Thirty Attend Livestock Day as US Beef Cow Numbers Shrink to Lowest Since 1962

The annual Jim Schumacher Memorial Livestock Day was well attended with over 30 area livestock producers.

The meeting started off with a sour note. Continued drought in the west and plains has shrunk the beef cow herd to 28.9 million head. Year to date reduction of 4%, results in the smallest beef cow herd since 1962. Montana ranks 7th in the list of states with the largest reduction. Since 2020 Montana has lost over 200,000 head of cattle.

Dr. “JP” Pollreisz, Managing Veterinarian in Zoetis’ Beef Technical Services division discussed scours in baby calves. You need to consult with your veterinarian, as vaccinating for scours needs to be considered 6 to 9 weeks before calving, with an additional booster for those pregnant cows 3 to 6 weeks before calving. Sanitation is also a key factor in preventing scour outbreaks. Keep bedding clean and don’t calve where you have been feeding all winter.

The last three years of drought and extreme cold at the end of December has placed a lot of cows into a Body Condition Score (BCS) of 4 or lower, said Dr. Bobbi Knudsen. Providing adequate feed to move the thin cows into a BCS of 5 is critical so that the cow can produce the best colostrum for the calf. Colostrum management has a larger impact on calf health than any other management factor. Making sure a calf receives adequate and a high-quality colostrum is vital. Without it, calves can become weak and will be susceptible to decreased weaning rates, scours, dehydration, and mortality. Providing supplemental colostrum is possible, but make sure the label has “bovine IgG” written in large letters on the package and doesn’t just say colostrum. It has also been proven that colostrum can be used as a viable electrolyte source if a calf does become sick with scours and is dehydrated.

Dr. Ann Johnson discussed the requirement that antibiotics for livestock will be prescription only starting on June 11, 2023. Producers will need to have a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) with a licensed veterinarian. The FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) plan for supporting veterinary antimicrobial stewardship will be fully implemented in 2023 when all remaining over-the-counter (OTC) antibiotics are switched to prescription-only status. A list of affected antibiotics was provided to the attendees.

Water is essential for livestock production. Our drought has reduced our reservoirs to dirt. Dusty Emond discussed portable water tanks and solar systems to pump from reservoirs or wells to livestock tanks to provide livestock with adequate water. Tom Kat Manufacturing in Wyoming (307-257-8583) makes the portable collapsible water tank. It can be collapsed and moved with a 4-wheeler. Ray McMullen provided the solar panel and the pumping units. He also has wells where he has attached water lines that run above ground to these water tanks. The water can be warm but “they will drink it” Emond noted when there is no other water available. He also showed a water storage tank and water tank attached to a welded frame that is moved by a bale bed pickup. This unit is owned by Dale Veseth and is another way to provide water.

Johne's Disease is a contagious, chronic, and usually fatal infection that affects primarily the small intestine of ruminants, cattle. Dr. McKenna Levesque discussed knowing the clinical signs of animals infected and understanding the impacts a cattle herd can endure from the spread of infected animals, is important in the absence of any other control option. The cow that is thin, has diarrhea, but still goes to feed on a regular basis is the signs to look for. Removing this animal from the group is the best option. Blood and fecal tests, once cattle have broke, can determine if it is Johne’s. Infected animals can pass it along to their offspring, so seed stock producers need to be aware. As people try to rebuild their herd after drought, commercial producers will need to monitor cattle they purchase. The clinical signs of disease will usually show up later in the animal’s life. One animal can contaminate and infect a number of herd mates if not noticed.