Hemorrhagic bowel syndrome (HBS) is a silent, confounding killer in dairy herds. It’s particularly stressful because the exact cause of HBS is unknown. There are few symptoms, it often impacts older high-producing cows, and it’s nearly always fatal. Often you don’t know a cow has HBS until it’s too late.

The challenge in controlling BRD is to identify and quantify the factors that account for the immunosuppression. This is easier said than done, since knowledge of biomarkers for quantification of stress is incomplete and chuteside implementation is not yet possible.

Many useful pharmaceutical products have been developed to treat BRD; however, effective implementation of a preventive strategy has been elusive. A further complication is the absence of an experimental model that replicates the most common clinical symptoms.

Cows crave consistency, and it’s imperative that we provide them with a consistent ration, using clean feed mixed properly and delivered at the same time every day.

A cutting-edge new feed additive from Quality Technology International is the only feed additive currently patented for inhibition of salmonella colonization in livestock and poultry.

Inflammation is a complex biological response triggered by the immune system in response to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, tissue injury, or stress. In mammals, including beef cattle, understanding the inflammatory response is of utmost importance as it can have significant implications for health, productivity, and overall well-being.

This is quickly shaping up to be a year that all cattle producers, both big and small, won’t forget any time soon. As sale barns across the country begin to crush previous record highs in calf prices, the decision to keep or sell the 2023 calf crop will be weighing heavy on every producer’s mind.

When I visit a farm, my favorite question to ask is, “What part of the dairy you are most proud of?” Typically, the answers include some sort of cow performance measurements, such as milk production, pregnancy rates or genomics.