Brucellosis, also called Bang’s disease, causes abortions and fever in cattle and undulant fever in people. Undulant fever is all but forgotten now in the United States but is still fairly common in other parts of the world. It’s transmitted through contaminated meat and unpasteurized dairy products. Brucellosis vaccination is cheap insurance against abortions in your herd. The shot must be administered by a veterinarian when the heifer is between four and eleven months of age. After giving the vaccination, the veterinarian will attach a metal ear tag to the heifer’s ear and officially record the shot.
| Did You Know? When a cow has “hardware disease,” it means that it has eaten stray bits of metal, which have perforated its stomach, making it sick. As a preventive measure, some farmers use a balling gun to feed cow magnets to their cattle. These are cylindrical magnets about 5 inches long and an inch in diameter. The magnets lodge in the reticulum and attract all metal bits that may be there, keeping them from washing around and doing damage. Not all veterinarians believe in the effectiveness of using magnets, however, so it’s better for you to harvest any metal pieces on your land before your cattle do. |
When to Vaccinate
Calves often receive certain vaccinations soon after birth, but many beef cattle owners rely on the immunity that the babies get from their mothers’ colostrum, or first milk, for the first few weeks and wait until it’s nearly weaning time—at four to eight months of age—to vaccinate. These older calves should be given booster vaccinations two to four weeks after receiving their first vaccinations. Dairy and orphan calves should be vaccinated by two weeks of age, because they aren’t getting ongoing immune protection from their mothers’ milk, and again at about six months.
Adult cattle should get annual booster vaccinations. Years ago, cows needed to receive their booster vaccinations before they were bred because some of the vaccines could cause abortions or birth defects. A new generation of vaccines now allows most cows to be vaccinated after they’ve been bred, but check with your veterinarian to make sure that these boosters are given at the proper time for your cattle and for your region.
Keep vaccines properly refrigerated and replace them once they pass their expiration dates. Buy your vaccines from your veterinarian, who will have been careful to keep them cool. Don’t mix vaccines unless it says specifically on the label that it’s safe to do so.
Most cattle vaccinations are given by intramuscular injection.
Injection Methods
Most vaccines are injected into the muscle. This is called an intramuscular (IM) injection, and it’s the simplest type to give. Use a 2-inch, 16-gauge needle for adult animals and a 1½-inch, 18-gauge needle for calves. Don’t give IM shots in the rump because this tends to make a permanent lesion in some of the most valuable meat.
Give injections in the neck. Slap the animal’s neck a few times, pop the needle in quickly and deeply with a firm stroke, and depress the plunger. The animal will probably jump, so don’t have your arm between him and any sort of bar, where you could get caught and end up with a broken limb. Change needles often because tough hides quickly dull the needles, and a dull needle hurts more and is harder to push in than a sharp one.
A subcutaneous (sub-Q) injection is given just under the skin and is used for many types of medications. Sub-Q injections take two hands and a few seconds longer than IM injections do. Making sure your arms aren’t in a position in which they might get trapped by a plunging cow, grab a pinch of skin between your thumb and forefinger, use your other hand to quickly push the needle lengthwise into the bottom of the fold, and then depress the plunger.
The third type of injection, into a vein (intravenous), is used infrequently and should be done by a veterinarian or someone with experience.
The veterinarian can do all of your vaccinating for you, but most cattle owners learn to do it themselves. I use a handy device that I found at the farm store that’s shaped like a pistol. It contains a big syringe that holds up to ten doses of vaccine. The calibrated trigger delivers exactly the right dose with each injection, and I can vaccinate a whole line of cattle without having to reload the syringe.
When vaccinating, change the needle every two or three animals and always use a new separate needle to draw the vaccine out of the bottle into the syringe so you don’t contaminate the vaccine. Syringes can be reused if you clean them carefully with soap and hot water and dry them thoroughly. Needles can be cleaned, sharpened, and reused, but they’re cheap, and it’s generally easier to replace them.
Finally, set up a little table or some other clean and convenient place with the vaccine bottles, syringes, needles, record book, ear tags, and other equipment you’ll need. Having everything handy and organized but out of the way of the cattle is easier—and safer—than trying to hold the ear-tagger in your teeth while storing the syringe behind your ear.
| Cattle Medical Kit You should have a few basic supplies on hand for treating sick or injured animals. •Balling gun—for getting pills down the throat •Rectal thermometer—tie a long string around it when using; many thermometers have disappeared into cows because of unexpected muscle contractions •Rope halter and stout rope (a couple lengths)—use the halter and rope for holding a head still in the headgate and use just the rope for pulling a calf during a tough delivery •Stomach tube—for administering fluids and medications orally and relieving bloat if you’re a long way from a veterinarian •Suturing needles and thread—for stitching cuts •Syringes and needles—for administering medications •Trocar or sharp knife—for sticking bloated cows •Baking soda—for easing stomach upsets in calves •Epsom salts—for digestive upsets and soaking sore or infected feet •Iodine—for treating wounds and for dipping navels on newborn calves Topical antibiotic—for treating pinkeye and other skin infections You’ll also need a loaded ear-tagger with extra tags and studs, a bottle of nine-way vaccine, a syringe gun, and a notebook and pencil for record keeping. |
Internal Parasites
Many different types of worms like to live inside cattle. The most common parasites are roundworms, lung worms, liver worms, liver flukes, and pinworms. Most cattle owners treat with dewormer medication once or twice a year: either in early spring, before grazing starts; in late fall, after grazing is done for the season; or at both times. For the most effective worm control, discuss with your veterinarian the best time of year to deworm in your area and how to rotate deworming medicines for better results. Worm medicine is widely available at farm-supply stores and from your veterinarian. It is either poured along the back or injected.
Concern has risen about the increased resistance of internal cattle worms to available medications, and some veterinarians are recommending that cattle not be treated unless worms are really causing a problem. Worm infestation levels are calculated by taking a manure sample and examining it under a microscope for worm eggs, something that can be done only by your veterinarian (although you need to collect the sample). It’s easier to first keep a close watch for external signs of a worm problem—weight loss and a dull coat in the summer (lacking the smooth, glossy shine).
Another common internal parasite is cattle grub, the immature stage of heel flies. They live inside cattle until they become adults and then emerge by drilling holes in the hide of their host. Timing of treatment is crucial to controlling cattle grubs and varies by region. Talk with your veterinarian.
Because internal worms are transmitted by eating grass infected with