The state of Iowa ranks in the top 10 nationally in number of beef cows, cattle on feed, and total cattle numbers. The beef industry is both vibrant and diverse and represents an economic impact of approximately $5 billion annually to the state. The VDPAM Beef Team helps producers and veterinarians in the Midwest deal with animal health and production problems that they face on a daily basis. This assistance may range from telephone consultation to actual on-farm visits with members of our team. We also serve as the face of the College of Veterinary Medicine when working with various industry organizations, the ISU Extension Service, and the Iowa Beef Center. Our goal is to provide producers and practitioners with timely and accurate information that meets their animal health and educational needs.
The Beef Team has a wide array of expertise, areas of interest, and experience. Important disciplines such as toxicology, diagnostic pathology, epidemiology, and beef cattle production medicine can all be utilized to diagnose animal health problems and design cost-effective solutions. The team is also capable of providing consultation on trial design and data analysis for field-based research protocols.