In order to have healthy animals, producers must understand the normal health attributes of livestock, routinely monitor their animals and make management changes when necessary.

Five species of lice parasitize cattle in the U.S. Four of these are blood feeders, and the fifth is a biting or chewing louse. Cattle with hair loss, an unthrifty appearance, and leaving hair on fences and other objects from rubbing may be a sign of lice infestation.

In 2017, a New Jersey farmer discovered a significant number of ticks that were only on his sheep. Neither the sheep nor its owner had traveled from the farm or had come in contact with other livestock. Experts are scrambling to learn more about this latest invasive species.

The best way to treat flies is to first understand what fly you are treating for. Remember: Face flies are found on the face, stable flies are found on front legs, and horn flies are found on the back and sides.

Many producers think that when a cow shakes flies off or swats them away with her tail, the issue is over. It isn’t. However, by controlling flies, you can improve cow comfort, lower disease transmission and minimize production losses.

The horn fly is a major pest of pasture and rangeland cattle throughout the U.S. Adult horn flies are blood-feeding flies taking, on average, 30 blood meals per day.