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Antibiotics in Cow-Calf Operations: Which, when, and why?
Dave Van Metre, DVM, DACVIM
Extension Veterinarian, Colorado State University
March, 2010
There are a lot of different opinions regarding which antibiotics are best for treating common infections – for example, pneumonia and footrot. How can a cow-calf producer make the best decision about which product to use and when?
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Management and Marketing Relationships
Patrick McCarty, Extension Agent, Garfield County
February, 2010
Much of what we do as cattle producers can be summed up as management and marketing. A successful beef venture certainly involves heavy doses of each. Decisions made at one time of the year can dramatically influence the beef production process and therefore profitability, many months and even years later.
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Replacement Female Management
Eric McPhail, Director/Agricultural Agent Gunnison County
January, 2010
Deciding to develop one’s own heifers can be both challenging and expensive. The overall goals of any replacement program should focus on optimizing fertility and breeding rates, while at the same time sustaining breed-backs and longevity for the years to come. To reach these goals, new research is showing that heifers should be developed post-weaning on forage-based and range diets while maintaining a body condition score of 5.5-6.
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Cold Temperatures and Cattle
Bruce Fickenscher, Extension Agent, Southeast Area
December, 2009
Since climatic conditions seem to be a hot topic, it may be a good time to review how these environmental issues affect the livestock we care for. The National Weather Service website at: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ddc/?n=windchill has a calculator you can use to determine the wind chill factor for you, but how about your animals.
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Healthy Cattle = Healthy Beef
Travis W. Hoffman, Colorado Beef Quality Assurance Coordinator
September, 2009
During an active discussion on a balmy first day of class at Colorado State University, upper level students in my Beef Supply Chain Management class identified some major obstacles to conquer regarding consumer perception. One student, home from an internship in Washington D.C. chimed in that this summer the metro was plastered with attack ads on the misleading relationships of animal antibiotics and human health that greeted people in our nation’s capitol.
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Preventing Grass Tetany in Beef Cows
Jack Whittier, Colorado State University
March, 2009
In some parts of Colorado due to dry conditions, it may seem foolish to mention grass tetany now. However, in other parts of the state, and even in areas where a flush of spring grass growth may occur such as creek bottoms or meadows, an ounce of prevention may eliminate losses from this condition.
Now’s the time to evaluate the mineral needs of your herd and to decide an appropriate strategy to reduced the risk of grass tetany. Grass tetany (also called hypomagnesemia) is a metabolic disease of cattle usually associated with grazing lush pastures.
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As a Beef Producer, Are You “Marketing” Your Product or Are You “Selling” it?
Dean Oatman, Extension Agent, Las Animas County
February, 2009
As a beef producer, are you “marketing” your product or are you “selling” it? This is a question that all producers should ask themselves and then act on management strategies that will enable them to add value and “market” that valuable product.
With each operation being different we all know there is no cookie cutter solution. Everyone needs to take a critical look at how they’ve been managing their operation and search for ways to make some changes they can live with that will be of benefit in the end.
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Feeding Cull Onions to Livestock
Tom McBride, County Extension Director, Adams County
January, 2009
Cull onions are those that are not useable for human consumption or are generally considered waste and shall include the residue left in the field from the production of onion seed as well as commercial onions. Some states have set some rigid guidelines as in some cases animals die from eating cull onions.
The Idaho State Department of Agriculture has specific rules concerning the disposal of cull onions. Sheep or goats shall be fed no more than 53 lbs. of cull onions per individual animal per day. Cattle shall be fed a ration containing no more than twenty-five percent (25%) cull onions on a dry matter basis. Cull onions are 80-90% moisture.
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Hay Feeding Methods and Wintering Costs
Robbie Baird LeValley, Tri River Area Range & Livestock Extension Agent
December, 2008
A three year wintering investigation was conducted at Dickinson Research Extension Center in North Dakota to determine the effect of hay feeding methods on cow wintering cost. The average amount of hay wasted needs to be calculated when determining how much hay to provide to cows every day or when making forage purchases. A conventional method of rolling round bales out on the grounds was compared to either shredding rounds hay bales on the ground with a bale processor or feeding hay in a tapered-cone round bale feeder.
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Curly Calf Syndrome or Arthrogryposis Multiplex
Mike Jarosz, Ph.D., Colorado State University Beef Team
Livestock Agent-Weld County
October, 2008
What are the symptoms?
- Newborn calves typically are born dead or may live for a short time.
- Calves will have a curved spine, extended limbs (especially the rear legs), thin appearance, and lack of muscle development.
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Water Quality Issues for Beef Cattle
Roger W Ellis DVM, Extension Veterinarian, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
September, 2008
Once again, many areas of Colorado are faced with excessively dry climate conditions in 2008 and the hot summer temperatures and minimal precipitation have dwindled the available forages for grazing beef cattle. The “drought-like” conditions are occurring as grazing lands are still recovering from past years of severely limited rainfall. Reports are arising of depleted summer grazing conditions, limited to no forage/hay production and drinking water for cattle is a major issue for cattlemen also. Decreased water availability and unsuitable water quality can contribute to significant losses of production during drought periods.
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Brief Review of Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling Interim Final Rules and Cow-Calf Producers
By Jack C. Whittier, Department of Animal Science, Colorado State University
August, 2008
On Monday, July 28th, 2008 USDA Ag Marketing Service (AMS) issued a 233-page document containing the “interim-final rules” for the mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (mCOOL) program. In 2002, the US Congress passed a law requiring certain “covered commodities” (including beef) to be verified and labeled as to their county of origin. Final rules for COOL were included in the 2008 Farm Bill. This document provides further instructions.
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Watch Your Withdrawal Periods
Michael Fisher, Area Livestock Extension Agent, Golden Plains Area
July, 2008
Do you know what the withdrawal period is for the various animal health products that you administer to your livestock? For that matter, do you know what a withdrawal period is established for?
As livestock producers, we are the first line of defense in ensuring that the American meat supply is a quality, wholesome, and safe product. To help meet that goal, withdrawal periods have been established for many of the animal health products that are used in livestock production.
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What will be required of Cow-Calf Producers under the Country of Origin Labeling Rules this September?
By Jack C. Whittier, Colorado State University
May, 2008
The title of this article asks a question that is not yet totally answered. However, the answer is beginning to be clearer and soon may be finalized. As you likely know, in 2002, the US Congress passed a law requiring certain “covered commodities” to be verified and labeled as to their county of origin. The acronym used commonly for this law is COOL, denoting County of Orgin Labeling. Final rules for COOL will be written following final passage of the 2007 Farm Bill which has passed the Senate and House Conference Committee and will likely be sent to the President’s desk soon. If the President signs the Farm Bill, final rules will then be written. As of now, the following definitions and requirements are likely to become rules. Let’s examine some of these as they apply to cow-calf producers in Colorado:
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The Only Thing Certain is Change
by Travis Hoffman, Beef Quality Assurance Coordinator
April, 2008
Hello everyone, I hope this day blesses you with a ray of sunshine, ample moisture for the growing pastures, and more sleep at night as we progress past a busy calving season. Even through the cold of winter, the optimism of a changing hue of green grass, the vigor of newborn calves, and a beautiful Colorado spring morning can bring a smile to agriculturalists far and wide. We take pride in the work we do every day, and your commitment to feeding America and the World must be embraced by everyone involved in production agriculture.
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Trichomoniasis Alert for Colorado Cattle Producers
by Roger W. Ellis DVM
March, 2008
In November 2007, the Colorado Department of Agriculture issued a press release to alert cattle owners of increased findings of Trichomoniasis in Colorado cattle herds. This statement was issued in reference particularly to an ongoing outbreak in counties in southeastern Colorado. Regions throughout Colorado have had some existing occurrences of Trichomoniasis for many years.
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Keeping it All Together - Some important Items for Cow-Calf Producers to Think About
by Patrick McCarty
February, 2008
It is the time of year that many farm and ranch operations go directly into high gear. There are many things to think about and many, many more things to do. Everyone is busy and the days often seem to go by in a blur. Some important beef operation items to think about include:
- Bulls and herd bull management. Do you have enough, are they conditioned properly, where will you spend your next dollars for improved genetics? It is of absolute importance that the bulls you do have can pass a semen test.
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So, What Exactly are we Raising?
by Eric McPhail
January, 2008
When cattlemen are asked what they are raising, the typical response is “quality beef and as many pounds of it as they can." The truth is most of the time the average producer or consumer hasn’t a clue as to what a beef animal is to us. Yes we’re producing a rib-eye; our animals get priced by that rib-eye, so that’s what we seem to focus on. But what other things come from cattle, because we know that a 1300 lb steer is not all rib-eyes?
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Crude Protein by the Pound
by Michael Fisher
Once pasture/range plant residues get below 6 to 8 percent crude protein (CP), they do not provide enough CP to support the beef cow and her growing fetus. Therefore, many producers turn to purchasing supplements to provide CP. This can be expensive. Many producers will compare the retail prices offered, perhaps even looking at it on a bulk rate per ton. I would suggest that you should look at it on a price per pound but not of the supplement product. Instead price it based on the price per pound of CP that the product contains.
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Mycoplasma
by Michael Jarosz
What is it?
Mycoplasmosis is a disease in cattle primarily caused by the Mycoplasma bovis organism that infects the respiratory tract, initially causing pneumonia and eventually migrating to the blood infecting the joints and tendons causing lameness.
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Weather Effects on Livestock
by Marvin Reynolds
Livestock producers know that cold weather increases the nutritional requirements of livestock. What may not be understood is that energy for maintenance is the only nutrient that needs adjusting during cold weather. Some winter rations may be low in energy during extremely cold weather. Adjustments need to be made in feed quality or quantity when cold weather hits.
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