| G75-232-A (Revised June 1996)  Cow-Calf Herd Health Program BasicsThis NebGuide suggests ideas and discusses some basic essentials of health management in beef cow operations.
Dale Grotelueschen, DVM, MS, Extension Veterinarian Establishing a good cow-calf herd health program is a necessary step if profit is to be realized. Managing disease risk is an important aspect of a good health program design. Vaccinations help reduce the probability of disease but cannot solely be depended upon for prevention. Well-designed herd health programs address multiple areas of management in order to reduce likelihood of disease outbreaks. The objective of any beef herd health program should be to profitably produce calves having optimum weaning weights from a high percentage of cows in the herd. Active involvement with your veterinarian will ensure sound health program development year-round. Ideally, cattle producers would like a uniform cow-calf herd health program that could be used in any beef herd. Management practices and local disease problems vary so widely that it is impossible to make blanket recommendations. Proper nutrition for any type of livestock is an absolute necessity; a health program will fail if the herd nutritional status is deficient. Attention to reproductive management is critical for successful calf production. Breeding seasons limited to 45 to 60 days for cows and 30 to 45 days for replacement heifers are recommendations that many producers have adopted. Pregnancy tests done early in gestation and culling of open females should be routine. These procedures will tend to eliminate cows or heifers of low fertility whether due to genetic or other reproductive problems. Select replacement heifers that weigh the recommended weight for the breed by 15 months of age. Data indicate this should be about 65 percent of mature weight. This size should not be the result of feeding alone, but also a result of genetic influence. Replacement heifers selected for feminine appearance and other desirable characteristics are most likely to produce the greatest profit; however, performance records of the heifer's mother can also provide valuable information. The following disease control and management procedures should be considered in a Nebraska cow-calf herd health program. Most herds will not need all of these procedures, but they are mentioned so that beef producers will be aware of them. Your local veterinarian can make specific recommendations. He or she has the most complete information on disease problems in the area and knows the circumstances on your particular farm or ranch. Individualized approaches to disease risk and management are more effective. Choice of vaccine depends on herd disease history, management factors, the veterinarian's experience and success rates in a specific area. Vaccination programs should be designed with targeted goals and objectives in mind. These include observation of known principles about vaccination and development of immunity. Label directions for vaccine use should be followed to obtain desired results. Plan your herd vaccination program with your veterinarian. The following procedures should be considered in developing your herd health program. Very few herds will require all possible vaccinations listed. Vaccinations for Replacement HeifersReplacement heifer vaccinations may be the most important injections administered for disease prevention in the cow herd. Introducing immune animals into the herd lessens the risk of disease spread. These replacement heifers should receive vaccinations as young calves and also near weaning time similar to other calves in the herd. Vaccinations applying specifically to replacement heifers might be:
Cow Vaccinations, Injections and Health Related ProceduresVaccinations/Injections
Procedures
Bulls and Artificial InseminationSince half the genetic makeup of the offspring is provided by the bull, it is recommended that bulls or semen for artificial insemination be selected with genetic characteristics that will permit siring calves that are of higher quality. Progeny testing information is very valuable. Using EPDs (Expected Progeny Differences) help when making bull selections. Breeding soundness is very important in herds of all sizes, whether one or many bulls are being used. Approximately 15 percent of all bulls are subfertile or sterile. Breeding soundness examination by a veterinarian one or two months prior to breeding time is an important management procedure. This involves a complete physical and semen evaluation of the bull. Additionally, observing the bull during service is important to detect anatomical defects and to be aware of cow cycling activity, insuring cows are being served properly. Bull capacity under different breeding systems is shown in Table I . Recent data suggest cow:bull ratios may be increased above these suggestions in many cases.
Artificial insemination (AI) and heat synchronization are valuable programs in beef operations. They must be well planned, properly timed and correctly executed to be successful. The body condition of cows/heifers must be adequate, and in general in a weight gaining state. Generally, body condition scores from cows should be at least 5 and heifers should be at least 5.5 to be in good breeding condition. Further information and literature is available on body condition scoring and should be used if one so desires. The following vaccinations might be considered:
Calf Health Management, Procedures and VaccinationsBirth
Before going to pasture
Preweaning
Weaning
SummaryA cow-calf herd health program will help improve the profitability of any beef breeding enterprise. The primary objectives of this program are to increase the weight and average number of calves weaned per cow on a long-term basis. A herd health program should be established that has a reasonable chance of being followed. Arrange the timing of vaccinations so they can be given while the cattle are being handled for other reasons, such as at pregnancy testing time, and at a time when disease protection is most needed. Many of the health procedures are listed for consideration only. Recommendations for specific practices for each herd should come from your local veterinarian. Develop a good working relationship with a local veterinarian; his/her training and experience makes him/her the best qualified to advise on herd health programs. Ongoing contact with your veterinary practitioner allows development of long-range health programs as well as achievement of goals related to health and production. Good management will help health programs work better! It is important to properly handle vaccines, paying attention also to label directions about timing and administration. Providing a clean, dry, comfortable environment and, avoiding overcrowding the animals, are also key factors. The producer is the key; without his/her leadership and willingness to adapt and improve, no program can be effective.
Electronic version issued July 1996 Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Elbert C. Dickey, Director of Cooperative Extension, University of Nebraska, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension educational programs abide with the non-discrimination policies of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture. |
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