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An Employee's Guide to BRD Feed truck drivers and maintenance workers can be a big asset in identifying sick cattle if they know what they are looking for. By Jill J. Dunkel The health status of cattle in the feedyard is not just the pen riders' responsibility. It takes the entire feedyard team to locate and identify sick cattle, although not all of a feedyard's employees have been trained to do so. "With the turnover rates in most feedyards, it is important for all employees to know what a sick calf looks like," says Dr. Blane Lowe, Senior Veterinarian with Pfizer Animal Health. "Trained feed truck drivers and maintenance workers can be a big asset in identifying sick cattle." Dr. John Lynch agrees. "Even though a history is available on many of the cattle fed today, there is still a large population that we know nothing about when they come off the truck." Lynch is a Senior Technical Service Vet with Intervet. "There's no vaccination or nutrition history. Therefore it becomes critical to recognize sick cattle, especially early on. All of the drugs in the hospital won't work if no one knows the calf is sick." Afternoon maintenance workers fixing a leaky water trough or a feed truck driver making his last round might notice a calf that didn't show symptoms when the pen was checked that morning. Starting that calf on a hospital program that afternoon instead of the next day could make a big impact on his recovery. Dr. Bob Bohlender, a consulting veterinarian in North Platte, Nebraska, says every cowboy develops his own criteria when identifying a sick calf. In general, there are several aspects to consider, including the attitude of the calf. "Often a calf will hang back away from the others the day before he shows other symptoms," says Bohlender A sick calf is typically listless, droopy and non-responsive, according to Lynch. "He might lay down and not want to get up. Or if the pen has just been fed, he won't go to the bunk with the other cattle." The calf might also stand near the water, but rarely drink, says Lowe. "Notice his appearance," says Lynch. "Watch for dull eyes and a droopy head. He may or may not cough or have a nasal or eye discharge." A calf may also hold his neck stretched out and appear dehydrated, says Lowe. "Look for the degree of fill," he says. A calf that is not eating or drinking will be sunken in behind the ribs, especially on the left side. "Some cattle will slobber," says Bohlender, "while others will have some edema, or swelling, under the jaw. Edema is typical of a calf with BRSV." As the air temperature increases, so will the symptoms. "Heat adds an additional stress, even on healthy cattle," says Lowe. "But a sick calf carrying a degree of lung disease will look even worse." Due to the heat, sick cattle are usually easiest to find first thing in the morning. "Once they are jostled around, they are harder to detect." The key to recovery is early detection. Therefore, the more people that know what to look for, the better the odds a sick calf will be pulled when it first shows symptoms. Although animal health is the primary responsibility of the hospital and pen riding crew, the entire yard working together to identify sick cattle is a win-win situation. |
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