suffer from ticks, lice, and mites. Cattle that spend a lot of time scratching themselves on feeders and fence posts probably have lice and should be treated with a spray or powder. Follow the application directions exactly, and don’t mix lice treatments with other insecticides. Tick control comes in the form of sprays, dips, and dusts. Scabies mites cause small sores and scabby areas, and mange mites cause thick, wrinkled skin. Roundworm, common in the winter, causes bare patches on the hide. For these problems, talk to your veterinarian about establishing effective control and treatment.
Common flies are not true parasites,but they can be big nuisances.
Record Keeping and Animal Identification
Keeping a notebook to record vaccination, birth, weaning, breeding dates, and other important information for each animal in your herd helps keep your herd’s wellness and breeding programs on time and on track. After a few years of record keeping, you’ll be able to pick out which animals are healthiest, which breed back the quickest, and which raise the best calves. You’ll also be able to cull the cows that are most susceptible to health problems, are poor performers, or have bad dispositions. The result will, I hope, be a herd of uniform, docile, healthy cows that are a pleasure to own and for whose calves you will always have buyers.
Record keeping also plays a crucial role in US animal-health initiatives. Outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in Britain, anthrax and tuberculosis in the United States, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) in several countries fueled a federal government initiative to establish the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). The hope is that by identifying each animal individually and tracking the animal’s movements, any disease outbreak can be quickly traced to its origins and then suppressed. In my state, Wisconsin, all livestock owners are required to register their location and type of livestock with the state.
Many cattle owners already identify individual animals for their own records and breeding programs. The standard identification method for cattle is numbered ear tags. The tags and the tool for attaching them are available at farm supply stores. Get the large tags; the hairy ears of cattle make it hard to read the small ones. You can buy tags that are already numbered, or you can get a special marker and blank tags and do the numbering yourself. Attach the tag in the center of the ear when you’ve got the animal in the headgate for vaccination. Tags too close to the edge have a tendency to rip out. Make sure that the tag is on the front side of the ear and that the number is facing forward.
| ADVICE FROM THE FARM To Their Health How do you spot a sick animal? With my cattle, it’s really easy—if I take feed out and one is slow coming up, I know something’s up. The best way is to check on them every day. I have it a little easier because they’re close (to the house). If I walk out to the barn, they’re talking to me. I keep a real close eye on them. The meek one, for example, will walk up to me, and I’ll pat it on the forehead and I know it’s feeling fine. If it doesn’t do that, I know something’s up. —Randy Janke When action is needed, your response may range from catching the animal for closer examination and treatment to calling the vet. When to call the vet is a matter of your comfort level, knowledge, and experience. This is where a knowledgeable and experienced neighbor can be very helpful. Such a neighbor can demonstrate the way to take a temperature, or inspect feet, or take one look and say, “Call the vet.” If there is ever a question in your mind about whether to call or not to call, call! It’s better to overreact than to lose an animal. —Sherri Schulz, DVM |
How to Tell When an Animal Is Sick
You can’t identify a sick animal until you know how a healthy animal looks and behaves. That’s why it’s important to spend time on a routine basis just watching your herd. Become familiar with how your cows walk, lie down, get up, chew their cud, lick themselves, stretch, scratch, push each other around, and take care of their calves. This can be a delightful task. When our cows are in the paddock next to the house, there’s nothing more pleasant than taking a cup of coffee out onto the deck and watching them. Summer evenings are especially nice, when it cools off and the calves get frisky. They’ll race around the cows, butt heads, and buck. And sometimes the cows even come over and watch us.
Once you know what’s normal for your cattle, you’ll be better able to spot abnormal behavior or appearance. If you get into the habit of regularly taking a good look at each animal, you’ll catch problems early. Early diagnosis and treatment is half the battle when it comes to curing a sick or injured animal. A cow that goes off by itself and is not grazing with the others is reason for concern. A cow that is not chewing its cud, spends an abnormal amount of time lying down, has inflamed eyes, shows no interest in its surroundings, or moves only with effort should be examined more closely. A cow that kicks at its belly, stands still with its back arched, has watery diarrhea, or looks like it’s been pumped up with an air compressor needs immediate attention. A calf with labored breathing should also be examined immediately.
What to Do When an Animal Is Sick
A good veterinarian, a manual of cattle ailments, and a basic medical kit (see “Cattle Medical Kit”) are your lines of defense against problems. When you have an animal that is injured or not acting or looking normal, and it’s not obvious what you should do, call your veterinarian for advice. You may be able to deal with the problem yourself, or the veterinarian may prefer to make a farm call. If the animal is walking, get it into a clean, bedded pen (or into the chute, if that’s more appropriate) for observation and treatment.
As you gain experience with cattle, you’ll learn to recognize and treat minor problems. With good preventive measures and good luck, the only time you’ll need your veterinarian is once a year for brucellosis vaccinations and to fine-tune your cattle wellness program.
| Did You Know? In his 1974 book, Farm Animal Behavior, Andrew Fraser notes that no concrete evidence exists that adult cattle actually sleep. If they do, it is only for short periods. Normally, they will rest by standing or lying on their stomachs, although they will lie on their sides for short periods. If you see a cow on its side for longer than an hour, something may be wrong. |
A Glance at Beef Cattle Afflictions
Acidosis
Acidosis is a bad stomachache that is caused by a significant and sudden increase in the grain ration for feeder cattle. Prevent it by increasing grain rations slowly and gradually over a period of a couple of weeks. If an animal is kicking at its belly, goes off its feed, or shows other signs of distress, call your veterinarian. Untreated acidosis can progress to fever, diarrhea, and laminitis, a dangerous inflammation of the hooves.
Birth Defects
Calves are occasionally born with any number of malformations, from extra toes to crooked legs. Their causes range from genetic defects to the cow’s consumption of poisonous plants during pregnancy.
Occasionally, a calf will be born with hooves that knuckle under. You can wait for a couple of days to see if they straighten out. If they don’t, the calf may have to be culled. For all other birth defects, consult your veterinarian about the calf’s prognosis.
Bloat
Bloat is caused when gas builds up in the rumen because a mass of feed is blocking the exit to the esophagus, preventing the animal from belching. Bloat usually occurs when cattle are switched too rapidly to a very rich diet, such as young, lush pasture high in legumes or a lot of grain. Bloat can
