10-2 NWR Pre-conditioning

This is your Northwest report for Wednesday, November 2nd, I'm David Sparks and believe it or not winter is not far away complete with colder temperatures. Those of you in the Northwest who are in the ranching business need to be aware that in order for your cattle to make it through the cold months, some vaccinations are in order. With cattle coming in off pasture, cows and calves will be separated and weaning calves from their mothers can be very stressful. During that time, calves are particularly vulnerable to pneumonia which is highly contagious. In fact, one sick calf can infect as many as 50 others in their immediate environment. The good news is that vaccinations can protect cattle from respiratory infections as well as other health problems. Veteran and knowledgeable ranchers can vaccinate themselves or alternatively, have their veterinarian perform the vaccinations. Zoetis veterinarian Dr. Che Trejo uses a term called pre– conditioning to help keep animals healthy during the weaning process.

And a belated happy Halloween to those of you involved in sugar production. According to Agri-Pulse.com a survey conducted for National Confectioners Association,, Americans spent about $2.7 billion this year on Halloween candy, supporting 55,000 jobs in the industry, and another 410,000 Americans employed in candy-supported industries like retail, transportation and agriculture.