62 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN March 2024 LEGENDARY SINCE 1971 ROZOL PRAIRIE DOG BAIT Build your legacy with the legendary Rozol® Prairie Dog Bait. Brought to you by Liphatech Ag, your Most Valuable Partner for effective rodent control. Rozol Prairie Dog Bait is a restricted use pesticide. WE HAVE YOUR BACKS, BARNS AND BOTTOM LINES. Abortions are a common symptom of a larger problem. “Sulfates are typically only an issue with cows eating a lot of distillers grains,” Kern-Lunbery says. “In those cases, we see neurological signs and poor performance in general – those ‘no turning back’ signs of polioencephaloWATER QUALITY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 60 good quality water,” Walz says. “This goes for range cattle and feedyard animals.” Keeping waterers clean eliminates microorganisms that will naturally accumulate from what Walz describes as “sloppy eaters” – feed and grain residue lingering in stagnant water won’t do your water quality any favors. Neither will allowing cattle to stand in ponds or streams on your property. “If your animals rely on ponds for water, fence them for drinking access only,” Walz advises. “Don’t let them spend the day at the pool!” Keeping other water sources clean of algae requires additional intervention. Cement tanks can be emptied and scrubbed as needed to deter algae growth, but bottomless tanks that are common in the Sandhills have no drains. For those tanks, copper sulfate treatments can be beneficial. Sampling Best Practices Offering water-quality testing services at Servitech and Ward Labs, Woodward and Kern-Lunbery recommend some best practices. “If you’re collecting a sample for bacteria analysis, contact your lab and ask for a sterile bottle. Otherwise, samples can be sent in a clean water bottle,” Woodward says. Kern-Lunbery advises a three-rinse process when using a non-sterilized bottle for sampling. “You can sample in any bottle but be aware that whatever was in that bottle before can contaminate your sample,” she says. “Rinse the bottle thoroughly before use and then rinse again three times in the water source before filling to ensure you’re capturing the most accurate sample.” Be sure to collect from flowing water, not stagnant areas, as this can skew results. If you are sending a sample in a reused bottle, be sure to close the lid tightly, tape around the lid and place it in a sealed plastic bag before shipping to avoid losing the sample due to leaks in transit. ~NC~ malacia (PEM). Unfortunately, it’s hard to pin down the root cause before you get to that point.” Cattle that graze on Brassica grass species and drink water that is high in sulfur can develop PEM signs as well. Management That Matters “Research has shown that cattle have lower gains when they’re not drinking
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