The Threat of Beef Heifer Mastitis

The Threat of Beef Heifer Mastitis

Article and Photo courtesy of Central Life Sciences

Cattlemen know that protecting their cattle operations from threats is essential to remaining profitable and productive. Heifer mastitis in beef herds is a potentially devastating threat for cattle herds, as it can quickly spread and have a significant impact on both animal health and your bottom line. Heifer mastitis, characterized by the inflammation and infection of one or more teats prior to the heifer’s first calf, can destroy the milk-producing tissues within the affected teats and often leads to the development of blind quarters. Blind quarters result in decreased milk production for life and will affect future calf weaning weights.

The first step in protecting your cattle against the damaging threat of heifer mastitis is understanding the disease and the role horn flies play. Then, you can better implement a plan to protect the future of your herd.

The Role of Horn Flies in Mastitis Spread

One of the key contributors to heifer mastitis is the presence of horn flies. These persistent insects are known to feed on the blood vessels in the skin of the teats, causing irritation and transferring mastitis-causing bacteria. Horn flies can carry these harmful bacteria from one animal to another, allowing the bacteria to enter the teat and move throughout the quarter, inflicting damage on the milk-producing tissues. The potential for the rapid spread of mastitis within a herd is supported by the horn fly’s close association with the herd and the need for frequent blood meals.

According to Dr. Steven Nickerson at the University of Georgia, 75% of retained heifer herds surveyed had incidences of heifer mastitis. If the herd had a fly control program, incidents of heifer mastitis dropped by 55%. By implementing an effective fly control program to help prevent cases of mastitis, you can improve the overall health of the herd and protect the future productivity of the heifers.

Implementing Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

An Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan is a decisive plan to control a pest that incorporates multiple forms of pest control. The IPM can be tailored based on the herd’s needs and limitations of labor, time or cost. The key component to any IPM program is PIE – Plan – Implement – Evaluate. Planning your IPM can start with identifying your unique needs and the target pest. Once a plan is created, implement the IPM for your herd and evaluate it to adjust it as needed effectively. Cattle producers can ensure optimal herd performance and well-being while contributing to a healthier bottom line by utilizing a targeted Integrated Pest Management plan.

To have an effective IPM program, one should include the following tactics:

  1. Evaluate the horn fly population by on-animal counts. While establishing a solid Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program is crucial, monitoring is just as vital. Regularly assessing fly populations on the cattle with population estimates or fly counts allows cattle operators to evaluate and fine-tune their strategies. The economic threshold for horn flies on beef cattle is 200 horn flies per animal. Control methods must be implemented when populations exceed 200 per animal to avoid impacting the herd’s bottom line.
  2. Protect the horn flies’ natural enemies. Avoid spraying general insecticides and limit the use of systemic pour-on endectocides to help conserve the naturally found dung beetles and other predatory beetles that feed on the larvae found in the manure pats. By protecting the horn flies’ natural enemies, cattle producers can utilize biological control as an eco-friendly approach to pest management.
  3. Rotate the Mode of Action. When using topical insecticides like insecticidal ear tags, sprays, and pour-ons, rotate the Mode of Action, not the active ingredient, to avoid contributing to the horn fly populations’ genetic insecticidal resistance.
  4. Be preventative. Use a targeted preventative product, like Altosid® IGR, a labor-free feed-through fly control product.

Targeted Horn Fly Treatment Program

Altosid® IGR is a feed-through fly-control solution containing the active ingredient (s)methoprene, mimicking a unique biochemical in insects responsible for insect development. When fed to heifers in their daily mineral supplement, Altosid® IGR moves through the digestive system and treats their manure, effectively controlling the horn fly population by treating where horn flies develop. In more than 30 years of use, there have been no known cases of insecticide resistance to Altosid® IGR. Altosid® IGR is effective in controlling horn flies that are resistant to organophosphates and pyrethroids commonly used in conventional topical horn fly control products.

By controlling horn flies, producers can take the first step to reduce the occurrence and impact of heifer mastitis and blind quarters in their herd. By implementing a targeted horn fly treatment program established around the preventative control of Altosid® IGR, producers can keep cattle healthy and productive now and for years to come.

Trust the first and proven feed-through for horn fly control that delivers proven ROI. For more information, visit AltosidIGR.com.

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