In the news we have heard time and time again that you need to social distance in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This is true, viruses don’t spread by themselves, they need a host (humans, in this case) to spread.
Same goes for cattle. BVDv doesn’t just decide “may you all go to Hell, I’m going to Texas” and pack up it’s bag and travel from Tennessee to a feedyard near Amarillo. It needs a host in order to do that, in this case it’s a good looking 450lb steer.
Once at the feedyard, this 450lb steer is now exposing 300 head to BVD, causing decreased weight gain, increase cost of gain and so on.
If only there were a way to socially distance that PI animal.
Luckily, you could test incoming cattle for BVD-PI animals. Once you find one, you can isolate the animal, or “social distance” in other words, to prevent BVD from spreading and negatively impacting your operation.
Follow us as we explore what COVID and BVD have in common and how we can take what we have learned from COVID and apply it to our beef operations.
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