Brucellosis (Bang's disease)

[HDRider]

Who here does not vaccinate for Bang's? And can you say why you don't?

Thanks

 

[Lucky_P]

Me.
There's no incentive for me to vaccinate against brucellosis, financial or otherwise.
I'm a veterinarian. I've not seen or known of a positive brucellosis case in the area in decades.
The state and federal folks have sort of discouraged vaccination here for years - especially, in the days of Strain 19 vaccine, they spent more time chasing persistent titers in heifers vaccinated 'over-age' or pregnant - or both - than they did running down actual 'reactors'.

I live in a brucellosis-free state. I'm a commercial producer, not producing 'breeding stock', per se.
Any heifer I sell should be going to a feedlot, not somebody's breeding herd.
Any adult cow I sell, whether bred or open, is gonna have to be blood-tested to cross a state line anyway, regardless of whether she was calfhood-vaccinated or not - unless she's going directly to slaughter.

 

[dun]

We don;t. If she's going to a registered sale she has to be blood tested just to be in the sale. If she's staying here I don;t care. We're also in a Bangs free state.

 

[mlazyj]

I grew up in Washington and it was a bangs free state untill a cattle trader brought in a couple hundred holstien heifers from the midwest . He sold 20 here 20 there through out the county . The infection spread like fire to herds that hadn't bought any of his cattle .
The other twist is bison and elk , if you live in a state that allows keeping of elk and bison as pets you're at risk.

 

[Lucky_P]

In general, 'farmed' bison and elk should be no more risky than the general population of cattle. In my state, anyone who's involved in captive-breeding/rearing of deer/elk/bison are supposed to have purchased them from licensed breeders, who are required to test for brucellosis/TB prior to selling to another breeder.(Yeah, I know it *might* not happen that way every time.)

If I lived in the Yellowstone vicinity, where free-ranging elk & bison, which are known to be infected with brucellosis, might drift onto my premises and comingle with my cows, then, yes, I'd probably be vaccinating my heifers.

 

[Anonymous]

Same thing with wild pigs. They carry and transmit bangs.
Florida is bangs free. But i cant see how that claim can be made with all the wild pigs around.

 

[dun]

If I lived in the Yellowstone vicinity, where free-ranging elk & bison, which are known to be infected with brucellosis, might drift onto my premises and comingle with my cows, then, yes, I'd probably be vaccinating my heifers.

We would too, but as far as they are from us I don;t see a problem or a need.

 

[bigbull338]

we havent bangs vacced our heifers in years.an we are also a bangs free state.now if i sell reg cattle or heifers i do have them bangs vacced.but i dont plan on selling any cattle at reg sales.

 

[Oldtimer]

One of the negatives to not Bangs vaccinating is that if you sell them later as breeding stock- they can't go into some states who's Dept of Livestock rules require Official Calfhood Vaccination-- which can sometimes affect the price you get...

An example is Canada does not allow OCV- so Canadian breeding heifers/cows can't be brought into Montana and some other states...

 

[suzorse]

all of mine get vaccinated , but I live in a state where if they are not and I sell any no vacs they go straight to slaughter, I would do it anyway because if I move they will move with me ,and they are TB tested yearly , and these are dairy cows, my beef heifers do not need the TB test, but I will probabley do it when I herd test the rest Suzanne

 

[Stocker Steve]

One of the negatives to not Bangs vaccinating is that if you sell them later as breeding stock- they can't go into some states who's Dept of Livestock rules require Official Calfhood Vaccination-- which can sometimes affect the price you get...

A few folks vacinate here. Some by habit, some so they have the option to sell replacements in the west for more $.

I would not vacinate unless you plan to sell replacements. One of my dreams is to haul replacements west, and then back haul (dead) elk east. Would the entire trip be deductable or just part ? :???:

 

[Caustic Burno]

I vaccinate but I still have nightmares of the early seventies and the state man branding a Big B on there jaw.
Seen several people wiped out by bangs.