| August 2010 | Volume XVIII | Issue 4
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Welcome to Feed-Lot Magazine The digital August 2010 version of Feed-Lot is now available!
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Defending Dust
By the time you read this, it may already be too late. The EPA's Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee was scheduled to meet on July 26th to discuss the EPA's latest assessment on "Particulate Matter," or simply put, dust.
According to NCBA, the EPA may consider regulating course "particulate matter" at levels twice as stringent as the current standard. "It would be virtually impossible for many critical U.S. industries to comply with this standard, even with the use of best-management practices to control dust," says Tamara Thies, NCBA chief environmental counsel. Current standards of 150 µg/m3 are already hard to meet in arid climates due to the high dust levels found in those areas. EPA may consider regulating coarse particulate matter at levels as low as 65-85 µg/m3.
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Caregiver Responsibility
Veterinarian and stockmanship expert Tom Noffsinger emphasized the responsibility livestock caregivers have in ensuring animal well-being as he addressed participants of the International Symposium on Beef Cattle Welfare May 20. The second-ever symposium was on the campus of Kansas State University.
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Beware: feedlot heat stress
The thermocomfort zone varies greatly for beef cattle. Young animals have a narrow comfort zone between 45 and 80 degrees F. The comfort zone of feedlot cattle will range from subzero temperatures in the winter to around 75 degrees F in the summer, depending on body condition, hair coat length and plane of nutrition. This wide comfort zone allows cattle to thrive under diverse climatic conditions with little or no need for shelter or protection. However, unlike humans, which can be reasonably comfortable when exposed to normal summer temperatures, feedlot cattle have difficulty coping with temperatures above 90 degrees F. This is particularly true when humidity is high or windspeed is low, especially when cattle have had little or no chance to adapt to excessive heat loads.
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Feet & leg problems -- foot rot control
Feedlot operators, their veterinarians and nutritionists have experienced a frustrating problem with foot rot in all kinds of weather. The standard treatment is early detection of a lame animal and treatment with approved medical products prescribed by the feedlot's veterinarian. Prevention programs include feeding tetracycline antibiotics. When Rumensin feed additive is part of the feeding program, Tylan is commonly used to control liver abscesses, and our experience indicated Tylan also helped control foot rot. In natural or organic feeding programs these additives cannot be used, therefore other alternatives are needed.
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Septic calves -- dealing with septicemia
Septicemia occurs when infection goes systemic; septicemia refers to disease associated with presence and persistence of pathogenic bacteria and/or their toxins in the bloodstream. This situation may occur with certain bacterial infections and can be swiftly fatal in young animals.
Dr. James England from the University of Idaho Caine Center, says septicemia may develop from many different things, such as a retained placenta if it results in infection spreading beyond the area it originates. "Many bacterial infections can get into the blood," says England.
Find out more.
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IN THIS ISSUE
FEEDLOT FOCUS
Caregiver responsibility
Beware: heat stress
Feet & leg problems --
foot rot control
STOCKER SPECIAL
Inflammation and behavioral changes in cattle
Stockers impact on beef quality
COW/CALF CORNER
Septic Calves
Fall vs spring calving
MANAGEMENT
Refocusing your employees
Marketing Health
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Decisions in stocker phase set up beef quality
Genetics were selected years ago; calving and weaning are complete, so the next place that really matters in the beef production chain is the feedlot. Right?
The cattle industry often counts on the stocker phase to ensure cattle quality while moving them from ranch to feedlot.
"A growing body of research shows that the stocker segment is a critical link that can influence performance and carcass characteristics later on," says Larry Corah, vice president for supply development at Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB). "Health continues to be an important variable to control, but two recent studies dial down into some specific nutritional management that could make a difference."
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