Cattle
Foot Rot Shows Up Lame in the Wet Corners, and June Mud Is Where It Starts
A cow that comes in three-legged lame with a swollen foot after a wet June has foot rot until proven otherwise. Catch…
Cattle
Water Hemlock Comes Up in the Wet Meadow, and a Bite of the Root Will Kill a Cow
Water hemlock is the deadliest plant on most Montana outfits, and it grows right where cattle graze in June — along creeks,…
Montana Livestock
Anaplasmosis Hits the Old Cows First, and the Bugs That Carry It Are Out Now
Anaplasmosis kills mature cattle by the middle of summer, and the ticks and biting flies that move it are already working. Here's…
Cattle
Horn Flies Bleed the Gain Off Your Calves All Summer, One Bite at a Time
Horn flies don't kill cattle outright, but a heavy load steals weight gain and milk all summer. Here's how to knock them…
Cattle
Pinkeye Blows Up in the Calf Herd Fast, and Tall Grass and Face Flies Start It
Infectious pinkeye can move through a summer calf herd in a matter of weeks. Here's how to knock down the causes before…
Water & Irrigation
High-Sulfate Stock Water Can Blind and Down Cattle by Late Summer
As dugouts and shallow wells drop and concentrate through the summer, sulfate levels climb — and sulfur-induced polio can put good cattle…
Cattle
Vaccine You Cooked in the Sun Is Just an Expensive Way to Poke Holes
Modified-live vaccine dies fast in heat and sunlight. Handle it wrong at branding or turnout and you've paid for protection you never…
Cattle
Summer Pneumonia Sneaks Up on Nursing Calves While Everything Looks Fine
Calves on green grass with mothers still milking hard can still come down with pneumonia in June and July. Here's what sets…
Montana Ranching
The Green Scum on the Stock Pond Can Kill a Cow Before You Find Her
Blue-green algae blooms turn a good summer water source into a killer in a day or two. Here's what to watch for…
Cattle
Bloat Kills the Cow That Was Fine an Hour Ago on New Alfalfa
Frothy bloat on lush legume pasture can drop a healthy cow before you finish morning chores. Here's how to turn cattle onto…
Montana Ranching
Foot Rot Shows Up Lame and Swollen After the First Wet Stretch on Summer Grass
Foot rot turns up every June once cattle are walking wet ground and rocky trails. Catch the lame cow early and it's…
Cattle
Anaplasmosis Shows Up in the Fall, but You Set It Up in June
The biting flies and ticks working your cows right now spread a blood disease that quietly builds all summer and drops mature…
Cattle
Water Hemlock Is the Plant That Kills in Minutes Along Your Wet Meadows
Larkspur gets the headlines, but water hemlock in your ditches and seeps can drop a cow before you finish morning chores. Here's…
Montana Ranching
Larkspur Kills the Cows That Look the Best on the Foothill Turnout
Tall larkspur greens up early on Montana's foothill range and drops big, healthy cattle without warning. Here's how to read the risk…
Cattle
Pinkeye Blows Up Fast Once the Flies and Cheatgrass Get Going
Pinkeye costs you weaning weight and calves you can't sell right, and it moves through a herd faster than most people expect.…
Water & Irrigation
Test the Stock Water, Not Just the Grass, When It Turns Dry
In a dry June, the water in your reservoirs and shallow wells concentrates fast. High sulfates and salts can pull cattle off…
Cattle
Rattlesnake Bites Hit the Nose First: Handling Snakebit Stock on Summer Range
Prairie rattlesnakes get active as the ground warms, and a grazing cow or a curious colt usually takes the strike on the…
Cattle
Grass Tetany Drops the Best Cows First on Lush Green Grass
Hypomagnesemia kills fast on fast-growing cool-season pasture, and it usually takes your heaviest-milking cows. Here's how to spot the risk and keep…
Cattle
Frothy Bloat on Lush June Pasture: The Death You Find Before Breakfast
Legume-heavy spring pasture can blow a cow up tight by morning. Here's how frothy bloat builds, what raises the odds, and the…
Cattle
Summer Pneumonia Hits the Calves You Thought Were Past the Risk
Bronchopneumonia in two- to four-month-old nursing calves shows up in the dog days, often after a cold rain or a long dusty…
Cattle
Foot Rot Shows Up in the Wet Spots: Catching the Limp Before It Costs You Pounds
Foot rot turns up every summer where cattle stand in mud and standing water. Catch the limp early, treat it clean, and…
Cattle
Anaplasmosis Drops Your Older Cows in Late Summer: The Tick-and-Fly Disease That Hides All Year
A carrier cow looks fine until the heat and the flies bring it out, and the cattle it hits hardest are your…
Cattle
Green Scum on the Stock Pond Can Kill a Cow by Morning
Blue-green algae blooms turn warm summer stock ponds toxic fast, and cattle that drink the wrong water can be dead before you…
Land & Grazing
Larkspur on the Foothill Pastures: The Plant That Kills Cattle in June
Tall larkspur greens up early on Montana foothill range and is most dangerous right through bud and bloom. Here's how to spot…
Cattle
Your Vaccine Is Only as Good as the Cooler It Rode In: Cold Chain and Clean Technique on Summer Working Days
You can buy the best modified-live product on the shelf and still vaccinate a whole bunch of calves with nothing. Heat, sunlight,…