The importance in vacinating calves – Dr Ivan Holloway
Wednesday, November 14 2018 8:01 pm
There is nothing more frustrating than getting great calves to weaning and then losing ground in the post weaning period due to disease. This may flow into less than satisfactory reproductive performance in the spring.
Calves becoming infected with BVD may have 6-8 weeks of poor growth rates and suffer immune suppression making them more susceptible to other diseases such as pneumonia, worms, coccidiosis and Yersinia outbreaks. The risk of infection causing scour and periods of ill thrift is quite real. This is most likely to occur when mobs from different sources are mixed in a grazing situation with the risk of introducing a Persistently Infected (PI) animal. The outcome is poor growth rates despite having ample feed available. BVD can rob your replacements of their maximum potential.
IBR is caused by a Bovine Herpes Virus and causes sporadic outbreaks of nasal catarrh and conjunctivitis in calves. A very high temperature may occur which can precede more severe secondary infections along with a snotty nose and weepy eyes. Like all herpes infections, it may become silent and chronic but resurface if animals become stressed as may happen if feed becomes short in a dry period or a drench is overdue. Weight loss is a risk from this disease and being highly infectious, can lead to a true outbreak situation occurring with most animals in a mob becoming infected. Current research shows IBR is widespread in most dairy herds.
Hiprabovis 3 is a uniquely placed vaccine combining Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) with Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) and Para Influenza (PI3), to minimise the risk of poor growth rates from disease outbreaks. It is the only trivalent vaccine of its type giving protection from three common production limiting cattle viruses for the price of one commonly used BVD vaccine, making it the cost effective, broad spectrum, cattle vaccine of choice. Using Hiprabovis 3 is an investment in the future of your herd, maximising the growth potential of your young stock and ensuring they arrive at mating well above their target mating weights. Vaccinating calves with Hiprabovis 3 promotes their overall health and well being placing them in a strong position to face the rigours of their future productive life.