November 2025 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN 19 are. Then, deworm your cattle, wait a few weeks and run another set of fecal samples. This will allow you to see if the dewormer is working. “Endoparasites are a concern because they’re going to compete for whatever those animals are consuming,” Cortiñas explains. “When cattle pick these up from the pasture in the late summer and early fall, the worms skip becoming adults. They actually go into a state of arrested development in the gut lining, or what we call hypobiosis. What we try to do is reduce the number of larvae, because otherwise they will wake up in the spring and they can cause big issues with our cattle and also then contaminate the pasture as they become adults.” If your egg count does not go down after applying the dewormer, it could mean a couple of different things. The dewormer could have been applied incorrectly or underdosed, or it could just be old. Perhaps the wormer was not the correct wormer to target those specific parasites. The bigger concern would be that the herd has developed a resistance issue. “We’re trying to get away from dosing every animal throughout the herd,” Cortiñas says. “We are leaning into looking at each animal and getting a good idea of what is going on in your herd. Are the worms a big or small problem? Our ranchers are starting to become aware of the need to be more selective in the way that we approach deworming, but still prioritizing deworming those animals that are young or sick.” It’s important to treat for parasites in all stages of life, but especially in younger animals that have not built up immune responses to worms. If you are keeping your weaned calves through the winter, consult with your vet to set up the best parasite control protocol for them. Ectoparasites Ectoparasites, or parasites that live on the outside of the animal, are typically more obvious to spot in your herd. Lice, mites and winter ticks are all common ectoparasites in cattle. Typical indicators of these can be excessive grooming in the animals, tufts of hair stuck on barbed wire from animals scratching (also known as tagging) and hairless patches on the animal’s body. “If animals are constantly itching and scratching, they’re not doing what they should be doing, which is eating, so we can see this have a big impact if not treated,” Cortiñas says. Parasite Control Methods When making your plan for parasite control, you have to determine what you are treating and from there you may have options in how to apply it. Many pour-on products are typically effective for both internal and external parasites. “White wormers” or oral applications are products that are targeted toward endoparasites. The third option is an injectable wormer. Whichever route you choose to go, proper application and dosage are the most important parts. “When we are processing cattle during that fall run, we really want to follow those Beef Quality Assurance protocols – proper vaccine handling, keeping the vaccine in a cooler and keeping it out of the sunlight, and then also understanding how to mix a modified-live vaccine and how long it is viable after mixing, so no more than one hour, otherwise that vaccine does not work,” Waechter-Mead explains. “Changing your needles regularly is an inexpensive thing to do, so I recommend not going more than 10 animals at a time before changing to a new needle. “When you think about how much money you put into those animal health products, and then obviously calves are worth a lot right now, so you want the product to work. If we just remember those proper handling protocols, then we’ll have better results.” Foot Rot Parts of Nebraska were blessed with much-needed moisture this year, but with that blessing came the increase of foot rot. It is important to determine if an animal is limping from foot rot or something else such as an abscess or injury. “Foot rot will present as swelling down along the coronary band where the hoof comes up to where the hair starts and also between the toes, causing the claws to spread apart,” Waechter-Mead explains. “It will appear red, and it’ll be really smelly. It is also very painful, causing acute limping. The best thing to do is talk to your veterinarian and get an exam to ensure that the treatment matches the diagnosis.” As you plow through the rest of the fall cow work, I hope you are blessed with good weather and healthy cattle. If you ever have questions about parasite control in your herd, reach out to your local veterinarian to customize a protocol that works best for you and your operation. ~NC~ There are many different options when it comes to wormers: pour-ons, injectables and “white wormers,” which are oral applications. Photo courtesy of Tressa Lawrence.
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