Manure quality on feeder steers

[Hpacres440p]

Tried to find a similar thread but failed, so here goes…
These 2 steers are 13 and 14 mo (spot is 14) and on feed and spring pasture. Spotted steer was born here feom a purchased cow that ended up having liver flukes (found at processing), was weaned at 5 months and dewormed twice with ivermectin at weaning and at 10 months. Red steer red angus/brangus cross, home-bred, dewormed once with ivermectin.
They're on shared feedlot mix from co-op (cottonseed meal/corn/13% protein 4% fat).
Red steer has the typical spring pasture manure-loose, but not water. Spot steer looks like he is shooting water out of a hose when he sharts. Both are gaining weight nicely, still have 3 and 4 months to go for processing.
Quite a lot of clover in the pasture, but a good mix of grasses and other tasty broadleafs.
I'm going to cut the feed a little for a week to see if spot firms up a hair. He is not getting chafing or scald because he is having projectile sharts-avoiding his entire backside.
Leave be or change something? Drought sucked last year, grateful for the green now. Even corn stalks for filler is still being sold for $80/roll.

 

[farmerjan]

Did you use straight Ivermectin or the "PLUS" ones that have that other drug that is supposed to be effective against liver flukes? Chlora "something".... If the calf was with the cow on the pasture it is possible it could have picked up some of the larvae or whatever they are called from the grass... especially if it was wet ground... has to go through a snail or something as the intermediate host...
Could also just be it doesn't need the protein with the green grass... but your protein is not real high....
Ducks and geese will work on snail populations if there are any/many around there... I'm not big on muscovy ducks but a friend once told me they took care of the snails and other stuff around the wetter areas... Another friend had geese and they did not see any of the typical snails, or other kinds of critters that hung around their pond.

 

[farmerjan]

Vets on here???? Chime in on the liver flukes issue....I am no expert on them but have managed to retain some of what I read about them when I was taking vet tech classes... and reading the different charts on what to use for worming cattle...

 

[puzzled in oregon]

https://www.cattletoday.com/attachments/cattledewormercomparisionchart-pdf.26002/

If this will open for you it might help.

 

[Buck Randall]

Vets on here???? Chime in on the liver flukes issue....I am no expert on them but have managed to retain some of what I read about them when I was taking vet tech classes... and reading the different charts on what to use for worming cattle...

You are correct; ivermectin alone has no efficacy against liver flukes.

 

[wbvs58]

I doubt that you would have a problem with fluke. The cow that had it more than likely arrived with it and had been grazing some swampy country that had the specific snail that is the intermediate host. From the photos your paddocks look pretty well drained and having come out of drought I doubt that you would have a problem. It is the immature stage of fluke that causes the damage. While some of the products added to ivermectin will do the mature worms in they won't touch the immature ones. The best products are the oral ones containing Triclabendazole. I think there is one now that used with ivermectin will do the immature ones in as well that can be given by injection but not sure of the marketing name so just read the label and ensure what you intend to buy is effective against the immature ones. For my money the oral ones containing Trichlabendazole are the most reliable.

Ken

 

[Hpacres440p]

I doubt that you would have a problem with fluke. The cow that had it more than likely arrived with it and had been grazing some swampy country that had the specific snail that is the intermediate host. From the photos your paddocks look pretty well drained and having come out of drought I doubt that you would have a problem. It is the immature stage of fluke that causes the damage. While some of the products added to ivermectin will do the mature worms in they won't touch the immature ones. The best products are the oral ones containing Triclabendazole. I think there is one now that used with ivermectin will do the immature ones in as well that can be given by injection but not sure of the marketing name so just read the label and ensure what you intend to buy is effective against the immature ones. For my money the oral ones containing Trichlabendazole are the most reliable.

Ken

I agree that the cow likely arrived with the flukes-she was thinner and never did gain well.
I've thought about a dose of probiotic, won't hurt anything, but not convinced it will help much either.

 

[BC]

I have had good luck using Valbazen to clean up cattle that would did not respond to Ivermectin. It also has some activity for flukes.

 

[Lucky_P]

I spent most of 40 years looking at the insides of cattle(and other animals), in AL, TN, MO, KY. Saw ONE case of liver fluke infection in KY, in a Beefmaster heifer imported from somewhere in TX, and an elk in MO (imported from who knows where) with ONE liver fluke.
One must live in an area where flukes and the appropriate snail intermediate host are both present in order to have an issue with liver flukes. For most of the Southeast, there is no need for an anthelminthic with specific activity against liver flukes - like Ivomec Plus.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Too much protein. Not enough fiber. Ground ear corn is the old timey solution.

Looking away for a couple weeks would also work.

Next time leave more old grass residue in a couple paddocks to give them a turn out choice.

 

[puzzled in oregon]

I agree that the cow likely arrived with the flukes-she was thinner and never did gain well.
I've thought about a dose of probiotic, won't hurt anything, but not convinced it will help much either.

I have a cow that developed a "winter diarrhea"(?), she was given Safeguard Pellets a couple months before she calved,
seemed to help some, by the time she calved it was pretty sever, she got Ivomec Plus after she calved, there was no change.
Her appetite was/is good, so I gave her a tube of Probiotics, 20cc a day for three days, that seems to have helped.

 

[SBMF 2015]

I have a cow that developed a "winter diarrhea"(?), she was given Safeguard Pellets a couple months before she calved,
seemed to help some, by the time she calved it was pretty sever, she got Ivomec Plus after she calved, there was no change.
Her appetite was/is good, so I gave her a tube of Probiotics, 20cc a day for three days, that seems to have helped.

Does she stink? Like the most gut wrenching thing you've ever smelled? If so it might be worth testing her for Johnies.