roundhill
New member
My Grandfather has lost two steers to black leg last week. I have been told that the herd needs to be moved or sold and no cattle on that pasture is this true. I would greatly appreciate any help yall could give
black leg
- Thread starter roundhill
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preston39
Well-known member
roundhill,
How did you determine it was black leg?
How did you determine it was black leg?
rattler
Well-known member
(Chauvoei) is found naturally in the intestinal tract of animals it proubly can remain viable in the soil for many years although it doe's not grow their.Contaminated pasture appers to be a source of organisms.Outbreak's of blackleg have occurred in cattle on farm's in which recant excavations have occurred wich suggest that disturbance of soil may activate latent spores.The organisms proubly are ingestedpass throuhg the wall of the GI tract and after gaining access to the bloodstream are deposited in muscle and other tissue.
In cattle blackleg infection is endogenous in contrast to milignant edena lesions devwithout any history of wound's although bruising or excessive exercise may precipitate some cases.Commonly the animals that contract black are of the beef breed's in excellent health gaining weight and usually the best animals of their group. outbreaks occur in which a few new cases are found each day for several day's.Most cases are seen in cattle 2-24 mo old but thrifty calve's as young as 6 weeks and cattle as old as 10-12 yr's may be affected. The disease usually occur's in summer and fall and is uncommon durning the winter.
CONTROL:A bacterin containing C chauvoei and csepticum is safe and reliable for bouth cattle and sheep.Calves should be vaccinated twice 2 week's apart at 2-6 mo of age in outbreaks are encountered,all susceptible cattle shoud be vaccinated and treated pro-phylactically with penicillin to prevent new cases wich may develop for up to 10 day'sat which the bacterin provides protection.In some areas multicomponent colstridial vaccines are warranted.Treatment of clinical cases which parenteral and multiple local injections of penicillin may be attempted but frequently unsuccessful.
This is out of the vet manual hope it help's you.
rattler
In cattle blackleg infection is endogenous in contrast to milignant edena lesions devwithout any history of wound's although bruising or excessive exercise may precipitate some cases.Commonly the animals that contract black are of the beef breed's in excellent health gaining weight and usually the best animals of their group. outbreaks occur in which a few new cases are found each day for several day's.Most cases are seen in cattle 2-24 mo old but thrifty calve's as young as 6 weeks and cattle as old as 10-12 yr's may be affected. The disease usually occur's in summer and fall and is uncommon durning the winter.
CONTROL:A bacterin containing C chauvoei and csepticum is safe and reliable for bouth cattle and sheep.Calves should be vaccinated twice 2 week's apart at 2-6 mo of age in outbreaks are encountered,all susceptible cattle shoud be vaccinated and treated pro-phylactically with penicillin to prevent new cases wich may develop for up to 10 day'sat which the bacterin provides protection.In some areas multicomponent colstridial vaccines are warranted.Treatment of clinical cases which parenteral and multiple local injections of penicillin may be attempted but frequently unsuccessful.
This is out of the vet manual hope it help's you.
rattler
roundhill
New member
Thanks you guys for the help. We detrimined it was blackleg by taking the dead ones to a vet and he examined them and said it was definetley black leg.
cowvet
Well-known member
In the face of an "outbreak" of Blackleg it is important to avoid any rough treatment/bruising of the cattle - this includes yarding them for vaccination!!!
I would certainly recommend vaccinating them and depending on the numbers involved you may also give them penicillin when they come through the yards for vaccination (if they tend to knock themselves around).
In an outbreak of Blackleg I saw in some calves a few years ago the owner went in and vaccinated the pre-weaned calves in pens made of small hay bales and made a concerted effort not to let them bump around too much. Worked well!
Discuss these options with your vet.
Prevention - Vaccination elliminates the problem occuring.
I would certainly recommend vaccinating them and depending on the numbers involved you may also give them penicillin when they come through the yards for vaccination (if they tend to knock themselves around).
In an outbreak of Blackleg I saw in some calves a few years ago the owner went in and vaccinated the pre-weaned calves in pens made of small hay bales and made a concerted effort not to let them bump around too much. Worked well!
Discuss these options with your vet.
Prevention - Vaccination elliminates the problem occuring.
johndeerefarmer
Well-known member
How does the calf bumping into something have any effect on blackleg? I have been around cows over 30 years and have never heard of that..
Does this seem to occur in area's or is it normally confined to one farm, is weather a factor such as a lot of rain washing things out of the ground. When I was young we lost a lot of big calves to blackleg the thing I remember the most about it was the look on my dad's face. It's a terrible feeling being able to walk up to a 800lb calf that can't get up.
johndeerefarmer
Well-known member
tuck":3iyd1tiu said:
I know that it lives in the soil and every once in awhile it appears. It also spreads by coyotes and wolves dragging dead calf carcasses from farm to farm
To see if it is blackleg feel of the leg. If the legs feel like their is air under the skin it is blackleg.
I vaccinate all of my calves and all heifers that I retain get another shot at weaning. Everything under 2 years old also gets a shot. I have never saw it effect old cows.
Dusty Britches
Well-known member
johndeerefarmer":3r2pg6ia said:
I seem to remember reading something on here not too long ago about that. Oh, yeah - iluvbeef posted a quiz and the answer to one of the questions was that bruising may trigger blackleg to "attack", esp if concentrations of the virus is high in particular animals.
Oh, and welcome aboard, Roundhill and Cowvet.
Blackleg isnt spread between infected animals or carcasses. Its a spore that lives in the ground and is injested.
If an animal has died from BL you can usually hear cracking when you flex the hind legs.
If an animal has died from BL you can usually hear cracking when you flex the hind legs.
Proverbs 12:10
Well-known member
Always heard that it most affected young cattle...until I lost one of my best cows to blackleg last year. She was one of my best and healthiest cows. Now I vaccinate for blackleg every other year.
cowvet
Well-known member
johndeerefarmer":34oci2nd said:
"True blackleg develops when spores which are lodged in normal tissues are caused to proliferate by mechanisms such as trauma or anoxia." This is a quote form a reputable large animal veterinary textbook.
also Merck alludes to bruising precipitating some cases..
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index ... d=blackleg
