Feller Hughs, Manager Paco Feedyard, Ltd. Friona, Texas October, 2006 We feed about 70,000 head each year. We've been testing for PI calves since March of 2006. I talked to all the veterinarians I could and felt this was the way to go to improve herd health. We'll know a lot more after we've gone through 12 months or so. We test our cattle when we process them, usually within a day after they arrive -- always within 24 hours. If we can get the samples to them (GSL) by 5 or 5:30 p.m., we have the results by 10:00 the next morning. What we are seeing already is we have less trouble with cattle we just couldn't get straight in the past. Before, there were always a few sets we struggled with. We just don't see that anymore. I would definitely recommend testing. I don't know how GSL could do any better on customer service -- they are very helpful. We are seeing about 3 PI head per thousand. But, where you find them is unpredictable and sporadic. For example, we had one load that had five on it -- all from one herd, one auction, one owner. When we hit a positive, we always go back and inform the original producer and the auction house. I think they would want to know. Ironically, most PI's are the ones that look good and you would never pull them by just looking at them. It's the others in the pen that they make sick. We pull them immediately and isolate them, and then keep feeding them. I've shipped two of them fat so far. So far, just based on what we are seeing -- although we don't have any real figures on it yet -- BVD-PI testing seems to really be helping us with overall herd health. |
