Successful cattle producers have long recognized that fall is the time to pregnancy check cows before they get into the high maintenance costs of winter.
Dave Sparks, Oklahoma State University veterinarian, reminds producers that it just doesn’t make sense to put hundreds of dollars worth of feed, pasture, interest, health care and labor into a cow that is not going to bring home a paycheck next year. This is even more critical in these times of high feed, fertilizer, fuel and labor costs.
If that cow isn’t going to produce, why not replace her with one that will have a calf in the spring or save her part of your winter costs? Not only is now a good time to cull open cows before you spend the winter expenses, but they are probably in the best body condition and weight they will be in until the middle of next summer. A good theory is that every cow must bring in a check every year, either by selling her calf or selling herself. Far too many small to midsized cattle producers are saving pennies by not pregnancy testing while wasting dollars by not knowing which cows are open. Today, every beef producer has a choice of how to pregnancy check their cows.
The old standby for pregnancy checking is rectal palpation. In this procedure the veterinarian enters through the rectum and palpates the reproductive tract through the rectal wall. Sparks reminds producers that this should be done by an experienced food animal veterinarian. Sparks indicates that although prices vary, it should run about $3.50 to $4.50 per cow, depending on how many you have done. The accuracy of the test depends on the experience of the operator. One advantage is that the diagnosis is made immediately at chute side allowing the open cows to be marked or sorted off while they are gathered.
A newer technique is ultrasound pregnancy testing. This requires much more in equipment and training and not all food animal veterinarians employ this technique. The veterinarian inserts a slender probe into the cow’s rectum allowing the operator to “see” the reproductive tract on an ultrasound screen. Again, cost varies with area, operator and number of cows, but typically is about $10 per cow. Like rectal palpation, a chief advantage is that the diagnosis is immediate, eliminating the need to re-gather the cows to sort off the open individuals. Ultrasound will detect earlier pregnancies than most operators can detect confidently by rectal palpation and also may show pathological conditions that rectal palpation may miss.
A third option for producers is a relatively new blood test developed by researchers at the University of Idaho. This test detects, in a blood sample, the presence of a specific protein that is only produced by the placenta. It is very accurate and can detect pregnancy as early as 30 days post breeding. The cost of the test is $2.50 per sample, plus the cost of the blood tubes and needles and also the cost of the postage to send it to a lab. More information, including instructions for obtaining blood samples from your animals and ordering information for blood tubes and needles, can be found at www.biotracking.com.
A disadvantage is that it will take several days to be notified of the results so you probably will need to re-gather the cows to sort off the open ones. Another disadvantage is that it only tells you if the cow is pregnant or open and gives no indication of how far along the pregnancy is. Rectal palpation and ultrasound will indicate fairly closely what stage of pregnancy the cow is in.
Tulsa State Fair
Tulsa State Fair kicks off Sept. 27. A schedule for the activities at the 2013 Tulsa State Fair can be found at www.tulsastatefair.com.
Yard and Garden Tips
Crickets are quite the topic of discussion around our region currently. Crickets will accidentally invade homes, but only rarely will they reproduce there. The usual point of entry is through open or poorly fitted doors and cracks in doors, windows, foundations or siding. The factors that contribute to cricket invasions, and the damage they cause, vary among cricket species. The most common house-invading crickets are field crickets (Gryllus spp.), house crickets (Acheta domesticus), ground crickets (Nemobius fasciatus), camel/cave crickets (Ceuthophilus spp.), mole crickets (Neocurtilla hexadactyla).
Field crickets are the most common one in our current population. They are usually black and vary in length from 0.5 to 1.25 inches. The brownish-colored rear wings project back beyond the front wings like pointed coat tails.
Field crickets invade homes most often during the fall in response to cooler nighttime temperatures. They also are attracted to lights, and this often brings them into close proximity to buildings. Once inside, they may cause damage to items such as cotton, linen, wool, silk and fur. Materials soiled by perspiration or food are more likely to be damaged by crickets. These crickets also consume dead or dying insects, including their own species. At times, field crickets may also cause damage to field crops.
Crickets prefer to live in dark, protected locations behind or under objects and in cracks or crevices. They generally prefer cool, damp and dark habitats. Large populations may become established around buildings where these conditions are present. Minimize cricket habitat near your home by eliminating rocks, stacked boards, firewood, overgrown vegetation and other types of clutter.
Most crickets are active at night. Field and house crickets are strongly attracted to lights, while mole crickets are less responsive. Limit the use of outdoor lighting to minimize the attractiveness of your home to these types of crickets. You can use yellow lights, which are less attractive to insects than are white, neon or mercury vapor lights.
Cracks and crevices in and around the foundation are common openings that crickets use to gain entry into homes. They also enter buildings through open or poorly fitting doors, windows and vents. Repairs that eliminate these small openings will greatly minimize the risk of cricket invasions.
Because crickets are large, they are easily captured or killed indoors. Crickets should always be removed after killing them so they don’t serve as a food source for other insects like ants or beetles. Vacuum cleaners work well for removing living and dead crickets indoors. Sticky traps have also been used successfully to capture and kill crickets.
Cricket baits are particularly effective when applied indoors. Other over-the-counter insecticides can also be used indoors if the label specifically allows. Such insecticides should only be applied in cracks and crevices where crickets are suspected to be hiding. Spraying the air or applying insecticides to large, exposed surfaces is undesirable and mostly ineffective.
If you have eliminated outdoor cricket habitats and repaired cricket entry points but still have cricket invasions, insecticide treatments may be applied around the perimeter of your home to create a barrier against cricket invasions. Bait treatments can be especially effective when applied to the soil in a band between cricket habitats and the home.
Liquid insecticides also can be applied to the foundation and soil surface in areas of suspected cricket invasion. Create a treated zone covering an area starting 1 foot out from the foundation and ending 1 foot up from the soil surface. You should also apply the insecticide to basement window wells, crawl space vents and weep holes in brick veneer.
Sprays applied to bare concrete are absorbed and are not likely to have much of an effect on invading crickets. In this case, a bait formulation is more effective. Never use baits and liquid barriers together in the same zone.
Various over-the-counter insecticides have been approved for use in and around the house and list crickets on the label. Most of these are pyrethrins and pyrethroids. Always follow label directions, especially with regard to correct amounts and recommended methods of application. Follow safety precautions closely and use recommended safety equipment.
Insecticide treatments are only temporary solutions. You may need to repeat this procedure after the insecticide barrier dissipates if crickets continue to invade. You may also choose to hire a professional if the problem persists.