NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

October 8, 1998

Think Carefully Before You Shoot, Veterinarian Advises

Would you take the nicest steak in your freezer and grind it into hamburger? That's what beef producers do every time they give cattle injections in the rump, according to a North Dakota State University veterinarian.

"Historically we've given injections in the rump because it's an easy target," says Charlie Stoltenow of the NDSU Extension Service. "The problem is that the rump is also where we get our highest value cuts of meat. Even injections done at branding when calves are very young can leave scarring and other tissue damage that shows up in the meat. We're essentially reducing the quality of our best products."

For North Dakota calf producers who sell live calves, the issue may not seem important. "We need to move from a mindset of selling calves to selling beef," Stoltenow says. He notes that research indicates consistent cuts of high-quality meat at a good price are keys to keeping customers satisfied with beef products.

"If a customer gets a tough cut of beef because of tissue damage from an injection site, they're not going to think they received good value for their money and they'll remember that the next time they purchase meat products," Stoltenow explains.

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association says the issue of eliminating injection sites from beef is a shared responsibility among all cattle producers. The ultimate goal, the NCBA says, is to enhance and preserve the quality of end products.

"When we discuss this issue, a lot of producers assume we're worried about abscesses and other complications that can occur at injection sites," Stoltenow says. "But that's not the case. We need to keep all injection sites ahead of the front shoulder."

He cites Colorado State University research that showed an increase in toughness up to three inches away from the injection site even though the site showed no abscess or scarring. "You're essentially creating a six-inch ball of toughness every time you give an injection," he says.

Stoltenow says the large muscular neck of cattle makes it a good injection site. "And you don't get many steaks from the neck," he explains. Although some important vaccines and treatments must be injected in to muscle, most vaccinations and other injectable treatments are labelled for injection subcutaneously (under the skin). Even so, those injections should also be given in the neck.

New livestock handling chutes and headgates are being designed to make it easier to give injections in the neck, Stoltenow says. Until they are widely used on farms and ranches, the rump will make an easy target.

"Resist the temptation," Stoltenow says. "If you want to stay in business, you have to satisfy your customer."

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Source: Charlie Stoltenow (701) 231-7522

Editor: Tom Jirik (701) 231-9629