Vaccine products that are administered to cattle are foreign to the animal’s body. The goal is for the body to recognize these foreign organisms and develop an immune response for protection in the event of a future disease challenge.

The immune system is the body’s military. It is tasked with being able to recognize pathogenic invaders that have entered the body and eliminate them as quickly as possible.

Understanding the fundamentals of vaccination helps optimize the return on your vaccine investments and ensure calves are prepared for the challenges they’ll face.

Managing bovine respiratory disease (BRD) can sometimes feel like a game of whack-a-mole for dairy producers. Many stressors can pop up with little to no advanced warning early in a calf’s life, putting them at greater risk for developing BRD.  

John Law published a paper in 2006 in the journal Environment and Planning about the situation “developed” countries of the world find themselves in. They are precariously vulnerable to an incursion of a fast-moving animal disease that exists elsewhere in the world.

The first 60 days are essential to calf growth. Calves are the most feed efficient during this time, so don’t let scours make a mess of their potential.

Most producers know that calfhood pneumonia, or bovine respiratory disease (BRD), is one of the leading health concerns impacting calves on even the best-managed dairies. The disease challenges young calves face when they are most vulnerable can have lifelong productivity and profitability implications.