Vaccination - Articles - Page 4

Preventing BRD as much as possible to help treat as little as possible

While the $250 to $280 price tag per case of calfhood pneumonia is certainly unwelcome, the real cost of pneumonia can show up throughout her life in lost milk production, delayed first calving or even an early exit from the farm.

September 24, 2024

Geof Smith

It’s no surprise that heifer survivability is 1 of 10 drivers that can affect net farm income. While treating a few cases of calfhood pneumonia every now and again may not seem like a big problem, these costs go beyond treatment and can accumulate over the lifetime of a dairy animal. Young heifers have a big job ahead of them as future members of the milking herd, and a case of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) during their first few months of life can quickly close the window of opportunity for reaching their full potential.

Optimizing health in beef cattle receiving programs

There’s a lot to consider when receiving new cattle into the feedlot. A few checklist items can help ensure better health and productivity of these animals.

September 13, 2024

Greg Eckerle

The journey from pasture to plate is fraught with challenges, particularly during the initial receiving period when cattle are most vulnerable. The receiving phase, typically encompassing the first 45 days after cattle arrive at a feedlot, is critical for ensuring their health, well-being and subsequent productivity.

Vaccine timing: Let your past guide your future

Knowing which calves are at greatest risk for disease and being able to identify the specific causative agent of disease is essential for developing appropriate vaccine and treatment protocols.

August 14, 2024

Jason Shumaker

Vaccine protocol discussions can be energetic and entertaining amongst calf raisers, consultants and veterinarians. It ultimately leads to comparing the current vaccine protocol to a large, well-established calf raiser in the region or even nationally. There can be value in this comparison, but the real value is understanding how these successful facilities arrived at their protocol.

Preconditioning: Worth the input or not?

One of the most important factors in the preconditioning equation is a solid vaccination program, which often leads to feeders being willing to pay more for calves.

July 4, 2024

Cindy Mansfield

Since the purchase price of calves is currently high, there can be a wide price spread between the purchase price of cattle that came from a good vaccination and health program versus cattle that have not.

Wonder about the future of cattle health care? Check the crystal ball

It may be impossible to predict the future completely, but it’s fun to try. Experts in the cattle health care field weigh in with their projections of where management, disease prevention and treatment are heading and how they might get there.

June 27, 2024

Bruce Derksen

Over recent decades, cattle disease management, prevention and treatment have changed dramatically. Vaccines, antibiotics, technology and even diseases have altered course.

Vaccine-adverse reactions: How to minimize the lumps and bumps

Vaccinations are meant to help prevent and treat disease. However, adverse reactions can range in severity from mild temporary lumps and bumps to sudden systemic anaphylactic shock with fluid accumulation in the lungs and death.

May 10, 2024

Richard Linhart

Vaccine products that are administered to cattle are foreign to the animal’s body. The goal is for the body to recognize these foreign organisms and develop an immune response for protection in the event of a future disease challenge.

Patent pending: New LSU-developed BRD vaccine

April 30, 2024

Abigail George

Louisiana State University (LSU) announced the development of a new vaccine to fight against bovine respiratory disease (BRD). The vaccine was created by Dr. Shafiqul Chowdhury, a professor of veterinary medicine.

Essential practices to build BRD resilience in your calf crop

The path to economic success for cow-calf producers often hinges on the ability to develop healthy herds that are resilient to common management and disease challenges.

April 23, 2024

Christopher Schneider

In my 25 years as a cattle veterinarian, I’ve seen the impact of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) – the most prevalent and costly challenge facing North American cattle producers – in many operations.

Across the Fence: Cowboy stress

Stress is unavoidable. But are there healthy and unhealthy ways of dealing with it? You bet.

April 22, 2024

Marci Whitehurst

Have you ever noticed in ranching that there’s “flow” and “no flow”? The days things click into place are great. Items on the to-do list get crossed off, and people and animals are happy.