Coccidiosis is a protozoan cattle disease that most cattle develop some immunity to, while continuing to shed a few oocysts in their feces. Calves are the most vulnerable because they have the least immunity....More

In large pasture situations, beef cows tend to leave the herd and seek more isolation shortly before calving. This behavior has several advantages for the cow and her newborn calf. Isolating herself from the herd allows a cow to calve in seclusion, and the mother-offspring bond can be formed without disturbance by other cows....More

 Some heat-stressed cows are delivering premature calves, ahead of normal fall-calving season.   With a heat wave and severe drought, fall-calving season might become as labor intensive as winter calving, say University of Missouri Extension specialists. Farmers who have calved both spring and fall prefer the normally trouble-free ease of fall calving.   "Cows under stress need to be watched closely," says David Patterson, MU beef reproduction specialist.  ...More

Once a cow is bred, she should calve about 283 days later. However, sometimes the pregnancy is lost. Late pregnancy loss is usually visible; you find the aborted fetus or the cow with placental membranes hanging from the vulva. “But with early pregnancy loss, you don’t have a clue,” says Ahmed Tibary, DVM and Washington State University (WSU) professor of theriogenology....More