West Central Nebraska - Sandhills | Last year we struggled with weaning. Lost too many calves despite preconditioning using Zoetis PreVac program (Bovishield Gold Oneshot and Ultrabac 4 weeks before weaning) at the recommendation of our vet. About 1 week after weaning we started getting sick calves despite high quality grass hay, DDG, clean fresh water changed daily, and a clean pen with no surrounding/foreign animals. Another vet and a neighbor both couldn't believe I didn't also give something the day of weaning. This has never made sense to me since it takes the body 2-4 weeks to build up immunity from a vaccine, but their claim was an intranasal and/or pasturella booster caused an immediate stimulus/activation of the immune system to prepare it for the upcoming illness.
This year we are not going to wean our steers, will sell off the cow. However we will wean our heifers. So I'm trying to pick a vaccination program that will A. satisfy buyers at the sale barn and bring premium B. wean our hei:fers that we will keep replacement without sickness or loss. I'm deciding to use either PreVac Pfizer program PLUS a day of weaning intranasal vaccine +or- pasturella booster vs a modified variation I created from Merck PrimeVac 34:
4weeks prior
Ultrabac 7/Somubac & Bovishield Gold One Shot vs Vista 5 SQ & Once PMH & Vision 8 Somnus
$51.99 $198.95 $56.59 $141.29 $62.89
At Weaning
Inforce 3 & Oneshot BVD vs Inforce 3 & Once PMH
$65.99 $153.89 $65.99 $141.29
$9.42/hd $9.36/hd
I'm sure i'm over thinking this, the answer is probably in a change in management rather than obsessing/wasting money over a preconditioning program. Sorry for the long post. Any advice appreciated. |
Preconditioning Program
