Summer is coming to a close and the heat of August is here, somewhat. At least we have had rain. The grass is growing and still green but it’s too wet to put up hay right now, but there is plenty of grass for the cows. Plus, it is getting time to be thinking about weaning calves.
With the price of calves making them worth around $1,000 to $1,500 each, we need to take care of them the best we can. By doing a pre-weaning vaccination program we reduce the stress level on the calves. After we are done vaccinating them and turn them back loose to momma, they go nurse her and let the stressors fly away. It is natures way for little ones still on momma. Why not use it to our advantage? This pre-weaning program is where we get them up and vaccinate for everything we need to, castrate and tip horns. By getting all of this done before we wean, we reduce the stressors at weaning. Without all of the stress, we get a better immune response to our vaccine, which means better protection against the diseases we are vaccinating against.
I have seen many calves weaned and not vaccinated. These are very high-risk individuals for respiratory infection (BRD = Bovine Respiratory Disease). During the weaning process and/or at the stocker we will see these calves have a BRD rate above 70 percent. Ones that have been through the pre-weaning program will only have a rate of about 0-20 percent infection rate of BRD. These figures tell the story in my eyes. I also have clients that are believers, too.
The pre-weaning program is where we get everything done 2-4 weeks before we wean. Then at weaning all we do is to give booster vaccines. We generally also get them bunk broke and water trough broke. Normally this takes about 45-60 days. Now I know some people do not have facilities to do this. It only takes hot wires, feed bunk and a water trough; you do not have to be fancy. Most people have a corral where you work them, which can be used. I have a client that uses his roping arena.
If you do pre-wean and background your calves definitely advertise that you have done it. A lot of buyers will pay a premium for those calves. It may mean a savings to them of $10.00-$25.00 per head in medicine cost, or better yet a dead or chronic. Chronic sick cattle cost more than a dead one. They keep eating feed and never gain. You also keep giving them medicine and they never get better. Please, remember fall is coming and so is more BRD.
