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Cattle Castration Methods Compared: Pain, Welfare, and Outcomes Quick Summary: Castration remains one of the most common and most debated management procedures in the cattle industry. Producers can choose between surgical removal, elastration (banding), and bloodless crushing methods like the Burdizzo — each with different pain profiles, healing timelines, and labor demands. This article compares

Nitrate Poisoning in Cattle: Emergency Recognition and Treatment Quick Summary: Nitrate poisoning is a fast-moving, often fatal emergency that strikes when cattle graze or are fed nitrate-accumulating forages such as drought-stressed corn, sorghum, sudangrass, or nitrogen-heavy pastures. Nitrate converts to nitrite in the rumen, blocking the blood’s ability to carry oxygen — animals can go

Pinkeye Vaccine Effectiveness: What Research Really Shows Quick Summary: Pinkeye (Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis, or IBK) is one of the most costly eye diseases in beef and dairy herds worldwide. Producers often turn to commercial and autogenous vaccines for prevention, but peer-reviewed research shows mixed, and sometimes disappointing, results. In this in-depth article, we break down

Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD/Shipping Fever) Prevention Respiratory HealthFeedlot2026 Update Quick Summary: Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD), commonly called “shipping fever,” is the #1 killer of feedlot cattle in North America, costing the industry an estimated $1 billion+ annually in treatment, death loss, and reduced performance. Up to 70% of feedlot morbidity and 60–80% of feedlot deaths

How to Give Cattle Injections: SubQ, IM, and IV Guide Herd HealthBQA2026 Update Quick Summary: Giving injections correctly is one of the most important skills every cattle producer must master. Poor technique costs the U.S. beef industry an estimated $14–$20 per carcass in injection-site blemishes alone, plus untold losses from treatment failure and animal welfare

Retained Placenta in Cattle: When to Worry and What to Do ReproductionPostpartumHerd Health Quick Summary: Retained fetal membranes (retained placenta) occur in 5–15% of cattle births and cost the industry over $150 million annually through lost production, reduced fertility, and medical costs. When the placenta isn’t expelled within 8–12 hours postpartum, serious complications develop —

Polioencephalomalacia in Cattle: Thiamine Deficiency Explained 2026 Herd HealthNeurologicalThiamine Quick Summary: Polioencephalomalacia (PEM), also called cerebrocortical necrosis, is a devastating neurological disease caused by thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency in cattle. Outbreaks typically strike fast-growing calves fed high-grain diets, animals grazing sulfur-rich pastures, or herds consuming contaminated feed. Mortality rates can exceed 50% without treatment. This

Cattle Fly Control: Complete Integrated Pest Management Guide 2026 Herd HealthIPM2026 Update Quick Summary: Flies cost the U.S. cattle industry more than $2.2 billion every year through reduced weight gain, lower milk production, and disease transmission. This 2026 guide walks producers through an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach that combines biological, cultural, mechanical, and chemical

Trichomoniasis in Cattle: The Silent Fertility Killer (2026 Guide) Quick Summary: Bovine trichomoniasis, or “trich,” is a venereal disease caused by the protozoan Tritrichomonas foetus that silently devastates fertility in beef cow-herds using natural service. Infected bulls show no symptoms while spreading the parasite to every cow they breed, causing early embryonic death, extended calving

Brucellosis in Cattle: Testing, Vaccination, and Regulations (2026 Guide) Quick Summary: Brucellosis, also known as Bang’s disease or contagious abortion, is a serious zoonotic bacterial infection that causes abortion, infertility, and major economic losses in cattle herds. This guide explains how brucellosis spreads, current testing methods, the RB51 vaccination program, and the state and federal