As we progress through summer grazing of spring-calving cow-calf pairs and prepare for fall calving, fall run of preconditioned and high-risk calves, and the threat of increased pathogen loads (E. coli, clostridium, salmonella) in feedlot cattle, herd health and overall performance should be top of mind.

There has been a lot of discussion about late-term death loss in finishing cattle in recent years. There are obvious economic consequences of losing an animal that has been on feed for a long period of time, and those costs increase as feeder prices and feed costs increase.

One challenge in the livestock industry is keeping animals healthy, and a key factor is being able to detect illness early and treat early with less stress and setback for the animal and less cost to the producer.

Most cattle producers are primarily concerned about meeting the minimum nutrient requirements for the cow herd. In many parts of the country, given the dry conditions, most producers are concerned about being able to provide a minimum amount of forage to allow them to hold on to the cow herds and maintain an acceptable level of production.