WyomingRancher said:
I have to respectfully disagree with you FH regarding killed vaccines. Our neighbor, who buys calves to run over on grass, purchased four loads of steers off of the video, about five bucks back from the market (clue number 1). The cattle had only ever been on a killed program...cows/calves. Anyhow, they vaccinated with a MLV upon receiving them, and full blown mucosal disease appeared. The cattle were never really protected with the killed product, and once they were challenged with something that worked, all of their persistently infected carriers showed up, something like 7% I think. It was a monumental wreck, lots of lost money in dead or sick calves and diagnostics.
The buyer figured out who had purchased the calves in previous years, and sure enough they all had had big problems. He no longer will purchase cattle coming off of killed programs. I think this is an extreme example, but does demonstrate a wreck caused by ineffective products. I felt badly for the rancher since he felt he had been vaccinating his herd effectively.
RFD is televising a segment on this subject May 15. I think the show is called Cattlemen's Corner, or something similar to that. Personally, I don't allow killed products on the place, right along with large square bales :wink:

:lol:.
:shock: That is just horrible.
I wonder what killed vaccine was used in that situation? I do know that
many of the killed vaccines aren't effective.
Those of us that went to MLV in the spring, noticed a higher incidence of
open cows in the fall. I also know that when our calves went to the feedlot a big storm hit and our pen of calves was the only pen that didn't get sick.
It's all interesting.
I did a search and came across this from the U of Wyoming, which I thought was worth sharing. The subject was BVD.
"A common vaccination strategy is:
Vaccinate heifers with MLV two months before breeding
Vaccinate cows with MLV two weeks before breeding.
Possibly, boost cows when pregnant with either a killed product, or a MLV product to which they have been previously exposed
Possibly, vaccinate calves at branding in late spring. This is one time when it may be appropriate to give a killed product. There is a good chance that maternal antibody will interfere and reduce efficacy, so this needs to be repeated by
Vaccinating calves at, or better still several weeks before, branding time (5 - 7 months of age).
There is a bewildering range of vaccines for BVD. They are in fact based on a small number of virus isolates (i.e., vaccines from different companies may contain the same strain). They are either inactivated or MLV. As a general rule, MLV are better, but these should be give to cattle before they are bred. Use a vaccine that will give some protection against type 1 and type 2 genotypes. Pfizer has a vaccine line that can be given to pregnant animals, but COWS MUST HAVE BEEN VACCINATED ONCE PREVIOUSLY WITH THAT VACCINE BEFORE IT IS SAFE TO GIVE THEM THE MLV WHEN PREGNANT. Competing companies are likely to get similar products on the market (i.e., can be given to pregnant cows) over the next five years."
http://www.uwyo.edu/vetsci/undergraduates/courses/patb_4110/2009_lectures/12_bvd/html/class_notes.htm
Here is another good article from 2012 that is easy to read.
http://farmprogress.com/story-stop-using-modified-live-vaccines-breeding-cattle-14-64594
The author, in no uncertain terms, says:
" modified live IBR vaccines should not be given to pregnant cows or newborn calves."
He cites an example of research done at the U of Wyoming.