Black Leg at the Neighbors

[tnwalkingred]

I just bought two heifers and got them home last weekend. Well yesterday my buddy calls and tells me that the neighbor across the road has lost six or seven calves to black leg. I assume he did not vaccinate.I talked to the man who I bought my heifers from and he confirmed that they were vaccinated for Black leg. I asked for a specific date and he is going to get this for me when he gets home and checks his record books. My question is this. Should I not be worried about it since my heifers were vaccinated? Do I need to give them another round of shots? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[tom4018]

I would booster them.

 

[regolith]

Seconding that. You can't take some-one's word that it's been done correctly and vaccine was fresh and kept chilled before use &c Play safe.

 

[fatcattle]

I'll third it. Vaccine is way to cheap to not give a booster.

 

[circlew]

My granddad had a black leg outbreak 6 or 7 years ago. He vacs now. I did some research on it and it said that blackleg will live in the ground for years and will come out when the ground is disturbed. The outbreak happened 3 months after he had his timber logged. The info I found also said to vac at least two times but a third would make them immune for life. I can't remember where I found the info, I think it may have been MSU or AU.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Re-vaccinate. One can never completely trust a breeder who "says" they have done vaccinations, but cannot (or won't) furnish detailed printed vaccination records. Same holds true for de-worming.

Anytime we have brought in new breeding stock we always de-worm while in quarantine and will re-vaccinate if we don't have "proof" cattle have been vaccinated.

 

[Lucky_P]

I used to believe that immunity to blackleg was life-long after proper calfhood vaccination series, but I've seen enough cases of blackleg in adult cattle that had good, reliable histories of having been vaccinated as calves - most commonly in cows going through a synchronization program, but not always - that I routinely booster my entire adult cow herd with a polyvalent Clostridium bacterin/toxoid every 2-3 years. Cheap insurance.

 

[tom4018]

I used to believe that immunity to blackleg was life-long after proper calfhood vaccination series, but I've seen enough cases of blackleg in adult cattle that had good, reliable histories of having been vaccinated as calves - most commonly in cows going through a synchronization program, but not always - that I routinely booster my entire adult cow herd with a polyvalent Clostridium bacterin/toxoid every 2-3 years. Cheap insurance.

Which ones are those?

 

[Lucky_P]

Quick look in the catalogs - Covexin-8 and Cavalry-9 both contain tetanus toxoid. May be some others.

 

[tom4018]

Quick look in the catalogs - Covexin-8 and Cavalry-9 both contain tetanus toxoid. May be some others.

Thanks we use Covexin 8.

 

[Lawson Farms]

Do you guys vaccinate any calves before they are weaned?

 

[Dave]

All my calves get a Ultra bac 8 at branding in mid May (they are Feb-march calves). Then I give them two rounds of shot at weaning in Sept. All the cows get a shot annually. At something like 40 cents a shot it is pretty cheap insurance.

 

[dun]

All my calves get a Ultra bac 8 at branding in mid May (they are Feb-march calves). Then I give them two rounds of shot at weaning in Sept. All the cows get a shot annually. At something like 40 cents a shot it is pretty cheap insurance.

We do the same thing but in late April then again in September

 

[Lawson Farms]

We give Ultrabac and Bovishield at weaning then a booster 30days later. The mama's are boosted anually. I was just wondering did we need to gather and spend the $0.40 prior to weaning, or is it fine to wait.

BL

 

[dun]

We give Ultrabac and Bovishield at weaning then a booster 30days later. The mama's are boosted anually. I was just wondering did we need to gather and spend the $0.40 prior to weaning, or is it fine to wait.

BL

Differing opinions. Some say it doesn;t do any good since they get immunity from the colostrum. We have them up for the spring workup anyway so it's just one more step.

 

[Dave]

As Dun said I am working them anyway so it is just one more shot. And a cheap one at that. The pasture they summer in fits the description in all the vet books for Redwater. I swear they have a picture of my pasture in one of the books. Ultra Bac 8 covers Redwater too and for me it is more of a concern than black leg. But for a 40 cent shot why take a chance.

 

[regolith]

I do mine as early as possible... 6 - 10 weeks old for first shot. Never saw blackleg, but had heard of other farmers losing calves to it before vaccination. (they were vacinating at four+ months)
Then this year I had one post-mortemed and diagnosed with clostridia at four weeks old... go figure. The vet said four weeks is the earliest possible age to vaccinate, so now I guess I'm aiming to vaccinate at four weeks. The calves are drinking whole milk mixed with stored colostrum at that age.

 

[Anguscattle]

We give our cows a annual booster 1 month before calving. Ive heard that this will give the calf SOME immunity. Then we give a shot to calves at 2 months, 5 months and 6 months. If we keep any heifers they get the annual booster before calving like all the rest.
You might say we over do it. But as most of you said, its too cheap not to. Id rather pay .50 a shot than lose a calf that could bring $800-$1000.

 

[calfbuyer]

Anything bought and brought in gets all vaccinations and wormed, no matter what the seller says. Even if its the neighbor. You never can be too sure. Especially when i buy calves from the sale barn, they get all shots immediately when i unload them. Its like taking your kids to daycare or Sunday School, they get exposed to everything under the sun and if they don't have an immunity to it, they are going to be sick.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Anything bought and brought in gets all vaccinations and wormed, no matter what the seller says. Even if its the neighbor. You never can be too sure. Especially when i buy calves from the sale barn, they get all shots immediately when i unload them. Its like taking your kids to daycare or Sunday School, they get exposed to everything under the sun and if they don't have an immunity to it, they are going to be sick.

I agree with everything you said, 100%.