Most veterinarians recommend vaccinating nursing calves against clostridial, respiratory and digestive pathogens at 2 months old to bolster immunity against those pathogens.

The journey from pasture to plate is fraught with challenges, particularly during the initial receiving period when cattle are most vulnerable. The receiving phase, typically encompassing the first 45 days after cattle arrive at a feedlot, is critical for ensuring their health, well-being and subsequent productivity.

Vaccine protocol discussions can be energetic and entertaining amongst calf raisers, consultants and veterinarians. It ultimately leads to comparing the current vaccine protocol to a large, well-established calf raiser in the region or even nationally. There can be value in this comparison, but the real value is understanding how these successful facilities arrived at their protocol.

With high feeder cattle prices, it may be tempting to look for cheaper sources of calves. Often, these cattle that are below the market come with unknown vaccination records, genetics and nutritional status. The market has already factored in the increased costs of high-morbidity, high-mortality, high-risk cattle.

With societal and political pressure surrounding antibiotic use in food animals, preventing disease outbreaks is increasingly important. The words “immunization, not just vaccination” may sound familiar in the context of discussing vaccines, but what is really meant?

Since the purchase price of calves is currently high, there can be a wide price spread between the purchase price of cattle that came from a good vaccination and health program versus cattle that have not.

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.

From the moment a calf is born, the clock starts ticking in the battle against bovine respiratory disease (BRD). One of the things we try to promote as veterinarians is making sure that we stay ahead of it. BRD is the costliest disease in the cattle industry and can have serious impacts on an animal’s production potential.