Working Ranch April/May 2025

TIPS FOR APPLYING MOXIDECTIN

thick hides, 50-60 seconds per char acter. When using liquid nitrogen, cut all times in half. Brands can take three to four weeks to become readable. Operators can buy a set of freeze brands at most farm and ranch stores, which are longer-lasting than hot brands. A freeze brand can be difficult to read in white to orange hide colors. “That’s why some producers use hot brands only,” Olson observes. “Their animals’ hide colors won’t let them reliably produce a readable mark.” Four to five numbers create an iden tification number. For each character, apply the cold iron for 30 seconds. “If you’re handy, you can have an iron in each hand, branding two charac ters simultaneously,” Olson explains. “That’s a longer period of restraint [for the animal] than the hot brand. The animal will react to the intense cold; full restraint is desirable.” Ranchers register their brands, and their locations on the animal with the state Cattlemen’s Association, or in some states, the county where the cattle are located. Most states will not allow a brand with a symbol within a

J ohn Richeson, Ph.D., professor of Beef Cattle Feedlot Management at West Texas A&M University, says roundworms, lungworms, and hookworms reduce an animal’s productivity by robbing nutrition from the host animal, reducing its performance or gain. A University of Arkansas study indicates parasite loads can also reduce the reproductive rates of heifers. Producers often treat parasitic infections with Moxidectin. “It’s industry standard to deworm stockers or feedlot cattle on arrival regardless of the time of year,” Richeson reports. “For cow-calf scenarios, pastures may become infested with parasites. That parasite cycle can endure in the pasture situation.” Typically, cow-calf producers deworm in the spring before the grass greens up to eliminate as many adult parasites as possible, preventing them from entering the reproduction cycle. Many cow-calf producers treat their animals again in the fall to remove any surviving parasites before feeding hay.

When using Moxidectin pour-on, ranchers should wear rubber gloves to protect their skin and may also wear OB gloves for additional protection. Measure the product carefully, pouring on each animal without splashing. Because pour-ons work transdermally, operators should wash spills from the skin immediately. Moxidectin is also available as an injectable. “Follow Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) guidelines; if it’s labeled for subcutaneous injection, be sure you’re giving it Sub-Q,” Richeson advises. “Give vaccines on one side of the animal’s neck, and a dewormer, like Moxidectin, on the other side, so products don’t mix.” Richeson recommends producers who want to learn more about their animals’ parasite issues take fecal samples to send to their veterinary diagnostic lab to learn fecal egg counts. To understand how effective the dewormer is, operators can also take a fecal sample on an animal, deworm it, and then take another sample later to see if eggs are reduced.

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