COW-CALF CORNER | May 2, 2022
The Cow Herd Numbers Game
Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist
Through mid-April, beef cow slaughter is up 16.9 percent year over year; a surprisingly strong rate of cow slaughter for this time of year. This likely reflects continuing drought impacts carried over from last year, combined with very strong cull cow prices and limited forage prospects going forward. The fast pace of cow slaughter thus far implies the likelihood of significant beef cow herd liquidation in 2022. Liquidation is expected to continue in the first half of the year unless drought conditions improve immediately and significantly. Cow slaughter could moderate late in the year if early culling and overall lower cow numbers result in lower seasonal slaughter in the fall.
However, the numbers tell the story. The current pace of beef cow slaughter suggests an annual beef herd culling rate of 13.8 percent, a record in data back to 1986. The beef cow inventory would likely decrease by 4 percent year over year with the January 1, 2023, inventory dropping below 29 million head. This would be the largest annual beef cow herd decrease since the mid-1980s. The current beef cow slaughter pace will probably not continue all year. In order for annual beef cow slaughter to average, say 13 percent higher year over year, average beef cow slaughter for the remainder of the year would have to average 11.6 percent. In that example, net beef herd culling would still be over 13 percent this year. The result would likely be a January 1, 2023, beef cow inventory in the vicinity of 29.0 million head, down over 3.5 percent year over year. If annual beef cow slaughter equaled last year’s nine percent year over year increase, slaughter would have to average 6.1 percent higher year over year for the remainder of the year. That level of decrease in the slaughter rate (from the current 16.9 percent rate) seems unlikely at this point. In this case, the net herd culling rate would be just under 13 percent (though still a record level) and the 2023 beef cow herd could be roughly 29.2 million head, down about three percent year over year.
All of these outcomes depend on drought in the coming weeks and months. Dramatic and immediate improvement in drought conditions could allow the industry to avoid these rather dire results. The next few months will likely have impacts on the cattle industry for several years. Drought conditions that result in the levels of liquidation described above would also prevent retention of replacement heifers. This implies that, if conditions do not improve until late this year or into next year, better conditions in 2023 would, at best, allow the industry to stabilize inventories and lay the groundwork to begin recovery in 2024 at the earliest.
There is, however, some optimism. As May begins, we are seeing some rainfall in parts of western Oklahoma that have seen very little moisture in six months. The latest Climate Prediction Center seasonal drought outlook map now shows prospects for some drought improvement in the Plains, though drought is expected to continue. The next few weeks are critical.
Cattle Vaccination-Why is it so Hard to Understand?
Rosslyn Biggs, DVM Beef Cattle Extension Specialist and Director of Continuing Education and Mark Z. Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist
As one considers animal disease threats it is easy to look for a simple solution in hopes that a single shot of antibiotic or vaccine will correct or prevent the problem. In many cases, there is the thought that one can simply vaccinate out of a problem. When creating vaccination plans expectations must be realistic. Vaccination should be viewed as a tool to achieve overall herd health. Vaccination plans serve to mitigate risk of disease in a herd.
Animal diseases are often incredibly complex, and no vaccine is 100% effective 100% of the time. Vaccination plans are only one pillar in an effective herd health program and should be viewed as a mechanism to minimize risk of disease. Biosecurity, nutrition, and other animal husbandry measures are all management strategies critical in supporting the immune system and establishing protocols where vaccines can contribute to decreasing infectious disease.
A competent and supported immune system in cattle creates the foundation for an animal to appropriately respond to both a vaccination and a disease challenge. The immune system and its’ response to disease is also complex. There are numerous factors that influence immune competency such as: stress, nutrition, genetics, age, and pregnancy status. Housing, weather, and exposure to disease can also influence the immune system. It is important to remember that protection against disease is not immediate. The immune system must be given time to respond to the vaccination.
Each animal will react to vaccination differently and the level of protection following vaccination is not always equivalent across all members of a group. Vaccinations are generally most effective when administered in low times of stress and in advance of exposure to an infectious disease agent. To achieve the best overall herd immunity, all cattle within a group should be vaccinated at the same time. This approach also helps in the protection of those animals that have a poor immune response to the vaccine. In many cases, natural exposure to a disease agent may augment an animal’s response to vaccination and protective coverage. However, it is not recommended to rely solely on natural exposure in lieu of an initial vaccination and subsequent boosters.
The duration of immunity, or how long protection lasts, is based on a variety of factors and can be highly variable even amongst members of the same herd. Although some vaccinations, such as brucellosis vaccination in heifers, afford lifelong protection most vaccinations require an initial dose followed by a series of boosters. Even though vaccine reactions are infrequent, they can occur, and plans should be in place to respond as needed. Producers should work with their veterinarians to establish operation specific vaccine programs and follow vaccine label directions at the direction of their veterinarian.
It is important to remember that not all vaccines are created equal and will not prevent illness every single time. The complexity of animal pathogens along with the complexity of an animal’s immune system influence the effectiveness of vaccines. Vaccines are a tool in mitigating risk of disease but should not be relied upon solely for protection. Producers should focus on the overall scope of their operation management practices specific to the group of cattle being vaccinated to get the most out of dollars spent.
Supplying Water Needs for Beef Cattle
Paul Beck, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Nutrition Specialist
With areas of our state having extended drought conditions, many of our ground water sources are drying up. This can force cattle to consume water from sources they would normally avoid. Cattle can only survive a few days without water and addressing the water needs of cattle is a complex process depending on water quality, weather patterns, time of day, feed moisture content, and animal factors such as bodyweight and stage of production. Water intake and feed intake are closely related, so water shortages will impact productivity not only because of the water requirements but also because of decreased consumption of other nutrients. For example, cattle in the Southeastern US were provided unrestricted access to water, had 48-hour water restriction before shipment to a Texas Panhandle feedlot, or had alternating 24-hour periods of water restriction over 7 days prior to shipment. Dehydration increased short-term measures of stress after transport and performance was reduced during the initial two-weeks at the feedlot in water-restricted calves. This research shows that relatively short periods of water restriction, common in our livestock marketing channels, can have impacts beyond the time of the restriction.
Common water quality issues for cattle include fecal and bacterial contamination, nitrates, hardness, salinity, and total dissolved solids (which includes salt, calcium, magnesium, phosphates, silica, and sulfates). Cattle consuming water with salt or total dissolved solids greater than 10,000 ppm have reduced growth and increased water consumption so that urinary output could increase in order to expel the increased total salt intake. It is recommended that nitrites in livestock water be limited to < 33 ppm, nitrates < 45 ppm, sulfates < 300 ppm, and total dissolved solids < 1,000 ppm but livestock can often withstand higher levels of contamination, depending on other factors.
To achieve guidelines all sources of water should be sample and analyzed for nitrate, sulfate, and total dissolved solids; blending water from multiple sources may reduce potential quality issues; avoid stacking risks of sulfur and nitrate risk factors by sampling and analyzing forages and byproduct feeds used on the ranch.
Estimates of water intake by feedlot cattle include daily feed intake, daily maximum and minimum temperatures, wind speed, solar radiation, season of the year, and temperature-humidity index. Peak water demands by heavy cattle near finish during the summer can exceed 20 gallons per day the majority of which is consumed between 5 am and 9 pm. A 550-pound grazing calf consumes up to 12 gallons per day, but this occurs in a much more limited time due to grazing patterns and distance traveled to water. It is important to not only consider average water consumption over a season when developing water resources and planning watering systems, but also consider drinking behavior, timing of water consumption, and maximum daily water needs.
Glenn Selk discusses water needs of cattle on a classic Cow-Calf Corner from SunUp TV.