CALF_News_October_November_2021

29 CALF News • October | November 2021 • www.calfnews.net The First Hydraulic Corral and still the Largest! • Pull on highway at speed limit. • Fits through any gate your pickup will. • Stable on uneven terrain. • Wheels on each panel and electric over hydraulic jack eliminates lifting—saves time. • Permanent sheeted adjustable alley. • Frame gates for sorting. • Transport wheels are permanent, no sliding off the axles and rolling out of the way. Rawhide Portable Corral 900 NORTHWASHINGTON ST., ABILENE, KS 67410 785.263.3436 www.rawhideportablecorral.com Rawhide Processor by John McDonald 3 Sizes Available! The heifers were then re-vaccinated a year later. In short, the results showed that the heifers given MLV shots before breeding and a killed shot at preg check developed a strong immune response, and abortions attributed to MLV vaccina- tions weren’t an issue. “We know that modified-live vaccines provide a quicker, stronger, longer, more robust immunity,” Jones said. “So a modi- fied live still needs to be considered in a herd health program. But how and where we use that will take some serious thought. “And so vaccination programs can be designed to maximize immunity and minimize risks associated with modified-live vaccines. I think we can do that if we give two or three doses of MLV with the last dose at least 45 to 60 days pre-breeding. That way I think we get the best of both – good immune stimulation and optimum fertility in our heifers.” Perhaps, then, a long-term vaccination strategy is to use the one-two punch of MLV and killed in heifers, then revaccinate lactating cows annually with a killed vaccine pre-breeding. Talk to Your Vet and Don’t Short the Groceries Jones emphasizes you should consult with your herd health veterinarian at least annually, whether or not you’re considering a change in your vaccination strategy. And remember, he says, that a vaccination program is only part of your overall herd health efforts. In fact, in his mind, vaccines are No. 3 in importance. No. 1 and No. 2 are nutrition and biosecurity. “It’s the animal that makes the vaccine work.” By that, he means that if the animal is undernourished, in poor body condition or unhealthy, loading it up with vaccines is akin to fighting a brush fire with a squirt gun. It flat out won’t work very well. “Hippocrates said about 2,500 years ago that all disease begins in the gut,” Jones told the crowd. Given what we know now that Hippocrates could only guess at, Jones modifies that wisdom to, “All health begins in the gut, all production begins in the gut and all fertility begins in the gut.” In short, if your cattle aren’t on a proper plane of nutrition it’s …well … like fighting a brush fire with a squirt gun. Your cattle flat out won’t work for you very well. “Nutrition plays a key role in vaccine response and immu- nity in cattle,” he said. In fact, researchers at University of Georgia, Athens saw a large difference in vaccine response in calves supplemented with trace minerals vs. those that weren’t. That’s because the immune system uses a lot of nutrients as it responds to a vaccination challenge – minerals, vitamins, protein and energy. Which explains why an undernourished cow or calf can’t mount a proper immune response when it’s vaccinated. Said another way, “Where my cattle are with their circulat- ing mineral status really influences whether or not my cattle respond to a vaccine,” Jones said. “So circulating minerals matter and it’s important that we supplement our cattle appro- priately.” 