P. Alan Thomas p.alan.thomas@zoetis.com 423.956.0387 |
How do you protect your herd? What risks are you willing to take? These were the questions posed by Alan Thomas from Zoetis at the May meeting. Did you know that the beef industry loses $1 Billion annually due to respiratory disease ~ the leading calf killer? Even if the calf lives, there is the potential of lower weaning weights and more cost due to sickness.
Have you had cows abort or a calf die or fail to thrive without really understanding why? Respiratory viruses (BVD, IBR, BRSV) are serious diseases that could be the cause. The rate of abortions in an infected herd can be as high as 50%. Vaccinations should become an important part of the overall calf health program along with decreased stress, good nutrition and bio-security.
Stress from handling and herd management can decrease a calf’s ability to mount an immune response. We cannot avoid stressing our calves, but we can lessen it by following BQA recommendations for low stress handling and working with them regularly. One low-stress option is to administer vaccines to calves nasally using INFORCE 3 along with One Shot BVD to boost immune response. This combination has been shown to protect calves for five months or more following the initial dose.
Are there other farms nearby whose herd may come in contact with yours? Biosecurity, controlling access of potentially dangerous diseases, is critical. Strong fences and vaccinating your herd can protect them against contact with non-vaccinated neighboring animals. Persistently infected (PI) calves shed the BVD virus to others leading to the spread to unprotected adults and calves. And it can go unrecognized in those calves that live.
Successful protection also depends on good nutrition along with proper timing and vaccine handling. Cattle have specific nutritional needs including protein, fiber and minerals to maintain their proper body conditioning for optimum health and breeding ability. An animal that is in poor condition is less likely to fight off disease. When giving vaccines, be sure to follow the label carefully. Try to give them when the temperature is less than 80o and humidity low to avoid stress. Keep the vaccines cool during use. Use modified live vaccines immediately after mixing. Change needed after 10 or fewer uses.
Risk is always out there, but you can control it through proper management. Check out the Zoetis webpage for more information: www.zoetis.com or call Alan: 423.956.0387.
Have you had cows abort or a calf die or fail to thrive without really understanding why? Respiratory viruses (BVD, IBR, BRSV) are serious diseases that could be the cause. The rate of abortions in an infected herd can be as high as 50%. Vaccinations should become an important part of the overall calf health program along with decreased stress, good nutrition and bio-security.
Stress from handling and herd management can decrease a calf’s ability to mount an immune response. We cannot avoid stressing our calves, but we can lessen it by following BQA recommendations for low stress handling and working with them regularly. One low-stress option is to administer vaccines to calves nasally using INFORCE 3 along with One Shot BVD to boost immune response. This combination has been shown to protect calves for five months or more following the initial dose.
Are there other farms nearby whose herd may come in contact with yours? Biosecurity, controlling access of potentially dangerous diseases, is critical. Strong fences and vaccinating your herd can protect them against contact with non-vaccinated neighboring animals. Persistently infected (PI) calves shed the BVD virus to others leading to the spread to unprotected adults and calves. And it can go unrecognized in those calves that live.
Successful protection also depends on good nutrition along with proper timing and vaccine handling. Cattle have specific nutritional needs including protein, fiber and minerals to maintain their proper body conditioning for optimum health and breeding ability. An animal that is in poor condition is less likely to fight off disease. When giving vaccines, be sure to follow the label carefully. Try to give them when the temperature is less than 80o and humidity low to avoid stress. Keep the vaccines cool during use. Use modified live vaccines immediately after mixing. Change needed after 10 or fewer uses.
Risk is always out there, but you can control it through proper management. Check out the Zoetis webpage for more information: www.zoetis.com or call Alan: 423.956.0387.
