Alberta Beef Producers are reminding everyone about the disease prevention steps that can be taken during calving and bull sale season.
Kaley Edge, ABP’s Verified Beef Production Plus Coordinator and ABP Stewardship Lead, urges producers to clean and disinfect equipment and boots regularly when going over to a neighbour’s operation or into the sale barn. She points out that the Beef Cattle Research Council’s website has a great set of tools available.
She also notes that it is crucial to buy from herds with know health status. Edge says “we really are encouraging producers – A. No transmissible diseases like Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) status of the country you are traveling to. If you are in one of those FMD positive countries and are coming back after visiting and being in close contact with cattle, you would need to quarantine yourself is the recommendation. That’s also important to think about people coming to visit your operation and being aware of where they are coming from.”
During these critical times and high stress times, Edge adds, taking care of yourself and your herd is key. According to Edge, there are great resources available to access through organizations like Ag-Know or through Alberta Health.
