Beef cattle health : article
STOCKTON, Mo. – “As spring and lush grass growth arrives cattle producers need to plan for prevention of grass tetany,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Ways to replace toxic tall fescue pastures keep improving as renovations move across the Fescue Belt from Missouri to Georgia.Five grazing schools in five states in March will clarify a complex system, says Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist.
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. – When temperatures fall, beef producers should watch for signs of fescue foot in their beef herds.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Livestock producers can learn how to reduce toxins that damage performance and profits during the March 23 Alliance for Grassland Renewal workshop in Mount Vernon, Missouri.
SEDALIA, Mo.—Many Missouri producers are asking if it is safe to use soybeans for livestock forage. The topic was brought up repeatedly by attendees at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri livestock and forage specialists are reporting ergot infestations that can cause major losses in livestock, said MU Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Start stockpiling fescue mid-August for healthier and more profitable cattle, says University of Missouri Extension forage specialist Craig Roberts.Stockpiling fescue saves time and money by reducing the need to feed hay.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Add legumes to fescue and other cool-season pastures at the right time to add pounds and profits to cattle.
The right time is when pastures are frozen and snow-covered, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts.
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The buttercup’s beauty belies its blistering poison.
All parts of the perennial pasture crop are poisonous, says University of Missouri Extension field specialist in agronomy Sarah Kenyon.
“Calf processing prior to sale that reduces work for the buyer after sale potentially makes that calf more valuable at sale time,” says Patrick Davis MU Extension Regional Livestock Field Specialist. The added value can lead to improved profitability of the cattle operation. Below,…
MARSHFIELD, Mo. – Cold weather has moved into Missouri quickly with no plans of leaving soon, according to forecasts.
As a fourth-generation cattle farmer, Jared Decker knows that cattle suffer from health and productivity issues when they are taken from one environment--which the herd has spent generations adapting to--to a place with a different climate, a different elevation or even different grass.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension specialists urge producers to closely watch cattle grazing pastures with Johnson grass and other sorghum species.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A winter cold snap arrives. Cow’s blood flow slows. Cows start limping. It’s time to check herds for fescue foot.The first report of the disabling disease has come to Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension fescue specialist.
GALENA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension specialists warn livestock producers to be on the lookout for ergot this year.A cool, cloudy and wet spring with a prolonged flowering period was followed by high temperatures and humidity, setting the stage for infection, says Tim Schnakenberg, field…
GALENA, Mo. – Ernest Newton Fergus, a University of Kentucky forage specialist in the 1930s and 1940s, did the livestock industry a great favor when he propagated Kentucky 31 fescue, says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Tim Schnakenberg.
STOCKTON, Mo. – “Summertime brings factors that lead to anaplasmosis in cattle operations,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. Anaplasmosis can affect cattle operation performance due to calf abortions, decreased weight gain, bull infertility and animal…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Drought increases the chance of nitrate poisoning and prussic acid poisoning. High concentrations in plants and water can harm or even kill animals.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Poison hemlock, a plant that can kill livestock, is one of the first weeds to appear in Missouri pastures, says Kevin Bradley, University of Missouri Extension weed scientist.
Learn how to assess the economic pros and cons of renovating endophyte-infected tall fescue pastures for better livestock health and forage yield.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Newly made spring hay finally being baled in June may be toxic for cattle. Hold off on feeding new hay, says Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist.The longer the hay can be stored after baling, the less toxic it becomes.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – To reduce fescue foot, a long-used plan to feed winter hay after grazing down fall pastures should be changed. A University of Missouri Extension forage specialist says it’s backwards. Feed hay first; then graze stockpiled winter pastures.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension specialists recently received several reports of Missouri cattle dying due to fescue foot, says MU Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts.
It’s the time of year when flies and ticks start becoming a problem for cattle, and they can be more than just a nuisance. “These external parasites not only cause irritation and stress but also reduce production efficiency and serve as vectors for certain cattle diseases,” said Craig Payne,…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Reports of “fescue foot” causing loss of cows are coming in, says Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Forage yield and quality improve when legumes are frost-seeded at the right time, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts.
STOCKTON, Mo. – Add legumes to grazing pastures to improve cow performance, soil health and forage production, says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist in Cedar County.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – High nitrogen prices make it especially important to consider frost seeding legumes this winter, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts.
Gradual weaning reduces calf stress, lowers disease risk, and boosts profits. Methods like nose clips and fence-line weaning improve post-weaning success.
FARMINGTON, Mo. – The Farmington Show-Me-Select replacement heifer sale is the newest of six fall sales statewide. Consignors are building reputations with their fourth sale, Dec. 8.The 120 bred heifers averaged $1,790, with a sale top of $2,450. Other long-standing sales topped that.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Selecting for cattle with heat tolerance can improve a producer’s profitability. An updated University of Missouri Extension publication, “Hair Shedding Scores: A Tool To Select Heat Tolerant Cattle,” explains how to score for hair shedding and seek lower scores for better heat…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Many beef and dairy calves will be born in the next three months. As spring calving season approaches, University of Missouri Extension experts stress the importance of properly caring for newborn calves.
STOCKTON, Mo.- Add legumes to grazing pastures to improve cattle performance and forage production, says University of Missouri Extension regional livestock specialist Patrick Davis.
Frost-seed clovers and lespedeza now, Davis says. They grow well with cool-season grasses in Missouri and improve…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Adding poultry litter or nitrogen to toxic fescue pastures grows more grass, but also boosts toxins in the grass.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri researchers are tracking the invasive longhorned tick, which causes weight loss, lost pregnancies and even death in cattle.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – George Washington knew the value of a good seed: “Bad seed is a robbery of the worst kind,” the founding father wrote, “for your pocket-book not only suffers by it, but your preparations are lost and a season passes away unimproved.”
STOCKTON, Mo. – Make sure bulls are physically and reproductively sound before the fall breeding season, says University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Patrick Davis.
STOCKTON, Mo. – “Warm weather brings on environmental factors that can lead to pink eye in cattle,” says Patrick Davis University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. Pink eye can lead to reduced cattle performance, which affects profitability.
WEST PLAINS, Mo. – An abundance of flies in cow herds is being reported to University of Missouri Extension specialists this summer, increasing the likelihood of cattle health issues, including pinkeye.
MOUNTAIN GROVE, Mo. – With spring calving season underway, producers want as many healthy calves on the ground as possible.
HERMITAGE, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension offers cattlemen a bus tour of cattle operations in Kansas and Oklahoma Aug. 6-9.MU Extension livestock specialist Patrick Davis said the tour offers an opportunity to learn to manage herds better to make them healthier and more profitable.…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension has a new publication about vaccination programs for cow-calf operations.
New exhibition rules issued by the Missouri Department of Agriculture late last year for showing cattle and swine at county fairs and exhibitions go into effect this year. University of Missouri Extension specialists say the changes encourage healthy animals.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – There’s a new University of Missouri Extension guide to discuss one of summer’s old pests.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Nitrates and prussic acid build up in forages to levels dangerous to livestock during drought.Livestock face severe illness and even death after eating affected forages, says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Jamie Gundel.
PALMYRA, Mo. – The last sale set records for six fall sales of Show-Me-Select heifer replacements. The average price per head was $2,118 on 224 head of bred heifers at F&T Livestock Auction, Palmyra, Dec. 9.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension dairy veterinarian Scott Poock says three types of flies cause economic damage and discomfort in cattle.Typically appearing in spring, horn flies, face flies and stable flies carried over to summer this year due to hot, humid weather.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension specialists are getting reports of illness and death in cows and small ruminants that may have ingested perilla mint.Perilla mint, a toxic summer annual, is also known as rattlesnake weed, purple mint and beefsteak plant.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – While 2023 might seem a long way off, it’s not too early for livestock producers think about how recent Food and Drug Administration guidance might affect their operations, says University of Missouri Extension veterinarian Craig Payne.
Perilla mint is a toxic plant that can harm livestock. To control it, apply broadleaf herbicides between April and June before seed set
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Extremely cold weather, ice and snow are putting Missouri cattle at risk. Temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit are predicted, with the wind chill factor much lower in many parts of Missouri this week.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A University of Missouri Extension beef nutrition specialist counsels farmers to prepare for grass tetany season in March.
“With lush grass growth coming in the spring, it is time to manage cattle and implement mineral supplementation strategies to reduce the incidence of grass tetany in your cattle operation,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. Cattle grass tetany symptoms…
STOCKTON, Mo. – Now is the time to seed oats and clovers to improve spring cattle grazing resources and reduce costs, says University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Patrick Davis.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – When drought boosted corn and soybean prices, beef-herd owners faced new challenges. They can’t rely on traditional feeds as low-cost supplements for winter forages.“Producers must look at every alternative this winter,” says a University of Missouri Extension beef nutritionist.
STOCKTON, Mo. – “Bull breeding soundness exams (BSEs) are important to make sure bulls are ready for the upcoming breeding season,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – New forage research gives reason to not graze toxic fescue grass too short. The bottom 2 inches of infected grass holds highest levels of the alkaloid causing problems for grazing livestock.
The findings guide ways to manage fescue’s toxic impact, says Craig Roberts, University of…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – With high costs of feed for wintering cows, herd owners should consider adding monensin to grain supplements for winter forages. The additive, trade name Rumensin, controls coccidiosis, a disease caused by intestinal parasites.
SALEM, Mo. – The use of commercial livestock dewormers has paid off in terms of animal health and productivity, but it has also resulted in resistance among parasite populations.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts says now is the time to check for ergot in the seed heads of grasses.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – If you’ve ever seen a cow suddenly collapse in early spring, seemingly out of nowhere, you might have witnessed a case of grass tetany, says University of Missouri Extension state beef nutritionist Eric Bailey.
STOCKTON, Mo. – “Postweaning calf performance is important to cow-calf operators and future calf owners,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. Optimum performance is achieved by reducing weaning stress.
This is part of an MU Extension series to help row crop and livestock producers manage drought. For more articles, go to https://mizzou.us/DroughtResources.
Starting June 11, 2023, certain livestock antibiotics will require a veterinary prescription, ending over-the-counter sales. Plan ahead with a vet.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Poison hemlock, a poisonous plant that can cause death in livestock, is especially toxic in spring, says Gatlin Bunton, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in agronomy.It can also cause birth defects in the offspring of pregnant animals.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – This is the time of year when cattle producers need to pay extra attention to heat stress in their operations, says University of Missouri Extension beef specialist Eric Bailey.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Forage and beef producers can learn from world-renowned forage experts the how and why of renovating toxic tall fescue pastures at a March 23 workshop in Mount Vernon, Missouri.