The last couple of articles I have been telling you a lot about what our regional cattle buyers don't want, so now I need to tell you exactly what they are wanting. The buyers want cattle that are vaccinated and weaned properly so they won’t have the wrecks with health like they have in the past. Buyers have spent too much money on treatments, chronics and death loss.
As far as vaccines, cattle buyers want the calves vaccinated for the major diseases. Normally, this means at least 7-way blackleg, IBR, BVD, PI3 and BRSV. Some also want them vaccinated for Pastuerella pneumonia. This doesn’t mean one dose and forget it, a lot of these vaccines need boosters two to four weeks later. Yes, this means rolling through the chute twice.
They are also wanting the bulls all castrated. This can be by banding or knife castrating. Normally, this would be done by the time these calves are four to five months of age. If you do band, make sure you count one, two, and get both testicles. I have found many calves with the testicles on the belly wall and the scrotum banded off, or at least one testicle on the belly wall.
If you wait till these bulls calves are older to castrate, they may not finish quite right to choice. Back in Kansas, where I grew up, most of the calves were castrated in May after being born in February and March. This was also branding time and we vaccinated them against blackleg for the first time. Later, in August or September we boostered blackleg and vaccinated for IBR, BVD, PI3 and BRSV. Two weeks later we boostered blackleg again and the IBR. When they went through the chute for the final booster, they were weaned and fed accordingly.
I would also tip the horns. You do not have to totally dehorn feeding animals. It is more stress than you need. I would only dehorn the replacements that I was keeping. If you just tip the horns so they have a blunt tip, they won’t hurt other animals nearly as bad and that is all buyers want. Total dehorning sets them back at least one week on feed. Tipping can be done with just a set of pruning shears. And since you are not opening up the sinus cavity, there are no worries about infection or other problems like we have with dehorning.
A weaned calf doesn’t mean that they have been off momma for one to two weeks but rather 45 to 60 days.
The buyers have had many calves sold as weaned, but when they arrive at the facility they are still bawling for momma. The last research project from Oklahoma State on this says a minimum of 45 days. A lot of the buyers are now demanding a vet signature signing off that these calves have been treated properly. This is partly why the Arkansas Red Tag program didn’t work — because the buyers could not get a load of these calves, or 48,000 pounds of calves.
Please, check with your local veterinarian and see what he requires to sign a certificate for your calves.
Dr. Tim O'Neill owns Country Veterinary Clinic in Farmington, Ark.
