Cow-Calf Health Management

Abstract

I am going back to where it is warm! You people tell us that we have some bitter winters and adverse weather in Wyoming. You had better take a look around! It was 10°F above zero when I left home and I do not think I have seen it that warm since I have been here! My practice is predominately cow-calf operations. Our herds run from 250 to 2,500 brood cows. We are at an altitude of about 6000 feet for the winter pastures, and our summer pastures go up to 9,000 feet. I am in practice by myself, covering about 100 square miles. I do some in-clinic practice but mostly it is ambulatory. Our concept on cow-calf health programs is that we are there to produce marketable protein and to do this, I feel that it is my obligation to help the rancher get as much marketable protein as he can in his operation.. In order to do this, we have concentrated our efforts in learning each individual operation's problems, how they operate, what kind of pastures they have available, what kind of range they are going to be on.