Pre-conditioning/Backgrounding Hi Risk Calves - Health?

[bverellen]

I have some questions for the Backgrounders in this group.and any other work that needs to be done.

Let me start by saying that my experience is limited to stockers and all natural cow/calf.

I'm just about to pull the trigger on some calves for pre-conditioning and backgrounding.

I'm planning on buying lightweight sale barn calves, 300-400 lbs. from local southern Iowa sale barns. Ideally if I purchase them in the latter half of the sale they will not have been over nighted, and likewise will have endured only a short trip from the farm to the barn.

My plan is to take them to approximately 500# and then sell them back as pre-conditioned, bunk and water broke with an Iowa Gold Tag and weaning certificate.

I've got a pretty rigorous health plan worked out with the local vet. Upon arrival they will all get an Enforce 3 intranasal vaccine for IBR, PI3 and BRSV, a dose of Draxxin and I.D. tagged. 14 days later they will get their first round of vaccinations per the Iowa Green Tag program, Dewormed and any other work that needs to be done. Two weeks after that they receive their second round of shots and their Iowa Gold Tag. In addition I will be treating their water with Corid for Coccidiosis prevention.

A critique of this protocol would be appreciated.

I have some further questions but will post them as a separate thread to keep the mud as clear as possible

 

[bmoore87]

I use enforce in place of a five way for the first round then booster a few weeks later with 5way coming in right away. Unless you think it will take 2 weeks to piece a group together before vaccinating the extra round of enforce might not be needed.

Safeguard is a wormer we mix in with their ration a few days after receiving. Also you could get rumensinn or decox in their feed or supplement to prevent coccid. Instead of having to add it to the water.

 

[Quigly]

I don't know if I would buy a big load of calves for your first go around at this. I assume you have a good idea of the price difference between farm fresh green calves and gold tagged cattle, but make sure you had a sharp pencil when you do your math. You are going to have a lot of time and money invested here, make sure the payoff is going to be worth it. You will have them when they are gaining the least amount of weight and when death loss will be highest. A vet will have to administer the shots and you will probably get some that need cut and dehorned. Do a trial run with a small group and see how it goes. The supply of 4 weight calves probably isnt that great right now either, but there will probably be some fall calves coming in eventually.

Couple ways I would save money. Skimp on the wormer. You have to do it to green tag them, but I think you can just use a generic ivermec. I really dont think they bring any extra at sale when people hear they got dectomax/cydecetin or a white wormer. The buyer will often implant and deworm Iowa green/gold tagged cattle at the sale barn or on arrival at the farm.

Corid is generally cheaper in the feed then the water, but you can't do that if they aren't bunk broke.

Draxxin and Inforce on arrival is a good start, I wouldn't do anything else to them at that time. That could be done at the sale barn, if it would save you any money. If they take to the bunk but you are having health issues, you could run some CTC through the feed starting at day 10, put a couple 5 day treatments through them.

At the price of feed right now, if you have the bunk space I would consider taking them up to feedlot weight. I don't know if they would bring enough extra at 800-900 #s to make it worth while to you, but I would suspect thats where the better money is. Good luck though, you've got your work cut out for you.