W. Mark Hilton

, Purdue University

W. Mark Hilton, DVM, is a clinical professor of beef production medicine in the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, West Lafayette, IN.

Posts by W. Mark Hilton

weaning baby calves
in Vet's Opinion May. 5, 2013

The Importance Of Weaning And Castration

I often hear that farmers and ranchers are the nation’s original champions of animal welfare, and I believe it. But, if you’re not weaning and....More
calving season
in Vet's Opinion Jan. 23, 2013

Environment Is Critical In Preventing Neonatal Calf Disease

We’ve all heard the old adage that “the three most important things about real estate are location, location, location.” If I could propose a new....More
in Vet's Opinion Aug. 28, 2012

BEEF Veterinarian Provides Top Nine Drought Tips

Times of drought are no time for business as usual. Here are tips for planning ahead for next year and thinking outside the box for this year. Here....More
in Vet's Opinion Jun. 22, 2012

Preconditioning Of Calves Is A Win-Win-Win Equation

It’s hard to argue with win-win situations in life. Even better are win-win-win situations. Preconditioning (PC) calves fits the win-win-win....More
in Vet's Opinion Nov. 25, 2011

It’s Time To Be Hay-Smart

There is no doubt that nutrition is one of the keys to health. A pregnant cow that receives proper nutrition mounts a stronger immune response in the....More
in Vet's Opinion Aug. 19, 2011

Extended Calving Season Limits Profitability

An extended calving season limits the ability to maximize profitability. To illustrate this point, I’ve created a “virtual herd.”....More
in Vet's Opinion Jun. 1, 2011

Take A Big Picture View Of Animal Health

While having many choices is generally seen as a good thing, too many choices can sometimes be overwhelming. For instance, there are 73 federally-....More
in Vet's Opinion Feb. 24, 2011

Calving Time Is Here; Be Ready To Assist

In general, our cows in the U.S. are low-maintenance creatures that take care of themselves. They calve unassisted and the calf nurses within an hour....More
in Vet's Opinion Nov. 23, 2010

Be Diligent On Genetic Defects When Buying Bulls

While pregnancy testing a group of cows for a client recently, he mentioned that his 2½-year-old herd bull was lame. On closer inspection, I saw the....More
in Vet's Opinion Sep. 8, 2010

Veterinarian Tips For Cattle Nutrition & Health

Since BEEF readers operate in a variety of climates, our No. 1 recommendation regarding winter nutrition is to contact your herd-health veterinarian....More