Strategies for Data-Driven Investigations of Disease and Decreased Production on Stocker Operations

The stocker calf industry is critical to North American beef production. The highly dynamic and diverse nature of the stocker industry creates challenges for veterinarians to develop relevant and lasting professional relationships with stocker operations. Applying epidemiologic methods to investigate disease outbreaks and production losses is a foundational skill for practitioners engaged with stocker operations. This article focuses on overcoming common obstacles encountered in stocker medicine, reviewing field-based epidemiologic principles required to perform investigations of disease and decreased production, and integrating Systems Thinking with these epidemiologic principles to improve understanding of factors influencing stocker cattle health and production.