Meds,vaccs,worming

[woodspirit]

What is recommended for new animals purchased? Obviously shipping stress is a concern but what vaccinations and worming should be done for new arivals?

[otf]

woodspirit, I think your best bet would be to contact a large animal/bovine vet in your area and get his/her advice on vaccinations for where YOU are; it's always a good idea to establish a relationship with a vet beforehand so that you have someone to call in the event of an emergency (vets will respond better to a problem when they know you and your animals). If you're buying new animals, try to get a written record of what they received and when.

Also, we vaccinate heifers for brucellosis (a one-time thing, usually between 4-12 months of age), along with the other regular vaccinations. Young animals receive a booster 3-4 weeks after the first; all receive annual boosters after that. We've also added rabies to our vaccinations as there have been several rabid cows in our area. We deworm twice a year with a pour-on dewormer; some people use injectible dewormer.

We put new arrivals in quarantine for a minimum of 2 weeks before they are turned out with others. Keeping them in a smaller, secure enclosure with a tall fence will give them a chance to settle, and you'll have an opportunity to make sure they're eating and drinking well. Animals that are turned out into a big field the first day may panic, jump fences, and can be very difficult to catch (nothing is familiar and they don't know where "home" is).

I'm sure others will chime in with other suggestions.

Gale

[midhilldexters]

Mike,
depends where yur cattle are coming in from. If from outside your State they may need differing shots. If from your State, nothing or a whole lot, that depends on you and what you want. Talk to your vet, see what they recommend, see what you think and go from there. Remember though, if you decide to sell those animals in the future and they are going out of State, then you should go with what your vet recommends. It's a choice thing really.

Carol

[shamrockhill]

I have to agree with the previous replies. But in addition, I usually talk to my local produce shop workers as they talk to local farmers and stock most of the vaccines and drenches and normally have time to go through different products with you.

When any new arrivals come onto my property, I drench, tag and vaccinate if required then place them into a quarantine paddock for a couple of days so they can eject any unwanted worms. They then go into a paddock that is ajdacent or preferably within site of the main herd. That way, the cattle become familiar with each other instead of belting each other senseless. I normally leave it this way for a few weeks so that I can monitor any problems with the new stock. It also allows me to walk around them and get them familiar to me without the others hogging my attention.

I always believe that prevention is better than cure. You can't alway get it right but when you do, you will find that the health of you cattle is sustained and you don't have to use excessive produces to get your stock back in order.

[anthony]

Depending on age of stock and travel distance sometimes it is best to get the animals aclimated before shooting the up with vaccines. Stress can have a negative afect on vaccine efficacy and animal health. We often get the critters shot a week before shipping that way they have some time to recover or we wait a week after arrival.

[liz]

I agree. Apart from any special regs that your vet can tell you for your area, if you are vaccinating, it is best to be completely done first and booster, at least a week before the animal is shipped. The vaccines, even dead ones, take a huge tole on the cow's system. Also why we never give two at once if we can help it. L