Most cows shed the placenta within two to eight hours after calving, and when a cow has not shed the placenta for 24 hours or longer, it is considered retained.

Many diseases enter our herds when we acquire new animals and commingle them with our herd. In a cow-calf operation, this often occurs with the addition of new herd sires, replacement females or calves you intend to graft on a cow who lost her calf.

When it comes to bovine respiratory disease, it can be extremely difficult to determine if a sick calf may need a second round of treatment or if the antibiotic should be allowed a few more days to help treat the infection.

Clostridium is a genus of anaerobic, gram-positive, spore-forming bacteria. These organisms can be found in soil and in the intestinal tracts of many, if not all, animals, birds and humans.

Currently, the use of pain mitigation in beef cattle is sporadic at best. With limited approved and labeled drug product options available to alleviate the effects of procedures such as castration and dehorning, it’s difficult to navigate the various pressure points and establish a realistic path forward.

If the dam has a chance to build high antibody levels before calving, she can pass this temporary immunity to her calf.