Health and Production Management Practices for

Nursing Beef Calves

Floron C. Faries, Jr., DVM, MSProfessor and Extension Program Leader for Veterinary Medicine

Texas AgriLife Extension ServiceTexas A&M System

Dehorning

Why? To improve appearance To reduce injuries due to fighting To increase feeder or bunk space To improve value as a feeder animal

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Dehorning

When? Preferably perform at birth at birth or before 3

months of age.

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How? Chemical paste over horn button to destroy tissue Electrical or fire hot iron around horn button to destroy blood supply Cutting spoon or tube to scoop horn button or horn and ¼ inch ring

of hair and skin Cutting scissor-like clipper (Barnes’) to scoop horn button or horn

and ¼ inch ring of hair, skin, and skull Saw to remove tip of horn

Dehorning

Hot Iron

Barnes’ Dehorner

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Castrating

Why? Prevent mating and fighting To improve carcass quality To gentle

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Castrating

When? Preferably perform at birth or before 3

months of age.

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Standard Surgical Castration

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Proper Restraint

Castrating

How? Bloodless pincher (Burdizzo) to sever cord 2 inches above testicle Bloodless pliers (elastrator) used to stretch rubber band ring and

place 2 inches above testicle to restrict blood flow Knife used to cut bottom half of scrotum to remove testicle by

severing cord with knife, cutting/crushing pliers (emasculator) or pulling.

Identifying

Why? To claim ownership To conduct individual record keeping

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Identifying

When? Ear methods, preferably performed at birth or

before 4 months of age Branding methods, preferably between 3 to 4

months of age

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Identifying

How? Fire hot iron or freeze cold iron to destroy hair or

pigments cells of skin on hip, thigh or shank Pliers to insert tag or apply tattoo between ribs of

ear and to cut notches along lower edge of ear

Electric Cattle Branding and Ear Marking

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Implanting

Why? To increase feed efficiency To increase rate of weight gain

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Implanting Chemical Pellet

Implanting

When? Over 6 weeks of age, repeating every 100-200

days

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Feed Lot Cattle Eating

How? Dispensing gun and needle to insert chemical

pellets under the skin in middle 1/3 of top side of ear

Implanting

Dispensing Gun

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Implanting Diagram

Vaccinating

Why? To stimulate immunity for protection against

infectious diseases To prevent sickness and death

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Vaccinating Cattle

Vaccinating

When? Over 2 months of age, repeating 3 weeks

before weaning

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Vaccinating

Multi-dose Syringe

How? Syringe and needle to administer the vaccine

subcutaneously, intramuscularly, or intranasally

Single-dose Syringe

Deworming

Why? To reduce worm numbers To prevent tissue damage To prevent pasture contamination To break worms’ life cycles

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Deworming

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When? Over 2 months of age When infected Following 3 to 6 weeks of moderate

temperature; rainfall and wet grass

Deworming

How? Syringe and needle to administer a drug

subcutaneously; syringe drench gun, hook drench gun, balling gun, or paste gun to administer a drug orally, and liquid dispenser to administer a drug on back (pour-on)

Drench Gun

Hook Gun Ball Gun

Degrubbing, Delicing, and Deflying

Why? To reduce parasite numbers To prevent tissue damage and blood loss To prevent annoyance To break parasites’ life cycles

Hornflies Grubs Lice

Degrubbing, Delicing, and Deflying

When? Over 2 months of age When infested in summer (flies and grubs) When infested in winter (lice)

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Degrubbing, Delicing, and Deflying

How? Syringe and needle to administer a chemical

subcutaneously, dispenser to administer topically on back (dust, pour-on, spot-on; and pliers to insert chemical tag between ribs of ear

Insecticide Ear TagsInsecticide Dust Bags