Bovine Respiratory Disease is common in the United States with more than 90 percent of large feedlots reporting it as the most frequent ailment, and researchers say changes in beef production are largely to blame.
Beef specialists with Elanco Animal Health say growth rates have increased as they have seen 700-pound steers at just 7 months old. They note the immune system reacts differently with that kind of growth.
In 2010, finishing weights were about 1,300 pounds, and today, they are averaging 1,600 pounds, but lung capacity has stayed the same.
They urge producers to take action upon the first signs of BRD and check on newly weaned calves twice a day.
Related Stories
NCBA President Colin Woodall states that misinformation like this is damaging to cattle producers, the beef supply chain, and consumer confidence
Producer input costs are rising faster than expected — and this latest PPI report does not reflect the last two weeks of geopolitical tension.
NMPF’s Alan Bjerga discusses pending trade agreements with Indonesia and Ecuador and how they will benefit U.S. dairy producers and improve overall global competitiveness of U.S. ag products.
Spring Fieldwork Expands Amid Mixed Weather Nationwide
Vanessa Wood shares more about Ag Women Connect, the importance of uplifting women in agriculture, and upcoming projects designed to highlight stories across rural America.
Strong exports support cattle and hog market fundamentals.
