First cattle purchase

[bman4523]

Will be looking to purchase 6 bred cows and 6-10 4 weight stockers this weekend. Any suggestions as to what I should give in the way of vaccinations? The sale barn mentioned that they can provide shots, branding etc, any thoughts on adding those services at time of sale?
Thnx bman

 

[dryfork2]

Start off on the right path and use the vet at stockyards. Vet at local sale does good job and notices things that could easily overlooked.!

 

[blacklabel]

On your stockers buy steers if your not comfortable castrating yourself. Some people overlook that.

Id give them Nuflor, and Excede. Maybe a flytag. And worm them good.

 

[kenny thomas]

On your stockers buy steers if your not comfortable castrating yourself. Some people overlook that.

Id give them Nuflor, and Excede. Maybe a flytag. And worm them good.

Well I cant keep from asking, why do you give them 2 different types of antibiotics if they are not sick? Not saying its right or wrong just asking.

 

[blacklabel]

Preventative.

Stressed cattle get sick easier so I want to help combat sickness before it starts.

Excede is best I've used for BRD
Here is a good post from here on Excede.

FWIW By using excede when starting 200# salebarn calves has resulted in extremely low sickness rates in these high risk calves.

Better than Draxin for sales barn calves?

Won't say it is better than draxxin but just as good & 2/3 the cost
Most Of the year, less than 2% of these flyweight calves require any further treatment. In the fall it may increase to 4-5%

 

[kenny thomas]

I agree with preventing sickness just differ in how to do it. I used Enforce 3 and Presponse this spring but only bought 50 calves and 15 cows all from the stock yard. 0 calves doctored. I am going to start next week buying 80 more so my luck may change. I know that is too much to ask for all the time but if I had used an antibiotic I could not use a modified live virus.

 

[blacklabel]

My way may be out dated... been a couple years, just how Ive had good luck.

Good luck to you, seems its working.

 

[kenny thomas]

Nothing is ever outdated if its still working. I am always looking for the perfect prevention and the problem keeps changing.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

For prevention i use baytril and never have any problems. The main thing on the stockers you buy is make sure they are wormed with shots or drenched and poured both.

 

[bman4523]

Looking for a simplified answer as to what type of vaccinations should be administered to the two classes of cattle I mentioned that are coming from a sale barn (IE cows should get a five way shot, calf's should get black leg and worm meds, etc) I have no familiarity with brand names, what I am after is basic applied strategy so I have some framework to present/discuss with the barn staff. Just the facts ma'm
thnx bman

 

[highgrit]

I use Covexin 8, it's one shot and covers blackleg and tetanus. If you use antibiotics when they are not needed all your doing is making the virus's resistant to antibiotics. Look no further than penicillin in humans.

 

[cow pollinater]

I would look for the stockers to be weaned thirty days and have two round of shots since you're buying for the first time. Product name isn't as important as making sure they're covered for viruses and clostridials. That way you can brand them and dump some pour on wormer on them and put them on grass and sleep at night. Here most salebarns will announce any added value like how long they've been weaned.
I would not even think about hitting anything with antibiotics unless it showed me that it was sick.
For the bredcows I like cattlemaster gold, which is a killed virus, because I can give it to cows with any kind of vaccination history and not have any problems and then switch to a modified live after they calve. Again you can worm them with a good pour on and then in the fall use an injectable wormer.

 

[bman4523]

Thnx cow poll. I suspect most of the calf's are weaned on the trailer on the way to the sale barn. So again, is the request for calf vaccinations stated as "I would like you (sales barn personnel) to vaccinate for virus and clostridials prior to loading those calf's on the trailer"
I am not sure what you are referring to (calf's, bred cows?) when you say you wouldn't hit anything with antibiotics unless the animal is visibly sick.
How do I state my request for bred cow vaccinations, such as "I would like you (sales barn personnel) to vaccinate these cows for "blank and blank" and apply pour on wormer"

 

[blacklabel]

Just have the cows wormed.

And stockers you should look for a "pre vac" sale. Already been vaccinated. Worm them and turn them out. Check daily for any sign of sickness. That would be best bet.

 

[aprille218]

I'd actually re vaccinate everything you get plus use an injectable dewormer (Ivomec Plus). That way you know for sure that everyone got what you wanted them to have correctly. Plus if you use all killed vaccines it's not going to hurt any of them. Vax with a minimum of 8 way (7 way black leg +redwater), pinkeye, respiratory combo (IBR, BVD, PI3, BRSV) and give bred cows a scour combo (rotavirus, corona virus, clostridium, and ecoli) in addition to all of the above.
Aprille

 

[cow pollinater]

I suspect most of the calf's are weaned on the trailer on the way to the sale barn.

You'd be right in a lot of cases but I'd look for the quiet calves that aren't bellering for momma and not packing milk fat if your barn doesn't announce weaning and vaccination info.

So again, is the request for calf vaccinations stated as "I would like you (sales barn personnel) to vaccinate for virus and clostridials prior to loading those calf's on the trailer"

Yep.

I am not sure what you are referring to (calf's, bred cows?) when you say you wouldn't hit anything with antibiotics unless the animal is visibly sick.

Both. Antibiotics are not supposed to be a prophalactic treatment for prevention of disease when nothing is sick. They're supposed to be used to treat individual illness. The public perception of ranching needs to be on every producers mind and the public perception is that we use to many antibiotics. I was eluding to someone else's post but trying not to step on any toes.

How do I state my request for bred cow vaccinations, such as "I would like you (sales barn personnel) to vaccinate these cows for "blank and blank" and apply pour on wormer"

Maybe let them recommend what they think on the vaccination part. I like my program but my program fits in my area but might be really different wherever you're at. For example, I said pour on because that works better here in CA at this time of year when the flies are getting cranked up but worm pressure is lower because the pasture's are dry but someone else said injectable which would be better advice if you're somewhere where grass is cranking right now... The best advice there depends on your location.

 

[bman4523]

OK, got it. thnx CP

 

[bman4523]

picked up 4 bred cows and 8 4-5 wt calfs at action today. In business

 

[greybeard]

I'd actually re vaccinate everything you get plus use an injectable dewormer (Ivomec Plus). That way you know for sure that everyone got what you wanted them to have correctly. Plus if you use all killed vaccines it's not going to hurt any of them. Vax with a minimum of 8 way (7 way black leg +redwater), pinkeye, respiratory combo (IBR, BVD, PI3, BRSV) and give bred cows a scour combo (rotavirus, corona virus, clostridium, and ecoli) in addition to all of the above.
Aprille

Good point, since he may not know their history.

 

[jasonleonard]

bman4523... Nice looking grass and fence! Your pic doesn't show the cattle real well.
I hope the cows put good calves on the ground for you, and the feeders grow like weeds!