Disease risks and disease management during weaning KJ Whitman, DVM, MS

Spring calving herds-beef cattle cycle Breeding Branding Weaning Pre-calving What are the options for where this calf goes? What are the disease risks around weaning time and at entry into the feedlot? How can those disease risks be mitigated? What are the health, production, and economic impacts? WINTER SPRING FALL SUMMER

Overview of the (traditional) weaning process +/-PRECONDITIONING WEANING-VARIOUS METHODS CONTRACTING ORDER BUYERS AUCTIONS/SALE BARNS RETAINED OWNERSHIP REPLACEMENTS BACKGROUNDER/STOCKER DRYLOT GRASS COW HERD FEEDLOT HARVEST

Many Weaning Strategies Type Immediate Fence-line Nursing aversion tools Timing Health considerations Other goals

Common Diseases of Calves at Weaning Risk Categories Disease Outcomes Low-Ultra High How do we determine this? Preconditioning status Timing of routine procedures Comingling and shipping risk Planning and management Risk vs. Reward Respiratory Upper and lower Digestive Lameness Other

Direct to feedlot: Disease Risks Diseases Stress of weaning and shipping Comingling-naïve animals Exposure to new environment Reduced feed consumption Previous management strategies BRD Coccidiosis Acidosis/diarrhea Bloat Behavior

Backgrounding/Stocker: Disease Risks Diseases Stress of weaning and shipping Comingling Exposure to new environment Pastures with toxic plants Other pasture pathogen exposure Cycling females BRD Bloat IBK Coccidiosis Footrot Plant toxicity Other Parasites Precocious pregnancy

Treatment Protocols-First things first…. Disease identification Diagnostics Economic and outcome decisions Epidemiology Is there truly a problem? Appropriate therapy Effective (and legal) treatments OUTBREAK INVESTIGATION

Treatment/Therapy Options Antibiotics Analgesics Anthelmintics Nutritional therapy Supportive therapy Surgical/corrective procedures

Medication Options http://www.farad.org/eldu/eldumain.asp https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Reference/Pages/AMDUCA2.aspx

Disease management/prevention Medical Management Arrival vaccination?? Metaphylaxis Routine procedures Low stress handling during weaning Reduce stress-delay processing Preconditioning/creep feeding Appropriate receiving diet Biosecurity/biocontainment assessment

Weaning process review +/-PRECONDITIONING WEANING-VARIOUS METHODS CONTRACTING ORDER BUYERS AUCTIONS/SALE BARNS RETAINED OWNERSHIP REPLACEMENTS BACKGROUNDER/STOCKER DRYLOT GRASS COW HERD FEEDLOT HARVEST

Questions?