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 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.
By: Tony Dean
There are a handful of grasses on North Texas grazing lands ranchers need to know, not because they are highly desirable, but rather because they are not of much value. I call them “decom” plants, which is am acronym for “Don’t Ever Count On Me.” Silver bluestem is a “decom” grass.
Silver bluestem is a perennial which grows in all areas of Texas. It can survive in almost all soil types, and in full sun conditions or in semi shade. It grows up to three feet tall and is easily recognized with the presence of the white fuzzy seed head. Also, one of the identifying characteristics of Silver bluestem is a bend in the stems at each node, causing the plants to take on a rounded shape as they mature.
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: Rayford Pullen
Fall is here which means winter is closing in on us and before we officially get into winter, we need to make sure our factories are either producing or will be producing in a few months.
We have been pregnancy testing our cows this fall and if they are not bred or nursing a calf, we are bidding them adios. With annual costs somewhere between $900.00 and $1,000.00 per cow, those cows not producing a live weaned calf are costing us quite a bit.
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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