A Deadly Part of The Beef Industry

Today as me and my dad were treating a sick calf, I thought I would blog about a disease that has a major affect on a lot of beef producers herd health and numbers. Calf Pneumonia is a significant source of financial loss in beef production. It is a disease that consists of inflammation in the lungs, the disease will result in serious damage of a calf's lungs that will reduce it's ability to breathe. It also reduces feed intake and increases feed conversion. At it's most severe it will result in so much damage that the animal can no longer breathe effectively and will die of oxygen starvation. While early antibiotic treatment can be effective in reducing the losses caused by the disease the most cost effective approach to managing pneumonia lies in vaccination and positive management.

For us ranchers treating calves is something that comes very seriously. For every healthy calf sold on market is money in our pockets. This means that any deaths of our calf crop can have significant effects on our total income. Ranchers must always be checking their calves ensuring that they are able to treat any early signs of illnesses. When calves are young they are more vulnerable to disease and getting sick. They also don't have the strongest immune systems developed yet therefore they have a lower chance of surviving . Any sign of a calf being sick, they are treated immediately. Signs include: droopy ears, a watery discharge coming from their nose, coughing or wheezing, and not stretching when they get up.

Sometimes mother nature does not cooperate with us fellow beef producers. Therefore the weather has a lot to do with calves getting sick.  Proper bedding and wind shelters are extremely beneficial to new borns during the colder months. As for the Spring time to much rain, and those harsh winds can be a serious threat to calves health. Grain farmers are not the only ones who need the weather to cooperate for them. Cattle ranchers need it to, to ensure the health of their herd.

We find that antibiotics like "Nuflor" and "Micotil" injected under the skin work well to treat Pneumonia 

RSV, Pi3, and IBR are the most commonly used vaccines to protect against pneumonia. I hope I have taught you a little bit about a common disease that has major affects on the beef industry. Also that it is very frustrating for us ranchers sometimes, we put incredible amounts of work to vaccinate and treat our calves to raise healthy beef cattle for you to eat!