Spring has finally sprung, and the Custom Livestock Solutions team celebrated this morning by gathering with clients, local businesses, and high school ag students at the 2026 Blessing of the Farms Breakfast. We appreciate everyone who joined us for this event! It truly is a blessing to be able to serve so many farms, hobby farmers, and livestock nonprofits across Georgia and our touchpoints in South Carolina. To see additional highlights from this event, check out our Facebook or Instagram!
From left: Extern Matt, Dr. Strickland, vet assistant Cheyenne, Dr. Anders, vet assistant Victoria, Dr. Quinn, and vet assistant Lexi
Small ruminant producers, it’s time to start planning for late summer pasture …
When we enter periods of drought, followed by rain and rising temperatures, it creates a great environment for internal parasites to begin their lifecycles in your fields. Many times producers can be more relaxed when it comes to checking FAMACHA scores and other signs of parasite infestations in winter, because temperatures and weather fluctuations are less severe. But these big weather shifts can cause animals to go downhill quickly!
Proactive, appropriate deworming procedures should start now if they have not already. Keeping a parasite-free pasture is not something that happens overnight. Dr. Quinn recommends going ahead and moving animals off winter pastures, and planning now for pasture you might need in later summer. Resting a field in spring means there’s fresh, uncontaminated land to move sheep and goats to if summer conditions cause your animals’ parasite load to rise.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your CLS vet for recommendations or questions!
Beef cattle producers also need to keep an eye on pasture conditions this season. If you aren’t sure whether your animals will need supplementation in addition to grazing, please consult your CLS vet. UGA Extension in your county will be able to assist with additional recommendations for:
Soil testing
Fertilizing
Hay quality
Weed control
It’s also the time of year to start thinking about fly control!
Contact Melissa and Sam, our office manager and office assistant, at [email protected] if you need to order some for pick-up at the CLS office in Comer or to be drop-shipped to your farm. Unsure which variety is best for your farm and animals this year? That’s a great question to ask your CLS vet so you know what to shop for!
CATTLE
Zoetis has two rebate savings opportunities for beef and dairy producers, now through Dec. 31, 2026!
Born of the Bond: Select Zoetis products are applicable for buy together and save discounts of up to 12 percent, with a minimum requirement of $250 spent on eligible products in 2026 to qualify. Ask your CLS vet or click here for full details on qualifying products!
Draxxin: Earn money back on qualifying purchases of select Draxxin, Draxxin KP, and Draxxin 25 products in 2026! Ask your CLS vet or click here for complete details.
A variety of Boehringer Ingelheim cattle products have rebate savings opportunities Mar. 1 through April 30, 2026! Please note, rebate checks will only be issued for rebates of more than $50. Ask your CLS vet for details or click here to submit invoices and receipts!
Qualifying products: Bovikalc calcium supplement, Cystorelin, Diaque supplement, Eprinex, Express FP 5-VL5 HB, Express FP10, Ivomec Plus, Ivomec Pour On, Lockout, Longrange, Presponse SQ, Pyramid 5, Pyramid 5 Presponse SQ, Synanthic 22.5%, Synchsure, ToDAY intramammary infusion, ToMORROW intramammary infusion
EQUINE
Zoetis celebrates the Year of the Horse in 2026 with up to $300 in savings on equine vaccines all year long. Save on Quest Gel, Quest Plus Gel, Core EQ Innovator, Fluvac Innovator, and West Nile-Innovator. Ask your CLS vet or click here for more details about how you can save on these products through the Zoetis Rebate Center.
Boehringer Ingelheim is also offering up to $35 in savings on Prascend! Save on 60-count and 160-count boxes purchased between March 1 and July 31, 2026. Ask your CLS vet or click here for more details on how you can save on these products.
Keep an eye on the Rebate Programs page on our website for additional savings from our industry partners!
Dr. Chamlee, vet assistant Dan, and Dallas, our marketing director, spent most of the day with students at EmpowerC3 for their career day!
Students had a ton of questions for them about how large animal veterinary care compares to small animal, what various pieces of equipment are used for, the animals we service, what vet school is like, and their favorite cases to attend. A handful of students are pursuing careers in the vet field or are in the veterinary science pathway, but even those who weren’t took time to share their curiosity and experiences. Dr. Chamlee even ran into a few CLS clients!
Congratulations to Dr. Strickland and his wife, Anna! Both were honored at the 2026 Madison County Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards celebration. Dr. Strickland was named 2025 Business Person of the Year, and Anna received The Leading Lady Award!
Dr. Strickland and marketing director Dallas represented CLS at the UGA Extension Northeast Georgia Beef Short Course. We got to hear from a number of specialists on important topics relevant to the industry, including the latest updates on the New World screwworm, beef pricing predictions, heifer development, and carcass quality. Two lucky folks also took home gift certificates for CLS veterinary services!
Dr. Chamlee was invited to Oconee County High School to teach an ag class. She tailored her presentation about the importance of veterinary care as part of herd maintenance. She touched on nearly every routine service offered at CLS, because this topic perfectly aligns with our mission of adding value to your operation!
Dr. Strickland was the keynote speaker at February’s University of Georgia Cattlemen's Association meeting. He focused his talk on the importance of college friendships, and discussed production practices that members could take back home to their family farms.
Former extern Isaac Ridings, a DVM candidate with University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, gave attendees at the Extension Goat and Sheep Summit a crash course in small ruminant reproduction. He covered as many bases as he could in his 45 allotted minutes, including estrus, pregnancy diagnosis, birthing stages and health concerns to be aware of, diseases and conditions related to reproduction, caring for newborns, and advanced reproductive techniques.
COMING SOON …
On April 3, CLS will join our sister clinic, Comer Veterinary Hospital, at the Athens Rock Lobsters Rodeo Night! Visit our booth to take home a free souvenir bandana commemorating the event. We also hear there may be bull riding …
CLS Northwest producers, keep an eye out for an upcoming event in your area, tentatively scheduled for April 16! Dr. Josey and Dr. Strickland have been hard at work behind the scenes planning a Ferappease info session.
We hope to see y’all at the Georgia Cattlemen’s Convention April 24 through 25 in Perry! Drop by our booth to meet Dr. Strickland, purchase some CLS merch, and learn more about what CLS has to offer.
“How’d they do?”
It’s the first question cattleman Gary Harvin asks when Custom Livestock Solutions veterinarian Dr. Faith Chamlee, DVM, steps into his office after testing bulls. All but one passed their breeding soundness exams, which leads to his next question.
“What do I need to do different, so he’ll pass next time?”
That’s the spirit behind every ounce of beef produced at Iron Pin Ranch in Comer, Georgia: find what works and home in on it, even if it’s not what everyone else in the industry is doing. The quality is something Dr. Tyson Strickland, DVM, large animal veterinarian and CLS founder, admires about Gary and his wife, Stephanie.
Read “Raising a True Cattleman’s Bull: The Iron Pin Ranch Story” on our blog to learn more!
The CLS team would like to thank the interns and externs who rode with us in February and March 2026:
Tishanna Johnson, vet tech student, Ashworth College
Addison Manske, undergraduate student, University of Georgia
Christy Chambers, undergraduate student, University of Georgia
Lauren Segovia, recent graduate, University of Georgia
Rachel Blackburn, veterinary student, The Royal Veterinary College
Matt Holton, veterinary student, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine
Interested in applying for an internship or externship? Visit our Careers page for details!
