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Last Updated on Monday, 19 September 2011 16:44

Written by Heather Hamilton

“This started five years ago when 48 percent of my cows were open. The next year we had a decent preg test rate, then the following year we had 12 percent open and we thought we were winning. Then two years ago we had 20 percent of our cows open and 33 percent last fall,” says northeast Wyoming rancher Lloyd Davis of what he suspects is trichomoniasis (trich) in his cow herd.

“Based on our symptoms, the University of Wyoming (UW) said we had trich. So we tested our bulls the three necessary times and they all came back negative. UW decided the bulls were clean at that point, and two vets told me it was dumb to sell that many bulls. Now I wish I had sold every single one of them,” adds Davis.

Some of Davis’s bulls have been tested as many as nine times, and they’ve always come up clean. Then last summer a neighbor’s bull got into Davis’s cows. That bull tested dirty, while Davis’ bulls continued to test clean.

“Our bulls tested clean five times, but the neighbor ended up with a dirty bull. It seems funny the neighbor came up with a dirty bull when they don’t have any symptoms in their own herd and our bulls were clean and 30 percent of the cows in that pasture were open.

“I trust that my vet and everyone at UW is doing a great job and is really working with us, but I question the validity of the test after that experience. They kept telling me my bulls were just tested and are clean, yet that dirty bull came out of my pasture. Somewhere, something isn’t matching up. I don’t know if they can miss it in bulls, but with the number of open cows I had last fall there is no way all those bulls were clean,” he adds.

Being able to test a bull found on your place is one option Davis believes producers should have the right to exercise.

“I don’t care if I have to pay for the test. If he’s carrying something, it’s a lot cheaper to pay $15 or $20 than to get a 50 percent calf crop the following year. If my bull wasn’t where he belonged I would happy to let that guy test him, too,” notes Davis.

The mandatory quarantine is another aspect Davis says is all right.

“The quarantine is unhandy, but it’s not the worst thing that’s ever happened. If your herd is in this mess and you have to test and go through a quarantine, that cost is a pretty cheap trip compared to having the disease,” he notes.

“If people will take it seriously and not worry about being quarantined to the point they quit testing, it will work itself out. If they’re even remotely suspicious, it’s worth the risk of being quarantined,” adds northeast Wyoming rancher Bill Lambert.

Davis feels the worst part is getting people excited about something like this.

“It takes a wreck before people wake up. I don’t like being told what to do, but quarantines have their place and if someone’s bull is causing me these thousands of dollars worth of damage, I feel I should have the right to test him,” he says.

Lambert adds that if all producers had taken the issue seriously 10 or 15 years ago, then the Wyoming Livestock Board (WLSB) wouldn’t have to mandate things today.

“When you have producers who don’t take it seriously, the Board has to become involved. It won’t clean itself up,” says Lambert.

Trich was addressed during the June 2 WLSB meeting in Casper, where Wyoming State Veterinarian Jim Logan told Board members that 6,600 bulls have been tested since Dec.1, 2009 and 15 infected bulls were found through those tests.

“These 15 bulls are from seven different herds in multiple counties. Of those infected animals at least two were found as a result of a Board order,” notes Logan.

One issue meeting attendees voiced was re-breeding cows found open after a breeding season. Open cows are a concern, but, according to Logan it’s currently easier and more economical to test bulls.

“Bulls are infected for life if they get it. Cows that are infected will spontaneously clean up 99.9 percent of the time between 100 and 220 days. So, depending on the situation, spring bred cows that have gone an entire winter without any bull exposure probably don’t pose a high risk. But if they’re fall-bred cows it’s a different story. To test females you take a blood sample from the reproductive tract and it goes through the same mechanisms as a bull test,” explained Logan.

“The state is becoming more aware of the scale of this problem and they need to do what they’re doing,” says Davis. “People in this part of the world who won’t test or ship their drys are how we ended up with this mess in the first place.”

Davis adds he’s never kept a dry cow over, or bought a non-virgin bull.

“If a cow doesn’t have a calf, you better know why and you better cull her,” he says.

Davis keeps his herd in two bunches and is working to phase out the suspect infected herd. He also vaccinated all of his cows and bulls last year.

“Maybe I should have sold them all in the first place and started over, but when they’ve tested clean that many times you want to believe it. We’ve tested so many times, and my vets and the UW guys have spent hundreds of hours trying to figure this out and just trying to keep up with it. Today we’re exactly where we were five years ago, without a clue to go on except one neighbor’s dirty bull in my pasture,” states Davis.

Heather Hamilton is editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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Last Updated on Monday, 19 September 2011 16:46

Written by Heather Hamilton

Casper – Brucellosis and trichomoniasis demanded the majority of the Livestock Health and Production committee’s time during their meeting at the 2009 Wyoming Stock Growers and Wyoming Wool Growers Joint Winter Convention in Casper early December.

Wyoming State Veterinarian Jim Logan brought attendees up to date on the current brucellosis situation in Wyoming before discussing the new Brucellosis Concept Paper. He explained that brucellosis is currently dealt with on an emergency basis resulting in a quarantine of infected and adjacent herds. Depopulation of infected herds must occur within 60 days to maintain state status.

“The intent is to change that with this concept (paper) by maintaining the emergency basis, but there wont be a negative effect if multiple herds are found within a designated surveillance area,” Logan explained. "Another aspect of the paper is having producers, “test out of the disease and preserve the herd.” Although Logan admits this won’t always be, “possible or practical… the preference would be to attempt to test out.”

He went on to remind people that if a herd must be depopulated, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) does provide indemnity funds. APHIS wants a voice in forming the rules, but Logan stated, “Basically we want state control, if APHIS has a role in any of this, it would be an advisory role.”

Wyoming Stock Growers Executive Vice President Jim Magagna added, “part of this has to be a commitment from APHIS to actively participate in funding as a partner in managing brucellosis.”
Magagna continued, “We’re going to be partners. We’re going to write the rules, then we’re going to work with you to enforce the rules.”  This enforcement would include both state and any applicable national rules.

Upon the event that the United States is declared brucellosis free and after that time a case is found, it is proposed that it be called a brucellosis emergency and not a foreign animal disease. This is to prevent any further stigmas on the livestock industry and to benefit public perception.

Magagna said he has “a degree of optimism” and is encouraged by APHIS’s willingness to work with the western states after they were unsuccessful using force. The next step will likely be proposed rule making that will include producer comments.

A resurgence in trichomoniasis, not only in Wyoming but in all western states, is another health concern Logan discussed. “Currently Wyoming has three herds still under quarantine for trich, but in July and August we had probably 30 herds that were under quarantine.”

“By June 15 we had tested fewer bulls than were tested in all of 2008, but we already had more cases,” he said.

“We have the Chapter 15 rules that dictate trich test requirements. They haven’t been enforced as well as they needed to be in the last four years and the rules themselves are probably not as strong as they need to be to protect the livestock industry,” said Logan.

An example Logan provided was the requirement of one test for non-virgin bulls run in common. He feels this rule isn’t well enforced as there are “an awful lot of bulls across Wyoming that haven’t been tested.”

Logan went on to state that the goal is for the rule requirements to protect all the producers in the state.

“The only way you can know for certain that you don’t have trich in your herd is to test your bulls. You can have a 90-plus percent pregnancy test rate and still have trich in your herd,” said Logan, encouraging producers not to “fool yourself” by believing you don’t have trich without testing for proof.

“Trich is most likely a lot more significant from a fiscal standpoint than brucellosis is unless you get brucellosis in your herd. It’s not going to go away by just having rules,” he said.

Logan recommends testing bulls two to three weeks after the breeding season ends.

“Give them rest and the organism time to grow if it’s there,” he said. The current rules include a much broader time frame, which could allow the organism time to subside in some cases.

“One mandatory test statewide would help locate the problem,” said Logan. After that test efforts could be concentrated around infected areas instead of “piddling” around.
Ultimately, according to Logan, “It has to be an industry driven thing.”

UW College of Ag and Natural Resources Dean Frank Galey presented information on behalf the Consortium for the Advancement of Brucellosis Science. He explained that advanced research in the areas of a vaccine and better diagnostics are the top priority. The research will be partially funded with seed money from the state. The group is currently attempting to obtain more funds. Once a sufficient amount of money has been raised research will begin.

“We would like to see this group embrace this,” Galey said. A resolution was presented to the committee stating the WSGA would actively support the Consortium and assist in securing funds for research. After minimal discussion the resolution was passed.

In the meeting Don Montgomery of the State Vet Lab in Laramie gave a brief update on the lab expansion project. According to Montgomery the project is currently under budget, but two months behind schedule. The schedule issues include weather-related delays and two large pieces of equipment: a sterilizer and an incinerator. The project should be completed on schedule and under budget. Montgomery, and the rest of the state vet lab staff, “are committed to continuing to provide our services,” he said, despite any construction related disruptions.

The final resolution discussed at the meeting would have supported possible legislation allowing those other than licensed veterinarians to charge for pregnancy checking livestock. Following several minutes of heated debate, the resolution was defeated.   

Livestock health and disease continue to be areas of interest and concern for producers, researchers and veterinarians alike. The WSGA is taking an active role to eradicate problem diseases from the state by keeping members informed and supporting entities that provide research and other beneficial projects.

Heather Hamilton is editor for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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Last Updated on Saturday, 31 March 2012 15:46

Written by Christy Martinez

Cheyenne – At its March 19 meeting, the Wyoming Livestock Board (WLSB) adopted a board order that created a trichomoniasis Special Focus Area that includes all of Uinta County and parts of Lincoln and Sweetwater counties.
    The order, which was effective immediately, requires all bulls nine months of age and older that originate in or are brought into the area defined must be tested for trichomoniasis one time prior to May 31, 2012 and before being turned in with female cattle. This requirement applies to all bulls, whether they are run on common grazing pastures or run on private property with or without commingling with other producers’ cattle.
    “There has been a lot of trich found in that area within the defined boundaries, and the producers in that area came to us and asked us to do something,” says Wyoming State Veterinarian Jim Logan of the board’s decision, mentioning lack of testing and open cows as prime ways to perpetuate the disease. “It’s not getting cleaned up, and it’s beginning to affect a lot of producers.”
The details
    In Lincoln County the focus area excludes the area north and east of Fontenelle Creek Road, and in Sweetwater County the order excludes the area south of Interstate 80 and west of the Green River, south to the Colorado state line.
    According to the WLSB, all bulls that are required to be tested must be branded with the current owner’s registered Wyoming brand or seasonal brand, and all tested bulls must be identified with a current year WLSB trichomoniasis test identification tag. Trichomoniasis test results must be provided to the WLSB within 30 days of the test results and before the bulls are turned in with any female cattle.
    Bulls that are running at large within the defined focus area that are not identified with the proper trichomoniasis test identification tag may be taken up and held with proper care, with notice given to the board, and appropriate investigative action will be taken.
Every bull must be tested
    “Anything, even if it’s considered a virgin bull, will have to be tested before it’s turned out,” explains Logan, noting that the existing regulations stipulate that any bull over 24 months of age has to be tested.
    “This order means every bull in the country, not only those going out to common grazing situations, needs to be tested, even if they’re on a producer’s own property with no commingling,” he clarifies of the significant differences between existing regulations and the board order.
    In addition to testing, all bulls must be identified as part of the board order.
    “Any bull that is turned out has to be identified with a trich test tag for the current breeding season,” says Logan. “That includes the virgin bulls that have an exemption – they need a virgin tag from a veterinarian.”
    Although the board hasn’t yet finalized virgin tag requirements, Logan says he will ask at their next meeting for a requirement that all bulls turned out in common grazing, even virgin bulls with an exemption, have some type of virgin bull/trich identification.
    “If bulls get turned out with no identification at all, we don’t know if they’re virgin or something that nobody bothered to have tested,” he says.
Industry enforcement
    Through the measures required by the board order, Logan says he suspects there will be an increase of 50 percent more bulls tested for trich, and perhaps more.
    Of the measure that may seem extreme to some, Logan says, “If we’re going to get this cleaned up, we’ll have to do these types of things.”
    Logan says enforcement will be done in part by local brand inspectors, because bull owners won’t be able to get an inspection clearance until their bulls have been tested. However, he says the real enforcement will be by the industry itself.
    “If the industry is aware of violators – the people who haven’t tested but who have bulls with no trich tags out with female cattle – they should notify the board and we will enforce it,” says Logan. “The industry will have to step up and help with enforcement, or it won’t be effective.”
    Logan hopes the board put the order in effect soon enough for bull owners to get the required testing completed before they move their animals this spring. He recommends that bull owners do the trich testing at least a week in advance of movement, to give vets time to get the sample and send it to the lab for culturing and testing.
    Of how long the board order will be in effect, Logan says the WLSB will have to wait to see how things clean up this year.
    “It’s conceivable the order could only be in effect this year, but I’d look for it to be longer,” he predicts.
    The WLSB will open its Chapter 15 trichomoniasis rules this year to further address infected herds, quarantines, identification of bulls and other issues pertinent to trichomoniasis in Wyoming cattle. The board will accept informal public comment on the existing rules and on this board order through the coming months.
    Send your thoughts and opinions on trichomoniasis and the current rules to WLSB, 1934 Wyott Drive, Cheyenne, WY 82002. For a copy of the board order and/or the Chapter 15 rules, call 307-777-7515 or visit wlsb.state.wy.us/animalhealth.htm#Trichomoniasis. For further information, contact Wyoming State Veterinarian Jim Logan at 307-421-1682 or WLSB Field Veterinarian Chris Strang at 307-256-4019. Christy Martinez is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Seedstock may be exempted
    According to the Wyoming Livestock Board’s board order creating a trichomoniasis Special Focus Area in southwest Wyoming, bona fide seedstock producers within the focus area may apply with the state veterinarian for a test exemption for virgin bulls.
    “We have developed an application form for a virgin bull exemption for seedstock producers in that area,” says Wyoming State Veterinarian Jim Logan. “We will, on a case-by-case basis, exempt virgin bulls from seedstock operations, but the producers have to fill out the applications, and we have to be satisfied it’s a bona fide seedstock operation, and that they have taken precautions with good enough management to keep the disease at bay.”
    The state veterinarian is responsible for verifying virgin status and producers’ management capabilities to assure bulls have not had reproductive exposure.
    The application states: Any bull exempted from the trichomoniasis test requirement as a virgin bull must be identified with an Official Trichomoniasis Test Identification Tag applied by a licensed veterinarian, who must sign this virgin bull application and record the Official Trichomoniasis Test Identification Tag numbers on this application.
    “When producers apply they will have to list all the bulls’ trich tag numbers, their ages and birthdates, which we’ll verify with local brand inspectors and veterinarians,” notes Logan.