pork industry. With African Swine Fever as close as the Dominican Republic and Haiti, it has never been more important for pork producers to have a plan in the event of an outbreak.

Are you ready? Antibiotics for livestock will be prescription only in 2023

The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) plan for supporting veterinary antimicrobial stewardship will be fully implemented in 2023 when all remaining over-the-counter (OTC) antibiotics are switched to prescription-only status. The medically important antibiotics (used by humans and animals) becoming prescription only include injectable tylosin, injectable and intramammary penicillin, injectable and oral tetracycline, sulfadimethoxine and sulfamethazine, and cephapirin and cephapirin benzathine intramammary tubes.

Work with vet to establish heifer vaccination plan

Veterinarians are a great resource when establishing a vaccination plan on your farm. A heifer’s destination might lead to different immunity goals depending on if they become replacements or head to a feedlot.

Avian Influenza Concerns: Don’t Let Your Biosecurity Guard Down

There have been several confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in eastern Canada and in a number of U.S. states. Several wild ducks and one commercial turkey flock have tested positive for the virus in the United States. Outbreaks in Canada have affected both commercial and exhibition poultry flocks. Wild birds infected with […]

Prevent Respiratory Disease in Dairy x Beef Calves

Many Wisconsin dairy farmers are breeding some of their dairy cows to beef. The calves from these matings are not raised as dairy replacements but are either raised by the dairy for beef or sold to a variety of calf and cattle operations. Dairy and dairy-beef calves that are sold as pre-weaned (wet) are particularly vulnerable to disease challenge as their young and immature immune system increases their susceptibility to disease.

Managing worms on summer pastures

UW-Madison Extension provides information to help herd managers understand the complex relationship between parasitic worms and cattle, enabling them to couple best practices in pasture management with the strategic use of deworming products.

Lice Management For Cattle

This article was originally published in Wisconsin Agriculturist Most beef farmers are familiar with the onslaught of lice during the winter. It is a common fact that lice populations on cattle peak during the winter months. But what are lice? Lice are small, flat-bodied insects with legs modified for grasping hairs. These creatures are dependent […]