Beef herd health Flashcards
What is the key determinant of a cow returning to estrus and successfully breeding?
Adequate BCS
- perform prior to both calving & breeding
- takes 2 months to adjust BCS, so do AHEAD of time!!
What months do beef cows typically calve? When should you palpate for pregnancy check after breeding?
- Calve Mar/Apr (+/- a month for warmer/colder regions)
- Palpate 35-60 days after breeding
recall: 30-60d waiting period, 65-day breeding szn
Define herd health
Maintain herd immunity above pathogen load, preventing disease
- includes pre-mediated plans of tx & containment if disease does occur
What factors that reduce herd resistance DO we have control over?
- poor nutrition
- inadequate preventative measures
- poor management of landscape
- inadequate handling of stress events (calving, weaning, processing, co-mingling, transport)
the only one do do NOT have control over = the weather (rain->muddy)
What factors that increase pathogen load DO we have control of?
- poor biosecurity
- stocking density/farm location
we do NOT have control over nearby wildlife populations
Vaccines:
MLVs have a ____ antigenic mass, ____ protection, and have a ____ safety index than Killed.
Killed have a ____ antigenic mass with adjuvants, ____ protection, and provide good ____ immunity.
MLVs have a __small__ antigenic mass, __longer__ protection, and have a __lower__ safety index than Killed.
Killed have a __large__ antigenic mass with adjuvants, __shorter__ protection, and provide good __colostral__ immunity.
MLV: stimulates humoral & cellular immunity; the attenuated pathogen infects WBCs
Killed: Abs produced by no cell is ever infected by the toxoid
Since there is no universal vax protocol for beef herds, what is the “F” Rule to determine which to use?
Choose a vaccine if it is a…
- Frequent disease
- Fatal disease
and the vaccine is…
- Financially sound
- Effective
What bovine disease cost the industry billions?
BRDC:
- BVD
- IBR
- M. hemolytica
- P. multocida
What is the source for each BRDC disease?
- BVDV = PI infected calves
- IBR = recrudesence in carriers
- M. hemolytica = URT (normal inhabitant)
- P. multocida = URT (normal inhabitant)
What type of BVDV vaccine produces a stronger immunity response? How?
When given at day zero (pre-weaning), the Modified Live BVDV vaccine sustains immunity during the period b/w pre-weaning and weaning, while Killed does not until its 2nd booster.
MLV requires no booster, only initial vaccine
Characteristics of IN vaccines for calves
- Stimualte IgA antibodies in < 7-day-old calves
- provide quick local immunity response
IBR, Parainfl. 3, BRSV
What is the 7-way vaccine for cows? When to give it?
7-way combo vaccine that protects against the typically fatal clostridial diseases
- is a KILLED bacterin/toxoid vaccine
- administer in February = month before calving to provide good colostrum
Clostridium spp. ubiquitous in soil, or is opportunisitc of GIT
ULTRABAC® 7 is for use in healthy cattle to protect against black leg caused by Clostridium chauvoei; malignant edema caused by Cl. septicum; black disease caused by Cl. novyi; gas-gangrene caused by Cl. sordellii; and enterotoxemia and enteritis caused by Cl. perfringens Types B, C and D.
When is the “window of susceptibility in a calf’s immunity?
The intersection maternal (passive) immunity & self (active) immunity
When is the 1st and the booster killed vaccine given?
1st = @ branding (may)
Booster = pre-weaning (@ palpation/september)
What respiratory viral pathogens also cause reproductive loss/abortion?
IBR and BVD
Cow-calf operations NEED to vaccinate against these!!
Why is it important to tag calves as early as possible / prior to being sold?
- calf identification allows producer to track productivity of the cows: growth, conformation, docility
- keep track of each’s records
- withdrawal times if vaxxed or tx for dz
Why are calves weaned ~73 days prior to the cow’s parturition date?
To allow the cow to put more energy into herself in order to prep for next calf
