3 minute read

PROTEIN

EDITORIAL TEAM:

Brandi Bain, Andrea Dietel, Darcy Howard, Lisa Taylor

Sponsors

Thank you to all sponsors for supporting PAC & Protein Producers.

Animal Health International

Bimeda, Inc.

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health

Daniels Manufacturing Co.

DOCTalk

Huvepharma Inc.

Lallemand Animal Nutrition

Merck Animal Health

Micro Technologies

Neogen

Newport Laboratories

Norbrook

Zinpro Corporation

Zoetis

FRONT COVER PHOTO CREDIT

Thank you to Klaire Jorgensen for the photo from Jorgensen Farms in Exeter, Nebraska.

We want to showcase unique photographs from our readers here!

Please submit your photographs to protein.producers@ pacdvms.com.

Welcome to Protein Producers! The end of one year and the beginning of another allows us to reflect on our happenings but also look towards the start of a new chapter in the beef industry. As we look forward to 2022, we also want to remember the loved ones lost and count the so many blessings granted to us in 2021. This magazine is about being a part of a special family dedicated to producing food for mankind. Raising animals for food is a privilege afforded to very few people in this world today. We at Production Animal Consultation consider it a humbling honor to work with you in this journey.

All food animal industries are different, but they share the core values. Our three non-negotiable core values are safety of our people, animal health and welfare, and food safety for our consumers. Human safety starts with great mentoring, teaching, and care. We need to understand how to work with animals, equipment, housing systems, rolling stock, and so much more. We must understand with the increased pressure on the labor market, we will have to attract people that have never been on a farm but are willing to learn and work hard. We welcome all that want to be a part of our industry to our farms, feedlots, and ranches. It will take open minds and intense training programs to keep people safe while taking care of our stock and producing our food.

Animal health and welfare are core to supply chain sustainability. There are two reasons why animals get sick: an overwhelming dose of a pathogen or a suppressed immune system. We must manage animal stress through handling, proper horsemanship, feeding practices, shelter, shade, and so much more. We are seeing more and more beef on dairy crossbred animals coming into our facilities. These animals act differently, feed differently, and present stress or sickness differently than conventional beef cattle we receive in feedlots. What an exciting opportunity! Digestive disease in feedlot cattle represents an incredible opportunity to improve health and well-being on the back end of the feeding period as respiratory disease presents during the starter phase. Every day these animals are entrusted to our care is another opportunity to learn and move the needle on animal health.

Back on the ranch, stress management for our cows, calves, and bulls is central to adequate reproductive efficiency, performance, and health. Gathering animals done correctly does not elevate stress markers in cattle. But done incorrectly, gathering can increase the number of open cows and the number of sick calves. We have to take care of our bulls to be sure they are sound to breed cows while also developing a thorough checklist for the cows and calves prior to summer turnout. Once on the pasture, our management does not stop as we need to prevent stress and improve biosecurity against diseases such as pinkeye, anaplasmosis, and so many more.

We are blessed to produce food for our neighbors and live in rural America. Each day veterinarians, producers, packers, and retailers are partnering to make sure the food we produce is safe, wholesome, and nutritious. We sit down to the table to eat great beef recipes like the filet recipe shared this issue, and we always give thanks to our Lord for another meal and another day. Thank you to all for allowing PAC professionals to work with you every day.

We hope you enjoy this issue, and here’s to a safe and healthy 2022!

Dan Thomson, PhD, DVM Production Animal Consultation

Thank You

We want to thank the industry partners, publications, and associations who have pro vided content to Protein Producers . Also, a big thank you to our readers for supporting us, offering content, and helping us improve each issue. We could not do any of this without all of you! Disclaimer:

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