Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

TIM'S TIPS

Pinkeye is a common infectious disease affecting the eyes of cattle. The name results from the damage to the cornea and the redness and inflammation of the lining of the eye socket.

Excessive weeping of the affected eye and closure because of pain are two signs commonly seen. As the infection progresses, the cornea becomes cloudy or white. An ulcer usually develops near the center of the cornea. Cattle with pinkeye keep the affected eye closed to avoid bright sunlight.

Environmental and nutritional factors contribute a great deal to the development of pinkeye. The ultraviolet component of sunlight is necessary to initiate the disease. Irritation from weed and grass seed that get into the eye during grazing contribute to the infection or may even initiate pinkeye. Dust is a factor as well as grass stems.

The face fly has been associated with an increased incidence of pinkeye. The face fly obtains nutrients by feeding on secretions of the eyes, nostrils and mouth. If any infectious organism is present in these secretions, it seems likely that the fly can spread it from cow to cow. The disease usually is acute and tends to spread rapidly. In cattle, young animals are affected most frequently, but adult animals can also be affected.

Pinkeye rarely causes death of affected cattle; however, loss of weight and discounting in the marketplace can cause substantial losses. Calves with pinkeye are generally unthrifty and unprofitable until the pain subsides. Cattle blind in one eye can become nervous and difficult to manage in any confinement situation.

A fly control program is essential to limit the spread of pinkeye in a herd of cattle. The use of fly tags, dusts, and sprays can help control face flies. Cattle with pinkeye can be helped by prompt treatment. Contact your local veterinarian for the proper pinkeye treatment.

Clipping of stemy pastures will help reduce irritation to the cattle's eyes. This practice will help reduce the chances for pinkeye.

Pinkeye can be a severe problem in certain herds during certain years. Keeping a watch for pinkeye problems and addressing them early on is the cattlemen's best chance.

CLOVER SEEDING

We may be prone to think of the clover head as the plant's flower. However, each clover head may contain 25 to 125 flowers, each of which potentially produce at least one seed. Since the clover grew so well in May and June this year, and since wet cold weather delayed hay harvest, I suspect a large number of the early formed heads had already produced seed by the time hay was harvested. At least some of these seed would have shattered from their flowers as the heads passed through the mower-conditioner, tedder, and baler. Therefore, by this month the soil has already received a quantity of seed to contribute to next year's volunteer clover stand.

So long as adequate soil moisture is available, clover will continue to grow and produce seedheads. Therefore, assuming the honeybees do their usual good job of pollinating the flowers, additional seed will likely be produced through the year. If haying is timed correctly and if grazing animals are not allowed to remove all of the young flower heads before they set seed, enough additional seed will shatter from the heads to insure volunteer stands next year. Some of the roots of this year s white clover plants will also survive to sprout and emerge again next year. That too will contribute to a good crop of clover in 1998. But good fall weather is also needed to support new seedling establishment and growth.

Some producers routinely seed half a seeding rate of clover every year, regardless of the seed crop produced, to insure they don't miss. That is not a bad practice at all. It is during years like 1997 when apparent good seed crops were made that this practice is not as likely to pay dividends.