Weaning 1

Weaning 1

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
Fall Processing Recommendations for Your Weaning-aged Calves

And just like that, it’s time for fall processing. Let’s look closely at what we’ll need to give our weaning-aged calves a leg-up in their next stage of life.     

Vaccinations  

For our weaning-aged calves, fall processing is a valuable time to vaccinate them to help build up their immunity. They're at risk for respiratory disease and also some clostridial diseases. So, we really need to protect their immune system and help offer as much support as we can. 

The best time to vaccinate these cattle is actually prior to weaning, by about three to four weeks, if at all possible. That way, those vaccines kick in, and we have immunity already built up during the stressful time of weaning. During weaning, stress can add up from calves experiencing new surroundings, such as unfamiliar feed, new water sources, commingling with different cattle – which increases exposure to harmful disease pathogens. Stress can compromise immune systems, making vaccinations all the more important.

For weaning-aged calves, you’ll want to vaccinate using:  

A modified live 5-way vaccine, which will cover Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) Types I & II, Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR), Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV) and Parainfluenza3 Virus (PI3). These are all critical viruses that create respiratory disease in calves. I prefer an injectable at this timeframe. The reason being is that intranasal vaccines do not include BVD protection, which is an important virus we need to protect our calves against. 

A Pasteurella vaccine, which protects against Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida. These are very common bacteria that can invade the lungs and cause severe pneumonia and respiratory disease. You can get these vaccines separately from your modified live injectables, or you can find a modified live injectable that has Pasteurella protection included. Many people prefer the convenience of having one shot to cover both.  

A 7- or 8-way blackleg vaccine, depending on the part of the country you live in. Your veterinarian would be able to provide some information on which product would be better for your location, to best protect calves from these clostridial diseases. 

Those are the three big vaccines that really every operation can benefit from around weaning time. If you're banding bulls at this time, you do need to give a tetanus toxoid. Ideally, you’ll give two rounds with the second round being at the time of banding. Practically, for most operations, that's not possible. Many only give one tetanus at the time of banding and tend to get along OK, but there is still some risk there. 

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