As we move through November into December, we can face weather challenges that can profoundly affect our livestock. Here are some suggestions:
Respiratory Disease - In spite of our management practices we still see animals with respiratory infections ranging from mild upper respiratory signs to severe pneumonia.
Often with a weather front that brings rain or snow followed by dropping temperatures, our animals will have a slight cough and thick white nasal discharge - especially in the morning when they first get up. They still come to eat but are slow moving and not aggressive. For these, I like feeding Dr. Paul's Aloe Pellets for 5-7 days, at a rate of 1 oz per 100 lbs of body weight per day. Supplementing additional Vitamin A D + E complements the immune support provided by the Aloe pellets. 
If the option exists to treat the water source, the addition of Impro Beef Pro or Environ-3 has a similar benefit. All of these options are suitable for cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs (Impro Swine Pro is better suited for pigs).
In conventional production systems, mediated crumbles, such as Aureomycin crumbles, can be added to the feed. These require a Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) from you veterinarian and are very specific on dosage and duration of treatment. I have many producers that will use both the Aloe pellets and the crumbles in sequence.
I would like to clear up a misconception about the medicated crumbles in cattle. Though they are an antibiotic, the levels in the crumbles and the difficulty in getting absorbed from the ruminant digestive tract, there is never a therapeutic level attained in the blood stream. They are acting at the level of the gut biome to influence the immune system, similarly to what the Aloe pellets or Impro is doing. With that in mind, we still need to watch for animals with pneumonia and treat them appropriately.
Ration Changes - As our animals transition to winter rations, it is common to have some digestive upsets. This can simply be from the changes themselves, as it easily takes two weeks for the rumen microbes to adapt to new feed sources. Molds and mycotoxins in our feeds and forages can produce a variety of issues. Here are a few of my favorite products to incorporate:
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Farmatan - this tannic acid based product does wonders for overall gut health and aiding in feed transitions. It is fed daily with quantity dependent on the animal's size.
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Impro MVP Dairy Boost - this product provides the Impro whey for immune support, probiotics, supplemental vitamins, and trace minerals. Note: not suitable for sheep.
- Humates - this carbon based product contains humic and fulvic acid, which are binders and detoxifiers. It works at the level of the gut and systemically. Reeds Sedge Peat is a commonly available brand. It is added to the feed or provided free choice, often mixed with salt.
- Dr. Paul's Gar-Mate and Detox Boluses - useful for individual cattle treatments.
Check out individual product descriptions on our website for more information or contact me with individual questions.