Dr. Brian Dietrich & Dr. Claire Varney Abiqua Animal Clinic Silverton, Oregon 2013

1. Cattle Production Course Dr. Brian Dietrich & Dr. Claire Varney Abiqua Animal Clinic Silverton, Oregon 2013

2. Abiqua Animal Clinic • Mixed animal practice in Silverton • Purchased in 2009 • Dr Dietrich’s agrarian interests include dairying, sheep farming, forage and pasture management. • Dr Varney’s veterinary interests include cattle and small ruminants, in addition to small animals.

3. Beef Breeds

4. Dairy Breeds

5. Dual-purpose Breeds

6. Restraint

7. Restraint

8. Handling Equipment

9. Handling Techniques

11. C A TT L E A G I N G

12. Nutrition • Roughage • Concentrates • Water • Vitamins • Minerals

13. Roughages • Forages • Cool season grasses • PRG, ARG, TF, OG, Timothy, RCG • Warm season grasses • Sorghum-sudan grass, forage corn, Bermuda grass, pearl millet, teff • Legumes • Alfalfa, clovers, trefoils, medics, beans • Forbs • Broadleaf “weeds” • Toxic plants • Tansy, poison hemlock, bracken fern, etc.

14. Pasture management • Rotational grazing • Keep forage in growing phase • Minimum 4 inch stubble • Noxious weed control

15. Roughages • Hay • Alfalfa • Grass • Grass/legume • Grain • Straw • Grass • Grain • Silage/haylage • Test, TEST, TEST!

16. Grains • Whole grains • Processed grains • Rolled/Flaked/Steamed • Cracked/Ground • Pelleted • Mixes • By-products • Grass seed screenings • Cannery waste

17. Water • Clean and abundant • Sources • Man-made • Natural • Parasite risk • Algae

18. Vitamins • Fat-soluble • A, D, E, K • Water-soluble • B vitamins, C

19. Minerals M M a i • Calcium • Phosphorus • Potassium • Magnesium • Sulfur • Cobalt • Copper • Manganese • Molybdenum • Zinc • Iodine • Iron • Selenium 2:1 c c r r o o

20. Balancing a Ration • Assess the main components • Determine needs based on: • Age • Gender • Use • Balance first for protein and energy, then vitamins and minerals

21. Balancing a Ration • Diet will consist of: • Local grasshay • 12% livestock grain • Feeding a 1200 lb cow • Mid-gestation • Non-lactating

23. Balancing a Ration

24. Balancing a Ration • Balancing ration to achieve 18 lbs of a 7.5% protein diet • Local grass hay: 6% protein based on feed test • Livestock grain: 12% protein based on label

25. Pearson Square Local grass hay 6% 4.5 parts 7.5 Livestock grain 12% 1.5 parts 6 parts total (1.5 /6) x 100 = 25% grain 18 lb x 25% = 4.5 lb grain 18 lb x 75% = 13.5 lb hay (4.5 /6) x 100 = 75% hay

26. Choke • Blockage of esophagus • Usually able to breathe • Results in bloat • Risk of inhaling saliva and feed material, leading to pneumonia • Object must be removed • Up • Down • Common culprits • Apples • Pears • Beets • Onions • Potatoes • Cauliflower • Pineapples • Et cetera

27. Bloat • Frothy bloat • Legumes • Treat with surfactant • +/- trocar • Free-gas bloat • Choke • Grain overload • Nerve dysfunction • Relieve with tube +/- trocar

28. Acidosis • Due to: • Grain overload • Lack of dietary fiber • Decreased gut motility • Evidenced by: • Inappetance • Lethargy • Bloat • Sequelae: • Lameness • Liver abscesses • Prevention • Change diet slowly • Ensure adequate fiber • Provide sodium bicarb? • Treatment • Call your vet… • …who may give a neutralizing mixture via stomach tube

29. Grass Tetany • Causes • Low dietary magnesium • Decreased magnesium absorption due to excessive potassium • When? Often during spring pasture growth • Signs • Incoordination • Inability to stand • Irritability • Death • Treatment • Calcium/magnesium IV infusion • Call your vet! • Prevention • Provide magnesium blocks starting with spring grass growth • Add dolomitic lime to pastures

30. Respiratory disease • Causative agents • IBR • PI3 • BVD • Mannheimiahemolytica • Contributing factors • STRESS • Transportation

31. Respiratory disease • Prevention • Vaccination (see program mentioned later) • Space out stressful events • Provide good nutrition • Treatment • Hydration/Electrolytes • Antibiotics

32. Clostridial diseases • Group of bacterial diseases caused by Clostridium spp. • Require anaerobic environment • Produce potent toxins • Spores persist in the environment • Examples: Black leg, red water, big head, enterotoxemia, tetanus, botulism • Prevention: Vaccinate! • Treatment: Largely ineffective

33. Reproductive diseases—Abortion • Toxic causes • Bracken fern • False hellebore • Pine needle abortion • Infectious causes • Leptospirosis • Vaccinate!! • Brucellosis • Bang’s vaccine • Trichomonas fetus • BVD • Neospora

34. Reproductive diseases—Abortion • Signs • Usually late term • May find fetus, placenta, or just dirty tail • Determining cause is difficult • Abortion testing • Fetus and placenta • Blood sample

35. Reproductive diseases—Dystocia • Signs • Restless/Straining • Vaginal fluid • Placenta • Types • Leg back • Head only • Breech/backwards • Call your vet! • Within 1-2 hours if no progress

36. Reproductive diseases—Uterine prolapse • Due to continued straining following calving • Risk factors include difficult calving, calcium deficiency, and selenium deficiency • Keep uterus clean and call your vet

37. Reproductive diseases—Milk fever • Signs • Severe weakness • Head on flank • Hypothermia (ears) • Risk factors • High milk production • Older cows • Inadequate or excessive dietary calcium during last trimester

38. Reproductive diseases—Milk fever • Sequelae • Hind limb nerve damage • Uterine prolapse • Decreased gut motility • Get them up ASAP! • IV CMPK infusion • Oral supplementation

39. Reproductive diseases—Retained placenta • Placenta should drop within 12 hours • Treatment • Wait 72 hrs • If not out on its own, call the vet • +/- Antibiotics • Never pull on it!

40. Reproductive diseases—Metritis • Uterine infections • Due to unsanitary calvings and uterine injuries • Treatment includes antibiotics +/- hormone therapy • Monitor closely following parturition

41. Reproductive diseases—Mastitis • Bacterial infection of one or more udder quarters • Contracted from the udder environment or fecal contamination • Risk factors • Milking machines • Dirty environment • Teat trauma

42. Reproductive diseases—Mastitis • Treatment • Culture first • Strip quarter frequently • Hot packing/topical ointments • +/- Antibiotics

43. Other infectious diseases • Johne’s disease • Contagious bacterial disease that causes diarrhea • No treatment • Tuberculosis • Federally regulated • Zoonotic • BLV • Viral diseasethat causes tumors

44. Toxin-induced disease • Plant poisoning • Bracken fern • Tansy ragwort • St John’s wort • Poison hemlock • Lead poisoning • Farm junk piles

45. Parasites—Gastrointestinal worms • Live in stomach, small intestine, and cecum • Suck blood and protein from the host • Cause anemia, decreased body condition, and scours

46. Parasites—Gastrointestinal worms • Life cycle • Eggs deposited in feces • Develop over days to weeks into infective larvae • Climb grass and are ingested • Develop into adults which produce eggs

47. Parasites—Gastrointestinal worms • Prevention • Rotational grazing • Multi-species grazing • High tannin forages • Genetic selection • Parasitic fungi? • Vaccines?

48. Parasites—Gastrointestinal worms • Treatment • Treat based on fecal test! • Dewormers • Use 1 until it doesn’t work • For oral medications, fast for 24 to 48 hours • For resistance, consider mixing classes • Ensure adequate nutrition • Diatomaceous earth? • Herbal remedies?

49. Parasites—Gastrointestinal • Coccidia • One-celled organism • Life cycle takes ~3 weeks • Replicates in small intestine cells • Results in cell rupture • Bloody diarrhea and weight loss • Prevention • Maintain sanitary environment • Maintain nutrition level • Rotational grazing • Coccidiostat in feed or water • Treatment • Sulfa drugs • Amprolium • Must treat for 5 days to break life cycle

50. Parasites—Gastrointestinal • Cryptosporidium • Causes diarrhea in calves • Short life cycle • Autoinfection • Prevention • Hygiene • Treatment • Time • Supportive therapy • Good nutrition • Zoonotic!!