A planned receiving program is the most important part of an overall health plan for purchased calves. Effective planned programs help improve performance, cut death losses and treatment costs, and reduce time spent caring for sick cattle.
A basic receiving health program for purchased calves is not as easy to formulate as a program for home-reared calves. The prior health history of the calf or the herd it originates from is generally unknown as is the relative level of stress it encountered in marketing channels. Excessive time in transport, lack of weaning, inadequate water and feed intake, and exposure to diseases influence a calf’s potential of developing sickness at the receiving farm. Generalizations relative to these factors, oftentimes assuming the worst, enter into the design of basic receiving health programs for purchased calves.
Planning ahead for receiving calves includes the following guidelines:
• Work with your veterinarian to devise a comprehensive receiving health program.
• Review Beef Quality Assurance (MS-BQA) guidelines for proper administration of vaccines and medications selected for use in the receiving health program and for treatment of sick animals.
• Have the cattle-working facilities and holding pens/ pastures ready to handle calves.
• Establish properly equipped sick pens.
• Provide adequate feed-bunk space for calves (minimum of 12 linear inches per head; 18 inches is probably better).
• Have adequate hay racks.
• Have good-quality hay stored.
• Have a good water source; calves need 1 gallon of water per 100 pounds daily (summer increases water consumption). Provide 1 linear foot of water trough per 10 head.
• Enlist a nutritionist to formulate rations and have fresh feed on hand before receiving calves.
• Ready ear tags or other identification for calves.
• Set up a record system for documenting source of calves, receiving procedures and recording treatment(s), and treatment response of sick calves. When the calves arrive, give them fresh water, high quality hay, and sufficient room in a large holding pen or small pasture to spread out and rest for 12 to 18 hours before processing. A basic receiving health program is outlined in Figure 2. Individually handle and evaluate calves during the initial processing. Obviously sick or injured animals should be treated and quietly moved to a sick pen for continuing observation. Body temperature is one criterion that may be used to determine which calves are already sick upon arrival and should receive antibiotic and supportive care initially. Hot weather and stressful handling of calves may produce an elevated temperature in well calves.
Upon initial processing, give all calves the vaccines and parasite treatments listed in Figure 2. These vaccines require a booster vaccination in 2 to 3 weeks. The deferral of dehorning and castration to the revaccination date is less stressful on the calves. If a banding technique is used to castrate bull calves, it is advisable to administer a tetanus toxoid vaccine at initial processing and a booster of the same at the time of banding 2 to 3 weeks later. Banded bull calves are susceptible to developing tetanus, which is usually fatal in this age calf. The decision to include a metaphylactic (preventative) administration of an antibiotic to all calves (“mass medication”) may be based on perceived levels of stress on the calves before receipt, amount of shrink, weaning status, time in transport, and rumen fill. The timing of mass medication is critical to its effectiveness. The antibiotics with label approval for metaphylactic use are prescription drugs that require a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR). Consult with a veterinarian who is familiar with the cattle you are receiving. Use your experiences with purchased cattle to assist you in deciding when or if you need to administer antibiotics to all cattle received.
Source: A. Wayne Groce, DVM, Ph.D.; and Fred D. Lehman, DVM, MABM, DACT, and Leader, Extension Veterinary Medicine