Drought Can Increase Feeder Cattle Respirato
MILLIE BUNTING
Market Staff
NEW HOLLAND (Lancaster
Co.) “Blame it on the weath
er.”
That’s the simple answer to
county agent Chet Hughes’ ques
tion regarding the increase in res
piratory problems in feedlot cat
tle here last fall.
“What went wrong?” Hughes
asked. Why were there were un
usually high mortalities and labor
intensive treatments reported on
sick animals?
Dr. Arlen Mills
The focus of this year’s Cattle
Feeders’ Summer Workshop,
coordinated by the Lancaster
County office of Penn State Co
operative Extension, was finding
the answer.
Hughes and his cooperating
sponsors assembled a blue-ribbon
panel of experts on feeder calf
health to address the respiratory
problems of area cattle feeders.
“Shipping fever” is the term
sometimes given to a runny
nosed, lethargic calf in the auc
tion ring. But it’s not that simple.
Nor is the treatment. There are
specific organisms at work and
specific vaccines and treatments
available to prevent or combat
them.
“Blame it on the weather.”
That explanation was offered as
part of Dr. Arlen Mills’ com
ments on the respiratory prob
lems. A cooperative extension
veterinarian based in Lebanon
County, he said there were more
feeder calves with respiratory
sickness last fall in area feedlots
because of the weather.
Mills explained that respirato
ry problems can go in cycles with
the weather. The mother on
drought-stricken pastures does
not provide good colostrum to
the calf. That calf will not be as
healthy and able to endure the
stresses of weaning, sorting, ship
ping, loading, unloading all
those factors it goes through until
it arrives in the feedlot.
In preparation for the work
shop, Mills conducted producer
interviews on six Lancaster
County farms to evaluate feeder
cattle receiving and processing
practices. Before coming to Penn
sylvania, he had extensive experi
ence working with beef producers
as a practicing veterinarian in
Ohio for 20 years. He noted that
the cattle feeders were very coop
erative for his study and he found
them very knowledgeable about
their cattle.
Mills presented a detailed com
puter-generated demonstration of
his findings, aptly using pictures
and charts to evaluate what did
or could have gone wrong with so
many cattle going on feed last
fall.
In his presentation, Mills con
densed his talk down to the con
ditions in three feedlots to illus
trate the health problems and
what was done to treat the sick
calves. Where calves were bom
and purchased, preconditioning/
health treatments, transportation
to feedlot, nutrition and feeding
facilities these factors were all
included in his discussion.
Mills concluded:
• Calves that had one dose of
a killed vaccine or two doses
months apart were as apt to need
treatment as those calves with no
vaccination history.
• Calves which had received
modified live vaccination were
much less likely to need treat
ment.
Supplementing Dr. Mills pre
sentation on respiratory problems
was Dr. W. Dee Whittier, exten
sion veterinarian for cattle, Vir
ginia-Maryland Regional College
of Veterinary Medicine at Virgin
ia Tech. He has done extensive
Dr. Dee Whittier
research on bovine respiratory
diseases and is experienced with
the Virginia Quality Assurance
feeder calf program. He dis
cussed the influence of health on
feeder cattle prices.
Whittier said he has found that
the potential health of calves is
one of the significant factors that
buyers consider when making a
decision about how much to pay
for calves. They will pay more for
vaccinated and preconditioned
calves.
After a question about myco
plasma, Whittier proceeded with
a detailed answer with the aid of
modem technology. He just hap
pened to have a “power point”
presentation on mycoplasma on
his notebook computer. So he
proceeded to “boot up” the note
book and provided up-to-date in
formation on the respiratory ill
ness.
Mycoplasma, Whittier ex
plained, is an infectious organ
ism, classified bacteria, which has
come into more scrutiny in the
last three or four years in the
U.S. He said the illness has been
diagnosed as pneumonia and ar
thritis and a culture needs to be
done for a specific diagnosis.
In the wide shipping fever
complex, Whittier believes myco
plasma is distinct enough to call
it by its own name and it could
then be treated more aggressive
ly. He said he has seen an in
creased incidence of mycoplasma
in sale barn calves where there is
more exposure than there is on
the farm.
Dr. John Lynch, a veterinarian
with the Technical Services
Group of Intervet, Inc., spoke on
the preventive medicine available
to provide immunology for calf
health problems and avoid the
previously discussed illnesses.
Lynch has 20 years of experience
as a veterinary consultant with
beef cow/calf, stocker, and feedlot
operations in the U.S. and Mexi
co.
About 150 cattle feeders
turned out for the workshop at
Yoder’s Restaurant in New Hol
land in late July.
HEAVY DUTY
HOOF TRIMMING TABLES
Endorsed by the International Hoof Trimming School of Wisconsin
*
FOUR MODELS TO CHOOSE
1. PORTABLE 2. STATIONARY 3.3-POINT HITCH
4. SKID STEER MOUNT
Berkelmans Welding—
RR 7, AYLMER, ONTARIO, CANADA NSH 2R6
(519) 765-4230 1-877-230-9993
Web Page: www.berkelmanswelding.on.ca
D'
Dr. John Lynch
Chester Holstein
Club Plans
Field Day
GAP (Lancaster Co.) The
Chester County Holstein Club
has planned a field day Thurs
day, Aug. 23. The host will be the
Amos J. Stoltzfus Family of Gap.
The starting time is 10 a.m.
Judging will take place from
10 a.m.-ll:30 a.m., followed by a
meal of chicken barbecue at noon
sponsored by Yost’s Catering.
Cost for the meal is $4 for adults,
$2 for 3-10-year-olds, and under
three years will be free. Vincent
Wagner will be the judge for this
year and the speaker will be
Alvin Stoltzfus. There also will be
a calf drawing for ages
6-16-year-olds.
Directions to the Field Day are
as follows: from the intersection
of Rt. 10 and Rt. 30, take Rt. 10
north 2 and 'h miles. The lane is
on the left beside Esch Fencing.
From Honeybrook, take Rt. 10
south to Compass. Follow Rt. 10
south. After going through flash
ing yellow light, the lane is the
second one on the right.
For reservations, all any of the
following by Aug. 14: Bob Hewitt
(610) 495-7927, Dick Hostetter
(610) 857-2780, or Glenn Ranck
(610) 998-0672. Bring your own
lawn chairs. Everyone is wel-,
come.