Pink eye on organic highland cattle.I need a safe prevent method.Any info on cobalt or other preventatives.

Question

What is cobalt? Are the mineral cobalt blocks safe. Is there anything else we can use as a preventative measure. Is there any treatment besides the cancer causing nzf puffer? The managers want to keep the ranch organic. No vaccines.

Answer 1

this is a major problem with lots of the white faced cattle. I have this problem with some of my Hereford cattle as well.

Question is: would you rather the cattle continue to suffer or use the NZF puffer to control the problem? It doesn't cause cancer, it just makes it appear faster if the cattle have the genetics for getting it.

Vaccines don't work for controlling the problem either.

Spray the cattle pens with a light chlorine bleach mixture several times in a few months. It will help the cattle and the people as well. I am prone to pink eye when working with the cattle having the problem as well.

The mineral blocks with trace cobalt are totally safe