# Giving calves their first shots



## wheelsville

Another rookie farmer here well, I wouldn't say farmer just yet....a guy with a tractor. I have a question about calves, when and what shots to give them? I have angus and a few black/whiteface.

Thanks,


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## Tim/South

Welcome to Hay Talk.

I give a 7 way and a respiratory. I usually wait until the youngest calves are 6 weeks old, then do the herd. Some may be 3 months old. Just like to do it all in one sitting.

This is my first year to buckle down and make it a priority, keep good records and notes.

The 7 way is for the calf (and my peace of mind), the respiratory is for the sale price. We get more if they have been vaccinated against "shipping sickness".


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## Chessiedog

I don't normally catch up with mine till 5 months old or so .You can give something like bovi-shield gold 5-L5, and
one shot ultra 8 , you need to give a booster in 4 weeks or so . can do a wormer at the same time . You don't need a booster on the wormer . Thats what we do any ways


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## Grateful11

My wife says there's too many shots being given to calves just because they're available. She's been working with cows and calves for over 40 years. She and her late Father ran a Dairy until 2003, the Dairy had been here for for almost 60 years. The farm has been in the same family for over 100 years. She's had very few calf problems since switching over to beef cattle. She did have one to get a touch of the scours back in the early Spring and she gave it a couple boluses of Sustain III, vet recommended, cleared it right up. Her calves, mostly Herefords some Black Baldies nearly always bring top dollar at the sale where she takes them. She has 48 head including 6 calves.


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## Tim/South

If a person runs cattle long enough they will eventually have one with blackleg. It is in the soil.

I give the 7 way, respiratory, deworm, castrate and tag all at the same time.

Last year some stockers and feed lots reported 10% losses. Politics and money have removed effective medications from the shelf. Once the patient expires and becomes available in generic the med is found to be "harmful".

Healthy calves are exposed to every virus in the sale barn. Most are sold at weaning. It takes a calf 90 days to develop immunities once weaned. During those 90 days the calf is exposed every virus the other bought calves carry. No immunity, added to the stress of weaning, can be tough.

Soft calves (calves sold at weaning) will bring less than a hard calf (weaned 90 days) of the same weight.

Premiums will be paid for nice healthy cattle. They have a better chance of survival.

I always get good money for my calves, up near the top. I noticed the weaned vaccinated calves sold in groups out sold all the other nice calves.

I asked the two major buyers at out local sale. Both said the respiratory vaccination was the most important to them.

The meds once used to knock out a cough have been replaced with something less effective and more expensive.


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## mlappin

Grateful11 said:


> My wife says there's too many shots being given to calves just because they're available. She's been working with cows and calves for over 40 years. She and her late Father ran a Dairy until 2003, the Dairy had been here for for almost 60 years. The farm has been in the same family for over 100 years. She's had very few calf problems since switching over to beef cattle. She did have one to get a touch of the scours back in the early Spring and she gave it a couple boluses of Sustain III, vet recommended, cleared it right up. Her calves, mostly Herefords some Black Baldies nearly always bring top dollar at the sale where she takes them. She has 48 head including 6 calves.


Closed herd, literally closed farm as well, don't bring strange animals to our farm ever except for a new bull every few years, then he is quarantined with the steers for a bit before being turned out with the cows. We haul all our own as well. Not presently vaccinating for anything. Black leg is not a problem up here. No problems with coughs either since the cattle have been given the choice of the barn or the woods, they much prefer the woods btw. Just are religious about worming is all.

The tub grinder has really made a difference this winter, no pushing, shoving or guarding of the feed by the boss cows so all get to eat. Have some calves running around that look 3-4 weeks older than they actually are, have some real nice sleek looking calves atm because even they start eating the ground hay/cornstalks at a few weeks old.

Might be wise to talk to the local vet and see if anything needs vaccinated for that is particular to your area.


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## Tim/South

The cough or respiratory has never been a problem on the farm for us.

The buyers are the ones saying they will pay more if they have less chance of fighting shipping sickness. All of the calves sold in these parts are eventually shipped west of the Mississippi.

Some are bought, then grazed in the south east but we do not have feedlots or slaughtering facilities. They go west. That shipping is where the respiratory pays off.

I am a big believer in a closed herd.


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## mlappin

We don't hardly ever haul anything to the sale barn except for the bulls when we are done with them and cull cows. Most of the steers we sell privately.


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## Chessiedog

I suppose depends some on what your doing . I feed out a few head and sell the rest as feeders . Most of the time top dollar feeders around here have been cut,wormed ,two rounds of vaccinations , weaned for 45 days, and started on grain . The problem for buyers is when you start mixing 40 to 50 head togather in confined aeras from different farms , you can have problems real fast .


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## Nitram

7 way + blk leg and pink eye vaccination. Band the bull calves at same time. Ps don't skimp on the bull he will make a big difference at the sale!


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## wheelsville

Right now I'm still doing what my late step-dad did and taking them to the stock yard when there around 400 lbs...thats all he done but, I would like to try weaning the calves and putting them on grain for a month before I take them to the stock yard just to fatten them up and also would like to keep some of the heifer calves and put them back in the field since we have a new bull.


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## Nitram

First time heifers = young low birth weight bull. And don't over feed while preg. I wait until 14-16 months before breeding. Young enough but has worked well for me. Martin


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## Tim/South

wheelsville said:


> Right now I'm still doing what my late step-dad did and taking them to the stock yard when there around 400 lbs...thats all he done but, I would like to try weaning the calves and putting them on grain for a month before I take them to the stock yard just to fatten them up and also would like to keep some of the heifer calves and put them back in the field since we have a new bull.


Most of the time calves will lose weight while being weaned. Most of us do not like the idea of our calves losing weight since we are paid by the pound.

I have always tried to feed my calves before weaning so they would not have to learn to eat and digest all at once. This year I am creep feeding free choice. I hope it helps keep the weight on during weaning.

The buyers do not want to buy a lot of "milk" weight, soft weight. They know the calves are going to use that fat up during the weaning process.

I got an education sitting with a buyer friend. They can tell if a calf has been weaned by their hair coat and condition. Buying cattle is a science to them.

I am still not certain if I am going to do two rounds of shots. My Vet says it is a waste of time and money. He asked me if we took a booster on the flu shot? I bought the killed virus and he said one round would be enough for the body to develop an immunity.


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## wheelsville

Thanks for all the help!


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## mlappin

Tim/South said:


> Most of the time calves will lose weight while being weaned. Most of us do not like the idea of our calves losing weight since we are paid by the pound.
> 
> I have always tried to feed my calves before weaning so they would not have to learn to eat and digest all at once. This year I am creep feeding free choice. I hope it helps keep the weight on during weaning.
> 
> The buyers do not want to buy a lot of "milk" weight, soft weight. They know the calves are going to use that fat up during the weaning process.
> 
> I got an education sitting with a buyer friend. They can tell if a calf has been weaned by their hair coat and condition. Buying cattle is a science to them.


Thats one of the reasons I'm liking the vertical tub grinder/mixer I bought. Grind a hay bale, a haylage bale and a cornstalk bale together, add a little glycerin, a little jam, some mineral and some fines from the grain cleaner and even the small calves are right up their with mama eating.


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## Waterway64

I have been experimenting with different ways to creep my calves and this year I think I have had my best success. I put a bale feeder inside inside portable panels with one walk thru panel. I fed some of my very best hay to the calves this way. They also ate silage and hay with their mothers. When I weaned they were just through the fence from their mothers. They were hardly upset and continued to make excellent growth weight. Mel


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## Chessiedog

Tim/South said:


> I am still not certain if I am going to do two rounds of shots. My Vet says it is a waste of time and money. He asked me if we took a booster on the flu shot? I bought the killed virus and he said one round would be enough for the body to develop an immunity.


I find that amazing he says that . Just about all programs calls for a booster shot . For one just read the lable on the bottle . Here's one http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CC0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ansc.purdue.edu%2F5state%2F5state.htm&ei=K6eyUca6LebdyAGQhIHwDQ&usg=AFQjCNE3fWGA_szDB10bH33yAq0miBY-ig&bvm=bv.47534661,d.aWc

I know my vet would look at him with that are you kidding me look . But hey I'm not a vet .

Though we did get together some years ago with our bull producer and sent a couple of semi loads to a custom feed lot I think they feed like 3000 head a year .I heard one of the guys lost the 10 head he sent do to not being vaccinated right . Not 100 percent sure if thats what happend but he did lose all 10 . I had 3 out of 10 in the sick pen , luckly just in and back out . Also happy to say 3 calves out of the 10 I sent got CAB bounes, when only 2 percent of all the cattle across the nation gets CAB or at the time any way . I was happy .


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## Tim/South

My Vet does not believe a booster is necessary. Once the animal has developed the immunities, it retains those immunities in his opinion. He does not boost his personal cattle.

On the Triangle 10 it says boost at 14 to 28 days, annually and prior to stress or exposure. I am not sure how many follow those guidelines and revaccinate annually.

The Alpha7 instructs to vaccinate annually, and calves vaccinated under 3 month to be revaccinated at 4 to 6 months or weaning.


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## Chessiedog

Like I said just depends on what your doing and what you want to do . I know few guys just take them off the cow and to the sale barn .


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## bluefarmer

Killed virus vaccine needs booster 
Modified live vaccine not necessary


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