Glenn M. Rogers

Feeding cotton products to cattle

Despite the potential for gossypol toxicosis (particularly in pre-ruminants) and risk factors associated with impaired fertility in bulls, cottonseed products offer a safe alternative feed for cattle producers when fed at recommended levels. Beef producers seeking to lower production costs should consider using cotton byproducts in their feeding programs. If carefully incorporated, cotton byproduct feeds can reduce feed costs while maintaining or increasing the level of cattle performance. Cottonseed meal will remain a standard protein supplement for beef cattle throughout the country. Whole cottonseed has much potential for Southern producers near cotton gins if it is purchased in a timely fashion and fed according to recommendations. Cotton gin trash, cottonseed hulls, and cotton textile mill waste also have potential economic benefits, especially to producers located near cotton and cottonseed processing facilities.

Effect of management, marketing, and certified health programs on the sale price of beef calves sold through a livestock video auction service from 1995 through 2009.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate and update the previously quantified effects of management, marketing, and certified health programs on the sale price of beef calves sold through a livestock video auction service. DESIGN Longitudinal study. SAMPLE 41,657 lots representing 5,042,272 beef calves sold from 1995 through 2009. PROCEDURES Data describing each lot of beef calves marketed from 1995 through 2009 by a livestock video auction service were obtained from sale catalogues. For each year of the study, multiple regression analysis was used to quantify the effect of management, marketing, and certified health programs on sale price. RESULTS Sale date, base sale weight, quadratic effect of base weight, sex of calf, region of origin, breed description, inclusion in a certified health program, and number of calves in the lot significantly affected sale price for every year of the study. Variation in body weight, flesh score, and number of days between sale and delivery date had significant effects on price in most of the years; frame score and calves with horns affected price in 7 of 15 years; age and source verification influenced sale price in every year since source verification was introduced in 2005; and the auction services progressive genetics program increased price during the 1 year that program was available. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Some management, marketing, and certified health initiatives have consistently increased the sale price of beef calves, and producers can increase the price of their calves by implementing these practices.

Prevention of Lameness in Cow-Calf Operations

Lameness is a significant cause of economic loss, premature culling, and loss of genetics in cow-calf operations. In recent years, attention to treatment and prevention of lameness has increased. Veterinarians must be aware of factors associated with lameness such as genetics, environment, and nutrition so that preventive measures can be instituted in consultation with ranchers.

Intersexuality in a Charolais heifer

naive but at the same time have the same grazing pattern and this is often difficult to achieve. The persistent activity of a drug can also be determined in field trials. In this case, the appearance of worm eggs or larvae in the faeces of treated animals grazing continuously on contaminated pastures can be evaluated. Faecal samples are collected regularly and, after faecal culture, the genera of nematodes present are identified. For interpretation of the duration of persistence, the prepatent period must be taken into account. If parasite naive animals are used, the difference in time of appearance of nematode eggs or larvae in the faeces can be taken as an approximation of the duration of persistent activity. In the case of cattle that are already shedding nematode eggs or larvae at the time of treatment, it is

Health and production aspects of feeding sweetpotato to cattle

If certain guidelines are followed when feeding sweetpotatoes to livestock it is possible to minimize health hazards. Careful herd management and the recognition of specific biomarkers such as excessive dental deterioration could aid in the early identification of feed problems. Where these tubers are produced locally in abundance there can be an economic and environmental incentive to divert waste sweetpotato by-products toward livestock feed. The feeding of culled sweetpotatoes and processed sweetpotato waste by-products can have three major benefits. First, expensive disposal costs are reduced. Second, negative environmental impacts from landfill dumping and crop spreading are limited. Third, the culled sweetpotatoes and SPCW offer an inexpensive and nutritious alternative feed ration for livestock that may increase economic returns.