Certified Bangs Free herds!!

[Anonymous]

I had a rancher tell me this week that he no longer gives his heifer calves a Bangs shot because we have eradicated the desease. He said that the only herds that were not certified bangs free was a couple of dairy farms near El Paso and the Buffalo in Yellowstone National Park. Can anyone shed any more accurate light on this subject. It seems that the last I read, there are still five or six counties in Texas that still have cattle with Bangs. Am I wrong? I<br>assist the Vet at the local sale barn every Saturday and we get 5 or 6 each month that will test card positive. Many of them are cleared when the state inspector runs a site test on them but some are not. I don't know what happens to them when they go to Austin but if they card test positive and site test positive, we certainly have something going on.<br> If any one has any current information as to how many herds and how many counties are still at risk, I would appreciate hearing from you. He has not convinced me and my heifers still get their bangs shot at about 6-8 months old.<br> Thanks for listening and responding,<br> Mack<br>
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[Anonymous]

: I had a rancher tell me this week that he no longer gives his heifer calves a Bangs shot because we have eradicated the desease. He said that the only herds that were not certified bangs free was a couple of dairy farms near El Paso and the Buffalo in Yellowstone National Park. Can anyone shed any more accurate light on this subject. It seems that the last I read, there are still five or six counties in Texas that still have cattle with Bangs. Am I wrong? I<br>: assist the Vet at the local sale barn every Saturday and we get 5 or 6 each month that will test card positive. Many of them are cleared when the state inspector runs a site test on them but some are not. I don't know what happens to them when they go to Austin but if they card test positive and site test positive, we certainly have something going on.<br>: If any one has any current information as to how many herds and how many counties are still at risk, I would appreciate hearing from you. He has not convinced me and my heifers still get their bangs shot at about 6-8 months old.<br>: Thanks for listening and responding,<br>: Mack<br>: <p><br>Mack you are correct in not taking his word for it. We still have several counties that have dairy herds with high rates of bangers. The last thing I heard about it, that the state was trying to buy these herds out. I had a couple of heifers vac. just yesterday.<p>Matt<br>

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[Anonymous]

<br>There are still herds in Texas that are "Bangers". I've had a couple of newsletters come asking ranchers to "help find the last infected herds". The problem here in Texas is there are many weekend type ranchers that never take the time to vaccinate their heifers. We still vaccinate ours!
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[Anonymous]

:Eileen;<br>I don't consider myself a weekend rancher, yet I did start that way. I lived in Houston and drove three hours up the freeway to tend my cattle on the weekends. Even then, I kept the shots current in my cattle, including bangs in the heifers. My initial message did specify Texas because thats where I am, but I would like to know what the situation is in the rest of the nation. If Jason reads this, I would like to know what it looks like in Alberta as well. Thanks for the response and the information,<br> Mack<br> <br>: There are still herds in Texas that are "Bangers". I've had a couple of newsletters come asking ranchers to "help find the last infected herds". The problem here in Texas is there are many weekend type ranchers that never take the time to vaccinate their heifers. We still vaccinate ours!<p>

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[Anonymous]

Canada is certified Brucellosis free. We did the test and slaughter method of eradication--if any animal tested positive, the herd of origin was slaughtered. We cannot even buy the vaccine in Canada....I tried a couple of months ago for some heifers I was sending to California! I don't personally believe in vaccination vs our method to control the disease. Just my HO!<br>V
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[Anonymous]

: : I had a rancher tell me this week that he no longer gives his heifer calves a Bangs shot because we have eradicated the desease. He said that the only herds that were not certified bangs free was a couple of dairy farms near El Paso and the Buffalo in Yellowstone National Park. Can anyone shed any more accurate light on this subject. It seems that the last I read, there are still five or six counties in Texas that still have cattle with Bangs. Am I wrong? I<br>: : assist the Vet at the local sale barn every Saturday and we get 5 or 6 each month that will test card positive. Many of them are cleared when the state inspector runs a site test on them but some are not. I don't know what happens to them when they go to Austin but if they card test positive and site test positive, we certainly have something going on.<br>: : If any one has any current information as to how many herds and how many counties are still at risk, I would appreciate hearing from you. He has not convinced me and my heifers still get their bangs shot at about 6-8 months old.<br>: : Thanks for listening and responding,<br>: : Mack<br>: : <p>: <br>: Mack you are correct in not taking his word for it. We still have several counties that have dairy herds with high rates of bangers. The last thing I heard about it, that the state was trying to buy these herds out. I had a couple of heifers vac. just yesterday.<p>: Matt<p>Mack, <br>There is an article in the December 2000, Progressive Farmer magazine page 12, that says that as of fall 2000 there are two herds in Texas under quarantine located in Live Oak and Orange county.<br>I raise replacement heifers and the vaccine is too cheap to take a chance and my cattle are a really closed herd. Even after eradication is proclaimed, I plan to vaccinate for another year or two.<br>Mike

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[Anonymous]

: : I had a rancher tell me this week that he no longer gives his heifer calves a Bangs shot because we have eradicated the desease. He said that the only herds that were not certified bangs free was a couple of dairy farms near El Paso and the Buffalo in Yellowstone National Park. Can anyone shed any more accurate light on this subject. It seems that the last I read, there are still five or six counties in Texas that still have cattle with Bangs. Am I wrong? I<br>: : assist the Vet at the local sale barn every Saturday and we get 5 or 6 each month that will test card positive. Many of them are cleared when the state inspector runs a site test on them but some are not. I don't know what happens to them when they go to Austin but if they card test positive and site test positive, we certainly have something going on.<br>: : If any one has any current information as to how many herds and how many counties are still at risk, I would appreciate hearing from you. He has not convinced me and my heifers still get their bangs shot at about 6-8 months old.<br>: : Thanks for listening and responding,<br>: : Mack<br>: : <br>

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[Anonymous]

<p><br>Mack,<p>I'm sorry... I didn't mean that response to sound like I was talking about you being a "Weekend rancher"! I was thinking about some of the other for bangs.<p>We're originally from Illinois, in a dairy area ranchers here in our area...who don't vaccinate where all cattlemen vaccinated their heifers. So when we moved here, we were surprised there were ranchers who didn't take the time to do it.<br>
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[Anonymous]

: Then how does ones herd become "certified <br>ucellosis-free"?<br>: There are still herds in Texas that are "Bangers". I've had a couple of newsletters come asking ranchers to "help find the last infected herds". The problem here in Texas is there are many weekend type ranchers that never take the time to vaccinate their heifers. We still vaccinate ours!<p>

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[Anonymous]

Texas is not a bangs free state. It was recently declared TB free, except for a few counties. Maybe that's what your neighbor heard. Keep getting those heifers vaccinated. In Oklahoma to be certified Brucellosis free, you must have every animal tested two years in a row. Then each year thereafter, to retain the certification, every animal has to be tested. Any animal brought into the herd can't be sold as Certified until they've been bled with your herd two years. I think that's a USDA rule, but check with your local or state vet.<p>I had a rancher tell me this week that he no longer gives his heifer calves a Bangs shot because we have eradicated the desease. He said that the only herds that were not certified bangs free was a couple of dairy farms near El Paso and the Buffalo in Yellowstone National Park. Can anyone shed any more accurate light on this subject. It seems that the last I read, there are still five or six counties in Texas that still have cattle with Bangs. Am I wrong? I<br>: assist the Vet at the local sale barn every Saturday and we get 5 or 6 each month that will test card positive. Many of them are cleared when the state inspector runs a site test on them but some are not. I don't know what happens to them when they go to Austin but if they card test positive and site test positive, we certainly have something going on.<br>: If any one has any current information as to how many herds and how many counties are still at risk, I would appreciate hearing from you. He has not convinced me and my heifers still get their bangs shot at about 6-8 months old.<br>: Thanks for listening and responding,<br>: Mack<br>: <p>
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[Anonymous]

<br>:Eileen;<br>No offense taken, I just found it humerous since I did start that way. I understand what you were saying. The full time ranchers that make their living that way, tend to take care of the details (like shots and de-worming). The weekend ranchers tend to pamper their stock but often neglect the details. I'll probably catch some flack with that observation but so be it. Thanks for your response, <p>: Mack,<p>: I'm sorry... I didn't mean that response to sound like I was talking about you being a "Weekend rancher"! I was thinking about some of the other for bangs.<p>: We're originally from Illinois, in a dairy area ranchers here in our area...who don't vaccinate where all cattlemen vaccinated their heifers. So when we moved here, we were surprised there were ranchers who didn't take the time to do it.<p>
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[Anonymous]

I never vaccinate for bangs, Wisconsin is bangs free and it has been for a long time. The vet told me that if the calf is too old when they are vaccinated they may show a false positive if they are tested when they are mature.
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[Anonymous]

You are absolutely right about adults testing positive if they are vaccinated to late. That is why they should be vaccinated prior to a year old, preferably about 6 to 8 months. Our weekly sales average about 250 adults and we usualy have 3 or 4 that will card test positive. Many of them will prove to have been vacinated too late and it will be reveiled by the tag numbers. Some of them cannot be cleared that easily. I'm glad Wisconsin is Bangs free but here in Texas, we are still fighting the problem.<br> Thanks for your response, Mack<p>: I never vaccinate for bangs, Wisconsin is bangs free and it has been for a long time. The vet told me that if the calf is too old when they are vaccinated they may show a false positive if they are tested when they are mature.<p>
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[Anonymous]

I just wanted to point out that a lot of the cattle in Wisconsin are still vaccinated for Brucellosis even if we are Brucellosis free, especially any Holstein heifers that may be sold as springers. A lot of the Holstein heifers (and cows too) are sold when they are about 2 months from calving so they can be shipped to other states without worrying about them having a calf before they get there. The buyers are willing to pay more for a heifer or cow that is vaccinated for Brucellosis.
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