Health and Care

Keeping cattle healthy is a top priority for all beef producers. An adequate health program is one of the most important parts of any beef herd management plan.

On this page, you can learn more about applying good health management practices. Discover detailed information on beef cattle health, common cow diseases, cattle vaccines, and livestock transportation.

Beef Cattle Health Management

A health management program is extremely important for ensuring animal wellbeing and biosecurity. A solid health care plan can also improve a farm’s efficiency and profitability by reducing treatment costs and increasing animal performance.

Every beef cattle health program should be centered around three main aspects – prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Management strategies that producers should consider include monitoring nitrate intake and feed consumption, minimizing stress for the herd, and establishing a vaccination schedule. Check out our suggestion on how to use body scoring as a nutrition and health management tool.

Note that working closely with a veterinarian is critical for ensuring appropriate nutrition, accurate diagnosis, and suitable treatment.

Beef Cattle Vaccines

During their lifetime, cows develop two types of immunity – active and passive. Active immunity can develop as a result of an immunization plan or naturally through disease exposure. Passive immunity is passed from cow to calf in colostrum.

Vaccinating beef cattle can provide great advantages in preventing diseases and keeping the herd healthy. A complete vaccination plan is key to stimulating the immune system and helping the cow build the antibodies needed to provide passive immunity.

When creating a year-round herd health program, remember to consult with a local veterinarian. Poorly timed or inadequately chosen vaccines can do more harm than good and add extra stress to an (already sick) animal.

Common Beef Cattle Diseases

Beef cows can be affected by various diseases. In general, cattle raised in tight quarters – as well as animals living in stressful conditions – are more prone to diseases.

Common cattle health problems are grass tetany, foot rot, back leg, Johne’s disease, Haemophilus Somnus. Other bovine diseases, such as rabies, tetanus, and ketosis in cattle, are widespread as well.

Grass tetany is one of the most prevalent conditions in grazing cows and is characterized by low blood serum levels of magnesium. This is typically a result of severe magnesium deficiency in pastures and can lead to nervousness, muscle spasms, convulsions, collapse, and coma.

Other bovine disease types that might affect a beef herd are the bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC or ‘shipping fever’), infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), bovine leukemia virus (BLV), and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV).

Though currently not present in the US, Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is another viral disease that affects many cloven-hooved species. Most cases worldwide are identified by the development of clinical disease between 2 and 14 days after the initial infection.

Access Herd Health Resources

Many conditions and diseases can be prevented through proper cattle management, nutrition, and vaccination. Learn more about beef cattle health with Penn State Extension’s extensive collection of articles, webinars, workshops, and online courses.