Questions and Answers about
livestock health
By Arden Wohlers
DVM
Extension
Veterinarian
University of Nebraska Panhandle Research and Education Center
Questions asked the extension
veterinarian
Q. I harvested new
alfalfa this summer that was 25% contaminated with nightshade. What can
I do to make this safe to feed my cows?
A. The short answer is you can’t eliminate all risk of feeding this
forage. The toxin
is an alkaloid for which there is no antidote. One pound or more of this
weed fed daily to a cow may lead to diarrhea, convulsions and death. Smaller
amounts over time may result in chronically unthrifty cattle. The more
you can dilute this forage with weed free forage the less risk you would
have. This forage should compose something less then 10% of the cows daily
feed.
Q. What is the proper number of cows to run per bull?
A. The conservative answer is 1 cow per month of age of the bull up to
about 40.
The correct answer is, it varies. A bull that has passed a fertility exam
and has
high sex drive could probably double that. Remember a virgin bull may
need to
experience a brief learning period when they are not efficient. Large
pastures,
rough terrain and multiple water sources may also decrease bull efficiency.
Q. My neighbor brought
in out of state cattle to over winter. He has cows bulling.
are my cows at any risk?
A. I would avoid fence line contact between your herds in case the neighbor’s
herd has a contagious disease. I would be most concerned about the venereal
disease Trichomonas. Trichomonas has returned to prominence in South Dakota
the past couple of years. Absolutely don’t let your bulls mix with
the neighbor’s
cows. Watch for poor pregnancy rates and late calvers at preg check time.
Q. I read that a marble
can be placed in my mare to keep her out of heat. Does this work?
A. A sterilized glass ball can be passed through a mare’s cervix
into the uterus to suppress estrus for up to 3 months. Reports from practitioners
indicate this procedure is 40 to 75% effective. Proper timing during the
estrus cycle, sterility issues and the manipulation needed would require
a veterinarian to perform this procedure.
Q. All the ranchers
I know vaccinate for BVD. When will this disease be eliminated?
A. Bovine Virus Diarrhea has been much more complicated then researchers
ever imagined 60 years ago. But an understanding of the disease has developed
in recent years that has resulted in better vaccines, improved testing
and management strategies that the future is promising. However it will
take patience and considerable effort from producers and their veterinarians.
Q. What is the best
antibiotic to use for pneumonia in calves this year?
A. Ideally a laboratory determination is made as to which drug works best.
However this must be correlated with clinical response since it is a 3
way battle between the disease and the antibiotic with the animal’s
own body defense mechanisms. The modern antibiotics are all very effective
against the bacterial components of pneumonia (They don’t work on
the viral component). The deciding issues on the effectiveness of an antibiotic
are: 1. Give it early—a few hours delay can result in failure. 2.
Give the proper dose---have an accurate calf weight. 3. Have the drug
in the animal for an adequate time---use multiple doses or long acting
formulations. Be sure you understand and follow the directions.
Q. Do I risk getting
bird flu by eating chicken?
A. You are safe from Bird Flu (avian influenza) as long as you are in
a country that is currently not experiencing an outbreak of the disease
or importing poultry products from a country that is. The virus that causes
avian influenza is sensitive to heat. Normal cooking of poultry so there
are no pink parts and cooking eggs to the point there are no “runny”
yolks will make them safe to eat. Fluids from raw poultry and eggs should
never touch or mix with items eaten raw. Persons doing food preparation
should wash their hands thoroughly and disinfect surfaces in contact with
poultry products. Soap and hot water are sufficient for this purpose.
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Updated
Jan. 3, 2007
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