Make a recommendation After defining and observing the problem, a working diagnosis can be established. Based on the diagnosis, recommendations should be given to the producer to mediate or mitigate potential causes of the disease. If an infectious process is … Continue reading
What is a diagnostic investigation? A diagnostic investigation is the systematic application of epidemiology and clinical testing to determine the cause(s) of a disease or symptom. Diagnostic investigations are performed when there is a problem resulting in morbidity, mortality, or … Continue reading
Management practices that reduce the opportunities for infectious agents to gain access to a production unit is commonly referred to as biosecurity. Biosecurity is an aspect of disease prevention with the goal of preventing the introduction of disease agents which … Continue reading
As we continue in this series of how to use cow-calf health and production data to measure reproductive performance and efficiency, we will explore the importance of calf crop (weaning) percentage as an indicator of overall reproductive performance in a … Continue reading
Previous articles entitled “Using cow-calf health and production data: Pregnancy percentage” and “Using cow-calf health and production data: When are cows getting bred?” discuss methods of measuring reproductive efficiency such as pregnancy percentage and distribution of breeding dates. Calving percent … Continue reading
Previous articles entitled “Benefits of Pregnancy Testing in Cow-Calf Herds: Part 1 & 2” discussed the importance of using pregnancy percentage to compare the reproductive efficiency of a cow-calf operation to other similar operations. In order to determine pregnancy percentage, … Continue reading
Pregnancy testing beef cows has many advantages. Previous articles have discussed in the importance of pregnancy testing on cow-calf operations. Working with a veterinarian to stage pregnancies in a cow-calf herd has two primary benefits: 1.) identify open cows, and … Continue reading
Standardized Performance Analysis (SPA) may not be a phrase familiar to some beef cow-calf producers. In the late 1970’s, the beef industry identified a need to provide a standard method of measuring production and cost related to a cow-calf operation. … Continue reading
Now is the time to ramp up your fly control program! Severe fly infestations have been associated with increased incidence of pinkeye, or infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK). Affected animals will develop epiphora (runny eyes), conjunctivitis, and corneal ulcers and scarring … Continue reading
Are you a new puppy owner? Have you found yourself roaming the food aisles of a pet store or supermarket overwhelmed by the decision of which food to purchase for your beloved new family member? Do you wonder about your … Continue reading
A disease outbreak can cause tremendous losses to your operation, whether due to treatment costs, lost production, or even animal deaths. In general, diseases just don’t “appear” on an operation – they are somehow introduced through other animals, people, equipment, … Continue reading
Managing Nutrition and Body Condition A successful heifer development program produces females who will conceive early, calve without difficulty, and breed back in a timely fashion. None of these are achievable if body condition is neglected. Nutrition is an essential … Continue reading
Revisiting the Value of Reproductive Tract Scores Reproductive tract scores (RTS) are a tool available to cow-calf producers and their veterinarians that can improve herd reproductive performance and efficiency. Reproductive tract scores can often be performed simultaneously with pre-breeding vaccines, … Continue reading
The Importance of Early Conception Fertility is the single most important trait in cow-calf production. The propagation of other desired characteristics (i.e. carcass traits, phenotype, longevity, etc.) is not possible if fertility is neglected. Fertility within a herd is reflected … Continue reading
Determining pregnancy status of cows has many benefits to the cow-calf producer. As discussed in the first article of this series, a primary benefit of regular pregnancy testing cows is finding open cows. In most cow-calf operations, cattle are caught … Continue reading
Benefits of Pregnancy Testing in Cow-Calf Herds | Part 1 Working with a veterinarian to pregnancy test cows is a valuable tool available to cow-calf producers. For many producers, calling the vet to schedule pregnancy testing on an annual (or … Continue reading
All In/ All Out Managment Systems Atrophic rhinitis is a disease in swine that developed in the US in the 1940s because of the expansion and intensification of swine production. Atrophic rhinitis is a multifactorial disease caused by toxigenic strains … Continue reading
Population characteristics: Prevalence Sometimes more than one diagnostic test is conducted to increase overall test sensitivity or specificity. For example, disease eradication programs may necessitate multiple diagnostic tests to ensure that an animal is not infected or diseased (a false-negative … Continue reading
Disease Probability Probability is the chance that some event will happen. With disease, probability can be thought of as out a group of individuals exposed to a disease, how many will become infected. Diagnostic tests do not always appropriately classify … Continue reading
Population characteristics: Prevalence Prevalence is an estimation of an individual’s risk of having a disease at a specific point in time. Apparent prevalence, or the proportion of test-positive individuals at a specific point in time, is found after performing a … Continue reading
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