Summer Management of Beef Calves

Mark F. Spire, DVM, MS, DACT

Schering-Plough Animal Health

Technical Services Manager

Manhattan, KS

Summer Management

• 28 days of age until weaning

• 25% of pre-weaning losses

• 75% of weaning weight gain

• Calf gain – Cows - >2.25 ADG

Heifers - > 2.00 ADG

Summer Management

Focus on management practices that allow a calf to reach its genetic potential

Cost Effective Management Practices

• vaccination• growth promoting implants• processing – castration and dehorning• parasite control – internal and external• pinkeye• creep feeding• mineral supplementation• early weaning

Vaccinations

• Will you receive a return on money paid for labor and products?

• Will vaccines work, if they are given as early as 2-3 months of age?

Vaccination Cost Returns

• Difficult to put a cost return on prevention• When sold – Sale results - $0.77-$2.65/cwt

more for calves vaccinated, castrated and dehorned before weaning (Superior Livestock)

Birth 3 Months

6Months

% ofCalvesWith

Immunity

Time

Passive Immunity

Effectiveness of Vaccinationat Branding

New Mexico Study

1) Calves vaccinated at branding and weaning

2) Calves vaccinated at and following weaning

Results

1) Maternal antibodies ranged from 35%-98% for common viral pathogens

2) 81% of branding and 63% of weaning calves showed a positive response to vaccination

Branding Vaccinations

• Booster – before or shortly after weaning

• Product route – Avoid IM route with reactive vaccines – particularly in rounds

Colorado Study

IM injections into the rounds had tissue trim of 7.5 oz. – Lesion extended 2 in. from center

Growth-Promotant Implants

• NAHMS report – 14.3% of operations on 33% of cattle received implants prior to weaning – varies by ranch size

• Majority – 98% use only one implant

• Branding or about 2 months of age in steers

• Heifers – single implant over 2 months of age

• Tool to reach beyond genetic potential

Implant Advantages

• 19-trial summary of implants on suckling calves – 18.9 lb. advantage over non-implanted calves

• Little or no carry-over into feedlot phase

• Positive response after weaning to re-implanting

• Ralgro® implants lessen the effect of high-endophyte fungus infested fescue – improve weight gain (10%) and decreases affect of stress

Implant Disadvantages

• Buyer resistance

• Most have adequate nutrition – poor milking cows and mid- to late-summer

(rule of thumb: don’t use implants, if expected gain is less than 1.25 lbs.)

• Decreased future reproductive performance with multiple implants

Castration and Dehorning

• 64% of bull calves castrated prior to sale (NAHMS) – average age around 70 days

• 30% of operations don’t castrate

• < 50% of calves are dehorned – 28% less than 90 days – average age around 130 days

• Pricing discounts – 400-500 lb. calf - $3.60/cwt and $0.50/cwt for bulls and horns, respectively

Castration and Dehorning

• Earlier is better- 5-7 month old calves – 7.5 – 11 lb. loss over unprocessed calves

• No difference in performance between pre-weaning bull calves and implanted steers

• Post-weaning performance better in processed and vaccinated calves

• Early castration doesn’t impact feedlot performance

• Dehorning increases animal welfare

Parasite Control

• 73% of producers use some form of parasite control practices

• Makes up largest percentage of annual total veterinary costs/cow

Internal Parasite Control

• Cows contaminate pastures – before calving and in early lactation

• Reduced performance in calves delayed until after peak lactation – 60-90 days of age

• Treatments vary by region of U.S.

Internal Parasite Control• Treatment of cows – increases milk production and

weaning weights• Treatment of 2-3 month-old calves increased

weaning weights 19-50 lbs.• Mid-late summer treatment of calves increases

weaning weights 10 lbs.• Parasite infections can suppress immune system• Parasite resistance

External Parasite Control

• The Big Three - Horn flies, Stable flies and Face flies

• Female Horn fly feeds up to 35 times/day and may fly as far as 10 miles

• Impact milk production, weight gain and feeding behavior

• Face flies are principal vector for pinkeye organism

• Most control programs return at 2:1 to 8:1

External Parasite Control

• Horn Flies – target cows and bulls

Late spring - >200 flies/animal

tag, pour-on or spray

Early summer – let fly numbers build

pour-on, spray

Late summer - >200 flies

pull tags, pour-on or spray with different class of chemical

Fall – pull all tags, if not done earlier

Pinkeye

• Around 11% of operations report Pinkeye

• Seasonal - incidence increases with age of calf

• Reduces weight gains – up to 40 lbs.

• Blemishes – discounted at markets – averaged $8.35/cwt in a Kansas survey

Pinkeye• Face fly is a mechanical vector• Dust bags and ear best control – 50 – 70%

effective• Vaccination – cows and calves (over 4 weeks) –

given 3-6 weeks prior to pinkeye season – revaccinate cows annually

• Medicated minerals* – 500mg/head/day CTC –

reduced pinkeye incidence >77%, increased weight gain

*use on advice and consul of your veterinarian

Summer Management Tools• Trace mineral programs – add to late-

season native grasses and cool season grasses all summer

• Creep feeding – late season grass, drought, high-endophyte fungus fescue, or poor milking females (heifers, old cows) – full-feed or limit-fed

• Early weaning – late season grass, young cows, thin cows – look feed resources, labor and market options

Summer Management Opportunities• improve weaning weights – reaching

genetic potential• enhance immunity• provide strategic deworming and fly control• improve calf uniformity and marketability• increase disease incidence• enhance cow performance – milk,

reproduction, decrease costs• excellent return on investment