BROOKINGS — A group of SDSU Extension professionals and veterinarians is seeking information on beef cow death losses occurring now through calving season.
Losing beef cows with or without clear causes of death is a frustrating reality that many beef cattle producers face across the state and nation. Several environmental, nutritional and infectious circumstances can be involved; oftentimes the causes are not apparent when animals are found, leaving the losses a mystery.
“Our cow-calf producers put so much work and resources into breeding and maintaining the cows in their herds,” said Russ Daly, SDSU Extension Veterinarian and State Public Health Veterinarian. “Any death loss represents a huge financial cost to that operation. We really hope to take this basic information about the animals and their environments and see what trends emerge. We can then drill down on those factors, with a goal of determining interventions that can help prevent some of these