Preparation is key to successful calving season

K-State veterinarian reviews steps for cattle producers before and after calving By Shelby Varner, K-State Research and Extension news MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State University veterinarian Gregg Hanzlicek said being prepared ahead of calving season is the best way for producers to assure they will bring home the newborn calves successfully. “We're approaching the end of the second trimester and moving into the third trimester which means the metabolic demands of that cow…

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Cattle Chat: Long-term gestational impacts

K-State beef cattle experts discuss how nutrition and stress in utero impact animals for a lifetime MANHATTAN, Kan. — During pregnancy, regular checkups are key for mother and baby to maintain good health. The same is true for beef cattle, according to the experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute. “In the case of replacement heifers, research has shown that if their diet was restricted when they were in utero, there can be…

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Calving Schools Planned

K-State to host four events around Kansas focused on providing tips to help producer prepare for calving season. MANHATTAN, Kan. - In anticipation of calving season, Kansas State University Animal Sciences and Industry and K-State Research and Extension are planning a series of calving schools beginning in December and continuing through January. The program will outline overall calving management that includes stages of the normal calving process as well as tips to handle…

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Managing Postpartum Anestrus in Beef Cows for a Successful Breeding Season

Kacie McCarthy, UNL Cow-Calf Specialist Beef cows must recover from the nutrient and physical demands of calving and lactation and will have 80 to 85 days to return to estrus after calving to potentially maintain a yearly calving interval. Photo credit Troy Walz. Listen to a discussion of the content in this article on this episode of the BeefWatch podcast. You can subscribe to new episodes in iTunes or paste http://feeds.feedburner.com/unlbeefwatch into your podcast app. As calving season…

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Cattle Chat: Keeping calves healthy

Providing a clean environment where calves less than a month of age are not in close-contact with older calves is the best way to keep scours from developing in the herd. | Download this photo. K-State veterinarians offer ways reduce risk of calves developing, sharing scours MANHATTAN, Kan. — The old saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” coined by Benjamin Franklin rings true for many of life’s situations. And…

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Late-Term Reproductive Losses in Beef Cattle: Diagnosing the Cause

Russ Daly Professor, SDSU Extension Veterinarian, State Public Health Veterinarian Written collaboratively by Russ Daly and Taylor Grussing, former SDSU Extension Cow-Calf Field Specialist. Reproductive losses account for $1 billion in lost revenue to the beef industry each year. All the way from conception to birth, we depend on a lot of things to go right, whether we are talking about natural or artificial breeding programs. Nevertheless, reproductive failure whether presented as early…

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How Often Should You Check Cows During Calving Season?

Russ Daly Professor, SDSU Extension Veterinarian, State Public Health Veterinarian The routine “calving check” is one of the most important tasks on the list of beef cattle producers during calving season. Most producers have their own plan for how often they give their calving herd the once-over, but some may have not considered how their animals’ physiology should guide this schedule. Incredible advances in technology have made it easier for producers to perform…

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Feed at Night, Calve During the Day

Adele Harty SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist As cattle producers begin thinking about calving season and management practices to ease the work load a bit, night feeding is something to be considered. Producers have questioned whether or not time of feeding affects time of calving, and the answer is “Yes.” What Research Shows Research indicates that feeding cows later in the day and evening will increase the number of calves born during daylight…

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Cattle Chat: Managing mother’s milk

K-State beef cattle experts say the first 24 hours after birth is an important time for calves to absorb colostrum. | Download this photo. K-State veterinarians discuss the importance of a calf nursing in the first 24 hours of its life MANHATTAN, Kan. — The old phrase “Milk Does A Body Good” is an advertising slogan from the 1980s but still rings true today not only for people but for cattle as well. And…

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Calving Management and Reducing Calf Losses in Beef Herds

Steve Niemeyer, Nebraska Extension Educator Becky Funk, DVM, Animal Health Teaching and NE Extension Specialist Factors contributing to calving problems fall into three main categories – calf effects, cow effects and fetal position at birth. Photo credit Chandra Giles. Factors Causing Calving Difficulty Every year a significant number of calves are lost at birth due to complications of parturition (calving).  The most common factor in loss due to dystocia is time delay of…

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