Ticks Deadly to Cattle in Ohio

haypoint · #1 05/01/12, 03:11 PM

Date: Tue 17 Apr 2012

Source: WLWT-TV [edited]

<http://www.wlwt.com/health/30909010/detail.html>

Ticks are spreading a blood disease among cattle in Adams County, raising alarm for farmers in the area. Anaplasmosis is deadly to about half the cows that contract the disease, and 5 farms in the southern Ohio county reported cases last year [2011].
"I had not heard of it, and I've had cattle all my life," said a farmer. "We lost 4, had 7 cases of it."

Caleb Grooms, owner of Chapparel Feeds in West Union, said the disease is primarily spread by ticks and flies. "It hasn't been here very long," Grooms said. "The 1st cases were confirmed in 2011 in Adams County, (and) we've already had some confirmed cases here in 2012."

The warm spring is raising concerns that insect populations will rise, and some areas are already reporting an explosion in the tick population. The disease can be transmitted to humans, bringing flu-like symptoms, but it is rarely fatal.

ramiller5675 · #2 05/01/12, 03:34 PM

That's why you need to feed a good quality mineral to your cattle that contains Aureomycin (CTC) and an IGR to help control flies.

If you are raising "antibiotic-free" beef I don't know what you can do.

G. Seddon · #3 05/01/12, 04:08 PM

Get a herd of guineas.

myersfarm · #4 05/01/12, 06:13 PM

that sounds like ONE TICK OR ONE FLY passed it to the cows

as in the one ticks pass lime disease to humans

I do not see how I could keep my cows from being beaten by a single tick or fly...yes i give the mineral to stop biting flys but that really just cuts them down

I just feel so sorry for the ones dealing with this

ramiller5675 · #5 05/01/12, 06:25 PM

Cattle Diseases - Anaplasmosis

"...Chlortetracycline also known as CTC can reduce the risk of anaplasmosis. Chlortetracycline (CTC) consumed at the rate of 0.5 mg / lb. body weight daily during fly and tick season will help to prevent anaplasmosis. A consistent intake of the correct amount of mineral is crucial to a anaplasmosis prevention program. CTC is available in medicated feed, free choice salt-mineral mixes or medicated blocks..."

myersfarm · #6 05/01/12, 06:44 PM

Ramiller yes as I stated I feed it in my Wind and Rain Mineral and have for 5 or 6 years now but i still have ticks and still have biting flies... weither new ticks come off deer and the new flys come from the neighbors i do not know..

.but I have not figured out what to keep ticks off me , either in 15 years

but Chlortetracycline also known as CTC can reduce the risk of anaplasmosis.....CAN REDUCE ...

if it only takes one though

tinknal · #7 05/01/12, 06:56 PM

This is only new in certain places. I lived in Montana 30 years ago and it was common there then. Of course we only saw a half a dozen cases a year among several thousand head.

tinknal · #8 05/01/12, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myersfarm

that sounds like ONE TICK OR ONE FLY passed it to the cows

as in the one ticks pass lime disease to humans

I do not see how I could keep my cows from being beaten by a single tick or fly...yes i give the mineral to stop biting flys but that really just cuts them down

I just feel so sorry for the ones dealing with this

Yes, but if only one out of a thousand carry the disease and you eliminate 99% of them your cattle are much safer.

myersfarm · #9 05/01/12, 07:11 PM

tinknal yes thats why I buy the GOOD STUFF.... I was just saying..what else could you do..
.to stop it completely..
.and the owners are helpless to stop it.
..with back rubs.
.mineral
and everything else you can do and still it might pop up its head

ramiller5675 · #10 05/01/12, 07:41 PM

You can't do anything to eliminate anaplasmosis or stop ticks and flies from biting, but the antibiotic will help your cattle fight off any infection that might result from getting bitten by a tick that carries anaplasmosis.

tinknal · #11 05/01/12, 07:54 PM

I pulled 2 embedded deer ticks off myself yesterday and I'm in the middle of lyme country so yeah, I'm sweating LOL

allenslabs · #12 05/01/12, 08:28 PM

What is a good tick idea for my pet cow Evie? She is right here by the house in 3 acres of woods as the 3 acres of grass just didn't work on her (she just sat by the fence wanting in with the other cows and didn't eat much and lost weight) but we have ticks crazy! And I have 11 guineas running free range. I feed that Purina Wind and Rain mineral. Is there something I can put on her??? Not so worried about pesticide free as I am looking at a cow that isn't miserable with ticks buried in her.

Cindy in KY · #13 05/01/12, 09:32 PM

We use Selsin Blue as a body and hair wash to keep the ticks off of us. It really works as it is sulfur based and also anti-fungal. Remember the old wives tale that if you eat the top off a match every day, bugs won't bite you? It's sulfur.

There is sulfur dust you can dust the cows with, pretty harmless. We don't have any ticks on our cows, really never had them on the horses or cows. We have slight sulfur in our well (can't taste it) and it's good water. We have not had to use anything on them except DH uses a diluted spray of Selsin Blue on the milk cow for flies. For some reason Windex makes a good fly spray and is not toxic too. We don't like toxic stuff.

The Selsin Blue will also get rid of rain rot, hot spots, dry skin, etc. It's great stuff really. I wish it came in gallon jugs, I would put some in the laundry.

Ivomec keeps ticks off, I know that. But I don't know how toxic it is for the milk with a milk cow. We have never used it on the cows.