Cattle Operations Research Articles

House Fly (Diptera: Muscidae): Biology, Pest Status, Current Management Prospects, and Research Needs

AbstractThe house fly, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae), is a global pest of humans and animals that carries scores of pathogens and costs up to $1 billion per year in the United States alone. Information is reviewed on recognition, distribution, biology, dispersal, and associations with microbes. Particular challenges of managing flies in different animal systems are discussed for swine, poultry, dairy cattle, beef feedlot, and equine operations. Effective fly management requires diligent monitoring and integration of cultural control, especially manure management, with mechanical control, traps, conservation or augmentative biological control, and judicious use of insecticides. House fly is notorious for developing insecticide resistance and its resistance status is summarized as of August 2020. Several critical research needs are identified. Monitoring systems and nuisance/action thresholds need improvement. Faster-killing strains and better formulations are needed to integrate pathogens into Integrated Pest management (IPM) programs. The use of parasitoids remains an inexact science with many questions remaining about species selection and release rates. New attractants are needed for use in traps and attract-and-infect/kill strategies. Screening of new active ingredients for toxicity should continue, including a rigorous assessment of essential oils and other botanicals. Rising global temperatures may affect the balance of the fly with natural enemies. An understanding of the fly microbiome may reveal unknown vulnerabilities, and much remains to be learned about how flies acquire, retain, and transmit human and animal pathogens. System-specific research is also needed to tailor fly IPM programs to individual animal systems, especially in organic and free-range animal production.

Transitioning from conventional continuous grazing to planned rest-rotation grazing: A beef cattle case study from central Texas

Debate on the superiority of rotational or continuous grazing continues, but proponents of each call for additional research to enhance grazing management decisions. The short-term impact of transitioning from continuous grazing to an alternative grazing system is not well understood even though the transition can require substantial changes in infrastructure and management decisions related to forage availability, grazing duration and livestock movement, forage planting, and supplemental feeding. The objective of this five-year case study in a humid, subtropical environment was to evaluate real-world challenges and opportunities for beef cattle operations transitioning from conventional continuous grazing to a planned rest-rotation grazing system. The experimental data and observations (i.e., forage production, diet quality, cattle response, economics, and soil health) showcased that management changes under the planned rest-rotation system had potential for increased annual forage production, improved soil health (on cultivated grazed paddocks with multispecies forage crops, but not on grassland), and reduced costs; however, conventional continuous grazing produced higher body condition scores for cows and higher revenue. Average annual profits (~US$5.32 ac⁻¹ [US$2.15 ha⁻¹]) were similar for both grazing systems considering all economic factors. Key lessons learned and challenges faced include the difficulty of no-till establishment of cool-season multispecies forage in cultivated grazed paddocks and the importance of adequate fertilization of supplemental forage crops and dietary supplementation in the cold season.

Impact of Garlic-infused Salt Supplement on Fly Abundance, Salt Intake, and Defensive Behaviors in Grazing Beef Cows

This study evaluated the efficacy of free-choice feeding of garlic-infused salt as an alternative pest-fly control strategy in grazing beef cows. This on-farm study is relevant because pest-fly abundance during the summer can impact performance and may cause welfare concerns on beef cattle operations. Over two consecutive summers, three groups of grazing cows received either a trace-mineral salt (TMS) supplement or a TMS infused with garlic powder (GPTMS). The study assessed the treatment effects on fly abundance, defensive behavior, and salt consumption for each group. All cows grazed similar forage species. Fly abundance and defensive behaviors were evaluated in each group using digital imagery. The results showed no difference (P = 0.34) in monthly salt consumption among groups. There were differences (P < 0.0004) in fly abundance among groups where one GPTMS group had at least 47% fewer flies and 41% fewer defensive behaviors than the TMS groups. On the other hand, another group that received GPTMS in the second year indicated a trend (P = 0.07) in fly abundance from its previous outcomes when the group received the TMS in the first year. These differing results for fly abundance and defensive behavior in the groups that received the GPTMS suggest that the efficacy of this feeding strategy in cattle may be affected by differences in genetic or environmental factors or both. We recommended that future studies consider genomic breed compositions before assigning subjects to different groups. Additional studies are required to investigate the variation in individual supplement intake between treatment groups and whether infusing mineral supplements with garlic powder is associated with similar outcomes as salt.

Antimicrobial resistance in Mannheimia haemolytica: prevalence and impact.

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in North American beef cattle. In recent years, isolation of strains of Mannheimia haemolytica that are resistant to multiple different classes of antimicrobials has become commonplace. New research would suggest that the routine use of antimicrobials by some cattle operations might be driving emerging resistance patterns, with the majority of the spread observed due to propagation of strains of M. haemolytica that have acquired integrative conjugative elements. To date, there is little information evaluating the impact of antimicrobial resistance on clinical outcome in cattle with BRD.

66 Overview of Different Cattle Finishing Facilities: Economic Summary and Future Innovations

Abstract Environment and weather may have a significant impact on feedlot cattle growth. Most U.S. feedlot cattle are finished/fed in open-mound, dirt lots. Historic closeout data conclude that cattle performance has been optimal when finishing cattle in well groomed, dry, dirt mound lots. However, weather challenges including excessive heat, cold, or moisture conditions negatively impact cattle performance. Past attempts to provide shelter for finishing feedlot cattle with buildings/sheds have often yielded subpar finishing cattle growth expectations when compared to well-groomed dirt mounds. Improved cattle housing designs including building ventilation and flooring types are being utilized in many Northern Plains and Midwest cattle operations during the last decade. This symposium will address current designs, management issues, economic considerations and future improvement challenges for finishing cattle housing systems. Performance and economics comparing various cattle breeds and varied in-weights throughout finishing period in differing cattle facilities will be evaluated. Comparison of expected and realized performance of finishing cattle when housed in bedded barns, conventional scrape yards with sheds and cattle comfort finishing shelters will be reviewed.

PSVII-13 Mineral feeder design impacts frequency of use in grazing beef cattle

Abstract Trace minerals are essential for many biological and metabolic processes and often supplemented ad libitum to grazing beef cattle. However, research has shown large variations in individual intakes. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of mineral feeder design on visitations and intake. In a crossover experimental design, beef cattle operations (n = 5) were randomly assigned to treatment sequence (lid status) and each evaluation period occurred for 5 – 7 days. Browning game trail cameras (Prometheus Group LLC, Birmingham, AL) were used to record time lapse pictures at 2-minute intervals from sunrise to sunset. Time was categorized as morning (≤10:00), mid-day (10:01 – 14:00), afternoon (14:01 – 18:00) and evening (>18:00). Activity was categorized as eating mineral, standing, lying or other within 0.5 m of feeder. Effects of farm, treatment, and time were analyzed using the GENMOD procedures of SAS 9.4 and mineral intake data were analyzed using PROC GLM. There were significant effects of farm (P < 0.001), treatment (P < 0.007), time (P < 0.001), and the treatment by time interaction (P < 0.001) for the numbers of cows and calves eating. Different herd sizes likely contributed to the significance of farm. Data were further analyzed using PROC FREQ. Of the animals eating, more cows and calves were observed eating with the lid removed (59.1% and 61.7%, respectively). However, average mineral disappearance did not differ (P = 0.57) by treatment (50.4 kg vs. 42.0 kg). Regardless of treatment, more cows were observed eating during the morning and afternoon (35% and 34.8%, respectively) than in the evening (10.3%). Similarly, more calves were categorized as eating in the morning and afternoon (29.3% and 41.3%, respectively) than in the evening (14.1%). These preliminary results indicate that feeder design may impact visitation of cows and calves but not average mineral disappearance.

Antimicrobial use data collection in animal agriculture.

Antimicrobial drug use can contribute to the emergence of antimicrobial drug-resistant organisms; therefore, judicious use of this important category of drugs is critical in both human and animal medicine to slow the development and spread of resistance. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is committed to advancing efforts to implement good antimicrobial stewardship practices in veterinary settings as part of our mission to protect human and animal health. In order to understand the drivers of resistance in veterinary settings and assess the impact of interventions designed to slow the development and spread of resistance, it is vital to have access to scientifically sound data on antimicrobial use and resistance. In 2016, FDA awarded funds in the form of cooperative agreements to support pilot projects for the collection of farm-level antimicrobial use data in animal agriculture. These funded data collection efforts are intended to provide needed information on antimicrobial use practices in various animal production settings and to inform the development of long-term strategies for collecting and reporting such data in a sustainable and nationally representative manner. Data were collected from records of participating dairy and feedlot cattle operations, swine companies, and broiler and turkey companies. Information from the first 2years of the pilot projects is presented in this special issue, along with discussions related to challenges of collecting and reporting antimicrobial use data.

Prevalence and Multidrug Resistance Profiles of Escherichia coli in Dairy Farms

Calf diarrhoea, commonly occur in cattle herds, impacting on the economic viability of cattle operations. A total of 72 calves under 6-months of age, 38 exotic breeds (50% Holstein-Friesian X 25% Jersey X 25% Ogaden) from a dairy farm and 34 local breeds from the Veterinary Clinic, were studied.

Molecular Screening of Certain Virulence Encoding Genes Associated with E. coli Strains Isolated from Diarrheic Calves

Calf diarrhea is main causes of mortality among neonatal calves in large-scale cattle operations. The disease syndrome usually associated with severe economic losses. Bacteria represent the common causes of diarrhea in calves. In this study, we are collected one hundred fecal samples from diarrheic mixed-sex neonatal calves aged 1-60 days located at El-Behera Governorate were examined the presence of E. coli by bacteriological tests and further screened for the presence of some virulence encoding genes. Results were showed that 95% were positive for E. coli. The isolates belonged to 9 different serogroups namely O1, O27, O126, O119, O158, O146, O25, O148, and O115. The confirmed isolates were further examining for the existence ofsome virulence encoding genes (stx1, stx2, eaeA, and hlyA). The results appeared that,stx1, stx2, eaeA, and hylA were successfully amplified in 66.6 %,41, 6 %,16.6 %, and 16.6% of the examined isolates, respectively. In conclusion; the comprehensive understanding of the virulence encoding determinants and the subcellular mechanism of E. coli pathogenesis will help develop accurate preventive and curative measures to decrease E. coli induced calf diarrhea in large-scale cattle farms.

Environmental Influences of High-Density Agricultural Animal Operation on Human Forearm Skin Microflora.

The human forearm skin microbiome ecosystem contains rich and diverse microbes, which are influenced by environmental exposures. The microbial representatives can be exchanged between human and environment, specifically animals, by which they share certain or similar epidermal microbes. Livestock and poultry are the microbial sources that are associated with the transmission of community-based pathogenic infections. Here, in this study, we proposed investigating the environmental influences introduced by livestock/poultry operations on forearm skin microflora of on-site farm workers. A total of 30 human skin swab samples were collected from 20 animal workers in dairy or integrated farms and 10 healthy volunteer controls. The skin microbiome was 16S metagenomics that were sequenced with Illumina MiSeq system. For skin microbial community analysis, the abundance of major phyla and genera as well as alpha and beta diversities were compared across groups. We identified distinctive microbial compositional patterns on skin of workers in farm with different animal commodities. Workers in integrated farms containing various animals were associated with higher abundances of epidermal Proteobacteria, especially Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter, but lower Actinobacteria, especially Corynebacterium and Propionibacterium. For those workers with frequent dairy cattle operations, their Firmicutes in the forearm skin microbiota were enriched. Furthermore, farm animal operations also reduced Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, as well as modulated the microbial biodiversity in farm workers’ skin microbiome. The alterations of forearm skin microflora in farm workers, influenced by their frequent farm animal operations, may increase their risk in skin infections with unusual pathogens and epidermal diseases.

Differentiating causes of neonatal calf enteritis to enhance management and prevention

There are numerous different agents that cause infectious enteritis in neonatal calves. Although each of these agents have some unique features, the pathophysiological effects on calves can be grouped into 2 categories that are useful in establishing appropriate treatment protocols and management guidelines. One group includes the viral pathogens rotavirus and coronavirus plus the protozoal agent Cryptosporidium. These are non-invasive, cause diarrhea with associated fluid and electrolyte loss that responds well to fluid therapy and are not affected by antibiotic treatment. The other group includes bacterial pathogens that cause different pathophysiologic changes including significant inflammatory response and invasion beyond the intestinal lining. The differences between these groups should guide treatment methods and help establish realistic prognostic expectations and preventive practices. Most affected calves are treated by the workers on a cattle operation. Educating these workers about clinical signs of disease that distinguish between causes of neonatal enteritis could help guide more successful treatment and more judicious antibiotic use.

Evaluation of parasite resistance in a beef cattle operation with use of extended-release eprinomectin for 3 years

ABSTRACT Objective Our objective was to determine whether parasite resistance to extended-release eprinomectin was present in an operation after 3 yr of eprinomectin use. Materials and Methods Fall-born Angus × Simmental heifers (224 ± 22 d of age; 171 ± 17.8 kg initial BW) were stratified by d −2 fecal egg count (FEC) and BW and assigned to 1 of 9 groups (7 heifers per group). Groups were then assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: extended-release eprinomectin (ERE; n = 3), extended-release eprinomectin and oxfendazole (ERE+O; n = 3), or saline control (CON; n = 3). Throughout the experiment, FEC and packed cell volume were evaluated 6 times, and a fecal egg reduction test was conducted on d 28. Results and Discussion There was a treatment × time interaction (P Implications and Applications Based on the fecal egg reduction test (>90%), parasite resistance was not present in an operation after 3 yr of use of extended-release eprinomectin.

Structural and Technical Properties of Some Dairy Cattle Operations in Kütahya

Bu çalışmada, Kütahya bölgesinde faaliyet gösteren süt sığırı işletmelerinin yapısal özelliklerinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu kapsamda hayvancılık işletmelerinin yoğun olduğu bölgelerde faaliyet gösteren 100 adet süt sığırı işletmesinde yüz yüze anket yöntemi ile anket çalışması yapılmıştır. Süt sığırı barınaklarının yapısal ve teknik özellikleri işletme sahiplerine sorulan sorular çerçevesinde araştırılıp, uygunluk durumları belirlenmeye çalışılmıştır. Çalışma sonuçlarına göre, araştırma alanında bulunan işletmelerin %58’i küçük ölçekli ve %9’u büyük ölçeklidir. İncelenen süt sığırı işletmelerinde barınakların %46’sı projesiz olarak tamamen geleneksel yöntemlerle tasarlanırken, %14’ü kurumsal destek ile teknik uzmanlar tarafından hazırlanan projeler ile kurulmuştur. İncelenen süt sığırı barınaklarının %93’ü kapalı, %4’ü kısmen açık ve %3’ü ise serbest açık yetiştirme sistemini kullanmaktadır. Barınakların %26’sında hayvan başına düşen ortalama alan 5 m2 ya da altındadır. Günlük süt verimi ortalaması 18.25 kg gün-1 baş-1 olarak belirlenmiştir. İşletmelerin %17’sinde hiçbir yardımcı yapı yoktur. Yardımcı yapıların olmadığı işletmelerin çoğu geleneksel eski ahırları kullanan küçük aile işletmeleridir. Çalışmada sonuç olarak incelenen süt sığırı barınaklarının yapısal durumu birkaç modern işletme dışında gerek standartlar gerekse hayvan refahı açısından uygun olarak planlanmadığı belirlenmiştir.

Model-driven spatial evaluation of nutrient recovery from livestock leachate for struvite production

Nutrient pollution is one of the major worldwide water quality problems, resulting in environmental and public health issues. Agricultural activities are the main source of nutrient release emissions, and the livestock industry has been proven to be directly related to the presence of high concentrations of phosphorus in the soil, which potentially can reach waterbodies by runoff. To mitigate the phosphorus pollution of aquatic systems, the implementation of nutrient recovery processes allows the capture of phosphorus, preventing its release into the environment. Particularly, the use of struvite precipitation produces a phosphorus-based mineral that is easy to transport, enabling redistribution of phosphorus to deficient locations. However, livestock leachate presents some characteristics that hinder struvite precipitation, preventing extrapolation of the results obtained from wastewater studies to cattle waste. Consideration of these elements is essential to determine the optimal operating conditions for struvite formation, and for predicting the amount of struvite recovered. In this work, a detailed thermodynamic model for precipitates formation from cattle waste is used to develop surrogate models to predict the formation of struvite and calcium precipitates from cattle waste. The variability in the organic waste composition, and how it affects the production of struvite, is captured through a probability framework based on the Monte Carlo method embedded in the model. Consistent with the developed surrogate models, the potential of struvite production to reduce the phosphorus releases from the cattle industry to watersheds in the United States has been assessed. Also, the more vulnerable locations to nutrient pollution were determined using the techno-ecological synergy sustainability metric (TES) by evaluating the spatial distribution and balance of phosphorus from agricultural activities. Although only struvite formation from cattle operations is considered, reductions between 22% and 36% of the total phosphorus releases from the agricultural sector, including manure releases and fertilizer application, can be achieved.

Melatonin attenuates 17β-trenbolone induced insomnia-like phenotype and movement deficiency in zebrafish

17β-trenbolone (17β-TBOH) is one of the dominant metabolites of trenbolone acetate, which is widely applied in beef cattle operations around the globe. The effects of environmental concentrations of 17β-trenbolone on the early development of zebrafish embryos have received very little attention. Melatonin could regulate sleep-wake cycle and plays a protective role in various adverse conditions. Here, environmentally realistic concentrations of 17β-trenbolone (1 ng/L, 10 ng/L, 50 ng/L) has been exposure to zebrafish embryos at 2 h postfertilization (hpf). The results showed that 10 ng/L and 50 ng/L 17β-trenbolone disturbed the distribution of caudal primary motoneurons and downregulated expression of motoneuron development related genes along with locomotion decreasing. While melatonin could recover the detrimental effects caused by 17β-trenbolone. Interestingly, 17β-trenbolone exposure increased waking activity and decreased rest even in a low dose (1 ng/L). Moreover, it upregulated hypocretin/orexin (Hcrt) signaling which promotes wakefulness. Melatonin restored the insomnia-like alternation induced by 17β-trenbolone exposure. Collectively, we conclude that 17β-trenbolone disturbed motoneuron development and altered sleep/wake behavior, while melatonin could alleviate the deleterious influence on motoneuron development and recover the circadian rhythm.

Review of respiratory pathology for field clinicians

For all various production methods, bovine respiratory disease has been described as the most common, causing the greatest production loss. With the current increasing scrutiny on the prudent use of antimicrobials, a definitive diagnosis has increased in importance. In commercial cattle operations, buiatricians are rarely called to attend to individual animals with respiratory disease. More often, we are tasked with a problem in a herd or a cohort of that herd. Almost spontaneously part of that task becomes making necropsy diagnoses. Examination of the respiratory tract at necropsy includes dissection of the upper respiratory tract, thorax, and abdomen. Explanations for clinical disease are usually evident with an extensive gross dissection of the aforementioned areas. In many cases the use of diagnostic support like histopathology, microbiology and molecular diagnostics, like immunohistochemistry, may be critical to outline changes to the management of the problem.

Evaluation of the efficacy of commonly used disinfectants against isolated chlorine-resistant strains from drinking water used in Egyptian cattle farms.

Background and Aim:Drinking water of poor microbiological quality contains high percentages of microbes causing outbreaks of mainly coliform-related diseases. These microbes could be controlled by many hygienic standards including disinfection, but disinfectants misuse causes the developing of disinfectant-resistant strains. The present study aimed to investigate drinking water bacterial profile, determine chlorine-resistant strains, and statistically correlate that with the used disinfectant and disinfection process variables. In vitro evaluation of the bactericidal effect of the most commonly used disinfectants in cattle operations against the isolated chlorine-resistant strains and detection of qacE resistance gene in the isolated chlorine-resistant Escherichia coli strains in some cattle farms suffering coliform and non-coliform related disease around Egypt.Materials and Methods:A structured questionnaire is used to survey a convenience sample of 132 Egyptian cattle beef and dairy farms suffering emerged epidemics to identify commonly used disinfection process, disinfectant types, disinfectants frequency, and rate of use. One hundred and thirty-two water samples were collected for microbiological analysis to obtain water bacterial profile and testing resistance to chlorine. Statistical analysis was performed to identify the level of association between microbial profile and presence of chlorine-resistant strains in each farm with used disinfection, disinfectant types, and rate of use in these farms.Results:A wide range of disinfectant types used for variable purposes inside cattle farms with a different frequency of use and the highest percent of farms 25.8% use 4-5 types of disinfectants, followed by 25% of farms use two types, then 18.9% use three types. Microbial profile of water samples revealed isolation of E. coli, Streptococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella spp., Proteus spp., Salmonella spp., Enterobacter spp., Citrobacter spp., Shigella flexneri, Serratia marcescens, and Yersinia enterocolitica in percent (98.5, 97.7, 97.7, 76.5, 66.7, 36.4, 78.8, 74.2, 30.3, 29.5, and 14.4% of cattle farms, respectively), from which five E. coli, four Salmonella, four Pseudomonas, two Klebsiella, and four Streptococcus strains expressed chlorine resistance. Statistical analysis showed weak to moderate correlation (rho 0.15-0.46) between bacterial profile strains count and presence of resistant strains with different farm disinfection, disinfectant types, and rate of use. Experimental evaluation of the bactericidal effect of the eight selected disinfectants on the chlorine-resistant isolated strains revealed that peroxymonosulfate killed 19/19 isolated strains/15 min contact time, and quaternary ammonium compounds killed only 3/19 strains/15 min contact time. The qacE resistance gene was detected in 3/4 isolated chlorine-resistant E. coli strains.Conclusion:Drinking water microbial profile strains and resistance to disinfectants are widely varied in cattle farms, and this variance depends on critical factors among which the disinfection process types used disinfectant types and frequency of disinfectants use or change.

Exploring the geographical distribution of cryptosporidiosis in the cattle population of Southern Ontario, Canada, 2011-2014.

Cryptosporidiosis is an infectious disease of relevance to the cattle industry. The southern region of the Canadian province of Ontario is characterised by widespread cattle farming that is a key contributor to the Canadian dairy industry. Given Ontario's key role in the Canadian dairy industry and the potential impact that cryptosporidiosis can have on cattle operations, identifying areas of increased risk for bovine cryptosporidiosis is important. The primary goal of this study was to explore the distribution of bovine cryptosporidiosis, across the geographical areas served by the 29 Public Health Units (PHUs) of Southern Ontario, in the period 2011-2014. Laboratory data on bovine cryptosporidiosis were collected from the Animal Health Laboratory at the University of Guelph, Canada. Using veterinary clinic locations as a proxy for farm location, choropleth and isopleth maps were produced. Highrisk clusters of bovine cryptosporidiosis were identified using the flexible spatial scan test. Assessment of the potential for spatial misclassification bias resulting from a proxy location variable was conducted. The overall raw farm-level prevalence of bovine cryptosporidiosis was 45% [95% confidence interval, CI: 42%-48%]. A cluster was identified in the central-west region of Southern Ontario (relative risk 1.30 [95% CI: 1.07-1.54, P=0.026]) meaning that cattle in the areas served by the Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, Huron, Wellington-Dufferin Guelph and Waterloo PHUs were at a higher risk for infection. Given that this area is known for having a high-density of dairy cattle, it should be considered as a target for further surveillance.

Manure plume modeling in feedlot pen soils

The generation of large amounts of manure by confined cattle feeding operations (feedlot) in reduced areas is a concern due to its potential to act as pollutant for ground and surface water. Studies have revealed that leaching may occur in pen soils, with negative effects on water quality. The objective of this work was to develop a mathematical model for predicting manure plume vertical advancement in soil beneath feedlot pens. The study was carried out in feedlot pens situated in a Argentine region called the Sandy Pampa (Pampa Arenosa). Five areas or treatments were selected, four of which were located in pens (considerably impacted by beef cattle operations) with 1, 4, 8 and 15 years of use, and the remaining one in natural soil area as control. The soil in the study areas was morphologically characterized. Applying standard procedures, the following variables were quantified: gravimetric moisture content and chloride concentration in soil solution. Chloride ion was used as a tracer to estimate manure flux. Data of different chloride profiles adjusted to a first-order model, from which it was possible to predict the depth of penetration of the manure, and the factor of plume advance in the underlying soil. In addition, the dominance of flows was analyzed from the development of a flow number indicator (Nf), which could be useful for environmental regulatory purposes bringing a base for easy estimation of pollutant transport mechanism in water–soil systems.

New era of parasite control

Control of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) may have economic and health impacts in beef cattle operations. In the past several decades, GIN control has relied almost exclusively on the use of anthelmintics. With the increase in anthelmintic resistance (AR) new strategies must be developed. Knowledge of GIN biology and epidemiology in the region based on climate and weather, and specific information from the ranch, such as quantitative fecal egg counts, estimates of AR through fecal egg count reduction tests, ages of the cattle and pasture management are necessary to develop GIN control programs. Control programs should integrate grazing management, management of the immune system so cattle can resist infection, and anthelmintic use.