Well, it's spring mineral season. Do you 1. put out the high mag block? 2. put out the fly control block? 3. put out the bloat block? Problem is, if you put out all three, they won't eat enough of any of them to actually work. fortunately I calve in the fall with limits my chances for grass Tet. flies are ramping up and the animals are already on grass so I chose the fly control block and lost one to bloat the other day. Gonna have to see if someone will make me some mixed mineral that does all three......
so many ways to die
- Thread starter angus9259
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inyati13
Well-known member
Add pink eye control to that. Challenge isn't it. I use vitaferm concept aid. They sell such small quantities that they don't stock the CTC and IGR versions. I had my first case of pink eye Friday. Gave 20 mL of LA 300 in two locations to a yearling heifer.
Yeah, forgot about people calving and trying to breed back now. Now you have to add to that a chelated mineral in theory.
The one that bloated was a yearling bull calf. The check from the gal that bought him from me was still fresh in my wallet. He was going to be semen tested that morning when I went out and saw his feet pointing the wrong direction - up.
The one that bloated was a yearling bull calf. The check from the gal that bought him from me was still fresh in my wallet. He was going to be semen tested that morning when I went out and saw his feet pointing the wrong direction - up.
inyati13
Well-known member
Tom
I have the most thoroughly vaccinated herd on the planet. Lol. Seriously, I would enjoy having samples taken to assess the immunity I have achieved because I am anal about vaccinations. However, I do not vaccinate against Moraxella. My understanding is that it is not very effective.
I have the most thoroughly vaccinated herd on the planet. Lol. Seriously, I would enjoy having samples taken to assess the immunity I have achieved because I am anal about vaccinations. However, I do not vaccinate against Moraxella. My understanding is that it is not very effective.
inyati13":3fiw9e3f said:
Had some cultures done a few years back on some pinkeye and it came back a different strain. We used a custom vaccine the next year and did not have any cases, but had years of no case with no vaccine so who knows if it worked. Used it a couple years then vet quit carrying it so we went back to a regular vaccine. Had a few cases last year. Considered fly tags but what little experience I have with them they did not seem to help much. With the amount of flies I am seeing I am worried about pinkeye this year.
inyati13
Well-known member
Tom,
Have you noticed that certain cow families seem to get it? I do not have enough data points to even guess the answer to that but I have one cow family (Built Right most high profile sire in the lineage) that each of her calves (3) have all gone through a case of pink eye.
Just trivia. More important is what you said. There are numerous strains of Moxarella that are not included in the generic vaccines. Only custom vaccines are worthwhile and I doubt the immunity that they provide. I treat my cows immediately upon signs of pinkeye. All are 100 % recovered. I observe those cows do not get a follow-up case of pink eye.
Have you noticed that certain cow families seem to get it? I do not have enough data points to even guess the answer to that but I have one cow family (Built Right most high profile sire in the lineage) that each of her calves (3) have all gone through a case of pink eye.
Just trivia. More important is what you said. There are numerous strains of Moxarella that are not included in the generic vaccines. Only custom vaccines are worthwhile and I doubt the immunity that they provide. I treat my cows immediately upon signs of pinkeye. All are 100 % recovered. I observe those cows do not get a follow-up case of pink eye.
True Grit Farms
Well-known member
I shouldn't say nothing, but pink eye can be controlled through fly control. IMO I hate flys and deal with them on a weekly basis at least. Between IGR mineral, ultra sabre, ultra boss, pour on wormer, and a mixture of water, crop oil, and Permethrin in a pump up sprayer, flys don't stand a chance around here. Did I mention I hate flys.
inyati13
Well-known member
True Grit Farms":2mgy91cp said:
TGF,
Glad you did say something. I hate Flys too. I put out IGR, spray with an oil base permethrin and use ultra sabre. I use Ivomec injectable at least once a year and hit them with Safeguard when ever they are in the chute and they are a few months removed from the Ivomec. I keep individual records on each cow, etc.
inyati13
Well-known member
tom4018":1v8ss33v said:
Tom, once the oil base permethrin builds on their back, it stays with them. About a month of hitting them once a week with a light course spray and it is amazing how effective it is.
True Grit Farms
Well-known member
tom4018":3msmigf3 said:
I definitely feel the crop oil helps carry the Permethrin. We used diesel fuel as the carrier for years, but I feel like it burned the cows after awhile. Just because the cows would have lots of dry skin and dandruff looking stuff on them.
inyati13
Well-known member
angus9259":3vet66qi said:
Sorry for being insensitive to you losing your bull. I have lost two head in 6 years. First one died of bloat. It was an extreme clover year. She had a 3 month old calf. I raised Clara's calf after she pasted away. The calf is a heifer. I named her Star Baby. This was the first year I started. Was raised on a farm but spent my career in Civil Service. Raising that calf changed my feelings for bovines. Star was so distressed the day her mother died, she would run to me then go to her mother's dead body. Very emotional experience.
Nesikep
Well-known member
How about loose mineral?, there's a better chance you can get IBR and high-mag at least in one formulation
Nesikep":rq82i9o1 said:
Good question. Always preferred the tubs (dont want to start a tubs vs loose debate) because I cattle don't have covered space the cattle can access and I rotate pastures pretty heavily. Gonna have to look into it though.
Fire Sweep Ranch
Well-known member
Our loose mineral (Vitaferm) is high mag, IGR, and CTC. Not cheap, but hits everything I need at once. We have it near the water, and move the cattle every 24 to 48 hours, but the water is the central part of our system so they always have access. The mineral is in a wooden mineral feeder (mineral on one end, loose salt on the other), that has sliders on the bottom so we can drag it where we need it when we need it. Also, it is covered. I made a bunch of them in my ag shop class about 7 years ago, and this is one of the originals and still holding strong.
Fire Sweep Ranch
Well-known member
angus9259":294ba7l3 said:
I don't. We manage intensive graze, and have the cattle on a 80% clover pasture right now, but it is the red clover and not the white. We have not had a problem with bloat up to this point.
True Grit Farms
Well-known member
I'm just thinking out loud here. How about adding some sodium bicarbonate to the salt? Or maybe to the mineral? You can add molasses to mix till you have the proper consumption. I do know when you mix a hot ration of feed, a bag of sodium bicarbonate to the ton cures bloating.
