Internal parasites can start costing you money long before you notice any clear signs. Your cattle might seem healthy and active, but parasites could be quietly reducing their weight, health, and performance. They can lower how much your cattle eat, block nutrient absorption, strain the immune system, and cause calves or thinner animals to fall behind when they should be gaining.This is why controlling internal parasites takes more than just picking up any dewormer from the feed store. A solid deworming plan starts with understanding your herd, your pasture, and the right timing. Calves, yearlings, stressed cattle, and those grazing in crowded or manure-heavy areas often need extra attention since they are more likely to have higher parasite levels.
The challenge is that deworming is not just about treating all your cattle. It is about treating the right animals, at the right time, with the right product. If you use the same dewormer every year, parasites can become resistant, making the product less effective. That is why it is important to check the active ingredient, not just the brand, and to work with your veterinarian when making a plan.
When spring becomes summer, parasite problems can add to the stress from heat, flies, changing forage, and breeding season. Planning ahead now can help prevent weight loss, poor body condition, calf health problems, and financial losses. Even though you might not see them, internal parasites can cause real damage.
Every spring in West Texas, there’s a point where calving is mostly behind you, and things finally start to settle down. Calves are on the ground, pairs are turned out, and after a long winter, it feels like you’ve made it through the hardest part of the season. The grass is starting to green up, cows are grazing again, and from a distance, the herd looks like it’s in good shape. This is often when producers feel like they can take a breath and let things run.
Minerals are one of those topics in cattle nutrition that seem simple on the surface but can get pretty complicated once you start digging in. Every rancher knows cows need them, but how often do you stop and really think about the type of mineral you’re feeding? Most of the time, the conversation at the feed store sticks to the basics—tubs vs. bags, blocks vs. loose mineral. But there’s another angle that’s just as important, and it doesn’t always get the attention it deserves: chelated minerals.
Internal parasites are one of those hidden problems that every beef producer has to deal with. You might not always see them, but they’re constantly working behind the scenes—dragging down productivity, health, and profits. These parasites increase maintenance energy requirements, mess with nutrient absorption, and keep the immune system working overtime. All of that adds up to lost performance.
