By Larry Stalcup Contributing Editor
What a time to raise and sell cattle. We’re seeing 500-pound calves top $350 to $400 per cwt. at the sale barn or video auction. Those mega-markets illustrate the significance of a well-planned herd health program that promotes strong calf immunity and, ultimately, better gains.
Dr. DL Step, senior professional services veterinarian for Boehringer Ingelheim, explains how the development and growth of a calf’s immune system can make or break herd dynamics. As the nation sees more drought, wildfires and other challenges, a herd’s environment will play a large part in the strength of an animal’s immune system.
“Some areas are still seeing respiratory challenges from dust and smoke from drought and wildfires,” Step says. “And water quality is also being negatively impacted in some regions.”
A solid animal health program will more than likely help calves born into those conditions respond better to a vaccine protocol and other health and nutrition systems early on. But Step first encourages producers to manage the pregnant dam and colostrum in newborns to protect them from organisms that cause diseases.
Timing is critical. The cow’s antibodies don’t cross the placenta during pregnancy, so the calf is born without any real immunity to disease and relies on the antibodies found in the dam’s colostrum.
“Make sure calves start nursing as soon as possible after calving,” Step says, noting that calves should receive about 4 quarts of colostrum during the first few hours of life.
Producers should work with their veterinarians to develop a vaccination program suited for their area. An initial vac protocol should be used to help prevent these diseases: infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) Types 1 and 2, including BVDV Type 1b, bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), parainfluenza 3 (Pl3), Mannheimia haemolytica, Clostridium sp. and pinkeye.
Step says preventive health programs are variable, depending on the forage being grazed, handling facilities, management and other environmental factors. “Many producers start calves on their vaccination programs at two to three months of age during early processing or branding time,” he says.
“But recent research has shown that we can now give a modified-live virus (MLV) vaccine to calves as young as 30 days of age as long as the dam was also vaccinated with an MLV. That’s not to say all injectable vaccines can do this. This particular product utilizes a unique adjuvant that protects vaccine antigens from maternal antibodies, thus enhancing the immune response, even in calves still maintaining high levels of maternal antibodies acquired from colostrum.”
Step adds that it “certainly helps to use a preconditioning program in which calves are weaned for 45 to 60 or more days and receive two rounds of MLV respiratory vaccines and a round of clostridial vaccinations. Deworming treatment for parasites should also be administered to help further protect the immune system.”
The weaning period should allow calves to become bunk broke and exposed to water from a tank or automatic water. Nutritionally, it can be helpful to provide calves with a mineral pack to deliver micro minerals such as copper, selenium and zinc to help them better handle being commingled at a grow yard or feedyard and exposed to disease agents.
Protect Your Female
The respiratory issues caused by drought, wildfires or other conditions may also impact mama cows. Step says females should be vaccinated against BVDV, IBR and leptospirosis. The veterinarian may also recommend vaccinating for trichomoniasis, vibriosis and other reproductive problems, based on your region or herd needs.
Vaccinations against these diseases, plus sound nutritional programs, are needed to help females develop and maintain a proper body condition score, and boost reproduction and milk production, he says.
Healthy cows often nurse calves to heavier weights, a trend that is helping offset the shortage of feeder calves due to the decreased herd numbers. “Some producers see that calves are weaned heavier and finished cattle are harvested heavier,” Step says. “Twenty or 30 years ago, animals were finished at 1,100 to 1,200 pounds. Now we’re dealing with 1,500- to 1,600-pound animals.
“Calves were weaned at 400 to 500 pounds after six to seven months. Now they may be weaned at 600 to 650 pounds at seven months. Generally, older animals are better equipped to respond to vaccines and disease challenges. However, the same weight animals can be younger today than in the past.”
Producers and feeders are also dealing with more byproducts and co-products in grower and finisher rations. “Nutritionists and producers are doing a good job of utilizing these resources,” Step says. “Animals eat the newer rations and produce a wonderful amount of quality protein. With those come other health challenges we have to deal with.”
Paul Beck, Oklahoma State University Extension beef cattle nutrition specialist, adds that calf nutritional management can involve various supplemental feeding programs. “Creep feeding, or supplementing pre-weaned calves with additional feed, has been suggested to improve carcass traits by promoting early muscle and fat development,” he says. “However, studies on its long-term impact have shown mixed results.
“Some suggest it might increase fatness and carcass weight at weaning, but does not consistently enhance marbling or USDA Quality Grade. Other research has also highlighted that pre-weaning supplements and starch content in the growing diet during preconditioning do not have a lasting effect on marbling or other measures of carcass quality following standard finishing.
“Ultimately, management decisions, beginning even before the animal is conceived and throughout their productive life, can have large impacts on the meat quality of ruminant animals.”
Too help better manage production costs, Step encourages producers to properly handle vaccines, antibiotics, dewormers and other animal health products. Make sure they’re stored properly and are the right dosage for an animal’s weight.
“Following label directions and attention to detail can make a big difference in an animal’s health,” he says. “Properly stored and used vaccines, dewormers and other products can help producers wean more quality calves that receive higher prices and build a ranch’s reputation among buyers.”
