By Natalie Jones
Twenty-five years ago, a collaboration between a Sandhills ranch family, a rural veterinarian and University of Nebraska–Lincoln researchers led to a management innovation that transformed how cattle producers prevent calf scours. Known today as the Sandhills Calving System, the approach has become one of the most widely recommended strategies for preventing neonatal calf diarrhea — a disease that historically caused significant illness, death loss and treatment costs in beef calves.
The system was first developed through a partnership between Tim Knott, a veterinarian in Arthur, Nebraska; Mart and Cindy McNutt at the McNutt Ranch west of Tryon, Nebraska; and former Husker veterinarians David Smith and Dale Grotelueschen.
Together, they sought a practical solution to outbreaks of calf scours that many ranchers across the Great Plains faced during the spring calving season.
“When you lose 10% of your calf crop and it starts hurting your financial business because you’re spending so much money trying to save them, you get willing to try something different,” Mart McNutt said.
Rather than relying solely on medical treatment, the team focused on changing how cattle were managed during calving.
Source : unl.edu