Montana farmer-stockman. [volume], February 01, 1954, Image 1

About Montana farmer-stockman. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1947-1993

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
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February 1, 1954
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Efficient corrals, chutes speed brucellosis testing work. Typically, neighbors
pitched in to help when veterinarian tested Leo Zimmer cattle in Lewis and Clark
County last month, kept chute-wise cattle moving smoothly. With set-up like
this, vets can test upward of 80 head per hour. Under present brucellosis-control
program, testing is done without charge to owner. (MF-S photos)
Montana Stockmen Are Making Rapid
Headway Toward Their Big Goal —
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By BILL STLLLMON
Roving Reporter
they might have been snapped in any of a
dozen other Montana counties where, every
workable day, state stockmen and veteri
narians are cooperating in a program that
has a mighty big goal: Get rid of brucellosis.
You'll say that's not a new idea, and
you're right. Stockmen and others have
T HE PICTURES YOU SEE on this page
were taken in Lewis and Clark County. But
talked brucellosis control for 20 years. But
there's a vital difference in today's program,
Its combination of blood-testing to locate
present infected animals and vaccination to
prevent future ones is bringing that goal
within reach.
ierr^o!î4yr^ e f r ' ve ^ r inarians blood-tested
157,8^4 Montana cattle for brucellosis infec
tion. When they started work only Lake
County was an official control area. By
year s end more than a third of our counties
were either testing or signing up petitioners
and about to begin. _
And that total will swell still more in
1954. Here's how the program stood on Jam
15 this year: ,
Testing has been completed in Lake and
Mineral counties. Both are now modified
certified brucellosis-free areas, which means
that less than 1 per cent of all cattle, less
than 5 per cent of all herds show any infec
tion.
Testing is nearing completion in Lincoln,
Lewis and Clark, Cascade, Carbon, Daniels
and Sheridan counties, all brucellosis-con
trol areas as petitioned by 75 per cent of
stockmen owning 50 per cent of cattle in
each county. And it's well under way in
Sanders, Missoula, Powell, Deer Lodge and
S MONTANA AND NORTHERN WYOMING
Beaverhead counties—all areas where sign
up work is nearly done.
As soon as possible, control work will
begin in Flathead, Ravalli, Granite, Silver
Bow, Roosevelt, Richland and Hill counties,
where stockmen are now circulating peti
tions. And by this fall, it will be started in
13 others (see map, page 20) which are get
ting their sign-up campaigns in gear,
By April 1, if not sooner, five of these
counties—Cascade, Carbon, Sheridan, Lewis
and Clark and Missoula, are expected to join
Lake and Mineral as brucellosis-free areas,
By January, 1955, State Livestock Sanitary
Board officials believe, at least 10 state
ties will be so certified.
Impressive progress, yes, and impressive
testimony to cooperation between groups
carrying on the program. Actually, testing
i ast yea r went better than was ever expect
e d, partly because of the weather, partly
because of almost universal cooperation
from livestock owners. By circulating and
signing petitions for control work, by hav
j n g ca ttle ready for testing when veterinar
ians arrived, they helped speed brucellosis
control from paper plan to the field.
coun
What do they stand to gain? What will
it mean to counties, and Montana as a whole,
to be free of brucellosis?
Greater marketing freedom is one big
advantage.
Federal regulations due to go into effect
March 1 win make it mandatory to have
health certificates for all cattle shipped
across state lines, showing they were nega
tive in brucellosis tests run within the pre
vious 30 days. (Please turn to page 20)
52
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Dr. M. P. Doran, Great Falls veterinarian, tests one of Zimmer cows behind
array of test bottles. All tested cattle are ear-tagged and aged. Tag number,
corresponding number of blood sample bottle, cow's age are recorded. .Zimmer,
like most stockmen with good-sized herds, also paint-branded his cattle to mak*
identification easy should any react to test.
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Perhaps most vital weapon against brucellosis is
this vaccine. Stockmen such as Zimmer, who has
been officially vaccinating all replacement heifers
for 10 years, have little worry about brucellosis in
fection.
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Blood sample is drawn from jugular vein on left
side, as Dr. Doran works. Then cow's head is
flipped to left while he checks teeth to determine
age.
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