Summer is nearly here and as cattle move to grass, we have a few considerations for you to keep in mind. From the pasture to the plate, we are all responsible for assuring consumers can take pride in the beef they purchase, and have trust and confidence in South Dakota’s beef industry.
About BQA
Your checkoff investment provides the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program that collaborates common sense husbandry techniques and accepted scientific knowledge to raise cattle under the best management and environmental conditions to provide safe, wholesome, quality beef to the consumer’s plate.
The BQA Program is the beef industry’s voluntary quality control program, It serves to maximize consumer’s confidence, and the acceptance of beef by focusing producer’s attention on day-to-day management practices including safety, quality, and wholesomeness of beef and beef products.
Antibiotic Stewardship
Antibiotic stewardship is an extremely important piece of BQA. Cattle producers work to continuously improve how antibiotics are utilized in order to protect both human and animal health.
As producers it is important to develop protocols; have proper diagnosis; read labels; change needles often (every 10-15 head, if a needle bends or breaks, or entering a vaccine bottle); utilize proper administration equipment; keep accurate records including withdrawal times; and utilize proper handling and storing techniques (keep antibiotics refrigerated, out of direct sunlight, follow expiration dates, and discard any unused doses.) See A Beef Producers Guide for Judicious Use of Antimicrobials in Cattle for additional tips.
Summer BQA Considerations
The summer heat can also impact quality. Here’s a checklist:
- Prevention is key – make sure cattle have adequate space, access to clean water, shade and increased ventilation
- Extreme heat conditions exist when temperature and humidity are at levels where heat index is 100 degrees or higher
- Avoid hauling and handling cattle between 11a.m.-4 p.m. (hottest part of the day)
- Cattle’s water requirements will double during heat stress (1000-lbs steer will consume 1.5 gallons of water per hour)
- Fly control/manure management
Click here to see more...