Farm & Ranch
Breeding Bulls and Bovine Leukemia Virus
By Barry Whitworth, DVM / Area Food/Animal Quality and Health Specialist for Eastern Oklahoma
In most beef enterprises, purchasing a breeding bull is a substantial investment. Most buyers insist the bull pass a Bovine Breeding Soundness Exam. This gives some assurance the bull is in good health and is fertile. However, most buyers do not routinely test bulls for reproductive or health diseases. Trichomoniasis, Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus, and Bovine Leukemia Virus (BLV) are a few of the diseases that can have unwanted health consequences in a herd for years to come. A recent study evaluated BLV in bulls as possible source of transmission.¹
Bovine Leukemia Virus (BLV) is a retrovirus capable of causing cancer in cattle. The disease that is caused by the virus may be referred to as Enzootic Bovine Leukosis (EBL), malignant lymphoma, or lymphosarcoma. In the United States it is estimated 44 percent of dairy cows and 10 percent of beef cows are infected with the virus.2,3 Most cattle that are infected with the virus are asymptomatic or show no clinical signs of the disease. BLV is responsible for production losses due to increase veterinary cost, reproduction inefficiency, decreased milk production, and deaths.
To read more pick up a copy of the January 2020 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
By Heather Welper
Husband and wife duo, Heather and Calvin Welper, are the Co-Owners and Operators or Two C Livestock, located in Valley View, Texas.
The pair’s operation has a show cattle focus where they raise and sell purebred heifers of all breeds and club calf Hereford steers.
When it comes to show cattle, the Welpers know a thing or two including how to prepare for the cold winter months and the Texas major show season run.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Hannah Claxton, Editor
As the sun rises each day, so do the dozens of mouths that Meghan McGovern is responsible for getting fed. Rather than the sounds of a rooster crowing, McGovern hears the bellows and bleats of a variety of exotic deer, the chortle of kangaroos, the grunts of water buffaloes, and the chirps of a lemur.
Nestled against the banks of the Red River, the Double M Ranch and Rescue, with its high game fences and deer sprinkling the landscape,s its in stark contrast to the surrounding ranches.
“Having deer is kind of like eating potato chips- you can never actually have just one,” said McGovern with a laugh.
McGovern has several herds to take care of- fallow deer, axis deer, water buffalo, goats, and bison. In smaller numbers, there’s also a few kangaroos, a lemur, a potbelly pig, a pair of zebras, a watusi, and a few horses.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Barry Whitworth, DVM, MPH
With the prolonged drought, most pastures in Oklahoma end up in poor condition. With the lack of available forage, animals may go in search of alternative foods.
If oak trees are in the pastures, acorns may be a favorite meal for some livestock in the fall. This may result in oak poisoning.
Oak leaves, twigs, buds, and acorns may be toxic to some animals when consumed.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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