Tick Fever
Tick Fever in cattle… Reducing the risk and financial loss. What is Tick Fever? Tick Fever or ‘red water’ is a disease of cattle that is transmitted by the cattle tick (Boophilus Microplus). This disease is caused by one of three blood parasites Babesia Bovis, Babesia Bigemina or Anaplasma Marginale that use the cattle tick […]
Bull Testing
Bull Evaluation Assessing bulls objectively and its impact on genetic gain and herd performance. By Dr Andrew Marland BVSc (hons) Vet Cross During a bull’s reproductive lifetime, when joined under paddock conditions, he should sire between 150-350 calves. Given a commercial cow can only produce one calf per year for 6-8 seasons, breeding bulls have […]
Pregnancy Testing
The importance on pregnancy testing in beef cattle breeding herds The key to profitability for all beef breeding enterprises is high reproductive efficiency. This means aiming for: 90% calves weaned to cows joined An average calving interval of 12 months (one calf per cow per year) An ideal calving period of 12 weeks Although these […]
Three Day Sickness
Bovine Ephemeral Fever (BEF), commonly know as Three Day Sickness, is a disease of cattle that causes serious economic losses through deaths, loss of condition, decreased weight gains and reduced fertility in bulls. Three Day is marked by a short fever, shivering, lameness and muscular stiffness and is caused by a virus and is widespread […]
