When Garth Routledge vaccinated his calves in May, one of his priorities was a treatment that protects the animals against blackleg.
While the disease has not been a problem at his farm near Lenore, Man., Routledge accepts the old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
“Our experience over the years is that it’s far better to prevent than to try and treat afterwards, both in terms of economics and the well-being of the animals.”
Allan Preston, Manitoba Agriculture’s manager of veterinary field services, likes that kind of thinking.
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Preston believes that vaccinating against blackleg should be an essential part of herd health management.
“That’s a given,” he said. “We have to vaccinate every year if we’re going to stay away from that disease.”
The treatment against blackleg is often contained in an eight-way vaccine, a treatment that also guards against malignant edema.
The eight-way vaccine can be given at spring branding, a time when calves are typically two to four months of age. The vaccination should be followed up with a booster shot for blackleg at weaning time.
Blackleg and malignant edema are infectious bacteria that produce toxins capable of killing cattle.
Vaccines that counter those diseases are cheap and worth the time, said Gerald Ollis, Alberta Agriculture’s chief provincial veterinarian.
“If you’re not vaccinating for blackleg and malignant edema, you have to ask yourself what the hell you’re doing,” said Ollis, noting that blackleg is common in Alberta and much of North America.
Preston said he has also noted an increase in the number of Manitoba producers using a four-way vaccine at branding time.
The four-way vaccine guards against the respiratory diseases IBR, BVD (bovine virus diarrhea), PI-3 (para influenza-3), and BRSV (bovine respiratory syncytial virus).
The Manitoba producers most apt to give the four-way vaccine are those who hold their calves over after fall, Preston said.
Some producers who will not keep the calves beyond fall weigh the cost of the vaccine against the benefits, and choose not to treat against IBR.
The risk of an infected animal spreading the disease increases if the calves are moved into a more confined area in fall. The risk of IBR is also greater when cattle from different herds are mingled, such as in a feedlot.
However, Ollis recommends a strong health regime against the disease in cow/calf herds as well.
“If anyone vaccinates for anything it should be first for blackleg and then for IBR.”
Spring branding can also be a time to inject growth implants and to apply pour-on treatments for internal and external parasites.
Preston regards growth implants as a good investment. The $1.20 cost of the implants can bring added returns of $10 to $15 per animal, he said.
“To me it’s a given in today’s market that you do that.”
Producers should not use growth implants on bull calves that will one day become breeding stock. Preston said it will have a serious effect on their fertility.
Meanwhile, there is divided opinion on whether it is wise to implant young heifers considered potential breeding stock. Some studies suggest the growth implants can reduce the heifers’ fertility, while other studies have found no evidence of that.
“I’d err on the side of caution,” said Preston. “If a guy’s sure it’s going to be a replacement heifer, it’s better not to implant her.”
There are several products available as pour-ons that can be applied at branding time to control internal and external parasites.
Ivomec, Dectomax and Cydectin are three of the products available to counter those parasites, such as lice on the cattle’s hides.
“All three of those are equal as far as I’m concerned,” Preston said of the treatments.
The spring branding season is also a convenient time to dehorn calves and to castrate bull calves, if those procedures were not done at calving time.
