Deworming pays in most beef cattle operations

Source: Oklahoma Farm Report
Deworming can be one of the best management practices when it comes to a return on investment for your beef cattle operation. The director of field investigations at the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Gregg Hanzlicek explains that the use of dewormers can have a greater economic impact than many other management practices.
Hanzlicek believes that the key in effective control is strategic deworming, including when, what and which cattle. He adds that before and after you deworm your cattle, you need to be doing a worm count using what is called a fecal egg reduction test so you know if the dewormer product you are using is effective for the worms found in your herd. Hanzlicek says that if you don’t get a 75% reduction in egg count from before to after you need to consider changing the product and using one with a different active ingredient.
A strategic deworming plan can deal with those internal parasites. Then once you are on top of that problem, Hanzlicek says you need to also assess any problems you might have with external parasites, which at this time of year means lice. Prime lice season runs from November into early spring.
Take a listen to this edition of the Beef Buzz to learn more about your options in dealing with both internal and external parasites.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click below for this show and check out the archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.Ron Hays Beef Buzzes with Dr. Gregg Hanzlicek

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