Page 15 - MWC 9-14-2023s
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5 CALF HEALTH                                                                          The Midwest Cattleman · September 14, 2023 · P15
      continued from page 13

      provide a colostrum replacer  cow herself, but additionally,          can be transmitted by the calf       5.        Applying  vaccines
      to ensure they get what they  it enhances the colostrum she           ingesting those disease parti- early in life helps give
      need for a solid start. Calves  is producing. You really want         cles while nursing or from the  calves a solid start. We're
      should have 300 grams of im- to have scour prevention  or             environment.                      finding out that calves can
      munoglobulins (IgG) within  clostridium vaccines in them                That is why the proven  respond to and benefit from,
      those first six to eight hours  at least 60 days before calving.      “Sandhills Calving Method”  vaccines much earlier in life
      to ensure full passive trans- This will add value through             works  so  well  to  help  mini- than we initially thought. Of
      fer of immunity.  This is a  higher antibody levels in that           mize disease exposure and  course, the maternal anti-
      higher level than previously  colostrum, helping ensure its           illness.  With this manage- bodies that they receive from
      recommended. Be sure you  quality. This is especially im-             ment strategy, at about three  colostrum can block some of
      are using a colostrum replac- portant in first-calf heifers           weeks into the calving sea- those vaccines.  To maximize
      er instead of a supplement  that have not been exposed                son, you move those cows that  their effectiveness, it's really
      and check the bag to see how  to as many pathogens in their           haven't calved yet  to clean  important to administer them
      many grams of IgG are in  lives.                                      ground. Leave behind those  as soon as possible following
      each bag, so the calf gets the        4.    The environment that      cows and their calves from  birth  (ideally  before  colos-
      proper amount. I really can't  calves are born into is in-            the first three weeks of the  trum ingestion for oral scour
      sufficiently underscore the  credibly important.  Trying              season. By moving the cows  vaccines).
      importance of getting an ad- to have those calves spread out          that  haven't  calved yet to         I recommend, as soon as
      equate amount of colostrum  and decreasing the pathogen               clean ground, this concept is  possible following birth, to
      into the calf in those first few  load that they're exposed to is     replicating the cleanliness of  administer Clostridium Type
      hours of life.                     crucial. This way, when those      that first three weeks of calv- C & D vaccine (to combat the
         3.    Vaccinations against  calves hit the ground, they ar-        ing throughout the calving  dreaded  “overeating” or en-
      clostridial diseases ben- en't immediately exposed to                 season. I know that logistical- terotoxemia), an intranasal
      efit the cow and calf. The  such a high concentration of              ly there are some challenges  respiratory vaccine, and an
      dam’s immune status greatly  disease pathogens, especially            to implementing this system,  oral scour vaccine if there has
      impacts the quality of her co- the  ones that cause scours.           such as access to water sourc- been a history of scours issues
      lostrum, the best way to influ- More mud and manure lead              es and shelter/working facili- on that ranch. If you are con-
      ence that is through her vac- to greater contamination risk           ties. Being able to keep those  cerned they are deficient in
      cination status. At preg check,  of the cow’s udder. Bacterial        groups separate isn't always  minerals, you could offer an
      I have producers vaccinating  pathogens such as E. coli, Sal-         easy, but if you're facing a big  injectable  source  of  minerals
      cows for the clostridial dis- monella and Johne’s, as well            outbreak of scours, that's the  as well.
      eases, of course it benefits the  as rotavirus and coronavirus        best solution.                    Drovers
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