Publications

Prevalence of Streptococcus agalactiae in Alberta dairy herds

Description

Streptococcus agalactiae is on cause of contagious mastitis in dairy cattle. This type of mastitis spreads easily from cow to cow and producers may not be aware their cows are infected, since the... More ≫

Description

Streptococcus agalactiae is on cause of contagious mastitis in dairy cattle. This type of mastitis spreads easily from cow to cow and producers may not be aware their cows are infected, since the milk from infected dairy cows usually appears normal. However, while the milk appears normal, cows infected with S. agalactiae have reduced milk production and milk of inferior quality. This paper reports on results of a one-year project to test a new technique developed to improve the identification of S. agalactiae in dairy herds. The final result of the project was that the prevalence of herds infected with S. agalactiae decreased from 11 to six per cent.

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Breeding soundness evaluation of bulls

Description

Breeding success depends on the reproductive health of both the cow and the bull. Because a bull is expected to service a number of cows, determining the potential fertility of the bull is much... More ≫

Description

Breeding success depends on the reproductive health of both the cow and the bull. Because a bull is expected to service a number of cows, determining the potential fertility of the bull is much more important than determining the fertility of any individual cow. It is essential to evaluate bulls every year before breeding starts because the fertility of an individual animal can vary from year to year. Surprisingly, only about 28 per cent of bulls in Alberta are evaluated for reproductive fitness.

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Warble control in Alberta

Description

The warble is a major economic pest of cattle in Alberta. Warble grubs, which are the larval stage of the "heelfly," spend over nine months in cattle as internal parasites. During this period they... More ≫

Description

The warble is a major economic pest of cattle in Alberta. Warble grubs, which are the larval stage of the "heelfly," spend over nine months in cattle as internal parasites. During this period they damage the meat and hide of infested animals and are responsible for reduced milk production in lactating cattle and lower weight gains in calves. Both cattlemen and packers incur severe economic losses in the absence of a warble management program. In Alberta, there is a province-wide organized warble control program helping Alberta cattlemen and the packing industry. According to the Agricultural Pest Act, all Alberta producers must take active measures to control warbles in their cattle. To manage warbles at the farm level, it is necessary to understand the biology of the insect and the method of action of the various pest control products.

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Body condition : implications for managing beef cows

Description

Body condition, or the amount of body fat an animal is carrying, is one management indicator that can be used to predict herd fertility and determine feeding programs. This fact sheet is intended... More ≫

Description

Body condition, or the amount of body fat an animal is carrying, is one management indicator that can be used to predict herd fertility and determine feeding programs. This fact sheet is intended to make producers aware of the condition scoring system, what effects various condition scores will have on herd fertility, and to offer some management strategies regarding feeding and when to condition score to optimize both fertility and economics.

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Economics of feed storage and distribution systems for feeding cattle

Description

this publication will provide some guidelines to those individuals who are interestedin selecting the feed storage and distribution system that will best fulfill their own requirements. The report... More ≫

Description

this publication will provide some guidelines to those individuals who are interestedin selecting the feed storage and distribution system that will best fulfill their own requirements. The report examines several feed storage and distribution systems and the level of investment, labor costs and operating costs of each.

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Organotin toxicity trial in cattle

Description

This project prompted bu an incident which occured in a small cattle feedlot in Northern Alberta in late November and early December, 1976.

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