Cattle Vaccinations?

[MartinFarms]

Hello, I have been following these forums for a few month now and learning as much as I can about cattle. I live in North Georgia I have 8 crossbred cows/6 calves, and a 2 year old Charolais bull. I have just acquired the animals in the last year. I have never vaccinated them decided it is too cheap not too. My question is being that they are all bred back can I use a MLV or do I need to used a killed virus? From what I understand MLV is much better than killed and only needs an annual booster unlike killed which needs a booster 2-4 weeks after the first dose along with an annual booster.

Thanks,
Sean M.

 

[Lawson Farms]

Most labels will tell you not to use a MLV vaccine on pregnant or nursing animals. We use a killed virus when the animal is pregnant or nursing.

 

[MartinFarms]

That is what I assumed but I was not sure if there was some MLV vaccine that might have been tested safe. Some of the MLV vaccines I have read said do not use on nursing cattle if they have not been vaccinated within the last year. " Safe for pregnant cows or calves nursing pregnant cows, provided they were vaccinated according to label directions with any Bovi-Shield Gold FP or PregGuard Gold FP vaccine within the last 12 months." How would I ever be able to use a MLV since the cow is always pregnant or nursing?
Thanks,
Sean M.

 

[dun]

If the cow has been vaccinatied previously with MLV it's fine to use it. If they haven;t or you aren;t sure, avoid MLV in bred cows or calves nursing bred cows.

 

[vclavin]

Make sure when you give the MLV at prebreeding you do at least 30 days before breeding. It gets into the reproductive system and bneeds time to clear out (ovaries I think it was).
Valerie

 

[DavisBeefmasters]

If the cow has been vaccinatied previously with MLV it's fine to use it. If they haven;t or you aren;t sure, avoid MLV in bred cows or calves nursing bred cows.

:nod:

 

[dun]

That is what I assumed but I was not sure if there was some MLV vaccine that might have been tested safe. Some of the MLV vaccines I have read said do not use on nursing cattle if they have not been vaccinated within the last year. " Safe for pregnant cows or calves nursing pregnant cows, provided they were vaccinated according to label directions with any Bovi-Shield Gold FP or PregGuard Gold FP vaccine within the last 12 months." How would I ever be able to use a MLV since the cow is always pregnant or nursing?
Thanks,
Sean M.

It is a problem only if the cow hasn;t been previsously vaccinated with it and is nursing AND is pregnant. We do spring workup between calving and the start of breeding season so any cows that we don;t know for sure if they;ve been vaccinated with MLV get it then. That takes care of the issue from then on. We vaccinate in the fall with MLV when we wean the calves and the cows are bred and we don;t have any problems becuase of the spring vaccination

 

[MartinFarms]

Just for clarification, it is okay to use MLV if the cow is open and has a nursing calf? Or by using a MLV in that situation could harm the nursing calf?
Thanks for the help,
Sean M.

 

[dun]

Just for clarification, it is okay to use MLV if the cow is open and has a nursing calf? Or by using a MLV in that situation could harm the nursing calf?
Thanks for the help,
Sean M.

The deal is, vaccinating a cow that is not bred with MLV that has had no previoosu MLV vaccinations is not a problem. The effect of the MLV isn;t on the nursing calf, it is the nursing calf being vaccinated with MLV that causes the cow to abort. But she will only abort if a) she's bred and b) she hasn;t been vaccinatied with MLV herself.

 

[MartinFarms]

Okay I see. Thank for explaining it to me.
Sean M.