In this week’s episode of Cattle Chat, Bob Weaber interviews Dr. Stephan Hughes, a veterinarian from South Africa, while on a trip. Hughes shares how he started listening to Cattle Chat and how beef production differs in South Africa. They also talk about the different tools Kansas State University has that can enhance your operation, not only in the United States but also abroad. The team then transitions to a listener question about bull fertility. The experts emphasize the importance of testing your bull’s fertility, especially as he ages.
2:20 Dr. Stephan Hughes interview
8:25 KSU Resources
17:30 Listener Question: Bull Fertility
For more on BCI Cattle Chat, follow us on X at @ksubci, Facebook, and Instagram at @ksubci. Check out our website, ksubci.org. If you have any comments/questions/topic ideas, please send them to bci@ksu.edu. You can also email us to sign up for our weekly news blast! Don’t forget, if you enjoy the show, please go give us a rating!
In About the Abstract, the experts discuss a study by Cordial and Carrie (2024) in the Journal of Animal Science, which compared the impact of metaphylaxis with Tulathromycin versus saline on high-risk beef stocker calves over 42 days. The study found that calves treated with Tulathromycin had higher average daily gain, especially in the first 14 days, and fewer treatments for respiratory disease. Culture results showed more bacteria in saline-treated calves at follow-up. Antimicrobial use was higher in the Tulathromycin group, but the number of regimens was similar. The study suggests that metaphylaxis may improve health and performance while managing antimicrobial resistance.
In this episode of BCI Cattle Chat, guest Dr. Cassandra Olds continues the discussion of Theileria, a tick- and fly-borne parasite affecting U.S. cattle herds. The team explains how it spreads from the East Coast westward, causes anemia-like symptoms, and persists for life in infected animals. They stress prevention through stress reduction, parasite control, and good nutrition, noting that no approved treatment exists. The conversation shifts to preparing heifers for breeding season, emphasizing pre-breeding exams, tracking weight and reproductive readiness, and managing nutrition to ensure early conception and lifelong productivity.
In this Tox Talk episode, Dr. Brad White and Dr. Scott Fritz review a case involving six dead calves out of 38 fall-calving cow–calf pairs on pasture. The producer had not been checking the herd frequently, making the exact timeline of deaths unclear. With at least one calf estimated to have been dead for 4–5 days. They emphasize how decomposition, weather, and time since death affect necropsy value. Initial differential diagnoses focus on infectious causes and potential toxicities, given that only calves were affected.
This episode of Cattle Chat features guest Dr. Cassandra Olds, an entomologist, who shares with the group about her research on Theileria, an emerging protozoan parasite in cattle. Dr. Olds explains that Theileria is tick‑borne but can also be spread by sucking lice, possibly stable flies, limited placental transmission, and contaminated needles or equipment, emphasizing single‑needle use and the difficulty of vector control. The conversation then shifts to winter hay feeding strategy: estimating cow weights and forage intake, testing hay quality, minimizing waste, cleaning up old hay to reduce stable fly breeding sites, and tracking bale disappearance over time to adjust feeding and prevent cows from losing condition.
For more on BCI Cattle Chat, follow us on X at @ksubci, Facebook, and Instagram at @ksubci. Check out our website, ksubci.org. If you have any comments/questions/topic ideas, please send them to bci@ksu.edu. You can also email us to sign up for our weekly news blast! Don’t forget, if you enjoy the show, please go give us a rating!
On Cattle Chat this week, Dr. Bob Larson, representing the Academy of Veterinary Consultants (AVC), and guest Dr. Fred Gingrich, with the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP), discuss the work their organizations are doing. Anaplasmosis is also discussed, highlighting its transmission by ticks, the limitations of current control methods, and the importance of early veterinary intervention to manage the disease.
Brad White and Dr. Bob Larson discuss a case where a client found an aborted fetus in their herd. Dr. Larson suggests identifying the aborting animal, collecting samples from the fetus, including the placenta, lung, liver, and brain, and holding them for further analysis. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the herd’s history, including the age and origin of the cows, and potential causes like Neospora, IVR, BVD, and feed contamination.
In this week’s episode of Cattle Chat, the experts discuss the evolution in the feedlot industry. They debate how producers used to calculate cost based on feed efficiency. The team also questions different cow-calf practices. Lastly, they debate whether or not you should have bigger cows with heavier weaned weight for your calves or if you should have smaller cows so there are more cows per acre, resulting in more calves being sold.
3:10 Evaluation in the Feedlot Industry
11:00 Questioning Cow Calf Practices
15:50 Bigger Cows vs Smaller Cows on Pasture
For more on BCI Cattle Chat, follow us on X at @ksubci, Facebook, and Instagram at @ksubci. Check out our website, ksubci.org. If you have any comments/questions/topic ideas, please send them to bci@ksu.edu. You can also email us to sign up for our weekly news blast! Don’t forget, if you enjoy the show, please go give us a rating!
On today’s episode of Herd Health, Dr. Bob Larson and Dr. Brad White talk about a ranch that reported weaned calves with bloody diarrhea after being mixed from four pastures. Coccidiosis was at the top of the list for possible issues, with other potential causes to look at. They discuss potential cases of bloody diarrhea and the ways to treat and prevent the issues.
This week on Cattle Chat, our guest Caroline Wingert shares her research on jobs in rural communities and the challenges that come with living in rural areas. The experts also dive into a listener’s question of co-mingling bulls, how to prevent fighting, and different housing strategies. Lastly, they discuss how to tackle your bull-to-cow ratio.
2:47 Caroline Winger Research Update
9:30 Listener Question: Co-mingling bulls
16:23 Bull-to-Cow Ratio
For more on BCI Cattle Chat, follow us on X at @ksubci, Facebook, and Instagram at @ksubci. Check out our website, ksubci.org. If you have any comments/questions/topic ideas, please send them to bci@ksu.edu. You can also email us to sign up for our weekly news blast! Don’t forget, if you enjoy the show, please go give us a rating!
In this episode of Diving into Diets, Dr. Brad White and Dr. Phillip Lancaster finish up the essential oils in feed rations series with another article. The experts discuss how essential oils compare to commonly used feed additives like Monensin.
On Cattle Chat this week, the experts discuss whether or not you could be taking records, making a plan, or both when it comes to your breeding season. After the discussion, the team talks about implementing your plan. When making your plan, what should you be looking for when saving back replacement heifers? They talk about how much age should play a factor when saving back your replacement heifers
4:31 Records or Plans
11:30 How to Implement a Plan
14:14 Saving Replacment Heifers
For more on BCI Cattle Chat, follow us on X at @ksubci, Facebook, and Instagram at @ksubci. Check out our website, ksubci.org. If you have any comments/questions/topic ideas, please send them to bci@ksu.edu. You can also email us to sign up for our weekly news blast! Don’t forget, if you enjoy the show, please go give us a rating!
In this episode of Bovine Science, Dr. Phillip Lancaster continues the series with an article that looks into the use of essential oils in feed rations. In part two of the Essential Oils in Rations series, they talk about the different benefits and effects of adding the oils to your feed.
This week on Cattle Chat, our guest, Dave Maples, the Executive Director of the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association, joins us to discuss how the beef industry is integrated. Maples also shares how Kentucky is working with dietitians and how they are benefiting the beef industry. Lastly, they talk about food as medicine.
4:21 Integration of the Industry
8:18 Dietitian’s Role in the Industry
15:42 Food as Medicine
For more on BCI Cattle Chat, follow us on X at @ksubci, Facebook, and Instagram at @ksubci. Check out our website, ksubci.org. If you have any comments/questions/topic ideas, please send them to bci@ksu.edu. You can also email us to sign up for our weekly news blast! Don’t forget, if you enjoy the show, please go give us a rating!
A 2,000 cow dairy is seeing high culling rates due to lameness but not the typical lameness they are used to. What is wrong? Dr. Brad White and Dr. Scott Fritz will discuss.
The toxicology website and Bovine Sciences with BCI podcasts have been sponsored in part through a veterinary services grant that Dr. Scott Fritz, Dr. Steve Ensley, and Dr. Bob Larson have received to share more toxicology information and examples for people to understand what to submit and how to submit. Another part of that grant has been working with people and producers in the field.
This week on Cattle Chat, one of our graduate students, Makenna Jensen, joined the team to update us on her research project. With Makenna graduating and starting a new job this spring, they also discussed new grad opportunities and the transition from college to joining a new community. Lastly, the group discussed how to evaluate new products that enter the market.
3:07 Research Update: Makenna Jensen
10:53 New Grad Opportunities
16:07 New Products: How to Evaluate
For more on BCI Cattle Chat, follow us on X at @ksubci, Facebook, and Instagram at @ksubci. Check out our website, ksubci.org. If you have any comments/questions/topic ideas, please send them to bci@ksu.edu. You can also email us to sign up for our weekly news blast! Don’t forget, if you enjoy the show, please go give us a rating!
In this episode of Bovine Science, Dr. Phillip Lancaster brings an article that looked into the use of essential oils in feed rations. The experts go over this paper and the styles of research groups used for the experiment.
In this episode of Bovine Science, Dr. Phillip Lancaster brings an article that looked into the use of essential oils in feed rations. The experts go over this paper and the styles of research groups used for the experiment.
In this week’s episode of Cattle Chat, sponsored by ESTROTECT Breeding Indicators, the team discussed how to use various reproduction technologies to achieve your herd’s genetic goals. Our guest, Dr. Jordan Thomas from the University of Missouri, shared their research on the 7&7 Sync Program and its benefits. Finally, the group talked about the best age to wean calves.
For more on BCI Cattle Chat, follow us on X at @ksubci, Facebook, and Instagram at @ksubci. Check out our website, ksubci.org. If you have any comments/questions/topic ideas, please send them to bci@ksu.edu. You can also email us to sign up for our weekly news blast! Don’t forget, if you enjoy the show, please go give us a rating!
In this episode of Bovine Science, Dr. Bob Larson and Dr. Brad White discuss nutritional plans for your cow herd through the winter. They go through the cost difference between high-quality hay and low-quality hay with supplements. They also discuss how to avoid having your cows calve at a lighter weight.
Welcome to BCI Cattle Chat! In this week’s episode of Cattle Chat, the team along with Dr. Jason Warner talks about cow herd expansion and when to add in those new cows to your herd. Next the experts discuss a listener question of how to combat moldy milo when feeding your cattle. Finally, the team answers another listener’s question of whether or not you should keep your bull with the cows all year long.
3:10 Cow Herd Expansion
10:45 Moldy Milo in Your Feed
17:45 Keeping Bulls with Cows Year Round
For more on BCI Cattle Chat, follow us on X at @ksubci, Facebook, and Instagram at @ksubci. Check out our website, ksubci.org. If you have any comments/questions/topic ideas, please send them to bci@ksu.edu. You can also email us to sign up for our weekly news blast! Don’t forget if you enjoy the show, please go give us a rating!
Welcome to BCI Cattle Chat! In this week’s episode of Cattle Chat, the crew discuss the changing methods of parasite control. They continue the show by reviewing a paper discussed in a recent Bovine Science episode regarding back fat in bulls. Finally, the team discusses grazing cover crops and the effects on the soil. Thanks for listening and enjoy the episode!
For more on BCI Cattle Chat, follow us on X at @ksubci, Facebook, and Instagram at @ksubci. Check out our website, ksubci.org. If you have any comments/questions/topic ideas, please send them to bci@ksu.edu. You can also email us to sign up for our weekly news blast! Don’t forget if you enjoy the show, please go give us a rating!
Compared with carbohydrate and protein metabolism, mineral metabolism in cattle is much less understood. The lack of knowledge about the mineral metabolism has led to an idea among cattlemen that there is something special about certain minerals. Based on what we do know about mineral absorption, the key is to use mineral forms with high absorption. Generally, chloride and sulfate forms (e.g. copper chloride or copper sulfate) have greater absorption than oxide forms (e.g. copper oxide), although this is not always the case (e.g. magnesium oxide ~ magnesium chloride).
Another major issue with mineral absorption is antagonists. Antagonists bind the mineral in the rumen making it unavailable for absorption in the intestine. A common example of antagonism is high levels of sulfur and molybdenum bind with copper creating thiomolybdates rendering copper unavailable for absorption.
Mineral content of feeds can be highly variable affected by the plant species, mineral content of the soil, and mineral availability in the soil where the plants were grown. In many cases, cattlemen have little information on the mineral content of the forage and feed because testing is expensive and rarely performed.
In this uncertainty, the development of organic trace minerals have gained interest as they generally have greater absorption than their inorganic counterparts. In forages and feeds, the minerals are generally in an organic form and thus organic minerals are more similar to the natural minerals in feeds consumed by cattle. However, in feeds, the mineral element is released from its organic form during digestion allowing for absorption.
Organic forms of minerals have generally been reported to be beneficial during times of stress, but results have been inconsistent. A recent meta-analysis of the published studies summarized the results comparing organic and inorganic trace mineral supplementation to feedlot receiving cattle. Overall, organic trace mineral supplementation improved average daily gain 0.13 lb/day but there were some caveats (Figure 1). Average daily gain was improved by organic trace mineral supplementation in cattle classified as low risk (increase in ADG = 0.15 lb/day) for bovine respiratory disease, but not in cattle classified as high risk. In studies with a receiving period longer than 30 days, ADG was increased 0.13 lb/day by organic trace mineral supplementation, but not in studies with a receiving period less than 30 days. Average daily gain was increased 0.13 lb/day when antibiotics (monensin and tylosin) were not used in the feed, but was ADG was not increased when antibiotics were used in the feed.
In regard to bovine respiratory disease morbidity, organic trace mineral supplementation had no effect overall. The effect of organic trace mineral supplementation on morbidity was not affected by BRD risk classification, length of the receiving period, or use of in-feed antibiotics.
In conclusion, supplementation of organic trace minerals can be beneficial in some situations, particularly when antagonisms are impacting absorption of inorganic trace minerals. However, using organic trace minerals in place of inorganic trace minerals will not always result in improved animal performance and health outcomes.
On this episode of After the Abstract, Dr. Todd Gunderson brings a research article which looks at the effects of backfat thickness on results of a breeding soundness exam. Dr. Brad White and Dr. Gunderson go through the article and discuss the issues this study addressed as well as the potential affects of this research.
Welcome to BCI Cattle Chat! In this week’s episode of Cattle Chat, the crew breaks down breed diversity and heterosis. They continue the show by looking at a paper which covers heart disease. Dustin Pendell wraps up the episode with an update on cattle imports and exports. Thanks for listening and enjoy the episode!
For more on BCI Cattle Chat, follow us on X at @ksubci, Facebook, and Instagram at @ksubci. Check out our website, ksubci.org. If you have any comments/questions/topic ideas, please send them to bci@ksu.edu. You can also email us to sign up for our weekly news blast! Don’t forget if you enjoy the show, please go give us a rating!
