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Vaccination is All in the Timing

Conventional thinking is that once you vaccinate the calf crop at weaning they are protected from illness. However, there are big ramifications on the health, and consequently profitability of stocker calves depending on if and when you vaccinate the cow herd.

Dr. Rob Tremblay, Boehringer Ingelheim, presented research results at the Beef Symposia in November, that are pointing to some connections between Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD), calves in the sick pen and dead calves. Up to25% of the calves that died in the studies were actually persistently infected (PI) calves. Persistently infected calves are infected with BVD while they are in utero, early in gestation, before the cows are protected through their annual vaccination. That means that no amount of care or vaccination would have helped. The only time to prevent calves from being persistently infected with BVD is prior to the cow being bred.

The recommended action would be to move your vaccination of the cow herd to the window between calving and breeding. The cow will then be protected for her entire pregnancy and the resultant calf will not be a PI calf.

When should you get excited about this? Now would be good - the vaccinations you do this spring on the cow herd will protect the calves born in 2004. Feedlot producers will begin to ask for this information because anything that helps reduce the death loss or the number in the sick pen, is of great interest to them. In fact, a few were asking this fall if and when the cowherd was vaccinated.

So if timing is everything - you need to make those changes now! Contact your veterinarian and discuss your vaccination program. Your cow herd vaccination program can become another promotional tool to highlight your calves in the ring come sale time.

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