Small in size but capable of causing a lot of damage, Livestock Parasites abound on your ranch or farm. Here’s everything you need to know about the subject.
Livestock Parasites: A Primer
Many livestock diseases and ailments are caused by parasites. Here are a few you should know about:
Flies - There are hundreds of different types of flies in North America and, while they may be pesky, not all of them are dangerous. The ones to worry about are the blood suckers, like the horn flies, horse flies, and biting midges. The bites are painful, and the insects can transmit diseases like anaplasmosis, tularemia, and anthrax.
Cattle grubs - These creatures lay their eggs on the hides of cows. When the eggs hatch, the larvae burrow into the skin and dissolve tissue as they journey through the cow and come out the other end. The exit wound leaves open sores and can become infected.
Lice - Whether they’re the sucking or the biting kind, these insects can annoy livestock and provoke them to injure themselves by scratching on fence posts and machinery. If present in large numbers, they can cause anemia.
Ticks - Annoying and insidious, ticks cause skin irritation as well as the possibility of viral infections like anaplasmosis and bovine piroplasmosis.
Worms - Usually found inside the bodies of livestock, these creatures can infest an animal and cause all kinds of disease, including anemia and edema, and discomfort. They include liver flukes, roundworms, and hook worms.
Livestock Breeds 
Livestock Health - Medical 
