– Dr. John Yost, Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Wayne County, Ohio State University Extension (originally published in Ohio Farmer on-line)

Recognize that each procedure performed on a calf at weaning creates stress and stress decreases production potential.

We are quickly approaching your neighbor’s favorite time of year.  That being one where the air is filled with the melodious serenades of newly weaned calves and their separated mothers.  We know that the bawling will end after a few days, but your weaning process can affect the calves’ performance the rest of their lives.  It doesn’t matter whether the calves are destined to find their way onto a truck headed to a feedyard, or if they will be staying on farm to become a future replacement in your herd, you want to prepare them for the next stage of the production process.

We often think of weaning as an abrupt change.  Cows with calves in the morning, then cows and calves on different parts of the farm in the afternoon.  In order to be efficient with our time, we will combine many of weaning tasks into the same day.  There isn’t a perfect system, but there is a Continue reading Look for ways to reduce calf stress at weaning →

– Dr. Jeff Lehmkulher, PhD, PAS, Extension Professor University of Kentucky

Temperature and humidity both contribute to heat stress.

As the summer weather has hit full stride, take some time to focus on factors that impact animal performance during these months. Stocker calf performance reflects changes in the environment, plane of nutrition, and overall health of calves. Be mindful of the how summer weather can impact these three overarching factors and consider what you might alter or maintain to minimize the impact of these elements.

Heat stress is the first environmental factor that will impact animal performance during the summer months. The effect of heat stress is exacerbated by the alkaloids produced by the wild endophyte in Kentucky 31 tall fescue. Animals compensate during heat stress with increased respiration rate, increased skin vaporization (sweating), increased peripheral blood flow, decreased appetite to reduce metabolic heat production, and more time seeking relief by standing in the shade, congregating in water or grouped up in areas where urine and feces create a wallow. Increased respiration rate leads to greater energy expended for contraction and relaxation of the diaphragm. This doesn’t Continue reading Keep Cool in the Shade →

– John Yost, OSU Extension Educator, AgNR, Wayne County

We are accustomed to hearing the weatherman talk about the “actual” air temperature versus the “feels like” temperature. While we each have a “feels like” temperature where we are most comfortable, we can’t translate our comfort to the physiologic and welfare comfort of our ruminant livestock. Heat generated by the fermentation process in the rumen allows cattle to tolerate much colder temperatures than humans. Conversely, they can begin to experience heat stress at temperatures we would consider mild.

The Thermal Heat Index (THI) considers the air temperature and relative humidity to identify combinations where livestock can begin to experience heat stress (Figure 1). Critical THI values will vary depending on the type of livestock and how they are housed. Generally, cattle can begin to Continue reading Managing Heat Stress of Beef Animals →

– Dr. Michelle Arnold, UK Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

Individual identification is critical for success of a record keeping system.

Keeping written farm records is like participating in a regular exercise program, easy to talk about but often hard to put into practice. Without good records, evaluating individual cow performance and the financial success of the beef cattle enterprise is a “guesstimation” (guess + estimation) at best. Even with handwritten records, taking that data and placing it in a system that allows for analysis is a step that is easily overlooked or forgotten. Computers have made this task easier, especially with the advent of programs designed for cow-calf producers. It is easy to see the value of knowing performance but what about health records? How important are records to maintaining a healthy herd?

Production records are invaluable to allow the beef producer not only to look at what is currently taking place within the cow herd but, more importantly, to look at how management changes impact the performance of the herd. Through analysis over the long-term, records can help to pinpoint weak areas in the management program and in identifying individual animals that fail to perform at profitable levels. With health data, it is possible to conduct a herd-specific risk assessment for a certain portion of the production cycle such as “calving season”. This “assessment” begins with a “risk analysis” which is identifying the “hazards” in your operation that contribute to sickness and death loss. For example, hazards during the calving season may be dystocia (difficult births), weak calves, scours, and environmental hazards such as Continue reading Record Keeping for a Healthy Herd →