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Don't make my expensive mistake...

I always wondered if it takes longer to catch each cow to vaccinate. We use an 80' long alley, pack them in and vaccinate on the way by. Sub-Q, neck shots only. It seems really quick and is easier than our headgate without the neck stretcher. 100 cows takes under 1/2 hour doing them this way and we are pretty confident of dose and placement.

Since we discovered detectable needles a few years ago, we have never had issues. I don't think we have ever bent more than one or two of the detectable variety.
 
RSL said:
I always wondered if it takes longer to catch each cow to vaccinate. We use an 80' long alley, pack them in and vaccinate on the way by. Sub-Q, neck shots only. It seems really quick and is easier than our headgate without the neck stretcher. 100 cows takes under 1/2 hour doing them this way and we are pretty confident of dose and placement.

Since we discovered detectable needles a few years ago, we have never had issues. I don't think we have ever bent more than one or two of the detectable variety.
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Same here RSL, do all the vaccinating in an alley - just works so much easier and quicker when you are working on my own. I consider headcatching fairly stressful and we don't do it if we don't have to. Vaccinate cows their once a year shots in the alley, always do the calves in the alley, tag and ring at birth and don't brand. About the only thing we head catch for is dehorning the odd calf and I'll have to do it for preg checking this fall unless I can get a guy with a ultra-sound wand.
I must say we have had problems with the metal and glass injection guns, well one anyway is real guilty of creeping either one ml heavier or lighter and you have to keep checking it. I've learnt to always put the 8-way in that gun so you aren't wasting the good stuff. We bought some real bad needles a while back - can't remember if they were steel or aluminum but they averaged about five shots per needle and then bent, never broke. Used the box up and haven't had the same problem since.
 
gberry said:
burnt said:
Glass and stainless are the tool of choice around here. I got an an Allflex last winter but, to this point, am certainly not too fond of it.

But the thing that made the biggest difference for our processing was the purchase of a crate with a neck extender. No more lunging backward and forward - they push into the catch gate and there they have to stand almost immobilized. Really adds to syringe longevity.

Who all has discovered this lovely invention?
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What brand chute are you using? I've heard good and bad reviews on the neck extenders. Seems like they would be really handy, but I talked to someone with a Big Valley Silencer chute who did not like them.
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We have a "Matador" built by a manufacturer close to home here in Ontario. It has a lot of adjustments for neck and animal sizes.

It has a lot of nice features like split level side panels that swing open, hinged at the back. I used them more than I care to admit this spring for starting calves on bad uddered cows . . . . :(

I will try to post a few pictures of it when I get around to taking a few of the new barn.

Like a few others, I will be doing more vaccinating in the alley now that we finally will have a solid one.

Today we are pouring concrete for the barn floor and processing area so in a couple of weeks we will get to try it all out!!
 
I use an Allflex Bottle Top syringe and change needles between animals. Needles are cheap and they are quick to swap. Bovine Leukosis is spread with dirty needles.

This is probably preaching to the choir, but with these multi-dose syringes, you don't want to clean them with soap. The residuals can ruin your vaccine. When you buy them, mark them for a specific vaccine. After you clean your syringe the stopper can stick if you don't oil. I think I've been using a touch of vegetable oil. My Vet recommended that I boil them, then freeze them, then store them. Some viruses are resistant to heat, some cold, rarely both.
 
I use the Allflex guns and like them pretty well. I've always thought them to be pretty accurate. The 25cc gun works especially well for small doses.

I do appreciate the tip about checking the accuracy, though.

What are detectable needles?
 
They are made with a ferrous metal in them so a magnet or metal detector can pick up their whereabouts. If you break one you can find it or in the very least the packer can detect it. (I think it is our responsibility to find it our selves and remove it)
 
If you are at the Farm Supply detectable needles usually have a D in their designation somewhere.
D3 or 16D.
I agree with it being my responsibility to retrieve a broken needle. It has happened to us a couple of times in the past and we have always found and removed it. That said, I like the assurance of detectable and the fact that they are sharper and stronger than the older style. FWIW. :D
 
rsl or grassfarmer, How do you keep them from moving too much during the injection? Do they just stack there head on the next cow's hip? Just asking because I don't find it all that easy in the squeeze and would certainly prefer something that was faster.
 
I can pack 8-10 cows in fairly tight in our alley - it's a wider than ideal alley for cows in single file but loads up well for vaccinating. Oh, you still get the odd cow that gets snorty and thrashes her head about or tries to burrow under the one in front but on the whole with a walkway so you are above them I find there is less upset that catching them in a chute. If I'm giving 2 shots I do one walking one direction and the other on the way back. The tighter you can pack them in the better it works though.
 
We use disposable plastic syringes, and change needles every few animals. We've found that with these syringes we can be much more accurate, and can almost always get at least 11 doses out of a 10 dose bottle. There is always a bit extra in the bottle that you don't notice otherwise. That extra dose over a hundred calves can add up. It more than pays for the syringes.

We only use the big syringe for vitamin ade. We don't worry about detectable needles, because with the disposable syringes, the syringe will break before the needle ever does.
 
Each calf is caught in the headcatch when we precondition, as each calf gets four separate vaccinations. We feel we do a better job if they are immobilized in such fashion. Then it is also easy to dehorn the ones that were missed at branding time. Peach gives three of the shots. I give one, besides running the headcatch and dehorning. The Kosmo Kid keeps 'em komin'. Two of the syringes are of the 50ml plastic variety, are labeled N"something"P, and are made in Australia. The other two bottles hang from the chute on Peach's side, with plastic hoses runniing from them with syringes on the end. These are a 200 dose Ultrabac 7/Somubac and Dectomax injectable. She also gives Bovashield Gold 5. I give the One Shot (Pasteurella). New needles are installed after every 25 calves, and only new needles go into the bottle of vaccine. We typically run through between 90 and 100 calves per hour with our three person crew.
 
Like using the "slap stick" on intramuscular injections, a 20" plastic tube connected between the syringe and needle. One hand holds the syringe, other hand "slaps" the needle in. No issues if the cow moves....works well in the alley as well, actually easier as their is more open access. No more broken or bent needles....and I don't poke myself as much...;-)
 

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