Beef 2007 08

Contains a selection of White Papers, commissioned to better inform the exploration of cattle welfare. These are prepared by notable experts in their field, to help provide factual context around selected topics that impact cattle welfare and production systems. Covers all aspects of cattle use in an accessible style, making this a must have volume for anyone interested in cattle welfare or cattle medicine. Provides an in-depth picture of the distinctive beef and dairy cattle welfare practices and issues, covering topics such as behavior, breeding and genetic manipulation, nutrition and feeding, housing and management, health and disease, and transport and slaughter. Written by acknowledged leaders in animal science, veterinary science, philosophy and animal welfare, presenting a truly multidisciplinary perspective on cattle welfare. Includes a section on understanding and managing animal welfare in both beef and dairy cattle, discussing how cattle perceive the world, animal handling and pain mitigation, and how to assure that the cows have a reasonably good life. The Welfare of Cattle offers an accurate, detailed account of the ethical and welfare concerns related to the human use of cattle. There is currently no significant book dealing with the welfare of cows, animals often seen as archetypal paradigms of 'farm animals'. Covering both beef and dairy cattle, the expert authors provide in-depth information on the husbandry roots of traditional agriculture, the replacement of this system of stewardship by an industrial model, and the resulting welfare challenges associated with industrial agriculture: feedlots, highly industrialized dairies, and slaughterhouses killing huge numbers of animals who have been transported great distances. This important book explores in detail the ways in which people who are providing care for cattle can take their first step, or their next step, toward enhancing the welfare of these animals.

Beef cow-calf production in the U.S. is widespread, occurring in every State. Nearly 765,000 farms, about 35% of the 2.2 million farms in the U.S., had a beef cow inventory in 2007. Most of these were small, part-time operations. This study examines the structure, costs, and characteristics of beef cow-calf producers. Many small operations are "rural residence farms" that specialize in beef cow-calf production, but their income from off-farm sources exceeds that from the farm. Most beef cow-calf production occurs on large farms, but cow-calf production is not the primary enterprise on many of these farms. Operators of beef cow-calf farms have a diverse set of goals for the cattle enterprise. Charts and tables. This is a print on demand report.

This issue of Veterinary Clinics: Food Animal Practice, guest edited by Drs. Amelia Woolums and Douglas Step, focuses on Bovine Respiratory Disease. This is one of three issues each year selected by the series consulting editor, Dr. Robert A. Smith. Articles in this issue include, but are not limited to: BRD from the 20th century to now: has anything changed?; Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida: how are they changing in response to our efforts to control them?; Mycoplasma bovis: what characteristics of this agent explain the disease that it causes?; Histophilus somni: antigenic changes relevant to BRD; The microbiome and BRD; Viruses in Bovine Respiratory Disease in North America: Knowledge Advances Using Genomic Testing; The Immunology of Bovine Respiratory Disease: Recent Advancements; Host tolerance to infection with the bacteria that cause bovine respiratory disease; How does nutrition influence BRD?; How does housing influence BRD?; Diagnostic tests for BRD; Details to attend to when managing high risk cattle; BRD Vaccination: MLV vs Killed? IN vs Parenteral? What is the evidence?; Timing of BRD Vaccination; Causes, significance, and impact of BRD treatment failure; The effect of market forces on BRD; and The future of BRD management in the era of precision agriculture, rapid DNA sequencing, and bioinformatics.

In this issue, guest editors bring their considerable expertise to this important topic. Provides in-depth reviews on the latest updates in the field, providing actionable insights for clinical practice. Presents the latest information on this timely, focused topic under the leadership of experienced editors in the field. Authors synthesize and distill the latest research and practice guidelines to create these timely topic-based reviews.