confused on vaccines

[Amo]

I don't know what every body in other places do, but if they have never had anything ever Id go through and give a full set of respetority shots to the cows (heiffers) sometime. Then respetory to calves and a black leg/7 way of some sort. Thats usually cheap. Once your cows have had the respitory shot once and a booster I wouldn't mess with doing it every year. I help neighbors that run 4-500 head of cows. All the cows get in the spring is some sort of preg guard shot. Maybe pinkeye/foot rot if you want. Maybe all that respetory stuff is in say Preg guard 10 or what ever brand you get....if so goodie I guess. Once you have given them a prebreeding shot to an OPEN cow you can be more flexable with when you give them. Id still give it in the spring. The vacine is soposed to prevent abortion and I feel I would get better results by doing it closer to breeding time than depending on the vaccine to last clear through next spring, even if label says so. Plus if you have to give a shot to a pregnant cow its closer to full term.

 

[Amo]

Now that I get to thinking....I think that respetority is in preg guard :?

Oh well. I have wondered about the 2 cc thing as well. A person heres all kinds of stuff.

 

[regolith]

2cc because it's a sensitiser. The presence of the vaccine is enough to trigger the production of antibodies, regardless of the animal's weight.

I had a vet explain it far better than that to me recently when I asked, but that was the gist of it.
I'd be confused too at some of the advice given here... being unfamiliar with the vaccines you guys use and the reasons. All my animals get is the lepto annually, and a '5 in 1' for clostridia as calves.

 

[angus9259]

2cc because it's a sensitiser. The presence of the vaccine is enough to trigger the production of antibodies, regardless of the animal's weight.

Sure - but it seems like if 2 cc could sensitize a 1500 lb cow than 1 cc could sensitize her 500 lb calf.

 

[vclavin]

Call the "vet" at valley vet. I did. Real helpful with what to use and when. Your local vet would be better as he/she would know what's needed in your specific area.
Valerie

 

[John SD]

Good advice on this thread even though the discussion has kinda bounced all over the place.

The main thing to keep in mind is to only use a killed vaccine on a pregnant cow or a calf nursing a pregnant cow if the cow's vaccination is not current (within a calendar year).

Modified live virus (MLV) vaccines can be used on pregnant cows or calves nursning pregnant cows if, AND ONLY IF, the cow is current on her own vaccinations. Abortion of the fetal calf she is carrying may result otherwise.

I just got done giving my nursing calves their fall shots. Didn't get the cows vaccinated this year so I used killed vaccine. Novartis Virashield 6 + Somnus covers IBR, BVD, PI3, BRSV and H Somnus. Pfizer One Shot Ultra 7 covered 7-way clostridial and pasteurella. Cost about $4.50 per calf, and then I poured both cows and calves with generic ivermectin.

If you don't have a LA vet nearby, perhaps you have a good farm and ranch supply or feed store that stocks and is knowledgeable about animal health products. Or buy what you need online. But for such a small order, it's possible the shipping might cost more than the product.

(n your place, I'd try to bum a leftover bottle off a neighbor while it's fresh and use it immediately, because you aren't going to use a full bottle anyway with most vaccine bottles being a minimum of 10 doses.

 

[Amo]

Thats not a bad idea to use up a bottle. I don't know how persnickity this is, but I was told once that most of the vaccines "goodie" is gone withing an hour of mixing (not to mix more than what you can use in 1 hr). So, I don't know whats the best bang for your buck on that. Waste some thats fresh or get some for nothing that might work just as good. IDK that much about vaccine shelf life I guess.

I read once to treat your vaccine like your beer. Keep it in the cooler at all times, open bottle out of sunlight, etc. IE some people take better care of the beer for after cattle working than the vaccine!