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Beef Quality in Texas
Keeping Good Records
Maintaining a record of all treated animals is
an important part of a herd health program and a vital element in Beef Quality
Assurance programs. The record ensures that animals are not sold for slaughter
before the withdrawal time has expired. It also serves as protection in case of
a regulatory follow up.
Of course, it can also help you identify any
health-related problems in your cattle herd that may otherwise go undetected. No
matter what type of enterprise you may have, cow-calf, stockers, etc., good
records are simply a good business practice.
As far as health records go, general
recommendations say treatment records should contain the following information
(although you may want to add to this list for your own management purposes):
- Treatment date
- Animal identification
- Withdrawal time to slaughter
- Drug used
- Dosage given
- Route of administration
- Injection location
- Individual who administered the drug
The illustrations shown here are examples of
basic record keeping forms. Use the Animal Health Products Inventory to record
animal health products that you have purchased and have in your inventory. The
purpose of this is to enable you to produce a record that will show where the
product came from and create an awareness of expiration dates and withdrawal
times.
There are two types of treatment records that
may be useful. The first type of treatment record is for an entire group of
cattle worked at the same time – for example, at branding. The second type is
a record of treatment performed on an individual animal. You can also get copies
of sample health record forms from animal health companies, the Extension
service, software companies, etc.
There may be other records that you need to
keep, including the purchase and/or use of feed additives and pesticides. One of
the most important things is to find a system that works for you…and use it.
Record keeping, whether by hand or computer, is a critically important part of
Beef Quality Assurance.
It’s also a vital tool to help you keep track
of the effectiveness of your herd health program and, ultimately, the health of
your wallet.
Adapted from the handbooks of the Montana Beef
Network and the Beef Quality Assurance Program in Arkansas.
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