Coming Soon: Pocket Ranch and Creamery

Coming Soon: Pocket Ranch and Creamery

Posted on by Thomas

Joey Bingham grew up on his family’s dairy farm in Gooding, Idaho. He is married to his high school sweetheart and has four beautiful children. The couple chose to leave Gooding to further their education in Boise. Although Joey was eager to return to the farm and his hometown, his wife, having lived most of her growing up years in the Treasure Valley, wanted to make their home in Boise rather than moving back to Gooding.

Joey made his career in respiratory therapy and served in a trauma center in Boise for 12 years. Then one day shortly after their 4th child was born, Joey’s wife surprised him by suggesting that they move back to the family farm. She was tired of him working long hours away from home and felt that moving back to the family farm might allow their family more opportunities to be together.

Joey was so surprised that he called his father right away and asked if there was a spot for him to return to the farm. There was and a few months later they sold their home in the Treasure Valley and moved back to the farm in Gooding.

Shortly after Joey returned to the farm, his parents left to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Joey began the process of purchasing the operation.

 

Q. What changes have you made since taking over the farm?

A. Back in ’73 when my grandpa and my dad first moved here, the property was about three quarters sage brush. They developed a lot of it, and we have continued to do so as well.

My Dad’s cow management system was a little old fashioned, he was using a pinwheel, so adding herd management software was one of the first changes I made when I came back.

It took my dad a little bit to adjust, but not near as long as I thought it would. As soon as we started seeing a lot more data on our cows, I think I only showed it to him once and he said,” Ok, I am out. You take over from here.”

 

Q. What goals do you have regarding opportunities for employees?

A. One of my biggest goals in my operation is to create an environment or a place where everyone can grow. Whether they are family by blood or not I want them to feel valued, and that they belong.

Everyone that works for me, or I would rather say, with me, they have stake here and I want them to feel that way. That is where we gain our traction in progressivism. A lot of times in agriculture they talk a lot about sustainability. I hate that reference because it insinuates, we just want to keep doing what we are doing. I don’t think that creates a very good picture of the ag industry. We are not looking to be a sustainable industry but a progressive industry. In 10 years if we keep doing what we are doing today, we won’t be doing very well. We need to keep looking to improve.

I meet with my managers 2x per week. It’s not so much about the day to day, but the people in the meeting. If they are doing the best they can be, then we will be progressive. They need to feel like this is their forever home where they can learn and grow and someday retire and still have things left.

 

Q. How did you get the idea to start your own creamery?

A. Before my grandpa and dad moved to this farm they had a little 20 cow Jersey dairy in Twin Falls, Idaho. They had started a little ice-cream shop and fresh milk delivery system over there and they called it Milky Way. I had seen lots of their old-fashioned milk bottles and the paper caps they used on them, and I always thought it was really cool. I have always had a dream of having my own ice cream shop and selling fresh milk since I came back to the dairy in 2012.

I never had the drive to do it because we always had plenty to do, but as milk markets have become much more volatile and processors have put quotas on production, I have been looking for ways to diversify. In 2019 I decided I just had to jump and see how it goes. So, I decided to build an on-Farm processing plant. I thought we would be going to 2020, but here we are in 2023 and we are not quite there yet.

 

Q. What have been the biggest obstacles to overcome?

A. Never ending obstacles, building permits, programmers, etc. I purchased all the equipment from a retired milk processing plant. I had multiple industry engineers look at it, and we thought we were getting something a little bit different than we got. We ended up starting more from scratch than we originally thought we would.

The biggest obstacle by far has been programming for the equipment.  But we are finally getting closer!

 

Q. How have your experiences from working in the trauma center shaped how you run the farm today?

A. In my field of respiratory therapy especially at Saint Alphonsus where I worked, we were given a lot more liberty to practice than most facilities allowed. We tried a lot of new technologies in the field, and it has given me the courage to try new things that have not been proven before. One of the things I have brought back to the farm is the ability to utilize technology to be better at what we are currently doing.

 

Q. What products are available from Pocket Ranch and Creamery, and how does someone purchase them?

A. My vision for the creamery is not necessarily looking for a niche market as much as being able to provide fresh in-home necessities at a reasonable price. As the products begin to roll out, we will start with farm fresh whole milk, then cheese curds. We will make flavored curds and mozzarella cheese. Fresh butter with multiple flavors, chocolate milk, huckleberry milk, ice cream, and coffee creamers.

I have been doing a lot of beef on dairy crossbreeding and we will offer fresh beef for sale as well.

My youngest boy is a chicken connoisseur, so we are building a chicken flock to sell eggs, We are actually currently selling those now at our distribution point.

 

Q. How will customers place orders and where will they pick them up?

A. Our goal is to become a home delivery platform. Most of the sales will be placed online at our website  and will be subscription based. People can customize their subscription and pick which day they would like to pick it up or have it delivered.

Everybody contacts agriculture, even if they don’t know it and think that WALMART is where our food comes from. My hope is that I can create a platform where people can see where their food actually comes from.

I want people to experience fresh food. The subscription process is important so we only process what needs to be picked up. The goal is that everyone is getting quality fresh food that is healthier and minimally processed.

 

Q. Where is the distribution point?

A. That is another story in itself! Our distribution point was an old gas station that was no longer open. I purchased it just to use it as a distribution point, but I had some friends suggest that I open it up as a gas station convenience store in addition to being a distribution point. I attacked the endeavor, and the store is doing pretty well. That is also where the ice cream parlor will be.

 

Through all this I have learned, don’t give up, good things will happen! We are on the downhill slope and looking forward to when we can start processing milk.

 

Stay up to date with the progress at the creamery by following Pocket Ranch and Creamery on Facebook and Instagram!

 

 

 

 

Written by: Mariah Gull, M.S.

Interview with Cody Turner of Wild Cow Commodities and Turner Dairy

Interview with Cody Turner of Wild Cow Commodities and Turner Dairy

Posted on by Thomas

Cody Turner was just a Southern Idaho farm boy. Although just a farm boy, he had big dreams for the impact he would make in agriculture and in the dairy industry. Cody may have grown up on a farm, but he started from scratch to build what he has today. Early on he changed his focus from building a business and making money to building something that other people can benefit from. He has kept his focus on two things, feeding the world and providing opportunities for his employees to develop their talents and become their best versions of themselves.

 

What Benefits and Differences Have You Noticed With Organic vs Conventional Farming?

We do have 3 organic dairies and 1 conventional dairy. Some history that’s important, I originally started conventional 10 years before becoming organic. It’s not an easy transition back to organic, and I say back to organic because up to 50 years ago everyone was an organic farmer whether they knew it or not. That’s what organic is, returning to the most natural way we know how to farm. When I decided to become an organic farmer, I spent a lot of time talking to older farmers about how they used to do things.

Conventional Farmers have a lot of reset buttons. Organic farmers must be proactive and progressive. You have got to understand the bug cycles and you have got to understand the weed cycles, and how they strengthen each other too. It’s about understanding how the ecosystem works naturally. Through all of that we can meet or beat most county yields for conventional crops. What’s really cool is the most noticeable change would be our corn silage. There are years we would have an organic crop with conventional on all 3 sides, the Seed rep would inspect our corn field and would comment, “What’s going on with your corn fields?”

For all the years I was a conventional farmer it was normal to me to have the corn plants burn off the bottom leaves to fuel corn production. In our organic corn silage that doesn’t happen anymore. In fact, the corn fills out the end of the shuck every year even though we are not able to use fertilizers.

Overall health of the soil converts to healthy plants. We focus on doing healthy things for the soil and that converts into healthier plants. Which then results in healthier cattle. We can maintain respectable numbers on health, cull rates, and death loss on our organic dairies that would be comparable to a conventional dairy even though we cannot use even a single stich of medicine. Those things have been really cool things to learn.

 

What Benefits and Differences Have You Noticed between your Organic vs Conventional Dairies?

It is kind of intriguing, the way to manage organic is quite different than managing a conventional dairy. I don’t know maybe it’s because I have only known poor conventional dairymen, but it seems like on the conventional side we were always retroactive. We didn’t worry until cows were getting sick, and then we would do something about it.

In the organic world because it’s not possible to just jump on top of treating.  We have made environmental changes to help combat that. One thing we have been really excited about, we can use vaccines and probiotics. Things that offer preventative maintenance to the animal, and we have been able to see that brings a lot of benefit for the cow.  We have seen a real improvement by utilizing those things correctly and to their full potential.

 

How Is Your Labor Availability, And What Do You Do To Coach And Train Your Employees?

The most interesting thing, if you ask anyone who has had employees in the last 3-5 years, most will say it is hard to find people that are willing to work, and people who are good help, that care and are committed to their job. I’ll say just the opposite. We have more good, qualified people than we can use.

We have a tremendous amount of A+ people and enough once in a lifetime employees to supply a dozen businesses. I would have to take it back to this basic principle. A few years back I noticed in the Ag industry we have a really interesting situation coming at us. When you look at the statistics, most farmers are 60+ and nearing retirement age. Of those nearing retirement age, a huge percentage are actually 70+ and are still in the environment because they haven’t found a way to get out yet. There is no real retirement plan when you own an ag business if there is nobody that can take it over.

So that’s what I noticed a few years ago, and I was like Holy Smokes! We are going to have a huge avalanche of farmers that are going to need to quit and don’t have someone to pass it on to. I realized at that time, there will be more opportunities for growth than we will be able to take on. I determined it would not be the opportunities that would prevent our growth, or money that would prevent our growth. I think money is a make-believe thing, I have always been able to come up with the money for what I need. What would determine our ability to grow would be the quality and abilities of our management team.

We are only as good as the people that we have. We started having a morning devotional 2x per week at 6 a.m. Everyone is invited but it’s mostly the management team that shows up. We read self-help books, educational books, management books, but 90% of the time it gets tied back to God and how to be a better person, community member, better parent, etc. A big focus in our operation is holding ourselves and each other accountable to become the best version of ourselves that we can be. We have seen tremendous growth in our people by focusing on that.

Because our focus is on becoming the best version of ourselves that we can be, we attract so much higher quality people than we would otherwise because we are attracting people who want to learn and grow and become better.

When you hear someone say they can’t find good help, put yourself in the shoes of their employees. What does their employee have to feel when they hear their boss saying that about their team?

We have really changed our vocabulary, our outlook, and our focus to create a different environment. On top of that too, I have proven this to myself and to me team, and I say it about once per week, we are all sons and daughters of God and all of us being sons and daughters we have tremendous potential to become great. What we usually lack is someone to believe in us, push us, and hold us accountable for falling short.  As we hold each other accountable, and as we push each other to make better decisions and to take ownership, all of us can grow and become better than we currently think we can.

I have seen so many of our guys that were just normal workers change. One example is Fidel. Fidel was just a milker.  But now Fidel manages dozens of people. He trains, hires, and fires, and holds others to a higher accountability level than what he was even held to when he was a milker. He owns that job, and he takes high esteem to create the best team that he can because that is where his stewardship lies.

Our 2 newest farms are down in Preston, Idaho, 210 miles away. The teams down there are 100% green. The managers on both farms, have had 0 experience managing a dairy. I threw them at the wolves because I knew they were great guys and I knew they had potential to become great managers. They have all my confidence and trust and they know that. I work really hard at training and then empowering. I don’t micromanage, I let them run their own show and I try to let them figure out the good and the bad all on their own. I believe you learn from your own experiences not from the experiences of others.

 

How Has Adding A Commodity Mill Benefited Your Enterprises?

Originally that mill became certified organic because it has been my mill for something like 25-30 years. When I became organic, I urged the owner to convert to organic. Maybe that was a little bit selfish on my part, but it’s a smaller mill and I wanted them to be able to continue to work with them, so he did.

A few years later he reached retirement age and was looking for someone to buy his mill. I thought man, I don’t really want to own a mill. I don’t know anything about running a mill, but I also don’t want to go back to not having a mill to take care of me. There is no mill in the state of Idaho that could take care of us like, what is now called Wild Cow Commodities.

I decided it would be a great move to buy it and solidify it and even expand it. Now we broker quite a few organic commodities through there as a service to other organic farms. I think it is going to work out very well. There aren’t that many resources out there for organic dairymen. There aren’t mills, there isn’t people that just sell you ingredients, broker it, and figure out the logistics of trucking and storage for you. So that’s what we have been focusing on, not only for our dairies, but also any other dairy that can use that service.

On top of that we have really been able to dial in on the quality. It is important to have corn flaked or ground as optimal as it can be to get the most out of it for milk production. We rebuilt the roller mill and the grinder, and we have them on a maintenance schedule so we can keep the processing at optimum levels. Where we feed it to our own cows it keeps us on the hook. We aren’t doing a poor job for anybody as we monitor how the grain is feeding to our own cows daily. Every other dairyman that has their feed milled at our facility benefits from this optimum scenario.

In addition to the organic milling and commodity side, we bag conventional feed for over-the-counter sales. We make all sorts of different feeds, show feeds, chicken feed, hay bales, etc. We have customers that come from about 5 counties around us, and it has been a really good resource for the community.

 

Thank you, Cody, for sharing your motivation for feeding the world and for the betterment of your employee’s lives!

If you would like to know more about Wild Cow/Turner Dairy, you can follow them on their social media accounts and website listed below!

Facebook: Wild Cow/Turner Dairy | Gooding ID | Facebook

Instagram: Wild Cow (@wild_cow_) | Instagram

Website: Animal Feed | Wild Cow Commodities | Gooding

Immune Importance: Beef Cattle

Immune Importance: Beef Cattle

Posted on by Thomas

The immune system is a vital component of the overall health and well-being of all animals, including beef cattle. A strong and healthy immune system is essential for preventing and combating infectious diseases and optimizing animal productivity and profitability.

 

Infectious Disease

Beef cattle are susceptible to a wide range of bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases, which can cause significant economic losses for producers. These diseases can impact animal health and well-being, reduce productivity, and increase mortality rates.

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is one of the most significant causes of morbidity and mortality in feedlot cattle. BRD is a common respiratory illness that affects cattle, caused by a complex interaction of multiple pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and environmental stressors. The disease can cause fever, cough, runny nose, and difficulty breathing, leading to significant economic losses in the livestock industry. The immune system plays a critical role in defending against BRD by recognizing and eliminating invading pathogens. The first line of defense is the innate immune system, which includes physical barriers such as mucus, and immune cells such as neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells that engulf and destroy pathogens. If the innate immune system fails to eliminate the invading pathogens, the adaptive immune system kicks in, producing specific antibodies that recognize and bind to the pathogen, or T-cells that can directly attack infected cells. The adaptive immune response can take several days to develop but provides long-term protection against reinfection by the same pathogen. However, BRD can overcome the immune system, leading to a persistent infection and a chronic inflammatory response that can cause lung damage and compromise the animal’s health. Therefore, early detection and appropriate management strategies, including vaccination and antimicrobial therapy, are crucial in preventing and controlling BRD in cattle.

 

 Immune System Balancing Act

A robust immune system is critical for preventing and controlling these diseases. When a beef cow or calf is exposed to a pathogen, the immune system will recognize it and launch a response to eliminate it. This response involves the production of antibodies, which can identify and neutralize specific pathogens, as well as the activation of immune cells, such as white blood cells, which can engulf and destroy invading microbes. In addition to fighting off infections, the immune system plays an important role in maintaining overall health and well-being. For example, the immune system helps to remove damaged cells and tissues, regulate inflammation, and promote tissue repair and regeneration.

 

Immunometabolism-The cost of disease

The body makes a lot of adaptations to make sure the immune system has what it needs to combat infection. Animals faced with an immune challenge have a dramatic change in nutrient availability in the bloodstream. Turning on a breakdown of body fat when the animal doesn’t have enough energy. That affects the building blocks of protein synthesis available for normal growth and development.

 

Immune response must maintain Homeostasis.

In conclusion, the immune system is a critical component of the overall health and productivity of beef cattle. Ensuring that beef cattle receive adequate nutrition, proper housing and management, and appropriate vaccinations and treatments can all help to support a healthy immune system. By understanding the importance of immune function and implementing appropriate management practices, producers can help to ensure that their animals stay healthy and productive, while also promoting animal welfare and sustainability in the beef industry.

 

Disclaimer: The following material has been generated using artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The content and information provided are based solely on patterns and data available up until September 2021. While efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, there may be errors, omissions, or inaccuracies present in the generated content. This material should not be considered as professional advice or a substitute for human-generated content. Users are encouraged to verify the information independently and consult relevant experts or sources for specific guidance. The responsibility for any actions taken based on the information provided lies solely with the user. The AI model, OpenAI, and its developers bear no responsibility or liability for any consequences or damages that may arise from the use of this material.

The Art of Nature, Built on Science- Calf Distinction

The Art of Nature, Built on Science- Calf Distinction

Posted on by Thomas

Calf Distinction is a brand that creates innovative and science-backed products designed to promote the health and growth of young calves. Our products are a combination of the art of nature and the latest scientific advancements in the field of animal health and nutrition. This unique combination sets us apart from our competitors and makes us the go-to brand for producers who want the best for their animals.

 

Early Life Development

At Calf Distinction, we understand that a calf’s early life is critical in determining its future productivity and overall health. Therefore, we have developed a range of products specifically tailored to meet the unique nutritional needs of calves during their early growth stages. These products are formulated using natural ingredients and are scientifically proven to promote growth, enhance immune function, and optimize calf health.

 

Calf Products

Surveillance Calf is our flagship product. Surveillance Calf brings every element of nature’s extraordinary DNA together in perfect, seamless balance. Superior performance, scientific design, and masterful technology combine to create a calf product that is giving the customer the option to not have to use antibiotics at all. This product binds and removes pathogens rather than relying on an antibiotic to kill them off.  In addition to pathogen removal, Surveillance Calf provides the animal with the nutrients it needs to initiate the proper immune response, and to rebuild and repair damaged cells post infection. On top of that Surveillance Calf delivers a huge dose of Bacillus probiotics to maintain pathogen control, strengthen the gut lining, and improve digestion.

Sync Paste and Powder provide optimal ingredient combinations and potency to support a calf’s developing gut and immune system. There are so many variables that affect the success of passive transfer immunity to the calf and Sync helps to bridge the gaps when colostrum quality, cleanliness, and timeliness may not be ideal.

TomaHawk iL and TomaHawk iL Zn combine scientific design and masterful technology to provide immune support and gut protection to the animal during times of high stress, such as weaning. Tomahawk iL and TomaHawk iL Zn provide the animal with the nutrients it needs for proper immune response, cell repair, and liver health. Similar to Surveillance, both products also deliver a huge dose of Bacillus probiotics for pathogen control, integrity of the gut lining, and improved digestion.

 

Scientifically Proven Natural Solutions

Calf Distinction products come to you with the finest natural solutions that nature has to offer. We are committed to identifying solutions from nature and providing the most advanced natural products on the market. It is quite simple, nature knows best. Our goal is to continuously improve the care of all calves.

We have a team of experienced Immunologists, microbiologists  and animal nutritionists who are constantly working to develop new and innovative products that are backed by scientific research. This ensures that our products are safe, effective, and built on science.

 

We are a brand that stands out in the crowded animal nutrition market. Our products are the art of nature built on science. This commitment to using natural ingredients, along with focus on science and research, has made us a trusted brand for producers and consumers. If you’re looking for products that will help promote the health and growth of your calves, then Calf Distinction is the brand for you.

Immune Importance: Dairy Cows

Immune Importance: Dairy Cows

Posted on by Thomas

The immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect the body from harmful pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites. In dairy cows, a strong and healthy immune system is essential for maintaining good health, preventing disease, and optimizing milk production.

 

Infectious Disease

Dairy cows are susceptible to a range of infectious diseases all of which can significantly impact milk production and quality.

  • Mastitis, a bacterial infection of the udder that can cause pain and inflammation, and result in decreased milk yield.
  • Pneumonia, a respiratory disease that can lead to coughing, fever, and reduced appetite.
  • Metritis, an infection of the uterus that can cause infertility and reduced milk production.

Immunometabolism-The cost of disease. The cow makes a lot of adaptations to make sure the immune system has what it needs to combat infection.

 

 

Healthy Immune System

A healthy immune system is crucial for preventing and combating these infections. When a cow is exposed to a pathogen, her immune system will recognize the invader and launch a response to eliminate it. This response involves the production of antibodies, which are proteins that can identify and neutralize specific pathogens, as well as the activation of immune cells, such as white blood cells, which can engulf and destroy invading microbes.

 

In addition to fighting off infections, the immune system also plays an important role in maintaining overall health and well-being. For example, the immune system helps to remove damaged cells and tissues, regulate inflammation, and promote tissue repair and regeneration.

 

Influencing Factors

There are several factors that can influence the strength and effectiveness of a cow’s immune system.

  • Genetics
  • Nutrition
  • Housing
  • Management practices
  • Environmental factors.

Ensuring that cows receive adequate nutrition, proper housing and management, and appropriate vaccinations and treatments can all help to support a healthy immune system.

 

In conclusion, the immune system plays a critical role in the health and productivity of dairy cows. By understanding the importance of immune function and implementing appropriate management practices, producers can help to ensure that their cows stay healthy and productive, while also promoting animal welfare and sustainability in the dairy industry.

 

 

Disclaimer: The following material has been generated using artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The content and information provided are based solely on patterns and data available up until September 2021. While efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, there may be errors, omissions, or inaccuracies present in the generated content. This material should not be considered as professional advice or a substitute for human-generated content. Users are encouraged to verify the information independently and consult relevant experts or sources for specific guidance. The responsibility for any actions taken based on the information provided lies solely with the user. The AI model, OpenAI, and its developers bear no responsibility or liability for any consequences or damages that may arise from the use of this material.

How to get the Most out of Attending a Conference

How to get the Most out of Attending a Conference

Posted on by Thomas

One of the best places to get continued education is a conference! This week Brooke Vanderloop of the AVA Group Inc. shares some tips about how she gets the most out of attending a conference and how she applies her new knowledge when she gets back home.

 

When attending a conference what is the best way to choose which presentations to attend?

I like to go to one presentation that I am certain I will enjoy and get a lot out of.  I also like to choose one presentation I think I may not like as much, but in hopes I will learn something new.

 

Who are the most important people to talk to at a conference?

I think that networking is one of the most important parts of the conference. I go there to talk to as many people as possible.I can always learn something from other producers, and I like to try to talk to some of the presenters if there is an opportunity. Especially if they say something I don’t agree with because I like to know where they are coming from and where they got that information.

 

Is it worth spending time at the Trade Show?

I think so. I really like learning about new products, especially innovative and natural products. There are a lot of those coming out now. Natural therapies and Calf Distinction products have been some of my favorites. It’s a good place to bounce ideas off sales people or people you are with about the different products.

 

Which conference has been your favorite to attend?

It’s close between DCHA and PDPW, but DCHA is my favorite because it is so calf focused and that is right up my alley!  I really can’t of anything more exciting than a whole conference centered around calves!

 

Thank you, Brooke, for your thoughts on how to get the most out of a conference! If you would like to hear more from Brooke and her thoughts on calf raising, you can visit her website SmartCalf.

 

Mariah Gull, M.S.

Views of a Veterinarian- Dr. Trevor Stapelman, D.V.M.

Views of a Veterinarian- Dr. Trevor Stapelman, D.V.M.

Posted on by Thomas

A veterinarian-client relationship is of utmost importance when it comes to establishing animal health protocols. This week Dr. Trevor Stapelman, DVM shares his viewpoint on common practices to maximize health and productivity in beef herds.

Trevor grew up in the Mini-Cassia area of the Magic Valley of Idaho and graduated from Minico High School. He attended the University of Idaho where he completed a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and in Pre-Veterinary Medicine, and then went on to get his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University. After graduation Trevor started practicing in Gooding with a vet clinic, later he worked for a dairy coop in Burley, and then went off to start his own practice.

Dr. Stapelman’s practice has evolved over the years, what started out as a solely large animal practice has turned into a mixed animal practice, which has proved to be a good break for him and has allowed him to rest up a bit. When he is not working, he enjoys spending time with his wife of 22 years and his 4 children (1 boy and 3 girls). Trevor’s hobbies include roping, spending time in the mountains, hunting, fishing, and doing projects around the home and his hobby farm.

 

Q: What management aspect is often overlooked in beef herds in Idaho?

A: Oddly enough I would say nutrition and mineral deficiencies. Nutrition is just something that is often overlooked. People are at the mercy of the mountain and graze their cattle on whatever grass is available. That varies from year to year.  It could be dead, dry, or green and lots of the time they aren’t making any mineral available to the cattle. Mineral licks and tubs have come a long way in the past few years, but still a lot of people overlook that.

 

Q: What are the biggest health concerns you encounter in beef herds in Idaho?

A: Vaccination is not always covered as it should. That doesn’t mean that you must vaccinate for everything. You could go vaccine poor or “insurance poor” if you tried to use everything out there. It’s important to know what is necessary to vaccinate for in your area. I go to some ranches in Nevada and some in Southern Idaho and what vaccines are necessary vary with the terrain and with what disease is most prevalent in the area.

 

Q: What issues have you witnessed this calving season?

A: This year has been a nightmare with all the cold and wet weather we have had. Most of the issues have had to do with respiratory disease, but there have been some enteric diseases encountered too.

 

Q: What tools have you used to help correct those problems?

A: Herds with a good vaccination program that they have used for years aren’t bothered as much when we hit weather like we have. But those that skipped the vaccines in the attempt to save money, or for other reasons, really get kicked in the face with the crappy weather.

The vaccines do pretty well at minimizing or avoiding major health issues.  Antibiotics that I have found helpful are Resflor and Draxxin. These newer antibiotics became available after I graduated from Vet School. They are much more effective for helping calves get over respiratory issues than other antibiotics that were available when I was a kid. Typically, we should culture before treatment, but often if I waited that long to treat the animal would be dead.  It’s preemptive but treating respiratory disease with Resflor and Draxxin has proven effective for me.

 

Q: What management practices could producers implement to avoid or reduce health problems?

A: I can’t stress enough that the saying “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” translates across animal lines as well. Most of those calfhood pathogens are passed around fecal to oral. We don’t want the calf ingesting whatever nastiness is around.

Rotating calving areas helps a lot, as bacteria can multiply over time. Calving on dry bedding also helps. It can be difficult to do, but dipping the navel is another preventative practice I like to see. If guys are out tagging anyway, that’s a great time to do it.

80-90% of calf health issues can be prevented by making sure that calves receive 1 gallon of colostrum in the first 12 hours of life. I like to see guys tubing 2 qts. of colostrum right away and then another 2 qts. within that 12 hour period, especially if there is a question as to whether or not the calf has gotten up to nurse yet.

 

Q: What resources would you like to see more available to Idaho beef producers that would help to improve animal health and profitability of their herds?

A: I think there are some resources out there that are not taken advantage of like they should. Every drug company has Tech Services Veterinarians that are there to answer questions, research, and help with protocols when new meds and vaccines come out. Those resources are there, people just don’t always take advantage of them. Maybe we need to advertise and promote them better.

 

Thank you Dr. Stapelman for sharing your thoughts on cattle health with us!  Stapelman Veterinary Services is a great resource for cattle and mixed animal health in Cassia County. You can learn more about Dr. Stapelman and his clinic by following Stapelman Veterinary Services on Facebook or stapelman_vet on Instagram.

 

Written by: Mariah Gull, M.S.

Digestive Disorders in Feedlot Cattle

Digestive Disorders in Feedlot Cattle

Posted on by Thomas

Digestive disorders are a relatively small occurrence in feedlots when compared to respiratory problems. Respiratory disease accounts for approximately 80% of illness in feedyards compared to digestive disorders affecting only about 5% of feedyard animals.

Although only affecting a small percentage of animals, digestive disease can be a significant problem. Diarrhea caused by digestive illness can result in decreased treatment response, added medication costs, and increased mortality.

 

There are four major causes of diarrhea in feedyard cattle.

Parasitism: Unless younger animals are dewormed at the ranch or backgrounder, most cattle are infected with internal parasites, especially those coming off grass. Parasite control is important to keep the animals’ digestive systems functioning correctly. Internal parasites cause damage and affect the immune system, diminishing the ability to fight diease. The result is lower performance, greater death loss, and less salable product.

Animals harboring parasites will often have diarrhea that is green in color, a rough hair coat, and appear unthrifty.

 

Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD): This virus is widespread, and most herds are at risk of infection. Symptoms of BVD may vary depending upon the immune status of the animal and the strain of the infecting virus. Non-vaccinated or immunocompromised individuals will likely appear to have severe illness with squirting pea green diarrhea that may contain blood, and a high fever. Infected animals will go off feed, may exhibit mouth ulcers and often pneumonia.  Occasionally animals will die very quickly, even before other symptoms present themselves.

Economic losses include increased labor and treatment costs, death loss, reduced gain of the infected animal and in-contact pen mates, and decreased carcass quality. Best management practices for control of BVD include testing for persistently infected individuals, biosecurity, and vaccination.

 

Salmonella: Widespread and can be found on a large number of farms and in many species of animals. This opportunist bacterium infects the animal at times of immune system suppression, during stressful events when beneficial gut microbiota are disrupted, or when the animal is very young. Infection can range from “healthy” carrier animals that shed the organism without symptoms of illness to those exhibiting acute signs of infection.

When an animal is experiencing multiple stressors the gastrointestinal tract barrier functions can falter and lead to “leaky gut syndrome”. When this happens Salmonella can exit the GI tract and enter the blood system. The lymphatic system will filter the blood and the salmonella pathogen will end up in the lymph nodes and the liver as the infection becomes systemic.

Animals infected with Salmonella may exhibit a fever and their diarrhea is often yellow in color and very foul smelling.

 

Coccidiosis: Protozoan parasites that are host specific. The oocyst is usually shed in the feces of affected animals and of subclinical carrier animals and is ingested by pen mates. Infection causes both severe illness and possible death, or subtle illness negatively impacting growth and productivity of the animal.

Diarrhea is commonly bloody and stains the rear end of the animal a blackish-green color. Treatment and control include keeping pens clean to prevent ingestion of oocysts as well as use of an anticoccidial regimen to prevent further disease and contamination.

 

When diarrhea or loose stools are first identified it is important to sort out any nutritional causes before moving on to pinpointing a pathogen. Many times, a ration change or a new shipment of cattle can cause looseness that lasts up to five days. It may also be common to see blood in the stool a few days after beginning to feed grain. Most importantly cattle with nutritional causes of diarrhea will not exhibit the same signs of illness as those with a pathogenic cause.

Control and prevention of digestive disease begins with low stress cattle handling and a sound nutritional program where cattle are received onto rations that will not aggravate digestive upsets.

Keep in mind that cattle with a digestive disease are much more prone to secondary intestinal infections and respiratory disease. Work with your veterinarian to determine effective treatment protocols for infected animals that are appropriate for the type of pathogen.

 

Written by: Mariah Gull, M.S.

Welcome to MicroBasics, Justin Reid!

Welcome to MicroBasics, Justin Reid!

Posted on by Thomas

It is with great excitement that we introduce our Director of Sales, Justin Reid. With over a few decades of experience in the sales industry, Justin is a seasoned professional with a proven track record of driving revenue growth and building strong customer relationships.

Justin is from Folsom, California and graduated from U.C Davis with an Animal Science Degree. His goal was to become a Veterinarian, however Justin was drafted to the MLB where he pitched for the Pirates and Dodgers minor league Teams! When he retired from baseball, Justin held several key sales leadership positions in a variety of industries, including technology and medical sales. He has a deep understanding of sales strategy and execution, as well as experience working with a wide range of customers, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies.

Justin’s expertise in developing and implementing effective sales strategies, coupled with his ability to build and lead high-performing sales teams, make him the perfect fit for our organization. We are confident that he will help us continue to grow our business and build even stronger relationships with our customers.

One of Justin’s core values is a commitment to customer satisfaction. He believes that every customer interaction is an opportunity to build a lasting relationship, and he has a strong track record of going above and beyond to meet the needs of his customers.

We are thrilled to have Justin on board as our Director of Sales and are confident that he will be a key contributor to our continued success. Please join us in welcoming Justin to our team!

Feed Safety and Hygeine with Katie Raver

Feed Safety and Hygeine with Katie Raver

Posted on by Thomas

Food safety is definitely something we think about when preparing food for humans, but do we take the same measures we would in preparing food for our animals as we would for ourselves?

Katie Raver from Rock River labs elaborates why feed hygiene practices are important for our livestock and how we can monitor them through analysis packages available at Rock River Labs.

 

Katie’s Background

Katie grew up in central rural Illinois and then attended the University of Illinois where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science. After being very involved in the dairy program there, she decided that was the direction she wanted to pursue in her career.

In between her Bachelor’s and Master’s programs Katie did an internship at Rock River Labs where she gained a passion for forage quality and feed in general. Which is what she focused on when she returned to the University of Illinois to get her Master’s degree.

Upon graduation Katie took a job in Texas with a feed company where she served as technical support. After 5.5 years she left that job to return to Rock River Labs in 2020.

 

What is Feed Safety or Feed Hygiene and why should we worry about it?

Most of us take a very reactive approach to feed safety and wait until there is a problem to start testing feed. Understanding the possible areas of contamination and the dynamic situation around feed safety is important to think about before we have hemorrhagic bowel syndrome or a lot of cattle with digestive upsets.

Traditionally we think one specific contaminant may be causing an issue, when really, often it is multifaceted and actually a combination of things that are causing the problem. Those things can be environmental, nutritional, or even a toxic contaminant. When we approach it as a whole and identify nutritional factors that can tie into gut health, when we look at those mycotoxins, and bacteria to put the whole picture together to get more of a complete idea of what factors can be contributing to an issue.

 

What kind of analysis can Rock River Labs provide us that will help us on farm as far as feed safety goes?

Typically, if there is an issue on farm and if you have a fairly good idea of what forage is causing the issue, we could do a mycotoxin or clostridium test on individual silages. However, a lot of times we like to start with a TMR hygiene test.

In this test we a looking at one total mixed ration fed to the focus group of cattle that are having the issue. This gives a basic nutritional analysis of the feed as well as an assessment of antinutritional factors. It will look at yeast counts, mold counts, clostridium, enterobacteria, and DON. These give us indicators of other potential issues and help us trace back to look further if we identify an issue.

We also do in situ starch digestibility as too much starch passing into the hind gut can create an environment for many of these pathogens to thrive and have a bigger impact than they normally would.

You can test and test and test and test and spend a lot of time and money to try and identify problems. The TMR hygiene test gives us an overview of all the potential issues and the issues to trace back to the right area instead of going at it blind.

 

How can the Rock River Report help us make on farm management changes to manage feed safety problems?

We have a fantastic team of customer service representatives to help producers walk through issues. We have guidelines available and do a ton of research resources, written articles, and tracking on current trends available for decision making.

 

Thank you, Katie, for helping us to learn more about Feed Safety and Hygiene!  We are always learning more and more about the importance of gut health and the role that plays in the health and production of our livestock. TMR hygiene plays a huge role in gut health and focusing on improving that hygiene will pay off in the health and welfare of your herd.

 

Written by: Mariah Gull, M.S.