Bovine Science with BCI

This episode examines research exploring why some cow-calf producers adopt written grazing management plans while others do not. The study was motivated in part by sustainability goals aimed at improving grazing land management, soil health, water infiltration, and drought resilience through more structured planning. Researchers analyzed survey data from producers across the United States to identify factors associated with both written grazing plans and intensive grazing practices. Results showed that larger land holdings were associated with a greater likelihood of having a grazing management plan, while larger herd sizes were somewhat less likely to adopt one. Producers using rotational or management-intensive grazing systems were also more likely to have written plans, suggesting that planning and intensive grazing management often go hand in hand. The study found relatively few strong demographic influences, indicating that adoption is driven more by management style and operational goals than by age or experience alone. One of the most important findings was that producers with either a mental or written grazing plan were more likely to achieve positive returns over off-farm feed costs than those with no grazing plan at all. Operations that regularly evaluated and updated their plans also showed stronger economic performance. The discussion emphasizes that written grazing plans do not need to be rigid prescriptions, but rather flexible tools that help producers track forage resources, adjust management over time, and make more informed decisions. Overall, the research suggests that thoughtful grazing planning can benefit both ranch profitability and long-term resource stewardship.

This discussion examines a research study focused on improving long-term profitability in cow-calf operations through better heifer selection. The study used economic modeling and field data to evaluate three key factors: feed efficiency, longevity, and heterosis (hybrid vigor). Results showed that cows with greater genetic diversity consistently generated higher returns, largely due to improved reproductive performance and overall herd productivity. Longevity also played a critical role, as cows that remained productive in the herd longer were able to spread their development costs over more calves. However, the study revealed that heterosis had a larger impact on profitability than longevity alone when multiple factors were considered together. Feed efficiency, measured as the ability to maintain condition on less forage, also contributed positively to economic outcomes, particularly during winter feeding periods. An important takeaway is that assumptions from feedlot cattle efficiency do not always translate directly to grazing cows due to differences in diet and digestion. The discussion also emphasizes the importance of crossbreeding strategies, warning that repeatedly using similar genetics can reduce hybrid vigor over time. Overall, the episode highlights that strategic heifer selection—focused on genetic diversity, reproductive success, and efficiency—can significantly improve herd profitability over the long term.

This episode explores a research study evaluating whether sterile saline can effectively replace phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) for collecting samples used in Tritrichomonas PCR testing. The discussion highlights a non-inferiority trial design, which differs from traditional statistical approaches by testing whether one method is not meaningfully worse than another. Researchers created controlled samples with varying concentrations of organisms and compared detection results using both saline and PBS.Results showed no significant difference in detection performance between the two media, and saline met the criteria for being “not inferior” to PBS. This finding is important because saline is more readily available and easier to use in field conditions for veterinarians.The discussion also explains how PCR cycle threshold values work and why small differences can matter depending on diagnostic cutoffs. However, the applicability of these findings depends on the specific testing method, as saline may not perform as well in DNA-based PCR due to potential degradation. Overall, the study provides practical insight into improving diagnostic efficiency while emphasizing the importance of understanding both statistical methods and biological relevance in veterinary research.

This discussion explores the concept of systems thinking in beef cattle production and how it expands beyond traditional population medicine approaches. Systems thinking focuses on understanding how multiple interconnected factors—such as nutrition, environment, disease exposure, and management practices—interact over time to influence herd health and productivity. Many cattle health and performance issues develop gradually, often involving delayed cause-and-effect relationships that can span months or even generations. The approach also recognizes that cattle may pass through multiple owners or environments, meaning problems observed in one setting may have originated earlier in the system. Rather than targeting a single cause, systems thinking addresses multifactorial “syndromes” where several influences combine to create outcomes like disease or poor reproduction.Key elements include ensuring proper nutrition, maintaining good environmental conditions, and aligning management decisions—such as breeding timing—with forage availability. The concept emphasizes that yearly outcomes are interconnected, with current management decisions affecting future herd performance. In stocker operations, additional complexity arises from combining cattle from different sources and managing land across multiple production cycles. Practically, systems thinking encourages producers to identify “pinch points” such as water access, cattle arrival stress, and housing conditions. Ultimately, it provides a framework for long-term problem solving, focusing on improving the entire production system rather than reacting only to visible health events.

This case study from a bovine science discussion examines a sudden and alarming incident in which 12 cows and 2 calves died within 12 hours of routine pre-weaning processing. Initially, the deaths raised concerns about vaccine reactions, toxic exposure, or handling stress, but the pattern of mortality did not align with typical causes. Adult cows, which only received topical parasite treatment, were more affected than calves that received vaccines, further complicating the diagnosis. A necropsy revealed elevated sodium levels in brain tissue, pointing to water deprivation as the underlying issue. Investigation of the environment uncovered that while a water source existed, access had been unintentionally blocked when a gate was left closed during processing. High temperatures and a dry pond exacerbated the situation, leading to rapid dehydration and neurological symptoms in the cattle. Surviving animals displayed abnormal behavior such as aggression, crowding in shade, and signs of severe dehydration. Recovery efforts required carefully controlled rehydration to prevent additional complications like cerebral edema. The case emphasizes the critical importance of ensuring continuous water access, especially when altering animal environments during handling.

In this week’s episode of BCI Cattle Chat, the team discusses research on reducing heat stress in feedlot cattle and best practices for managing calf scours. Guest Maddie Mancke, a PhD candidate, explains her study comparing morning feeding with nighttime feeding to see whether shifting digestion-related heat production to cooler hours would benefit cattle. The results showed no performance differences, indicating night feeding could be a practical option without harming cattle. The experts also answer a listener’s question about calf scours, emphasizing that treatment should begin quickly when calves show signs of dehydration or depression. They stress that prevention through clean calving environments and separating newborn calves from older calves is the most effective way to reduce scours outbreaks. 4:03 Research Update: Maddie Mancke  16:52 Scours Management  For more on BCI Cattle Chat, follow us on X at @ksubci, Facebook, and Instagram at @ksubci. Check out our website, ksubci.org. If you have any comments/questions/topic ideas, please send them to [email protected]. You can also email us to sign up for our weekly news blast! Don’t forget, if you enjoy the show, please go give us a rating!

Dr. Philip Lancaster and Dr. Brad White sit down and discuss how to manage the nutrition of mature bulls to keep them healthy during the offseason and working hard after turnout time. Tune in to this episode of Bovine Science with BCI to learn more.

Multisire pastures and how do we manage them throughout the breeding season. Find out on this episode of Herd Health with Dr. Bob Larson and Dr. Brad White to learn more. 

Multiple bulls are in a dry lot pen in the off season. One bull starts to act depressed and maybe bloated. Listen to Dr. Matt Miesner and Dr. Brad White discuss this case and how to deal with this issue on this episode of Bovine Science with BCI.

Join Dr. Brian Lubbers and Dr. Brad White as they discuss a paper looking at Effect of a dairy farmworker stewardship training program on antimicrobial drug usage in dairy cows. View the full paper here After the Abstract is recorded with the goal of assisting veterinarians in the interpretation of scientific literature.  This podcast is not an endorsement of specific practices and medical decisions should only be made in consultation with your veterinarian.

Join Dr. Philip Lancaster and Dr. Brad White as they discuss how to get more grazing days and how to be more efficient with the forage you have available. Tune in to this episode of Bovine Science with BCI to learn more.

It’s spring! For a spring calving herd its full optimism. New calves on the ground getting ready to start growing and thriving; until pre-weaning disease hits. Find out on this episode of Herd Health with Dr. Bob Larson and Dr. Brad White to learn more.  To read more: Improving Beef Calf HealthBiosecurity Practices in Western Canadian Cow-Calf Herds and their Association with Animal Health

50 first-calf heifers out grazing in early spring still being fed hay every other day. All the heifers looked normal but the next day 4 heifers were dead. What happened? Tune into Tox Talk with Dr. Brad White and Dr. Scott Fritz to find out. The toxicology website and Bovine Sciences with BCI podcasts have been sponsored in part through a veterinary services grant that Dr. Scott Fritz, Dr. Steve Ensley and Dr. Bob Larson have received to share more toxicology information and examples for people to understand what to submit and how to submit. Another part of that grant has been working with people and producer in the field.

Join Dr. Brian Lubbers and Dr. Brad White as they discuss a paper looking at Economic Impacts of Lameness in Feedlot Cattle. View the full paper here After the Abstract is recorded with the goal of assisting veterinarians in the interpretation of scientific literature.  This podcast is not an endorsement of specific practices and medical decisions should only be made in consultation with your veterinarian.

17 cow-calf pairs are in a dry lot. When all of a sudden the calves start developing neurologic signs and begin to die. What happened? Tune into Tox Talk with Dr. Brad White and Dr. Scott Fritz to find out. The toxicology website and Bovine Sciences with BCI podcasts have been sponsored in part through a veterinary services grant that Dr. Scott Fritz, Dr. Steve Ensley and Dr. Bob Larson have received to share more toxicology information and examples for people to understand what to submit and how to submit. Another part of that grant has been working with people and producer in the field.

Join Dr. Brian Lubbers and Dr. Brad White as they discuss a paper looking at Does swab type matter? Comparing methods for Mannheim hemolytic recovery and upper respiratory microbiome characterization in feedlot cattle. View the full paper here After the Abstract is recorded with the goal of assisting veterinarians in the interpretation of scientific literature.  This podcast is not an endorsement of specific practices and medical decisions should only be made in consultation with your veterinarian.

What’s the impact of vaccinating beef and dairy cattle for bacterial pathogens? Find out on this episode of Herd Health with Dr. Bob Larson and Dr. Brad White to hear what they have to say about vaccinating.  To read more: Systematic review of vaccine efficacyEvidence-Based effectiveness of vaccination Systematic review and network meta-analysis of bacterial and viral vaccinesSystematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of commercially available vaccines

A very valuable first calf heifer who had her calf earlier this spring was out with the bulls. Last week she seemed to be doing fine and was with the rest of the heifers. The next day she was found dead. What happened? Tune into Tox Talk with Dr. Brad White and Dr. Scott Fritz to find out. The toxicology website and Bovine Sciences with BCI podcasts have been sponsored in part through a veterinary services grant that Dr. Scott Fritz, Dr. Steve Ensley and Dr. Bob Larson have received to share more toxicology information and examples for people to understand what to submit and how to submit. Another part of that grant has been working with people and producer in the field.

Join Dr. Philip Lancaster and Dr. Brad White to learn more about managing bull nutrition throughout their lifetime on this episode of Bovine Science with BCI.

Join Dr. Brian Lubbers and Dr. Brad White as they discuss a paper looking at Short Communication: Circadian variations and day-to-day variability of clinical signs used for the early diagnosis of pneumonia within and between calves. View the full paper here After the Abstract is recorded with the goal of assisting veterinarians in the interpretation of scientific literature.  This podcast is not an endorsement of specific practices and medical decisions should only be made in consultation with your veterinarian.

Pregnancy rates and calving season timing are really important factors for success in beef cow-calf herds. To learn more about pregnancy rates and calving season timing tune in to this episode of Herd Health with Dr. Bob Larson and Dr. Brad White to hear what they have to say about Bob’s favorite topic reproduction. To read more: Herd Level Factors Associated with Pregnancy Success and Distribution in Beef Cow-Calf HerdsNo Evidence for a Negative Association Between Bovine Leukemia Virus Status and Fertility in Kansas Beef Herds: a Cross-Sectional Study

A frequently asked question is-are cattle seasonally breeders why or why not? Tune in to this episode of Herd Health with Dr. Bob Larson and Dr. Brad White to hear what they have to say.

A frequently asked question is what do we do with those bulls that were previously good and mature. Then when it’s time to test them for their Bull Soundness Exam they have gone bad. Tune in to this episode of Herd Health with Dr. Bob Larson and Dr. Brad White to learn more.

Winter is often meeting season and at meetings there are opportunities to hear some of the latest findings and research. Join Dr. Brad White, Dr. Phillip Lancaster and Dr. Bob Larson to learn what interesting abstracts they have heard.  

Join Dr. Philip Lancaster and Dr. Brad White as they discuss thin cows in this episode of Bovine Science with BCI. Learn more about thin cows, when you see they are thin, how to get them to gain weight and how to get the cows back to where they need to be with tools and techniques.

It’s late summer and it’s time to get the bulls ready for the fall breeding season. There were 25 breeding bulls housed together in a pasture since they had been working in the spring. It is time for their routine breeding soundness exam prior to placement with the fall herd. Only half of them passed the breeding soundness exam and many of them had poor semen quality. What happened? Tune into Tox Talk with Dr. Brad White and Dr. Scott Fritz to find out. The toxicology website and Bovine Sciences with BCI podcasts have been sponsored in part through a veterinary services grant that Dr. Scott Fritz, Dr. Steve Ensley and Dr. Bob Larson have received to share more toxicology information and examples for people to understand what to submit and how to submit. Another part of that grant has been working with people and producer in the field.

It’s late February, a cow-calf client who finished calving, about a week ago, was riding through the pasture and found a comatose unresponsive calf. After a quick call about this two week old heifer the producer decides to bring her into the clinic. Listen to Dr. Matt Miesner and Dr. Brad White discuss this case and how it was handled.

It’s early November, the cows have just come off grass and turned onto cornstalks. The weather is cool and the cows were grazing well until the next day. Four cows were found dead by the producer. What happened? Tune into Tox Talk with Dr. Brad White and Dr. Scott Fritz to find out. The toxicology website and Bovine Sciences with BCI podcasts have been sponsored in part through a veterinary services grant that Dr. Scott Fritz, Dr. Steve Ensley and Dr. Bob Larson have received to share more toxicology information and examples for people to understand what to submit and how to submit. Another part of that grant has been working with people and producer in the field.

In this episode of Herd Health Dr. Bob Larson and Dr. Brad White discuss calf scours – one of the most frustrating syndromes producers face. Dealing with a herd that has had a lot of issues last year resulting in sick calves and some that succumb to scours. Changing the environment and the producer comes in to make some changes this year.

50 cows were grazing on cornstalks with a creek and woods running through it. On Sunday afternoon 9 younger cows were found dead by the producer with no previous clinical signs. By Monday when the veterinary arrives they find 6 more cows dead, 3 animals that were actively aborting and one with neurologic signs. What happened? Tune into Tox Talk with Dr. Brad White and Dr. Scott Fritz to find out what happened.

When raising replacement heifers what kind of rate of gain should a producer look for, what are their options for raising those heifers and what does the research tell us about how those decisions will impact not only the herds pregnancy rate but the bottom line. Join Dr. Philip Lancaster and Dr. Brad White as they discuss replacement heifer development in this episode of Bovine Science with BCI.

It’s late January the wind is blowing and it’s cold. There is a 6 year old purebred Simmental cow that calved about 3 months ago. The owners have been watching her for a few days because she is on and off feed and jumpy. They are debating whether or not to take her in to the veterinarian. They decide to bring her in. Listen to Dr. Matt Miesner and Dr. Brad White discuss this case and how it was handled.

Join Dr. Brian Lubbers and Dr. Brad White as they discuss a paper looking at lower respiratory tract microbiome and resistive of Bovine Respiratory Disease mortalities.   View the full paper here After the Abstract is recorded with the goal of assisting veterinarians in the interpretation of scientific literature.  This podcast is not an endorsement of specific practices and medical decisions should only be made in consultation with your veterinarian.

Processing went well. Right after weaning 35 calves were processed with no problems and completed in record time. The next morning 4 were dead. What happened? Tune into Tox Talk with Dr. Brad White and Dr. Scott Fritz to find out what happened.

Hay prices are up and in some parts of the country hay is in short supply; which leads to the question how can I extend the grazing season? Join Dr. Philip Lancaster and Dr. Brad White as they discuss the grazing season in this episode of Bovine Science with BCI.

In this episode of Herd Health Dr. Bob Larson and Dr. Brad White discuss heifer raising gone wrong with keeping replacement heifers in the herd and what producers can do to manage their herds.

Join Dr. Brian Lubbers and Dr. Brad White as they discuss a paper looking at factors associated with bovine respiratory disease case fatality in feedlot cattle. View the full paper here After the Abstract is recorded with the goal of assisting veterinarians in the interpretation of scientific literature.  This podcast is not an endorsement of specific practices and medical decisions should only be made in consultation with your veterinarian.

To learn more about using spreadsheets in everyday life listen in with Dr. Bob Larson and Dr. Brad White to learn more.

Today is October 9 a prefect day for fall grazing, 75 cows are turned into a new pasture. The next morning 58 are dead. What happened? Tune into Dr. Brad White and Dr. Scott Fritz to find out what happened.

Calves are balling in the pen, they have been weaned. One accomplishment checked off, but now it’s time to figure out their nutrition requirements in the early stages of weaning. Join Dr. Philip Lancaster and Dr. Brad White as they discuss managing weaned calves nutrition in this episode of Bovine Science with BCI.

To hear more about adding value to pregnancy testing listen in with Dr. Bob Larson and Dr. Brad White to learn more. View the discussed links visit here:Evaluating Information Obtained from Diagnosis of Pregnancy Status of Beef HerdsPregnancy Analytics App Spreadsheet

Join Dr. Brian Lubbers and Dr. Brad White as they discuss a paper looking at a randomized clinical trial evaluating a farm-of-origin autogenous Moraxella bovis vaccine to control infectious pinkeye in beef cattle. View the full paper here After the Abstract is recorded with the goal of assisting veterinarians in the interpretation of scientific literature.  This podcast is not an endorsement of specific practices and medical decisions should only be made in consultation with your veterinarian. 

50 cow/calf pairs were turned into a new pasture midway through the summer. The next day every cow looked gaunt and one was dead. What happened? Tune into Dr. Brad White and Dr. Scott Fritz to find out what happened.

In this episode of Bovine Science with BCI, we are talking about replacement heifer development. Join Dr. Philip Lancaster and Dr. Brad White as they discuss nutrition and what their targets are for replacement heifers.

An older cow. A diagnosis of leukosis. A conformation of bovine leukosis virus. What’s next? What does that mean for this herd? Dr. Bob Larson and Dr. Brad White dive into the case to figure out what happened. View the discussed links visit here:Cross-sectional study No evidence for a negative association

A three year old Angus bull is turned out into the breeding pasture in May. During a weekly check the client notes a bull is away from the cows. With a closer examination some of the cows were in heat. Why would the bull be off by himself? He gets him up and sees a problem. Listen to Dr. Matt Miesner and Dr. Brad White discuss this case and how it was handled.

In January you moved 300 head of cow calf pairs to a new field. Before you know it, two are dead and two more are head pressing. What could be causing this? How would you react? Listen to this episode of Tox Talk with Dr. Scott Fritz and Dr. Brad White as they break down this case.

In this episode of Bovine Science with BCI, we are talking about methane. Join Dr. Phillip Lancaster and Dr. Brad White as they discuss statistics, recent research, and the role the beef industry plays in the methane cycle.

Spring is in the air, feedlot calves are gaining steady, and everything seems perfect, until 3 head are found dead. Could this have been avoided? Find out on this episode of Tox Talk.

Join Dr. Brian Lubbers and Dr. Brad White as they discuss a paper looking at the longitudinal effects of enrofloxacin or tulathromycin use in preweaned calves at high risk of BRD. View the full paper here: Longitudinal effects of enrofloxacin or tulathromycin use in preweaned calves at high risk of bovine respiratory disease on the shedding of antimicrobial-resistant fecal Escherichia coli