Fall Shots

[Dakota Sunshine]

Just wondering what everyone are giving their calves for preconditioning.
Do you give booster shots also? Trying to convince the boss that we need to give the works if we keep them until December. Do buyers expect booster shots on preconditioned calves?

 

[Mike]

Just wondering what everyone are giving their calves for preconditioning.
Do you give booster shots also? Trying to convince the boss that we need to give the works if we keep them until December. Do buyers expect booster shots on preconditioned calves?

Don't mean to give a short answer but.........Yes and yes.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

At branding time we give Pyrmid 4 +Presponse and Vision 7 + Somnus.
We weaned the other day and gave to same shots to the calves as well as a pour on Ivomec.

 

[Turkey Track Bar]

Just wondering what everyone are giving their calves for preconditioning.
Do you give booster shots also? Trying to convince the boss that we need to give the works if we keep them until December. Do buyers expect booster shots on preconditioned calves?

Don't mean to give a short answer but.........Yes and yes.

Ditto what Mike said. It is important for your calves to have a strong immunity at your place, and at the feedlot they are sold to or fed in. If you're keeping until Dec., visit with your vet., but it might not hurt to booster them a third time.

And, also remember that nutrition, minerals, and vitamins pay an important part in animal health and the overall efficacy of vaccines--if cattle (animals in general) are not nutritionally sound, it becomes easier to have a vaccine failure---

The reason for boostering and re boostering is the cost of sick cattle in the feedlot. The extra treatments not only an additional cost, but there have been lots of studies done in the past ten years or so detailing the "production costs" of sick calves. They include: decreased rate of gain; increased yield grades (lower yield grades are generally more preferable, so higher is bad! and lower quality grades. As well cost of gains go up, and this all leads to cattle losing money in the feedlot.

I hope I influenced you to booster, and visit with your vet about re boostering. I don't know what you're giving but it would probably be good to get in a Modified Live product in them, and have that boostered, at least after they are weaned. Again, visit with your vet about which products fit your needs, your production and management strategies the best.

Cheers to healthy calves---

TTB

 

[Faster horses]

Great advice TTB!

However, we don't use modified live vaccine. We use what used to be Grand Labs Virashield 5, now Virashield 6. I have done a lot of research on using this vaccine vs. modified live and found this particular killed is head and shoulders about other killed products.

All vaccine is not created equal.

Now don't take this as a recommendation not to use modified live. Every place is different. This is just what has worked for us, and until we have a problem, there is no reason to change. It is safe, and it fits with our management program very well.

 

[Turkey Track Bar]

Great advice TTB!

However, we don't use modified live vaccine. We use what used to be Grand Labs Virashield 5, now Virashield 6. I have done a lot of research on using this vaccine vs. modified live and found this particular killed is head and shoulders about other killed products.

All vaccine is not created equal.

Now don't take this as a recommendation not to use modified live. Every place is different. This is just what has worked for us, and until we have a problem, there is no reason to change. It is safe, and it fits with our management program very well.

FH:

The only reason I recommended a MLV after weaning is that from an immunology standpoint, you get a stronger, longer lasting immune response. The majority of the time, calves will get a MLV in the feedlot.

You are correct that all vaccines are not created equal. I will not share my biases about products, because what works well for our operation may not be the best product for anothers operation.

However, it is prudent that folks visit with their vets. about what is appropriate for their operations.

TTB

 

[PPRM]

I would only add that we work cattle a few weeks before weaning and then boost at weaning. If I had troubles (I retain ownership of my calves), I would even consider two shots prior to weaning and the third at weaning. However, I might even be more likely to look at my Pre-calving program and Branding program to see if I can do something there.

This assumes Good Mineral program. Heck, before considering a third shot, I would probably have the Vet test the mineral levels in the poorest calves and see if that would remed the problem.

My current program works for me, I know it isn't feasible for everyone to gather and give two sequences of shots in the fall,

PPRM

 

[smalltime]

I agree with pprm ' s program. Modern cattle require early vaccination and regular booster shot's at regular intervals.I prefer killed vaccine.

 

[Soapweed]

We just finished pre-conditioning the last of our calves today. We're giving Bova-Shield Gold 5, Ultrabac 7/Somubac, One-shot (pastuerella), and Dectomax. We have followed this Pfizer program for quite a few years, and have had good results. The buyers seem to like it, also.