Optimizing Animal Health Dr. Chase Wendorff, BSc, DVM

My background

An inspiration

John Brethour – award at Beef Improvement Federation

Don't let your big-picture thinking stop you from caring about the small stuff. Paying attention to the

details could give you a competitive advantage.

The Key to Feeding Cattle Success

Buy cattle at a low price

1

Feed them cheaply

2

Sell them at a high price

3

Distracted Flying

We may not be able to control the PRICE and WEATHER

So what can we control?

This Code focuses on the

animal

• It recognizes the basic principle that the well-being of cattle is a prime consideration and that cattle treated well benefit producers

What can we control?

Animal Environment

1

Feed and Water

2

Animal Health

3

Animal Husbandry

4

Transportation

5

On-Farm Euthanasia

6

Animal Environment

• High Temperature and Humidity

• Extreme Cold

Protection from Extreme Weather

Facilities for all cattle

Additional facilities for calving cows

Feed and Water

Nutrition and Feed Management

Water

Animal Health

Herd Health Management

Sick, Injured, and Cull Cattle

• Managing Risk of Bovine Respiratory Disease

• Lameness

• Nutritional Disorders associated with High Energy Feeding

• Buller-Steer Syndrome

• Managing Pregnant Heifers in the Feedlot

Health Conditions related to Feedlot Cattle

Safety and Emergencies

Animal Husbandry Handling and Moving Cattle

Weaning

Identification

Reproduction and Calving Management

Disbudding and Dehorning

Castration

Predator Control Tail Docking

Colostrum Management

Transportation

Pre-transport Decision Making and Preparation for Transport

Arranging Transport

Loading and Receiving

On-Farm Euthanasia

Euthanasia and Culling Decisions

Methods of On-Farm Euthanasia

Confirmation of Insensibility and Death

Herd Health Management

• Every operation is unique

• Need for customized approach for each operation

• Establish, maintain, and update standard operating procedures

• Induction protocols

Example induction protocol

Herd Health Management

• Establish, maintain, and update standard operating procedures

• Induction protocols

• Treatment protocols

Example treatment protocols

Herd Health Management

• Establish, maintain, and update standard operating procedures

• Induction protocols

• Treatment protocols

• Implant protocols

Implant protocol

Herd Health Management

• Establish, maintain, and update standard operating procedures

• Induction protocols

• Treatment protocols

• Implant protocols

• Feedlot procedures

• Feed medication strategies

• Staff Development

• Training

• Monitoring

• On-farm programs and certifications

• i.e. food safety, animal welfare, sustainability, etc

• Management of Health Data

Management of Health Data There are a lot of numbers involved in a cattle feeding operation

Management of Health Data

Data-informed decision making

• Chute-side individual animal health software

• Health data collection and maintenance

• Disease Surveillance

• Health data reporting and daily analysis

• Benchmarking to see where you are sitting

Acute fibrinous bronchopneumonia

/ Shipping Fever

Abortion storm in pen

Footrot vs Digital Dermatitis

Data Reporting and Benchmarking

Data Reporting and Benchmarking

Data Reporting and Benchmarking

Data Reporting and Benchmarking

Don’t miss the low hanging

fruit

What is your competitive advantage; what can you be good at; what can you be better at.

• Implants and quality

• Pen conditions and management

• Managing storms i.e. feeding, bedding, checking/treatment

• Water bowls

• Morbidity pulls and Mortality numbers

• Too deep or not deep enough

• Low stress handling

• Slow down at points of contact i.e. gates, runs, chute, etc

Questions