Rounding up vaccinations for cattle herds

Rounding up vaccinations for cattle herds


Vaccinations play a crucial role in maintaining the health of a cattle herd. That’s because different infections can pose threats to cattle during various stages of life.

Three to four weeks before weaning, cattle should be vaccinated against such things as common respiratory viruses and potentially deadly clostridial bacteria. As heifers — that is, females that haven’t yet produced calves — grow into breeding cows, they need vaccinations against pathogens that can cause reproductive diseases, such as leptospirosis [lep-to-SPI-rosis], campylobacteriosis [CAMPY-lo-bacteriosis] and possibly brucellosis [bru-cell-O-sis]. For vaccinations in general, boosters may be required annually or more often.

Depending on the particular herd, other vaccinations may also be important. For that information and more on the timing and possible side effects of vaccinations, nothing takes the place of a herd-specific veterinary consultation.

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