Have You Herd? AABP PodCasts

Latest Episodes:

Epi. 253 – Feedback from the 58th AABP Annual Conference Sep 29, 2025

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich provides information about the 58th AABP conference and feedback from the post-conference survey. If you have feedback that you would like to provide for consideration in future conferences, you can email fred@aabp.org before October 31.

Eighty-eight percent of respondents ranked the conference good or great indicating a successful AABP annual conference providing continuing education, a trade show, great beef and dairy products, and networking opportunities.

Gingrich reminds attendees of the conference that CE certificates are available by logging in to the AABP website, hover over your name in the upper right corner, and select My CE Certificates. You can scroll to the bottom of your certificate to select individual presentations from the session blocks that you attended.

All AABP conference sessions are recorded and available at no charge to AABP members. Go to the continuing education menu on the AABP website or directly at this link to see all conference sessions. The 2025 conference sessions will be uploaded over the next two months as they are edited and posted. You can also listen or view presentations on your mobile device by downloading the free BCI Mobile Conference app for your device. Note that CE certificates for viewed sessions are not available through the app and you must be on a browser to take the quiz and receive a CE certificate.

AABP will continue to adhere to its core mission of providing continuing education for our members. Watch the CE menu on the website for upcoming webinars, non-conference seminars, practice management workshops, and future conferences.

Epi. 252 – Tips for Attending the 58th AABP Annual Conference Sep 08, 2025

Show notes

AABP Executive Director joins you from Omaha, Neb. to welcome everyone to the 58th AABP Annual Conference and provide some tips for your planning.

Arrivals at the Omaha airport can take ride share (Uber/Lyft) or taxis from the airport to the hotel area. The airport, as well as areas around the hotels, are under construction and ride share pickups are in the lower ground level of the parking garage at the airport. The airport is a 10-minute ride from the hotel area.

Preconference seminar attendees should go directly to their seminar room to get their registration packs and name badges and do not need to go to the registration desk. The lameness seminar is in the convention center and all other seminars are on the second floor of the Hilton hotel. Clinical forum breakfasts and committee meetings on Thursday morning will also be on the second floor of the Hilton hotel. All remaining sessions are in the convention center which is called the CHI Health Center.

All other attendees should visit the registration desk on the ground floor of the convention center on arrival. Wednesday evening will be the opening dinner reception and scholarship presentations sponsored by Merck Animal Health in the Grand Ballroom on the second floor of the convention center. Thursday morning is the Zoetis Breakfast and presentation from Dr. Mike Overton on using data for decision making. Friday evening is the Zoetis Dinner, Scholarship Presentations, and live auction benefiting the AABP Foundation and Amstutz Scholarship Fund. To build a consortium and bid on an item as a group go to this link. A list of auction items can be found here.

Make sure to visit the great trade show to network with vendor representatives and learn about their companies to take advantage of any show specials. We also have lounges and an entertainment area in the exhibit hall, as well as our Bovine Bucks lunches. If you purchased a lunch ticket, it will be in your name badge.

To help you navigate the conference, utilize the printed program guide available at the registration desk or the online schedule to add items to your calendar. Attendees should also download the conference app on their mobile device. Search for Yapp in your device’s store and then click on the plus sign to add a Yapp and enter code AABP2025. The app is sponsored by Beef Quality Assurance and has all conference schedules, descriptions and events. There is also a conference survey on the app that we encourage all attendees to take after the conference and provide needed feedback to AABP. To ask questions and participate in polls, download the Slido app and enter event code AABP2025.

Thank you to the program committee, our sponsors, volunteers, exhibitors, speakers and each of you, our attendees and members, for coming to the conference! We are here to help you have a great experience and advance your education on all things cattle!

Epi. 250 - Diagnostic Findings of Copper, Selenium and Manganese Deficiency in Dairy and Beef Cattle Submitted to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory Aug 25, 2025

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. David Villar, a co-author on the paper “Diagnostic findings of copper, selenium and manganese deficiency in dairy and beef cattle submitted to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory” published online first in the Bovine Practitioner.

This episode of Have You Herd? is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim and their 360° coverage mastitis portfolio. Every lactation cycle, cows are up against the threat of mastitis. Which really means you’re up against it, too. Thankfully, Boehringer Ingelheim has you covered with 360° coverage solutions. From prevention to treatment options designed for judicious antibiotic use, the 360° coverage mastitis portfolio has the products you need to defend udders at every angle. What’s in your cattle health toolkit? Experience the power of complete mastitis care at this link.

Villar provides information on the importance of micromineral nutrition of beef and dairy cattle health. This study looked at submissions to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory (CAHFS) to evaluate the disease processes and pathogens identified along with micromineral analysis. The primary objective of this study was to determine if the correlation patterns of hepatic Cu, Se, and Mn for disease in the CAHFS diagnostic database at different ages would be similar for beef and dairy cattle.

Villar discusses the results from the study which identified that 33% of beef cattle were deficient in CU, 46% were deficient in Se, and 41% were deficient in both. In dairy cattle, very few animals had deficiencies, indicating appropriate micromineral ration balancing and intakes. The number one disease seen in beef was bovine respiratory disease (BRD) with a median age of 8 months. Of these, 68% were deficient in Cu, Se or both, and most had a history of transportation and commingling. Although BRD was also frequently diagnosed in dairy animals, the median age was 90 days. Salmonella Group D was the next most frequent disease in deficient dairy animals.

This paper identifies the importance of micromineral deficiencies and correlations with diseases. There are significant opportunities for veterinarians, especially involved with beef cattle, to address micromineral nutrition programs and monitoring.

Diagnostic findings of copper, selenium and manganese deficiency in dairy and beef cattle submitted to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory. (2025). The Bovine Practitioner, 59(2), 61-70. https://doi.org/10.21423/bpj20259267

Epi. 249 – Why the Heritage Vet Partnerships Work sponsored by Heritage Vet Partners Aug 18, 2025

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by veterinarians from Heritage Vet Partners, Drs. John Davidson, Greg Kurtz and Eric Duch. Heritage Vet Partners is the sponsor of this episode of Have You Herd? and the sponsor of the childcare room at the AABP Annual and Recent Graduate Conferences. AABP recognizes that veterinarians with young families may face challenges in attending the conferences. For this reason, AABP offers an unattended childcare room and caregivers and children can register for free so that the veterinarian can attend the CE sessions at the conference. Heritage Vet Partners supports this family-friendly atmosphere by sponsoring this childcare room.

Our guests start by describing why they chose to join Heritage Vet Partners and the impact it has had on preserving their practice culture. Davidson describes the partnership model and value proposition for practice owners and members of the veterinary team and how it supports the practice. We also discuss some of the benefits these practice owners have seen for their support staff when integrating with Heritage Vet Partners and how it has supported their practices' daily activities and work-life balance.

Kurtz and Duch describe the partnership model and dispel some of the myths about the corporate practice model and the stigmas associated with it. Davidson closes our podcast by sharing some thoughts that students, recent grads and owners might consider regarding Heritage Vet Partners.

Find Heritage Vet Partners on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HeritageVetPartners or visit their website https://heritagevetpartners.com/.

Epi. 248 – Evaluation of 3-, 6- and 9-Day Post-treatment Intervals following Pradofloxacin for Treatment of Bovine Respiratory Disease in Stocker Cattle Aug 11, 2025

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Lilli Heinen, a 2024 Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine graduate and dual PhD program, currently employed as a senior researcher at Midwest Veterinary Services, Dr. Brian Lubbers, interim department head in clinical sciences at Kansas State University, and Dr. Ron Tessman, a beef technical consultant at Elanco Animal Health.

This podcast is sponsored by Elanco Animal Health, manufacturers of PradalexTM. The development of Pradalex highlights their commitment to improving animal health outcomes, reducing the risk of resistance and minimizing disruption to animals’ normal health biome. Pradalex’s structural differences result in a dual-targeting effect, yielding up to 3x better in vitro potency compared to similar fluoroquinolone antibiotics approved for the treatment of BRD. Elanco, a global leader in animal health, is committed to supporting the success of the beef industry by providing resources to help manage health, enhance economic performance, and promote operational sustainability. For more information visit Elanco.com or contact your local Elanco representative.

We begin with an explanation of the mechanism of action of this new antibiotic and the reasons for performing this study. The primary study objective was to evaluate the effect of 3-, 6- and 9-day post-treatment intervals on first treatment success and case fatality in naturally occurring bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in stocker calves. Secondary outcomes included days-to-death (DTD) in the same population. The average overall first treatment success was 61.8% with no statistical differences across the three post-treatment intervals. The average case fatality rate was 12.3% with no statistical differences between the treated groups. The authors note that the population studied was stocker cattle which may have explained the higher numbers compared to feedlot cattle reports. We also discuss the inclusion of DTD in this study and the reasons for this outcome variable.

Veterinarians can utilize this information to guide treatment protocols when using pradofloxacin. Post-treatment intervals are an important component of antimicrobial stewardship as well as decreasing treatment costs without impacting animal health.

The Bovine Practitioner is the peer reviewed journal of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners. It is open access and does not charge authors a publication fee. You can find the journal at this link.

Evaluation of 3-, 6- and 9-day post-treatment intervals following pradofloxacin for treatment of bovine respiratory disease in stocker cattle. (2025). The Bovine Practitioner, 59(2), 47-52. https://doi.org/10.21423/bpj20259263

Epi. 247 – Certified Semen Services Aug 04, 2025

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Elizabeth Lahmers, Chief Veterinary Officer, and Dr. Tony Good, Vice President of Production Operations, from Select Sires, Inc. Both Good and Lahmers also serve on the Board of Directors of Certified Semen Services. This episode of Have You Herd? is brought to you by the AABP Reproduction Committee.

Certified Semen Services (CSS) was established in 1976 and is a subsidiary of the National Association Animal Breeders. The primary purpose of the program is to prevent the spread of disease through semen and is considered to be the gold standard certification program for artificial insemination. The main diseases that are screened through the program are Campylobacter, Trichomoniasis, Tuberculosis, Brucellosis, BVD and Leptospirosis. The key benefits to breeders and farmers with CSS is that the semen is from a bull that has met minimum standards.

Our guests also discuss some of the challenges they experience with receiving potential bull studs into their program. Both IBR and Lepto titers remain a challenge. Our guests encourage veterinarians to work with bull studs on housing and vaccination protocols to ensure that potential studs do not have titers that would eliminate them from the program. They also mention that better tests are needed for some of these diseases to differentiate titers from infection versus vaccination.

The benefits of the CSS program include improving fertility through extenders, expansion of export markets, ensuring processes and controls are in place for prevention of disease, and establishing a growing relationship with USDA.

To find out more information about Certified Semen Services, visit this website. If you are an AABP member interested in reproduction, consider joining the AABP Reproduction Committee by emailing fred@aabp.org.

Ep. 246 – Vet-to-Vet: Supporting Clients through Smarter Dry-off Programs – Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim Jul 28, 2025

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Luciano Caixeta, associate professor of dairy production medicine at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, and Dr. Jen Roberts, senior professional services veterinarian with Boehringer Ingelheim.

This episode of Have You Herd is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim. Most producers focus on lactation for milk yield and udder health. But as veterinarians, we know that many of the most critical decisions happen around dry-off. This episode will explore dry cow strategies and what veterinarians can do to help clients drive better outcomes during the dry period.

We should approach the dry period as the beginning of lactation, not the end of lactation, to set cows up for a successful milk production period. Dry-off is a critical window for mastitis prevention and use of internal teat sealants and coliform mastitis vaccination are important tools that should be considered by the veterinarian. Veterinarians should also discuss with clients how to prepare for drying off high-producing cows and why it is important to address them proactively. Bovikalc Dry ® is an acidogenic bolus given to cows at dry off to decrease milk production and udder engorgement. It works by causing a transient decrease in dry matter intake and a decrease in glucose transport to the udder which leads to a decrease in milk production.

The veterinarian of record is also an important resource for developing and monitoring protocols. Monitoring dry-off protocols and conducting audits of the dry-off procedures and dry pen are important services that veterinarians can provide to clients. Ensuring that protocol drift is not occurring, dry pens are clean and not overstocked, ventilation and cow cooling are appropriate, and access to feed and water is adequate are important areas to audit to ensure a successful dry cow program.

For more information about mastitis prevention programs from Boehringer Ingelheim, visit this website. A summary of the Bovikalc Dry product can be found here.

Publications on Bovikalc Dry:

Randomized clinical trial evaluating the effects of administering acidogenic boluses at dry-off on udder health, milk yield, and herd removal

J Dairy Sci

https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2023-23757

A randomized clinical trial evaluating the effects of administration of acidogenic boluses at dry-off on rumination and activity behavior in the 14 subsequent days

J Dairy Sci Comm

https://doi.org/10.3168/jdsc.2022-0366

Epi. 245 – Understanding the Impact of Flies on Cattle Jul 21, 2025

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. A.J. Tarpoff, Beef Cattle Extension Veterinarian, Kansas State University, to discuss what you need to know about flies to help your clients with treatment and control programs.

This episode of Have You Herd? is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim and the Choose360Coverage mastitis portfolio. Bacteria can strike udders from any angle. The dairy health portfolio that rises to the challenge is Mastitis 360 by Boehringer Ingelheim. It offers powerful solutions for lactation through dry-off. Manage udder health with the ultimate to tools at your disposal. Find out more information by visiting the Choose360coverage.com today.

Diagnosis of the type of fly is an important first step in managing treatment and control programs. The three main flies affecting cattle are horn flies, face flies and stable flies. Horn flies spend the majority of their life on the animal, typically along the withers, are blood feeders, and lay eggs in fresh manure. Face flies feed on eye secretions, damage the cornea, are not found in the hot southern regions of the U.S., and lay eggs in fresh manure. They do not spend most of their time on the animal. Stable flies are biting flies and a nuisance pest that lays eggs in decaying organic matter such as spoiled feed.

Tarpoff walks through the basic treatment and control methods for flies which include insecticidal ear tags, pour-ons or sprays, dusters/oilers, and feed through products that are insect growth regulators. We discuss best management practices to improve effectiveness of these products as well as mitigating resistance to ensure efficacy.

It is also important for veterinarians and producers to be aware of the threat of New World Screwworm which is a fly that is threatening introduction into the U.S. If you suspect a case, Tarpoff recommends immediately contacting your state animal health official and to collect the larvae for identification.

AABP will host a webinar on August 14 on New World Screwworm and members can access upcoming webinar information on this page. The Have You Herd? episode on New World Screwworm can be found here. You can also access New World Screwworm resources on this page of the AABP website.

AABP Have You Herd? Podcast – Epi. 244 – What Do Your Clients Need to Do to Prepare for an ICE Raid? Jul 14, 2025

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Rick Naerebout, executive director of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association to discuss the impacts of immigration raids on dairy and beef operations.

Veterinarians play a key role in working with their clients on a variety of labor issues. Helping clients prepare for a potential ICE raid is a conversation that veterinarians may consider having as they work with the caregivers on these operations. The intent of this podcast is for general advice and discussion purposes and not be construed as legal advice which should come from a licensed attorney specific to your needs and circumstances. Veterinarians should encourage clients to reach out to an attorney who specializes in immigration law and review the links provided for further resources and contact information.

Immigrants are not only important on farms, but also constitute a significant portion of the labor force in meat processing facilities. Labor shortages in any part of the supply chain could have negative impacts on beef and milk prices for our clients. Naerebout discusses that the majority of the volume of fluid milk in the country is harvested by immigrant labor and it is estimated that at least 50% of the workforce does not have legal status. The utilization of immigrant labor is also regionally influenced in the U.S. and therefore in some areas of the country, these figures will be higher.

Naerebout discusses some of the challenges immigrants face in securing legal documentation to work on beef and dairy operations or meat packing facilities. H2A visas are for seasonal work and TN visas require a degreed position, neither of which may qualify for many of the employment opportunities on our clients' farms.

Preparing your clients is important. Discussing with employees and managers what they should do in the event of an ICE raid is an important part of preparation, along with securing legal counsel. Naerebout also recommends signage at the entrance to the facility as well as signage that delineates public vs. private areas is critical. An administrative warrant does not authorize agents to enter private areas and therefore signage should be visible identifying such areas.

For more information, visit these links:

National Immigration Law Center

American Immigration Council

American Immigration Lawyers Association

AABP Have You Herd? Podcast – Epi. 243 – 58th AABP Annual Conference with Dr. Callie Willingham Jul 07, 2025

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Callie Willingham, AABP President Elect and chair of the 2025 AABP Annual Conference program. The theme of the conference is “Focus on Value” which was taken from the Warren Buffet quote, “Cost is what you pay for something, and value is what you get.” The conference will be held at the CHI Convention Center in Omaha, Neb., September 11-13.

The keynote speaker is Natasha Nicholes from “We Sow, We Grow”, an urban garden collective on the south side of Chicago. Nicholes will present “Bridging Fields: Aligning the Values of Urban Agriculture and Bovine Practice”. After the presentation, the candidates for the 2026 AABP Vice-President Election, Dr. Eric Behlke and Dr. Daryl Nydam, will introduce themselves to the attendees and the ballot will open at the conclusion of their talks.

Continuing education sessions at the conference will include small ruminants, mental health topics, beef cow-calf and feedlot, dairy, joint beef/dairy, clinical skills, practice management, hot topics and students/new grads sessions. The research summaries presentations will include 10 student case presentations and 12 grad student presentations for the annual competition with cash prizes awarded to the top presenters.

Willingham also invites attendees to register for a clinical forum breakfast on Thursday morning from 7 am to 9 am which will provide 2 additional hours of continuing education plus a breakfast. These sessions are small-group discussions based sessions led by an expert facilitator.

Gingrich also discusses the meals and social events available to attendees, as well as thanking the sponsors of the conference. In addition, the conference will host a trade show with vendors from across the veterinary and cattle industries.

Early bird registration closes on July 31. Register for the conference at this link and book your hotel from this page which includes a description of each hotel in the AABP block. View the session descriptions from this link and the full conference schedule here.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Have You Herd? AABP PodCasts

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected