Protocol Question for Vaccinating Weanlings

[MichaelB]

I am looking for comments on whether my protocol for vaccinating and worming my weanling calves is effective or if I am "missing" a step. My two heifers are black angus x tarentaise crosses, so there was no need to dehorn them. One was born on 8/20/2011 and the other was born on 9/27/2011. On 11/12/2011, I had vaccinated their dams intranasally with Bovi Shield Gold FP L5 and they were re-bred in December 2011; the young calves were not vaccinated at that time.

I plan to wean on March 20th and sell them by May 1st. I plan to use Bovi Shield Gold FP L5 (or equivalent) again on dams and heifers, as well as vaccinate for rabies. I live in Northern Virginia and have received some direction from a retired bovine vet that this is sufficient for cattle in my area (actually, he didn't recommend rabies). My question is, should I be vaccinating the calves while they are still on their mothers, at weaning, or after weaning? Should I be giving them a booster of the same vaccinations within a certain number of weeks, or is a single vaccination sufficient?

I last wormed their mothers with Ivomec in November 2011 (fall was very mild here, I was waiting for a good freeze before worming). Should I use Cydectin or another product for Spring worming, and when should it be applied to the calves?

I have some leeway with catching the heifers for treatments - there are only two, and they are somewhat halter broken. I'm just trying to figure out the optimum protocol and timing between weaning and sale, and I thank you for your comments.

This is my best calf - 564 lbs. on 3/03/12. She was calved on 8/20/2011 and is by HARB Pendleton:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.ph...187030046490.141181.1587985331&type=1&theater

 

[fitz]

My vaccination timing is determined by the breeding season. The later part of April I'll vaccinate my spring calving cows. Any fall heifers retained will vaccinated at that time with FP 5 L5, Alpha-7/mb-1 and probably dewormed also (mainly because they're in the holder). I will probably use Exprinex because I have it on hand. The Cydectin is good also. Those same heifers will get a booster of Bovi-Shield BRSV around three to four weeks.

fitz

 

[Lucky_P]

The Bovi Shield products are not intended to be given intranasally. Read the instructions - subcutaneous or intramuscular.
Do they work intranasally? Who know? Maybe; or it may have had the same effect if you'd just squirted the vaccine on the ground. The manufacturer proved that it was effective if given by the recommended SQ or IM route; they make no claim or recommendation for intranasal administration.
If you're going to use an intranasal, I'd recommend Inforce-3, then booster with Bovi-Shield (or comparable product) 2 weeks later. That's what we do with our own calves, here.

A booster vaccination at 4-6 weeks - or whatever the vaccine manufacturer recommends - is usually necessary. Read the label instructions. They don't make that recommendation just to sell more vaccine. Really. They've had to demonstrate to USDA that their vaccine is effective, and in most cases, a booster within a prescribed time frame is required in order to get the level of protection for animals to meet the requirements for X% of vaccinated animals to withstand challenge with the pathogens contained in the vaccine. In many cases, if you don't give the booster, you've wasted your time and $$ giving the initial dose.

 

[bse]

If you used Bovi-Gold FP L5 on the cows you dont need it again till next Nov you may want to use leptoferm 5 or something because the lepto part of Bovi only lasts 6 months. For the calves i give Bovi-Gold 5 2wks before weaning then booster at weaning you want need any type fetal protection on the calves until breeding age so save your money on that.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

As Lucky noted, BS5L5 is NOT intented to be used as an intranasal product. If you really did give it intranasally, I would NOT vaccinate my calves with a modified live virus vaccine while nursing the cows. You have to "assume" that the cows did not get any protection, therefore if you vaccinate the calves, you may potentially cause the cows to abort. You can use Pfiser's CattleMaster.
IF you actually did give the BS5L5 as an injection, then the cows do have protection - BUT - I would stick to BS for the calves, because other products do NOT guarantee protection against aborting the cow that the calves are nursing after you vaccinate the calves.
Labels are extremely important - and every product has their own little set of rules.
BS5L5 does need a BRSV booster at ?about? 4 weeks (label).
And the comment about Lepto being good for only 6 months is correct. We vaccinate for Lepto spring & fall on the cowherd. In really heavy deep population area's, vets even recommend 3 X year. There may be new vaccines that guarantee longer, I'm not aware of any.
My program:
Cows: BS5L5 & a clostridial 30 days PRIOR to breeding. Deworm 8 weeks after on grass. Fall - deworm with a pour-on for worms, lice & grubs & Lepto.
Calves: 4 wks after grass, deworm Valbazen, BS5L5, 7-way clostridal. 4 weks after that, deworm pour-on, BS5L5 & OneShot Ultra. (Only the BRSV needs to be boostered, but since vaccines may only "work" on 90% of the animals, I always go ahead and give the full vaccine the 2nd time.)
Then when I want to wean, they are good to go at any time. I later give BS5L5, & OneShot Ultra & pour-on dewormer.

 

[jillaroo]

If you really did give it intranasally, I would NOT vaccinate my calves with a modified live virus vaccine while nursing the cows. You have to "assume" that the cows did not get any protection, therefore if you vaccinate the calves, you may potentially cause the cows to abort.

:???:

 

[regolith]

Lepto is only good for 6 months? Is that likely to be a different product than the NZ vets use - our herds are done annually by the vet (farmers not permitted to handle the lepto vaccination) and they insist on a maximum interval of 14 - 15 months to maintain protection.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Our vaccines are "recommended" to be booster every 12 months. But, research has shown that it only gives about 6 months protection, and with all the deer around here, it is highly recommended 2X year - and as I said, some areas the vets recommend 3x year.
Pfizer's BS5L5 is the only company product that has done the testing & will guarantee that you can vaccinate calves NURSING cows - IF the cows have been vaccinated within 12 months WITH BoviShield 5 way products.

 

[MichaelB]

Thank you all for your responses on protocol, and before this goes any further, I DID NOT administer Bovi Shield Gold FP L5 intranasally. I had used a vaccine the previous year that was administered intransally (recommended by my feed co-op based on the pregnancy status of my cows at the time) , and I must have confused the two when writing the original post. It was interesting to me that several people caught this immediately, and thank you for pointing that out and the reasons that it should not have been done.

My take away is that I need to spend some time with a magnifying glass reading the vaccination inserts thoroughly, but your comments will help put what I am reading into context.

Cheers,
Michael

PS Was anyone able to follow my Facebook link, since posting a photo did not work for me?

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

No Facebook.

 

[angus9259]

I vaccinated my weanlings yesterday. They were gonna get clostridial and Bovashield Gold FP5L5 but my vet (right or wrong) advised me against giving them the same day - he said the L5 portion was pretty potent stuff and typically didn't give it to young calves unless you know you have a lepto problem. So I didn't do it. Not sure that was right or wrong, but I didn't.

 

[bse]

My rep said no need to use fp(fetal protection) or L(lepto) on calves you dont need that until there bred, so i come back 30 days before breeding and vaccinate for that with all the other cows.Bovi-Gold Fp5 L5 HB. Just Bovi-Gold5 on calves save the money.

 

[angus9259]

Interesting. If you don't double vaccinate with the FP at weaning do you double vaccinate before breeding? Or, doesn't the FP portion need the double vaccination?

 

[bse]

If i understand it right the fp is good for a yr. The lepto i give again about 5 months after the original. i have them up twice a yr the fall calvers get the lepto in april while spring calvers get the full bgfp5l5 hb then the cycle starts again. If i retain heifers they get vaccinated like cows nov 1st. or in April depending on which group there in. Hope thats not to confusing.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Obviously they are too young to worry about abortions, but, calves can get Lepto and they get sick. I found that out the hard way. Sold a young 7 month old heifer for over $5000 and she had Lepto. I "always" used BS5L5, but for some reason just got the BS5 - never again.
NEVER heard of 5-way Lepto being too hard on calves :shock: I'm afraid I would question that vets opinion. If the label says it's save for calves, it costs the company tons of $$$ to PROVE that it is safe.
"Most" Lepto products need booster within so many weeks for the initial vaccination, than annual (or in our case semi-annual booster).