March 2017 Articles

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Beef Herd Health Program—Vaccinations

Beef Herd Health Program—Vaccinations—A herd health program for any phase of the cattle business should focus on
preventing, rather than treating, diseases (an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!). This does not reduce the importance
of the observation and treatment of any animals that become sick, but preventive, rather than therapeutic, medicine is the key.
Recommendations will vary, depending on geographic location. All herd health programs should be developed with the advice
of your veterinarian. The veterinarian who helps to develop a herd health program is apt to be more attentive in case of a crisis
than one not familiar with the ongoing health program.
Most veterinarians will not want to do the work that a cattleman can do as well. When the health program is outlined, you
should understand that you are ultimately responsible for implementing the overall program and knowing when the veterinarian must be actively involved. It is important to understand that programs will vary with sex and age of the cattle, management program and marketing strategies. Several specific programs might be required on one farm or ranch. To achieve a better immune response, follow these instructions:
 Use transfer needles—if a product needs to be reconstituted, use transfer needles to make the process easier and more
sanitary. Place one end of the needle into the sterile liquid, or diluent. The other end goes into the freeze-dried cake of
vaccine or bacterin. There should be a vacuum in the freeze-dried portion that immediately pulls the diluent down. If not,
discard the vaccine because it may be contaminated.
 Don’t mix too much—modified live vaccine begins to degrade, or lose effectiveness, after about an hour. Therefore, only mix enough that can be used within one hour. Direct sunlight also can degrade the product, so many producers keep
syringes and vaccines in an insulated cooler while working cattle.
 Mark and separate syringes—use different syringes for each vaccine or product. Mark the syringes (for example with
different colored tape) and keep them separate. If traces of bacterin are left in a syringe that is later used for modified live
product, the bacterin could destroy the modified vaccine.
 Don’t use disinfectants with MLV—when cleaning up, use boiling water only for cleaning syringes. Don’t use disinfectants.
They can destroy modified live vaccines that you later put in the same syringe.
 Restrain animals properly—proper restraint is important. Bruising alone costs the cattle industry millions of dollars per
year. In addition, the processing crew is at risk of injury from an animal that is not properly restrained.
 Select the best route—the two most common routes of administration are intramuscular (IM), which means injecting into the muscle; and subcutaneous (SQ), which means injecting just under the skin. Some products offer a choice; others must
be given in a specific way. Check the product label to be certain. Generally, bacterins or killed products can be given SQ.
Modified live virus products are usually give intramuscularly, because this allows the virus to reproduce and reach the
lymphatic system more easily. Where possible, however, and if it’s allowed on the label, use the subcutaneous route.
 Choose the right needle—for a subcutaneous injection, use a 16 or 18 gauge needle, 1/2” to 3/4” in length. For an IM
injection, a 16 to 18 gauge needle, 1” to 1 1/2” in length is recommended.
 Choose the best site—the best injection site is not necessarily the one that’s fastest or easiest to get to. It’s the site where
the product will be the most effective, with the least possible risk of damage to valuable cuts of meat. It’s best to keep all
injections ahead of the shoulder. The neck area is the preferred site for both IM and SQ injections. Space injections at least
five inches apart, and more if administering dewormer at the same time as vaccine. Utilize both sides of the neck when
administering multiple products (i.e. vaccine on one side and dewormer on the opposite side).
See tables on next page for summary of basic vaccination recommendations.
- Jason E. Holmes, LSU AgCenter
Summary of Basic Vaccination Recommendations for Cows and Bulls:
Vaccine:
IBR Recommended annually
BVD Recommended annually
PI3 Recommended annually
BRSV Recommended annually
Blackleg (7-way) Recommended annually; should contain C. Haemolyticum in fluke areas
Leptospirosis (5-way) Recommended annually (twice annually in some areas)
Vibriosis Recommended annually (30-60 days before breeding)
Trichomoniasis Optional (30-60 days before breeding)
Anaplasmosis ($$) Optional as directed by veterinarian
Summary of Basic Vaccination Recommendations for Calves*:
Vaccine: *Do not use modified-live (MLV) products on calves that are still nursing cows unless specified by the product manufacturer. Follow recommendations of veterinarian.
Blackleg 7-way Recommended preweaning
IBR-BVD-PI3 Recommended preweaning
Leptospirosis Recommended preweaning
BRSV Optional as needed
Pasteurella Optional preweaning for calves going direct to feedyard
Brucellosis Recommended for replacement heifers (4-12 months of age) before breeding
Vibriosis Recommended for replacement heifers before breeding