There is a lot of people that i talk to in my area that don't do anything more than just de worm there cattle. Whats a good vaccination plan that i should be doing.? I talked with a guy this past weekend that does it for black leg & resipatory. And i'd like to have some sort of plan for vaccanating . i only have 2 heifers now bout 13 months old that i purchased 1 month ago & i doubt they have ever received any shots. And i plan on getting 2 more in Nov. 1 is Angus the other is Brangus. thanks
VACCINATION PLAN
- Thread starter RICHARDL
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spinandslide
Well-known member
From what I understand, different areas of the country have different programs. Im still new at this, but found alot of useful information on the extension websites from my state and surrounding ones similar in climate and all that.
Might want to talk with a local vet as well to get a plan going. I can find the chart I printed off regarding vaccs, but alot of them were reccomended the cows be re-boostered before getting bred.
Might want to talk with a local vet as well to get a plan going. I can find the chart I printed off regarding vaccs, but alot of them were reccomended the cows be re-boostered before getting bred.
Running Arrow Bill
Well-known member
Good vaccination program is worth it weight in gold! Don't be a "penny wise and a pound foolish"!
Sure...there are many cattle people out there that don't do vaccinations...some have been lucky (and I stress lucky) and others have been shot in the foot with cattle illnesses, diseases, and deaths.
In our program we don't spend more than about $25 a year for comprehensive vaccination program, plus about another $10-15 a year for twice year de-worming. We do our own vaccinations.
You can buy a HECK of a lot of vaccines for the price of one animal that died or you had to transport to (or call out to the farm) a Vet for services.
Blackleg is the #1 priority vaccination. Second priority is for a one-time shot for brucellosis for heifers (only a Vet can give this shot and tag them). If you plan to sell or transport cattle across State Lines (and sometime across County lines) proper vaccinations are required (esp. Brucellosis and sometimes TB).
For example: If a given rancher has 500 cattle and 1 or 2 die due to disease or illness...well (according to them) "BFD"! On the other hand if you have 10 or 20 animals and ONE dies, you have lost a heck of a lot of money or one animal to put in your freezer...
If you don't vaccinate or de-worm, you are going to need a Semi-Load of Angels walking with you...lol.
Sure...there are many cattle people out there that don't do vaccinations...some have been lucky (and I stress lucky) and others have been shot in the foot with cattle illnesses, diseases, and deaths.
In our program we don't spend more than about $25 a year for comprehensive vaccination program, plus about another $10-15 a year for twice year de-worming. We do our own vaccinations.
You can buy a HECK of a lot of vaccines for the price of one animal that died or you had to transport to (or call out to the farm) a Vet for services.
Blackleg is the #1 priority vaccination. Second priority is for a one-time shot for brucellosis for heifers (only a Vet can give this shot and tag them). If you plan to sell or transport cattle across State Lines (and sometime across County lines) proper vaccinations are required (esp. Brucellosis and sometimes TB).
For example: If a given rancher has 500 cattle and 1 or 2 die due to disease or illness...well (according to them) "BFD"! On the other hand if you have 10 or 20 animals and ONE dies, you have lost a heck of a lot of money or one animal to put in your freezer...
If you don't vaccinate or de-worm, you are going to need a Semi-Load of Angels walking with you...lol.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
There's nothing worse than seeing cattle with thousands of blood sucking horned flies irritating the heck out of them. You could spend a few dollars to worm the cows and save much more in feed costs.
As far as I know, there has never been blackleg in my pastures - ever. Feral hogs and deer have no respect for fences and they can transmit just about everthing. So we vaccinate what we can on our own and get a vet to do the rest at his convenience. If I have to load up the retained heifers and haul them to the vet for Brucellosis vaccine once in a great while, so be it. I can usually get everythig done in my working pens if I time things right.
Healthy cows get bred when you want them bred.
As far as I know, there has never been blackleg in my pastures - ever. Feral hogs and deer have no respect for fences and they can transmit just about everthing. So we vaccinate what we can on our own and get a vet to do the rest at his convenience. If I have to load up the retained heifers and haul them to the vet for Brucellosis vaccine once in a great while, so be it. I can usually get everythig done in my working pens if I time things right.
Healthy cows get bred when you want them bred.
SRBeef
Well-known member
I suggest you ask around the area to locate a good vet folks recommend. Then follow his recommendations for what vaccinations are a good idea in your area. My plan is to have the vet come by twice a year, once in July and once in December. We run them all through the alley and chute. In July, they all get booster shots and dewormed except the ones that will be processed in the next couple months. The bull calves get castrated along with their shots. Any calves not eartagged earlier get their number tags. The vet offerred to put fly tags on all but I've had good luck so far with the rub and flyps so no fly tags.
In December the vet preg checks the cows, the ones found open will be culled/processed in the next few weeks so we don't do any shots etc to them. The heifer calves to be retained are brucleosis vacinated & tagged. Everybody except the cull/process group gets booster shots and dewormed.
I was amazed at how accurate the vet was in his preg checks last December - he had them very close to actual late March-early May calving dates. Main thing is at that point, (5-6 mos from conception) he can give a positive reading on if they are carrying a calf or not.
The basic approach I am trying to establish is preventive care as you would for your family with your doctor. We vaccinate our kids against diseases, why not our cattle? Find a good vet who at least somewhat agrees with your approach to cattle and do what he says. I believe this will be the lowest cost approach long term. jmho.
In December the vet preg checks the cows, the ones found open will be culled/processed in the next few weeks so we don't do any shots etc to them. The heifer calves to be retained are brucleosis vacinated & tagged. Everybody except the cull/process group gets booster shots and dewormed.
I was amazed at how accurate the vet was in his preg checks last December - he had them very close to actual late March-early May calving dates. Main thing is at that point, (5-6 mos from conception) he can give a positive reading on if they are carrying a calf or not.
The basic approach I am trying to establish is preventive care as you would for your family with your doctor. We vaccinate our kids against diseases, why not our cattle? Find a good vet who at least somewhat agrees with your approach to cattle and do what he says. I believe this will be the lowest cost approach long term. jmho.
LRWright
Member
I am by no means an expert on this since I am a newbie to the whole cattle thing. I have talked to many people and one school of thought that I came across is around not vaccinating. The idea is that if you don't buy cattle from external sources and grow your herd soley by your own cattle having calves, then you don't vaccinate so that you keep only the cattle that are able to survive and thrive without intervention. By culling wtih this in mind, you will build up the strength and quality of your herd so that vaccinations are not required. I'm still doing research on this but wanted to throw out one piece of information I've come across during my research.
S&S Farms
Well-known member
Talk to a vet in your area. If you are a newbie it is good to get aquainted with the vet when it is not an emergency. It will be easier to get them to show up if they know who you are. If you dont pay your bills dont expect really fast service believe me I have seen this happen.
Jeff
Jeff
S&S Farms":13dwa98n said:
I agree get in touch with your vet. One day you will need him. Also more than likely he will already have a vaccination protocol for you to use that is made for your area. Do a search on google. There is a lot to learn about vaccines and cattle health in general.
SRBeef
Well-known member
LRWright":23e4a791 said:
There are probably some other cattle in the area with flies, mosquitos, ticks, bird droppings etc capable of carrying disease from other herds, or deer or other wild animals. Vacinations are different than implants, "preventative" antibiotics in feed, etc. The idea of "culling" for disease resistance is a good idea but can be costly to find out. I don't know if it is worth trying to find a naturally resistance to blackleg, brucelosis or some other very serious cattle illness for which vacines exist. We vacinate all people for polio or measles or small pox don't we? The fact that a particular animal is NOT naturally resistant to some serious disease is not necessarily mean they are an inferior animal. jmho.
djinwa
Well-known member
Actually, we don't vaccinate for polio or smallpox, because they've been eradicated. Vaccines run the risk of "reverting to virulence", meaning they can actually cause disease. When the rate of disease becomes very low, it has to be decided whether the vaccine causes more harm than good. That is why each disease and each area has to be considered separately.
Another problem with vaccines like that for Brucellosis, is that it can cause the animal to produce antibodies and test positive on a blood titer (reactors). Makes it confusing to know if they are truly infected, or just vaccinated. (Edit: just read that newer vaccine doesn't cause reaction). When the rate of disease is very low, we often go to a test and slaughter program instead of vaccinating. Here's a quote from the Merck Veterinary Manual:
It is a valid concept to consider that a closed herd needs less vaccinations. If the only new cattle your cows see is the semen in an AI tank, probably low risk. At higher risk are the calves leaving the farm, facing stresses and lowered immunity, co-mingling and sharing bugs.
I would be interested to know which specific diseases are spread from deer and feral hogs to cattle, and how often that happens.
BC
Well-known member
Like others have suggested, go visit one of your local veterinarians (one that does some large animal work) and develop a herd health plan that fits your area. What works in your area may not be needed in another part of the state and vice versa.
The idea of vaccines is for prevention. The calves may never get sick at your place, BUT when they enter the marketing chain those unvaccinated calves are VERY HIGH RISK animals. Their immune system has not been prepared for the mixing of cattle from different locations and the sickness they bring with them. Think about this way - you have a child that has never been away from home and you send them to school for first grade. They get every cold, chicken pox, measles and who knows what else because they have never been exposed to anything. The VAC-45 program was developed as a result of the first Ranch to Rail program. Producers delivered their calves to be sent to the feedlot and the percentage that got sick or died was as high as "sale barn" cattle. They did a follow up and found that the producers who had weaned and given the suggested preventative vaccinations had less or almost no sickness. The calves that were weaned on the way to the feedyard had a high incidence of pulls and sickness. It also affected their rate of gain and quality grade.
The idea of vaccines is for prevention. The calves may never get sick at your place, BUT when they enter the marketing chain those unvaccinated calves are VERY HIGH RISK animals. Their immune system has not been prepared for the mixing of cattle from different locations and the sickness they bring with them. Think about this way - you have a child that has never been away from home and you send them to school for first grade. They get every cold, chicken pox, measles and who knows what else because they have never been exposed to anything. The VAC-45 program was developed as a result of the first Ranch to Rail program. Producers delivered their calves to be sent to the feedlot and the percentage that got sick or died was as high as "sale barn" cattle. They did a follow up and found that the producers who had weaned and given the suggested preventative vaccinations had less or almost no sickness. The calves that were weaned on the way to the feedyard had a high incidence of pulls and sickness. It also affected their rate of gain and quality grade.
Even with a closed herd there is still some risk. An animal bringing it in accdientally, someone with some strange pathology on thir shoes, cows digging up dirt that may harbor some strange disease.
It's like car insurance, you may never need it but if you do it's an awfully cheap price to have paid ro have it. It's also like elephant repellent. I've never seen an elephant around here so my replellent must work. If you have vaccinated you will never know if you should have or not cause the problem won;t show up.
It's like car insurance, you may never need it but if you do it's an awfully cheap price to have paid ro have it. It's also like elephant repellent. I've never seen an elephant around here so my replellent must work. If you have vaccinated you will never know if you should have or not cause the problem won;t show up.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
djinwa":1eh5ebcs said:
Consider how many times you read on this forum about neighboring bulls coming to visit.
You can have feral cattle on the river bottoms from flooding. Most of last year's on the Brazos have been rounded up now but some can jump fences like deer.
Sit in a deer stand and watch or listen to deer relieve themselves in or near the stock tanks. Also consider how much of their waste residue gets flushed into the stock tanks when it rains.
The most feral hogs I have trapped in one week is 43. There can be up to 200 on the property at times. They are resistent to most any disease but they are carriers. They eat dead animals and practically anything else. Think about that. Talk to any vet about the feral hogs in Texas. You can watch them root up cow pies and eat the earth worms underneath. If there is black leg in that soil, it is going with them when they jump the fence with that mud all over their bodies. No fence will hold them in and no fence will hold them out.
RICHARDL
Well-known member
Thanks to all that responded
Yes, i want to have vac. plan. I want to know i have heathly cattle, Just like my dogs. They go every year for there yearly check up. And with me just startng out, getting cattle from here & there, there no way of telling if they are heathly or have been vac. or what i'm bringing in. I'm going to visit with the vet like suggest and see what he recommends for my area. and go from there.
Peace of mind, and know that i've done what i could to prevent any diesase from happening. Either leaving my place or coming in. I don't plan on having a large herd but a small heathy one.
Thanks again :cowboy:
Yes, i want to have vac. plan. I want to know i have heathly cattle, Just like my dogs. They go every year for there yearly check up. And with me just startng out, getting cattle from here & there, there no way of telling if they are heathly or have been vac. or what i'm bringing in. I'm going to visit with the vet like suggest and see what he recommends for my area. and go from there.
Peace of mind, and know that i've done what i could to prevent any diesase from happening. Either leaving my place or coming in. I don't plan on having a large herd but a small heathy one.
Thanks again :cowboy:
[ djinwa wrote
I would be interested to know which specific diseases are spread from deer and feral hogs to cattle, and how often that happens.[/quote]
Here is your answer;
http://cattletoday.com/archive/2001/July/CT160.shtml
I would be interested to know which specific diseases are spread from deer and feral hogs to cattle, and how often that happens.[/quote]
Here is your answer;
http://cattletoday.com/archive/2001/July/CT160.shtml
birdog
Well-known member
I recommend talking to your local vet as suggested. I vaccinate with a 8-way for blackleg but only once at approximately 3 months of age, no booster or follow-up as recommended and have never had any trouble; until this year. I lost 5 heavy calves in 4 days. That would pay for a whole lot of vaccine and labor just to save one. From now on I will do as the label states.
Brandonm22
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Another thing too consider is where your cattle are going. IF you are selling seedstock you probably need too vaccinate for many more things than a closed commercial herd would since the bulls/females you sell will be going into herds that have or have been exposed to just about everything floating around your marketing area. Especially if you sell with a breeder guarantee. BVD types 1 and 2 is probably the industry's biggest threat economically.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
I was talking to a vet last p.m. about this. He laughed.
He said "closed herd" is one of the dumbest sales pitches out there for disease protection. He brought up something I haven't considered. He asked me how many times neighboring cows jump the fence and enter my hay fields. (he knew the answer because sometimes there are 100 invading cows in the coastal). Then he asked me if I ever had dry fecal matter in the hay. Even tho I don't graze the hay fields with my own cows, I am sure there is at times because of neighbor's cattle.
Then he told me of a "closed herd" that buys hay all the time and he knows whats in it.
Dirt is in hay too. Where does the hay come from? Then you read on this forum about chicken litter fertilizer. We all know where economical liquid fertilizer comes from.
He said "closed herd" is one of the dumbest sales pitches out there for disease protection. He brought up something I haven't considered. He asked me how many times neighboring cows jump the fence and enter my hay fields. (he knew the answer because sometimes there are 100 invading cows in the coastal). Then he asked me if I ever had dry fecal matter in the hay. Even tho I don't graze the hay fields with my own cows, I am sure there is at times because of neighbor's cattle.
Then he told me of a "closed herd" that buys hay all the time and he knows whats in it.
Dirt is in hay too. Where does the hay come from? Then you read on this forum about chicken litter fertilizer. We all know where economical liquid fertilizer comes from.
Dave
Well-known member
I was talking to the state vet a while back and he was listing off all the "if you do this you don't have a closed herd." Basically it is next to impossible to have a closed herd. I vaccinate everything, I do it according to the label, and I do it regularly.
The cows get a scour guard shot two times in Jan/Feb so they also get an 8 way and a 9 way while they are in the chute. The 8 way only cost $0.36 per shot. The 9 way is a little over a buck. Pretty cheap insurance. Some people will ask so I will tell you that I am giving cows the 8 way for redwater. Blackleg protection is just a bonus.
Calves get a 8 way, 4 way with pasturella at branding in May and then again in the fall before weaning. I give booster shots again 4 weeks later at weaning. Vaccinated calves simply bring more when I sell.
The cows get a scour guard shot two times in Jan/Feb so they also get an 8 way and a 9 way while they are in the chute. The 8 way only cost $0.36 per shot. The 9 way is a little over a buck. Pretty cheap insurance. Some people will ask so I will tell you that I am giving cows the 8 way for redwater. Blackleg protection is just a bonus.
Calves get a 8 way, 4 way with pasturella at branding in May and then again in the fall before weaning. I give booster shots again 4 weeks later at weaning. Vaccinated calves simply bring more when I sell.
