Inforce as a dead calf prevention ?

[Stocker Steve]

I have been losing about one sucking calf per year. Usually, but not always, a calf from a poor milking cow/heifer that ends up with a respiratory problem. I use Inforce 3 on any pair I buy in, but not on home grown calves. Would you use Inforce 3 on all calves, cull the poor milkers, or both?

 

[Randi]

I'm not sure what Inforce is, but I would definitely be culling the poor milkers!

OK, so I looked it up. It certainly sounds like a useful tool if you are having problems with a respiratory disease. But I'd still get rid of t e poor milkers.

 

[kenny thomas]

Every calf I have gets a dose of Inforce 3. Not sure if it is really worth it but I rarely ever loose one.

 

[Son of Butch]

YUP every calf....I'm with Kenny....I have no idea that it really does anything, but easy to do and all the vets seem to love it and highly recommend it...if only for the improved memory response down the road.

 

[bmoore87]

Have used it and it reduced deaths/sickness in calves out on pasture. Also seems to helps with weaning.

Trying the PHM internasal pneumonia vaccine this year also to see if that helps out.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I don't see calf scours but BRD is an occasional problem. Talked to a local expert. He felt "poor colostrum" was the initial problem and Inforce 3 would "help."

 

[js1234]

We use Enforce on every stocker on arrival in conjunction with a Bovishield product.
We also use it on weaning time on home grown calves that we wean but not as part of the pre-weaning treatments on calves we sell as bawlers.
We've been happy with the product and the blanket coverage for BRD we get from it working with BoviShield too in those two classes of cattle.

 

[Stocker Steve]

We use Enforce on every stocker on arrival in conjunction with a Bovishield product.
We also use it on weaning time on home grown calves that we wean but not as part of the pre-weaning treatments on calves we sell as bawlers.
We've been happy with the product and the blanket coverage for BRD we get from it working with BoviShield too in those two classes of cattle.

What benefits do you see for giving Enforce 3 and Bovishield at the same time?

 

[js1234]

We use Enforce on every stocker on arrival in conjunction with a Bovishield product.
We also use it on weaning time on home grown calves that we wean but not as part of the pre-weaning treatments on calves we sell as bawlers.
We've been happy with the product and the blanket coverage for BRD we get from it working with BoviShield too in those two classes of cattle.

What benefits do you see for giving Enforce 3 and Bovishield at the same time?

Receiving stockers we really view it as critical as it's such a stressful time for those calves. The Enforce via intranasal delivery is working for the short-term while the Bovishield settles in the calf for longer term BRD protection.
I wanted to not be a fan of the strategy but we were one of the cooperating ranches that tested this in conjunction with Zoetis vets treating some stockers this way and some with only one to act as control herds. The results were very pleasing, convincing us that we are making money by dual treating the cattle so we don't have a "hole" in the timeline of protection in cattle that are already stressed.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I have used Enforce 3 at receiving, and then Bovishield Gold as a booster at three weeks.
Worked well except for a bad below zero receiving experience, when I think the Enforce was effected by the artic vortex...