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scour vaccine timing

jillaroo

Active member
Is anyone giving scour vaccines when they preg-check in the fall?
We usually do it a few weeks before the herd starts calving, but I've heard it is now approved for earlier administration.
This would be great as I really hate running the girls through the chute when they are so close to calving.
 

Faster horses

Well-known member
People here have given the first shot in the fall. Seems to work fine.
But they do give the second shot a couple of weeks before calving.
It has been explained to me that they do need two shots; even if
they are quite aways apart.
 

jillaroo

Active member
Sorry, I meant for cows already on the scour vaccine program. When you give their annual scour vaccine. Fall vs. close to calving.
 

Faster horses

Well-known member
Here they give them two vaccines...even if they are on the program...
the second one is the booster and very important.

It will be intersting to read what others have to say.
We quit giving scour vaccine to anything, so I might be out
of the loop. With our mineral program we haven't had a case
of scours for years.
 

jodywy

Well-known member
I stopped since I been on mineral program I on, custom mix bleed the cows and tested my hay. I have to bleed once a year for APHIS herd health program..... because of the elk here
 

gcreekrch

Well-known member
The scour outbreak we had in '96 and '97 is still too fresh in my mind to consider quitting the program.
We do feed mineral although FH says we are not quite right yet in the mix. :wink: :p

Heifers and bought cows are vaccinated twice, everything gets the booster two weeks prior to calving, any cow that hasn't calved fifty days later gets another shot.
 

Denny

Well-known member
Were on the scour boss program and I gave it in the middle of december last year and it worked fine.We calve the middle of march. I won't skip this in my program again it is very costly if conditions are right here. I believe there's something in the soil here that rears it's ugly head on damp cool years and when it does It's a tough deal.We feed Vigotone mineral and even that was'nt enough in 2009.
 

Faster horses

Well-known member
Sorry to hear that, Denny. Did your calves not have scours in 2010?
Do you know about the Bio-moss mineral that works amazingly well
in problem areas?

Sorry, didn't mean to turn this into a thread about mineral.
 

per

Well-known member
I had this conversation while riding on my neighbors combine the other day. We both believe that scours at least in our area are a management thing. Provide the cows with the right nutrition and the right conditions and it is a non issue for us. The only year either one of us had a scour wreck is the only year we both vaccinated our herds. This might come back to bite me but it has served well for many years. Before I get jumped on here, if the vaccine is working for you by all means don't let me influence you and conversely my program works for me.
 

Denny

Well-known member
Faster horses said:
Sorry to hear that, Denny. Did your calves not have scours in 2010?
Do you know about the Bio-moss mineral that works amazingly well
in problem areas?

Sorry, didn't mean to turn this into a thread about mineral.

I had 2 calves that got a little runny and I treated them and they healed up in a day. That was 2010 which was a very nice dry spring. 2009 was a cold wet year and where are farm is the soil is a heavy clay that when wet never dries out well.I know conditions play a big part and what we have is a big part of the problem I'm sure. Opitimum would be to calve down where my house is but it's to small of an area.It is very sandy which is what works well.My vet recommended the Bio-moss so thats on the block for next spring but I'll stick with a vaccination program also.
 

Faster horses

Well-known member
I just had another thought about scours.
For those that don't know, if you feed DDG's or any corn by-product,
it is best to feed a low-phos mineral. Corn (and any grains or grain hay)
contain phos and cows won't overeat phos...it is a limiter...so you can
buy a cheaper mineral because of less phos...your cows will eat it
better and you will get the needed trace minerals into the cows.
If they won't eat it because of the phos in their diet, they won't get
those necessary trace minerals.

Don't short cows on mineral, especially in the winter when they
are growing a calf. The mineral makes for better colostrum and that's
really important to calf health and immunity.

Hope this helps.
 

John SD

Well-known member
Scours have been a minimal problem for me since I started late April-May calving out on "clean" pasture instead of cooping the cows and heifers up in a lot situation.

I admit at times my mineral program is sometimes hit and miss. :oops: At bare minimum, the cows do have trace mineral salt in front of them at all times.

I have never given a scour prevention shot. I do try to vaccinate newborn calves with 7 way clostridial because I have had trouble in the past losing a calf or two before branding from overeating. I don't get every calf vaccinated though at birth. IMO, the 7 way shot or CD overeating shot should be helpful with preventing scours also.
 

John SD

Well-known member
gcreekrch said:
Faster horses said:
Sorry, didn't mean to turn this into a thread about mineral.





Yes you did! :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p

It's your favourite subject. :wink: :D

Very true, and I think deep down we all must admit mineral does apply to the topic. :wink:

IMO, when dealing with scours all factors including immunization, environment, and nutrition must be considered. Neglect any one of these and you could potentially have serious trouble.
 

Faster horses

Well-known member
Ok, I admit it. One of my favorite topics...

Yep, Denny, you are right on (I figured you would be)...
the O part of that means no phos...works so well with DDG's etc.
Sulpher is something to be aware of too, but I don't know enough
about it to talk about it as I don't know of anyone here that
feeds DDG's. Because of having no source close by I think.
 
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