Agricultural News
Dr. Rosslyn Biggs on Why Having a Biosecurity Plan in Place is So Important for Producers
Wed, 28 Oct 2020 11:09:01 CDT
Having a biosecurity plan in place should be a big priority for cattle producers, says Dr. Rosslyn Biggs, OSU beef cattle extension specialist, and College of Veterinary Medicine director.
Radio Oklahoma Agriculture Network Associate Farm Director and Editor KC Sheperd talked with Dr. Biggs about how the Covid 19 pandemic has been a good life lesson on understanding the importance of biosecurity, "The Thing about the coronavirus that's really brought to the general conversation is things like epidemiology, contact tracing, how diseases, in particular viruses, spread from one infected person or animal to another and measures that we can take to prevent the spread of disease."
Biggs says now is the time to be prepared with a biosecurity plan, but it will need to be tailored to fit each producers own operation. She says it's one of the most important things a producer can do, "biosecurity, in my mind, should be right upfront. Because at the end of the day, it's going to save money, but you're also ensuring the health of your herd as well a the state and national herd by practicing those biosecurity measures, and it's something that takes some time, but its time well spent."
In addition to having a biosecurity plan, producers are encouraged to consider ultrahigh-frequency ear tags. US Cattletrace has these tags, and they are a nonprofit producer-driven effort to allow us to trace disease using the high tech ear tags, "For the beef industry, it is just what makes sense. It's going to be the technology that allows us that traceability really at the speed of commerce. We've got to be able to have real time data, and this will allow us to do that, Biggs said.
For many producers, this can increase efficiencies by giving them real-time data by merely scanning the tag, "They are getting that real-time data to be able to do things like I'm going to scan the tag and instantly know what medications or treatments this particular animal has had and make some choices immediately without having to do second-guessing."
Click on the LISTEN BAR below to hear more from Dr. Rosslyn Biggs.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
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