Keeping Our Cattle Healthy

When running a herd of cattle, knowing how to spot an illness early is the difference between life and death. Some illnesses are mild, some are common, and most we can vaccinate to prevent. The others, we have to do our best to avoid and then be ready to spot and treat.

When caring for these animals, our diligence is critical. By being with them daily, seeing them when feeding, or just walking or riding through the herd, we can recognize signs of health and detect subtle clues of early disease. In the years since starting the ranch, we have learned that a healthy animal is bright, alert, has a good appetite, and comes eagerly at feeding time. If an animal is slow to come to feed or spends more time than others lying down, then it is time for a closer look.

In addition to knowing a healthy animal, we have learned a good veterinarian is our best ally. We work with Eastbrun Veterinary Services in Phillipsburg, MO. They have given us the confidence we need to doctor on our own when needed and the comfort to know they are just a phone call away.

Over this past winter, we put this confidence to test when we noticed that the steers and Jukebox were starting to get bald spots along their necks. A clear sign of a lice infestation, which are a common winter problem. These little bloodsuckers can rob cattle of vital nutrition when they need it most. Though not 100% preventable, doctoring this problem didn’t require a call to the vet. A quick run through the chute and we had them treated and well on their way to recovery.

Later in the winter, we noticed the cows were showing signs of ringworm, a skin fungus that is common in the winter and also easy to treat. Ringworm generally runs it course within a few weeks or months and can disappear without treatment. We chose to treat to help prevent it from spreading to a new batch of steers coming to the ranch. This also required a run through the chute but also required a quick consult with the vet before applying any medication.

Raising a healthy herd of cattle is our ultimate goal. These animals are strong and hardy, yet vulnerable to a wide variety of ailments and diseases. We are doing our best to learn all we can about cattle care in times of both health and illness. Our continuing education is a life-long commitment.