Herd Health Flashcards
Beef, small ruminants, and swine herd health
What do cattle become AFTER cow-calf operation, but BEFORE going to the feedlot? (2 options)
backgrounder or
stocker
What is the BEST way to assess whether or not a beef cow is at her best to produce next years calf? & when should you do it?
BCS
6-8 weeks prior to breeding and calving
what is the best way to assess whether the beef cow and bull did their job and pregnancy was successful? and when should you do it?
palpation
45 days post breeding (35 if US or 60 if new/want to be fast)
What is the best way to make sure the bull and his semen are healthy enough to “get the job done”? and when should you do it?
BSE
3-4 weeks prior to breeding season
Benefits of __________ include:
- reduce cost put into cows that are not producing
- culling decisions
- monitor repro health
- sort early/late calves
palpation
(large or small) cattle operations are the ones who are using palpation and semen eval the most?
large
_______ is the “global” plan for a herd to mainatin the level of HERD RESISTANCE above the level of PATHOGEN LOAD in order to prevent disease.
herd health
Factors listed below reduce __________.
- poor or unbalanced nutrition
- improper preventative measures
- improper management (ex. pastures)
- change (stress)
- weather
herd resistance
Factors list below increase _________.
- poor biosecurity (new animals, feed/water, equipment)
- stocking density/location
- neighbors
- wildlife
pathogen load
__________ is the process of inducing immunity to a pathogen in an animal through vaccination.
immunization
What 2 factors does immunization require?
- proper vaccination (timing and technique)
- immunocompetent animal (to mount repsonse to vxn)
T/F: every beef operation will have different needs, methods of management, and production goals therefore each farm will need a vaccination protocol that is tailored to their system
true
What are the 4 “Fs” to guide the choice of vaccines to use?
- frequent disease (respiratory diseases)
- fatal disease (clostridial diseases)
- financially sound (abortive diseases)
- eFFective vaccines (pinkeye, scours?)
This disease is a multifactorial disease (involving stress, viruses, and bacteria). It causes bronchopneumonia in cattle.
bovine respiratory disease complex
What is the biggest source of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV)?
persistently infected calves
What is the biggest source of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR)?
carrier animals
(its a herpes virus, so it is latent and becomes clinical during stress)
What is the biggest source of mannheimia hemolytica and pasturella multocida (2 common bacterial culprits of infection)?
they are normal inhabitants of the URT
Why do we vaccinate calves pre-weaning?
weaning is a period of increased stress
we want to provide protection PRIOR to this period of stress, so that the animal is MOST protected.
If you are planning on vaccinating beef calves, what vaccines would be BEST to include in the protocol and WHEN would you do them?
MLV – BVD, IBR, BRSV, PI3 +/- killed M. hemolytica
give at pre-weaning (if no killed), or if adding killed, give at branding time and then booster at pre-weaning.
This type of vaccine is given to calves to provide immunity against IBR, PI3, and BRSV, but not BVD. It stimulates production of IgA locally and reduces the severity of illness and shedding.
intranasal vaccine
What pathogens does the “7 way vaccine” cover in cattle?
Clostridial species!
chauvoei, perfringens C, perfringens D, perfringens B, septicum, novyi, sordelli
(protecting against enterotoxemia, malignant edema, blacks disease, etc.)
Why is it so important that we prevent clostridial diseases from occuring?
they are untreatable and fatal
they are unavoidable (pathogen in soil or GI tract)
and the vaccine is very cheap (<$1/dose)
T/F: the 7-way vaccine is given in calves at branding time (1-4 months old) requires a booster 3-4 weeks later.
true
When do you start vaccines in calves if you are giving killed vaccines?
start at branding (1-4 months)
then give boosters at pre-weaning
Do cows in your average cow/calf operation NEED vaccination against respiratory pathogens?
no
What respiratory viral pathogens of cattle also cause reproductive issues?
BVD and IBR
What 3 diseases cause issues other than abortion such as reduced infertility/conception rates, early embryonic death, PI calves, congenital defects, weak/stillborn calves.
BVD, IBR, and lepto
You give killed vaccines ____ times per year and MLV ____ times per year.
killed - 2x
MLV - 1x (if lepto, give booster to that)
What is the potential concern for vaccinating calves pre-weaning with MLV BVD and IBR?
this is a live product you’re injecting into the calf.
there is concern for transfer from calf –> cow.
When do we give killed vaccines to cows to maximize its use?
4-6 weeks pre-calving for good colostrum
T/F: clostridial vaccines in cows are not generally required in this area
true
If you want to provide a beef calf with protection against scours, WHEN and WHO should you vaccinate?
vaccinate the DAM with the killed vaccine 4-6 weeks pre-calving
Pinkeye in cattle is caused by moraxella bovis and causes corneal ulcers that are painful and can lead to reduced food intake and growth. That being said, would you vaccinate beef cattle against this pathogen?
no the vaccine sucks
T/F: you should give animals vaccines to compensate for bad management and poor conditions that are leading to disease
false – they do NOT make up for bad management, therefore management needs to be addressed first.
What should happen to a beef calf prior to being sold?
- identify calf (records)– track productivity of cows and withdrawal times for disease
- Processing – vaccinations, deworming (after 4 m) and external parasite control (pre-calving and post-weaning), growth implants
Why do we castrate beef calves and when do we do it?
to reduce aggression, prevent unwanted pregnancies, improve beef product
if banding, do before 4 weeks; if surgical, do @ 2-4 months when branding
How do angus cattle not have horns?
they were genetically selected for not having them