On-Call / Vet

Spring calves have been hitting the ground all over the Ozarks lately and veterinarians stay busy this time of year assisting cows and heifers that are having difficulty. This provides a good opportunity to address the appropriate management of dystocia, or difficulty of birthing, the equipment to have on hand and when to call on professional assistance.

Last year producers experienced falling calf prices and input costs that went through the roof. This year calf prices are still expected to be low but for cow-calf operators these difficult times can be seen as an opportunity.

Spring is just around the corner and calves are already hitting the ground for many producers. One of the most common concerns amongst cattlemen this time of year is calf scours and general neonatal calf health.
Calf death and disease in the first couple of months post-calving is a significant source of lost production for many operations. The latest information on the subject suggests that neonatal calf health is by and large an issue of management. I'll discuss three topics of primary importance.

Recent weather conditions have raised several health problems for cattle producers. One of the most dramatic changes has been an increase in mastitis cases on dairy farms. Mastitis can be devastating to the economic well-being of a dairy operation, and successful treatment and control measures are needed to ensure financial stability, especially in the current economic environment.

As we start another calving season, an annual problem has reared its ugly head again. I am seeing a large number of various prolapses in cattle that are due to calve or have already calved out. There are various types of prolapses that occur in cattle; it is important to recognize the different forms and know how to effectively deal with them to get optimal repairs.

For those of you who don’t know it yet, winter is officially here, and by all accounts it has already been a cold one. I would like to cover a few points to think about while you read this next to the fireplace or wood stove; these small things can help your livestock in the upcoming months.

It should come as no surprise that the farm population is aging. I have seen this phenomenon develop over the past 15 years I have been in the veterinary practice, and it shows little sign of change. There has also been a decrease in the number of large animal veterinarians in rural areas of not only Missouri, but throughout the nation. One way you and I can help slow these trends is to mentor young people that have an interest in agriculture and livestock production.

This is the machinery issue of Ozarks Farm and Neighbor; in thinking of a topic for this column, I wanted to somehow tie into that theme. So why not discuss the care of the equipment we use around livestock everyday?

It seems that every other week I hear about how unsafe our food supply has become, that livestock producers are poisoning an unknowing public with all manner of substances and that antibiotic use in livestock should be banned because of bacterial resistance to certain antibiotics. Much of what I hear on news shows and read in magazines or newspapers seems often to be biased against prudent use of pharmaceuticals in livestock production. I have a few thoughts based on experience and research that I would like to discuss in more detail in this column.
There are innumerable articles detailing all sides of the problem of antibiotic resistance, food safety and livestock production in general.

Recently I have seen a few cases of “Blackleg” in the area. In spite of the familiarity of this disease to most cattle producers, I continue to see cases every year.