finding sick cattle early brendan kraus, dvm spur ridge vet hospital marion, ks
TRANSCRIPT
What are the Costs of Illness BRD Prevention Products Treatment Medications BRD Deaths Decreased Gain Decreased Carcass Value
Which Cattle are “At Risk?” Cattle that are in the peri-weaning phase Multiple source cattle and salebarn “Put together” cattle longer than 1-2 days Long Haul Bulls Poor vaccination history Previous history of illness years past Adverse environmental conditions
Assign Risk to Pens It may be prudent to assign a risk rating to
pens so all personnel have an idea which pens need more attention Can be done with a numerical or color system
Impact of Respiratory Disease
Texas Ranch to Rail Sick Cattle (First Year) Gained Less Had poorer feed efficiency Graded lower
28% Got Sick
2.88% Deads
Impact of Respiratory Disease When compared to cattle not diagnosed
with BRD Sick cattle gained 7% less Weighed 3% less Cost 18.5% more to feed Graded 25% fewer Choice
The Total Cost of being sick was $111.38
How good are we at finding sick cattle?
US Meat Animal Research Center Trial Calves were diagnosed as sick and coin flip
determined treatment or no treatment
All Lungs were assessed at packing house 50% of the cattle not diagnosed as sick had lung
lesions 50% of cattle diagnosed and treated for
pneumonia had lung lesions
How good are we at finding sick Cattle?
ADG was affected by percentage of lung damage
Our goal is to prevent severe lung damage Metaphylaxis may help prevent lung damage in
the calves that we are unable to identify as sick Treatment of sick calves is meant to halt lung
damage
How do we find Sick Cattle? Many factors influence the outcome of
respiratory illness The most important factor is finding the sick
cattle and starting treatment early A sick animal’s chance of survival will improve
if treatment is started within 48 hours of the onset of pneumonia
Some cattle will hide symptoms completely during this time!
The importance of Time Make sure you have plenty of time in the morning
to diagnose and treat sick cattle.
It takes time to really observe the cattle thoroughly enough to detect the subtle signs of illness
In the summer, cattle must be fed, pulled, treated, and returned to a pen by 11:00am
Symptoms Appetite Depression Lowered Head carriage General Depression Less Responsive to Environmental Stimuli Hide behind other cattle Reduced Gut Fill Cough
Symptoms Increased respiration rate Nasal discharge Not cleaning nostrils or grooming Stiff gait Weakness (drag toes, knuckling joints) Fever Dull Eyes Drooping Upper Eyelid
Appetite Depression Feed Consumption starts to drop 48 hours
before a rise in body temperature can be detected Consumption will drop 50% 24 hours before the
fever spikes Pull any newly weaned calf that is slow to
come to the bunk to eat Identify them and come back to get them after
cattle have had a chance to eat
Appetite Depression Pull any newly weaned calf that is slow to come to
the bunk to eat Identify them and come back to get them after cattle have
had a chance to eat
If doctor crew is not available to watch cattle come to the feed bunk during feeding, watch the fill on the cattle very closely Cattle that have not been eating well will have a slight
depression behind the ribs on the left side
Fever Temperatures over 104 F should be
considered a fever Afternoon temperatures are not reliable Temperatures of cattle being processed or run
around the pen are not reliable Always use temperature as a confirmation of
disease, not as the sole criteria
My Favorite Sick Calf IndicatorsIf possible study the calves at first light and
again at feeding time Slow to the Bunk-Come to the bunk but
hide between calves, not eating rapidly Depressed or dull Eye Slight low Head Carriage (when they don’t
know you are watching) Rear Leg Weakness
Prey Animal Instinct Prey animals have evolved to mask signs of
illness Sick cattle will be difficult to find until the
caretakers have earned the cattle’s trust Spend time in the pen every day practicing
low stress techniques until that trust is earned
Pen Riders If cattle are to pulled on horseback, let the pen
rider get in the pen during feed delivery from the first day the cattle are received.
This will allow the cattle to get used to having someone in the pen, and will allow sick cattle to be sorted out more easily later
Try to remove sick cattle quietly, efficiently, quickly, and without upsetting the rest of the pen
Follow Up on Treatment Success Give Pen Riders feedback on treatment
success Target 90% success rate If there are greater than 10-15% retreats, cattle
may be being pulled too late
Summary Sick Cattle = Dollars Lost Some cattle display only the subtle signs of
disease until it’s too late Check cattle early, preferably near feeding
time Pull Early, Pull Deep If a calf catches your eye, it’s probably sick