A longitudinal investigation of an outbreak of toe tip necrosis syndrome in western Canadian feedlot cattle.

This investigation followed a cohort ( = 21) of single-sourced Angus cross yearling heifers diagnosed with toe tip necrosis syndrome (TTNS). The animals were intensively followed for ~7 months, over which time 5 animals were euthanized because of intractable lameness or life-threatening sequelae such as cellulitis and myositis. Treatment consisted of systemic antimicrobial and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory therapy, removing the necrotic horn tissue to facilitate drainage, and relocating the cattle to an earthen-floor pen.

Disease Severity Estimates-Effects of Rater Accuracy and Assessment Methods for Comparing Treatments.

Assessment of disease severity is required for several purposes in plant pathology; most often, the estimates are made visually. It is established that visual estimates can be inaccurate and unreliable. The ramifications of biased or imprecise estimates by raters have not been fully explored using empirical data, partly because of the logistical difficulties involved in different raters assessing the same leaves for which actual disease has been measured in a replicated experiment with multiple treatments.

Greenhouse gas emissions during co-composting of calf mortalities with manure.

Composting may be a viable on-farm option for disposal of cattle carcasses. This study investigated greenhouse gas emissions during co-composting of calf mortalities with manure. Windrows were constructed that contained manure + straw (control compost [CK]) or manure + straw + calf mortalities (CM) using two technologies: a tractor-mounted front-end loader or a shredder bucket.