Dairy 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.
SEDALIA, Mo. – Lexi Angelo earned high individual honors at the State 4-H Dairy Judging Contest held Aug. 17 at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia.
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. – 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.
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. – 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…
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.
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. – 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.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Heat waves put extra stress on livestock. A University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist advises taking specific, ongoing steps for dairy cows throughout heat waves.Heat abatement
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.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Adding poultry litter or nitrogen to toxic fescue pastures grows more grass, but also boosts toxins in the grass.
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. – “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.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Northern Missouri has received plenty of rain, and dairy producers there are hopeful about making a silage pile, while those in the state’s southern counties are looking at options as drought conditions and oppressive heat have taken hold.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension, Missouri Dairy Association and Multimin USA will hold the 2018 Missouri Dairy Profit Seminar at five locations throughout the state Feb. 19-23, said MU Extension veterinarian Scott Poock.
MOUNTAIN GROVE, Mo. – With spring calving season underway, producers want as many healthy calves on the ground as possible.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri Extension dairy team cautions producers to practice elevated biosecurity in light of a recent disease outbreak in Texas dairy country, in and near the Texas Panhandle from Dalhart to Lubbock.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension has a new publication about vaccination programs for cow-calf operations.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri dairy farmers are urged to protect their dairy herds from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus as the USDA and other federal agencies investigate an illness among dairy cows in seven other states (Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas and North Carolina…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri’s Foremost Dairy developed a colostrum management system that helps it far exceed Gold Standards set by the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association, says MU Extension dairy veterinarian Scott Poock.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension dairy veterinarian Scott Poock has developed a spreadsheet to track and evaluate colostrum management data in dairy calves.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri veterinary students take campus research to parlors and pastures to help dairy farms improve.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Intensive targeted synchronization improves the fertility of late-calving dairy cows in seasonal pasture-based systems, according to a paper in the Journal of Dairy Science Communications.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – While explaining new requirements in the National Dairy FARM 5.0 program, a University of Missouri Extension specialist told dairy producers to be aware of what may be coming in 2027.
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
HUMANSVILLE, Mo. – Martin Prairie Farms near Humansville treats dairy cows like guests.The family-owned dairy farm north of Humansville in Hickory County dedicates itself to top-of-the-line herd nutrition and care, says University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Reagan Bluel.
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. – 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.
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.
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.