I graduated college thinking I had learned everything I would need to know to be successful in a career in animal science. My first job as a calf-raising manager on a large calf ranch showed me that was far from the truth. I’m not saying college didn’t prepare me. It’s that I never would have expected to fail as much as I did.

If we consider how plants can help our heifers and cows conquer that daunting transition period, there may be more than simply forages, in terms of plants, to consider. Let us dig into the world of phytochemicals.

All lactating cows should be locomotion scored on a weekly basis. This is a great start in identifying cows that could benefit from a trip through the trimming chute. In addition to locomotion scoring, what other techniques can we implement on a daily basis that could help us catch the cows with an early onset of lameness? 

Producers are encouraged to work with their management team to identify risk factors that may lead to this mid-lactation down cow syndrome.

Vaccine products that are administered to cattle are foreign to the animal’s body. The goal is for the body to recognize these foreign organisms and develop an immune response for protection in the event of a future disease challenge.

Discover how to use herd health visits as an opportunity to optimize health, welfare and production, leading to more informed, timely decisions to improve herd management over time.

Correctly differentiating mastitis from teat sealant residue is important to minimize unnecessary interventions and to make sure we’re using antibiotics judiciously on farms. 

When an antibiotic is administered, susceptible bacteria may be eliminated, allowing resistant bacteria to thrive, and become dominant. This can make the antibiotic ineffective for future treatments and can therefore increase the risk of infections persisting in the afflicted animal and spreading to other animals in the herd, or to humans. 

A vet shares her experiences creating and implementing an autogenous vaccine for pinkeye, along with tips for treatment and prevention.