Cattle Chat

In this week’s episode of Cattle Chat, Bob Weaber interviews Dr. Stephan Hughes, a veterinarian from South Africa, while on a trip. Hughes shares how he started listening to Cattle Chat and how beef production differs in South Africa. They also talk about the different tools Kansas State University has that can enhance your operation, not only in the United States but also abroad. The team then transitions to a listener question about bull fertility. The experts emphasize the importance of testing your bull’s fertility, especially as he ages.  2:20 Dr. Stephan Hughes interview   8:25 KSU Resources  17:30 Listener Question: Bull Fertility   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 bci@ksu.edu. 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!

In this episode of BCI Cattle Chat, guest Dr. Cassandra Olds continues the discussion of Theileria, a tick- and fly-borne parasite affecting U.S. cattle herds. The team explains how it spreads from the East Coast westward, causes anemia-like symptoms, and persists for life in infected animals. They stress prevention through stress reduction, parasite control, and good nutrition, noting that no approved treatment exists. The conversation shifts to preparing heifers for breeding season, emphasizing pre-breeding exams, tracking weight and reproductive readiness, and managing nutrition to ensure early conception and lifelong productivity. Dr Cassandra Olds Contact Information: 34A Waters HallManhattan KS 66506Phone: (785) 706-8599Fax: (785) 532-6232 colds@ksu.edu

This episode of Cattle Chat features guest Dr. Cassandra Olds, an entomologist, who shares with the group about her research on Theileria, an emerging protozoan parasite in cattle. Dr. Olds explains that Theileria is tick‑borne but can also be spread by sucking lice, possibly stable flies, limited placental transmission, and contaminated needles or equipment, emphasizing single‑needle use and the difficulty of vector control. The conversation then shifts to winter hay feeding strategy: estimating cow weights and forage intake, testing hay quality, minimizing waste, cleaning up old hay to reduce stable fly breeding sites, and tracking bale disappearance over time to adjust feeding and prevent cows from losing condition. 4:11 Theileria 5:25 Theileria Transmission 17:01 Winter Feeding Strategies Hay Inventory Calculator | AgManager.info 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 bci@ksu.edu. 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!

On Cattle Chat this week, Dr. Bob Larson, representing the Academy of Veterinary Consultants (AVC), and guest Dr. Fred Gingrich, with the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP), discuss the work their organizations are doing. Anaplasmosis is also discussed, highlighting its transmission by ticks, the limitations of current control methods, and the importance of early veterinary intervention to manage the disease.

In this week’s episode of Cattle Chat, the experts discuss the evolution in the feedlot industry. They debate how producers used to calculate cost based on feed efficiency. The team also questions different cow-calf practices. Lastly, they debate whether or not you should have bigger cows with heavier weaned weight for your calves or if you should have smaller cows so there are more cows per acre, resulting in more calves being sold.   3:10 Evaluation in the Feedlot Industry  11:00 Questioning Cow Calf Practices  15:50 Bigger Cows vs Smaller Cows on Pasture   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 bci@ksu.edu. 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!

This week on Cattle Chat, our guest Caroline Wingert shares her research on jobs in rural communities and the challenges that come with living in rural areas. The experts also dive into a listener’s question of co-mingling bulls, how to prevent fighting, and different housing strategies. Lastly, they discuss how to tackle your bull-to-cow ratio.  2:47 Caroline Winger Research Update  9:30 Listener Question: Co-mingling bulls  16:23 Bull-to-Cow Ratio  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 bci@ksu.edu. 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!

On Cattle Chat this week, the experts discuss whether or not you could be taking records, making a plan, or both when it comes to your breeding season. After the discussion, the team talks about implementing your plan. When making your plan, what should you be looking for when saving back replacement heifers? They talk about how much age should play a factor when saving back your replacement heifers  4:31 Records or Plans  11:30 How to Implement a Plan 14:14 Saving Replacment Heifers  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 bci@ksu.edu. 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!

This week on Cattle Chat, our guest, Dave Maples, the Executive Director of the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association, joins us to discuss how the beef industry is integrated. Maples also shares how Kentucky is working with dietitians and how they are benefiting the beef industry. Lastly, they talk about food as medicine.   4:21 Integration of the Industry 8:18 Dietitian’s Role in the Industry 15:42 Food as Medicine  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 bci@ksu.edu. 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!

This week on Cattle Chat, one of our graduate students, Makenna Jensen, joined the team to update us on her research project. With Makenna graduating and starting a new job this spring, they also discussed new grad opportunities and the transition from college to joining a new community. Lastly, the group discussed how to evaluate new products that enter the market.  3:07 Research Update: Makenna Jensen  10:53 New Grad Opportunities  16:07 New Products: How to Evaluate  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 bci@ksu.edu. 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!

In this episode of Bovine Science, Dr. Phillip Lancaster brings an article that looked into the use of essential oils in feed rations. The experts go over this paper and the styles of research groups used for the experiment. Article Discussed: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0377840124000841