Importance of Vaccines for Beef Cattle
Keeping cattle healthy is a top priority for all beef producers. An adequate health program is one of the most important parts of any beef herd management plan.
On this page, you can learn more about applying good health management practices. Discover detailed information on beef cattle health, common cow diseases, cattle vaccines, and livestock transportation.
Beef Cattle Health Management
A health management program is extremely important for ensuring animal wellbeing and biosecurity. A solid health care plan can also improve a farm's efficiency and profitability by reducing treatment costs and increasing animal performance.
Every beef cattle health program should be centered around three main aspects – prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Management strategies that producers should consider include monitoring nitrate intake and feed consumption, minimizing stress for the herd, and establishing a vaccination schedule. Check out our suggestion on how to use body scoring as a nutrition and health management tool.
Note that working closely with a veterinarian is critical for ensuring appropriate nutrition, accurate diagnosis, and suitable treatment.
Beef Cattle Vaccines
During their lifetime, cows develop two types of immunity – active and passive. Active immunity can develop as a result of an immunization plan or naturally through disease exposure. Passive immunity is passed from cow to calf in colostrum.
Vaccinating beef cattle can provide great advantages in preventing diseases and keeping the herd healthy. A complete vaccination plan is key to stimulating the immune system and helping the cow build the antibodies needed to provide passive immunity.
When creating a year-round herd health program, remember to consult with a local veterinarian. Poorly timed or inadequately chosen vaccines can do more harm than good and add extra stress to an (already sick) animal.
Common Beef Cattle Diseases
Beef cows can be affected by various diseases. In general, cattle raised in tight quarters – as well as animals living in stressful conditions – are more prone to diseases.
Common cattle health problems are grass tetany, foot rot, back leg, Johne's disease, Haemophilus Somnus. Other bovine diseases, such as rabies, tetanus, and ketosis in cattle, are widespread as well.
Grass tetany is one of the most prevalent conditions in grazing cows and is characterized by low blood serum levels of magnesium. This is typically a result of severe magnesium deficiency in pastures and can lead to nervousness, muscle spasms, convulsions, collapse, and coma.
Other bovine disease types that might affect a beef herd are the bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC or 'shipping fever'), infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), bovine leukemia virus (BLV), and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV).
Though currently not present in the US, Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is another viral disease that affects many cloven-hooved species. Most cases worldwide are identified by the development of clinical disease between 2 and 14 days after the initial infection.
Access Herd Health Resources
Many conditions and diseases can be prevented through proper cattle management, nutrition, and vaccination. Learn more about beef cattle health with Penn State Extension's extensive collection of articles, webinars, workshops, and online courses.
Workshops Learn about co-grazing cattle and small ruminants in this informative workshop. More
Workshops Join us to learn about how to winterize confined beef cattle. More
News The hotline, 1-888-655-2407, provides information on dairy and equine. More
Video Series Flies are a nuisance on cattle facilities and can transmit diseases. Learn how to use integrated pest management (IPM) to control pest flies safely and effectively. More
Articles Learn how to identify flies that are bothersome to cattle. Implementing an integrated pest management is key to having successful fly control in the cattle herd. More
Articles Transitioning newly weaned calves to the feedlot can be highly successful, or it can be a disaster. In order to avoid the disaster, follow these tips for success. More
Articles Poor gut health can negatively affect overall cattle health status and performance. By maintaining ideal gut health, animal health and performance will be bettered. More
Video Series Diseases in your farm animals can have serious consequences for you, your neighbors, and beyond. Learn how you can prevent the spread of animal diseases. More
Articles We have all heard the age-old adage: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Though this saying is routinely linked to biosecurity, what does it mean on the beef cattle operation? More
Articles Many species of tick can be found on livestock and horses in Pennsylvania, particularly animals that spend some time in pastures. More
Articles Nitrate and Prussic Acid poisoning can be dangers to ruminant livestock when feeding warm season annual forages during certain times of the year. More
Articles Not only has pinkeye (Moraxella Bovis) reared its ugly head again this year it has brought its big brother to the fight, Moraxella Bovoculi. Get your veterinarian's advice about prevention before the outbreak. More
Articles Body condition score (BCS) is an easy-to-use tool that describes the relative fatness of beef cattle. More
Articles "This is the time of year when you start to notice poison hemlock. Best management practices should take place before it flowers, produces more seed, and continues to spread". More
Articles Choose the weaning protocol that best matches your management style and facilities. This choice can make a big difference in the stress levels of your cows, your calves and you. More
Workshops $475.00
Join this in-person two-day, research-based workshop on proven animal handling and slaughter practices in a practical interactive format. More
Articles Early spring when the grass is growing is a dangerous time in pastures because of the hidden danger of grass tetany. More
Articles Biosecurity benchmarks to help keep you and your animals safe. More
Online Courses $139.00
This online course about raising beef cattle covers breeds, establishing facilities, nutrition and reproduction, and marketing and finances. More
Articles Farm Biosecurity: Management practices to minimize or prevent the transmission of disease within and between herds and flocks. More
Articles A checklist to determine the biosecurity risk of individuals to dairy herds. More
Articles Biosecurity Fundamentals
Ernest Hovingh, DVM, PhD, Robert J. Van Saun, DVM, MS, PhD, Bhushan M. Jayarao, MVSc, PhD, MPH
The basics of disease biosecurity, why a biosecurity plan should be implemented, and how to get a plan in motion. More
Articles Be prepared to handle and transport cattle appropriately in cold weather. The cold, wet and wind of winter weather present a different set of challenges. More
Articles Ensuring your calves are healthy, by reducing stress, will improve their performance in the feedlot and improve your relationship with your buyers. More
Videos How to safely move between facilities, to another farm or to a livestock market, during livestock transportation. More
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Source: https://extension.psu.edu/animals-and-livestock/beef-cattle/health-and-care