Livestock producers in the southeast are reminded to be vigilant in their biosecurity practices to protect against the vesicular stomatitis virus. Just last week, the disease caused by this virus, vesicular stomatitis (VS), was diagnosed in horses in Arkansas, dangerously … Continue reading
Part 10: Body Conditioning Score Series: Urea as a protein supplement For most cow-calf producers, forages are the primary component of the cow’s diet, therefore supplements should only be used when they increase the nutritional value of the forage. A common form of … Continue reading
Part 9: It’s all about the microbes There are many supplements available to the cow-calf producer, and most producers utilize some sort of supplemental feeding when cattle are on a primarily forage-based diet. The choice of supplement should complement the ability of the … Continue reading
Part 8: Body Conditioning Score Series: Consequences of poor forage Unfortunately, a lack of understanding of forage quality and beef cattle nutrient requirements by cow-calf producers often leads to poor body condition scores in their cattle, particularly in the early … Continue reading
Part 7: Body Conditioning Score Series: Protein Management When considering feedstuff selection and ration development, producers often base decisions heavily on protein content of the particular feed or feedstuff in question. For purposes of this article, we will define a … Continue reading
Part 6: Body Conditioning Score Series: Measuring Forage Quality The expression “You can’t manage what you can’t measure,” very accurately describes managing forage quality on cow-calf operations. Forage quality is measured through performing forage quality testing. Whether you feed dry … Continue reading
Part 5: Body Conditioning Score Series: Forage System Management Each individual cow-calf operation is a unique and complex system of various inputs and factors that drive management decisions and animal health and profitability outcomes. If cow-calf producers and their veterinarians … Continue reading
Part 4: Body Condition Scoring: When to do it Once acquainted with the scoring system, and comfortable assigning scores to individuals in your herd, body condition scoring (BCS) can be performed continuously throughout the year to monitor for subtle changes in … Continue reading
Part 3: Body Condition Scoring: How its done Body condition scoring (BCS) of beef cattle is a simple process that can be performed by anyone who understands the characteristics of cattle in each score category. The key areas that should be evaluated when assigning a body condition … Continue reading
Part 2: Body Condition Scoring in Cattle: Effects on Production Body Condition Score: Average time to first heat following calving (days): 3 89 4 70 5 59 6 52 7 31 Table 1: Differences in postpartum interval for cattle … Continue reading
Part 1 : Body Condition Scoring in Beef Cattle: The Basics Body condition scores (BCS) are a numerical ranking of the condition (fat cover) of individual cattle. Body condition scoring of beef cattle involves a subjective, evaluation of the cow’s … Continue reading
Intro: A Cow-Calf Producer’s New Year’s Resolution: Try (Not) to Lose Weight As we welcome another new year, resolutions are not just for those of us who want to join a gym or lose a few extra pounds. Most cow-calf … Continue reading
Earlier this year the USDA unveiled its plan to implement animal disease traceability (ADT) in US cattle herds. A traceability system is needed to help fight disease outbreaks and keep global trade markets accessible to US livestock producers. Animals requiring … Continue reading
Did you know that honeybees are the only insect listed as a “food animal” by the Food and Drug Administration? Across the country, veterinarians and beekeepers alike are learning about the new Veterinary Feed Directive regulations, which affect all food … Continue reading
The new MSU CVM Population Medicine rotation is off to a great start! This week, students had a great opportunity to learn about proper cattle management and Beef Quality Assurance from one of our biggest advocates this week. Want to … Continue reading
The final ruling from the FDA on Veterinary Feed Directives was published in the Federal Register on June 3, 2015. The objective of this ruling is to promote the judicious use of medically important antimicrobial drugs in food animals. Specifically, guidelines … Continue reading
While I was scanning the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) last month, these photographs “caught my eye” (pun intended). But they reminded me of an important zoonotic disease. Do you know what it is ? From NEJM (Apr 16, … Continue reading
Join us next week for animal health updates at two county cattlemen’s meetings. We will discuss anaplasmosis, new trichomoniasis regulations, new drug laws, and other pertinent animal health topics. Contact the County Extension office for more details! May 5, 2015 Monroe … Continue reading
The extremely wet weather we’ve had in March and April have proven to be good for the insect populations in the southeastern US. Flies and ticks are already established in many herds, but it’s not too late to get an … Continue reading
Welcome to The Risk Project blog site. The Risk Project at Mississippi State University is an affiliation of faculty interested in applying risk-based strategies to solve everyday problems in animal agriculture. We will use this blog site to provide up … Continue reading
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