BVD what do you do?

[Samcowman]

We have bought BVD into the herd in the last couple of years which we have found out after doing some bloods on a poorly bull then doing screening bloods on a number of homebred young cows.
Vet has advised tissue tagging all calves at birth and then vaccinating all cows before they go to the bull. I agree with him on the tissue tagging as that will find any PI's and then can test their mothers to see if they are a PI as well.
Is the vaccinating necessary as within a couple of years tissue tagging we will have flushed out all of the PI's in the herd and will be a self replacing herd by then. Only thing is not vaccinating will leave us open to risk from next doors scabby bull jumping the fence but I was kind of hoping we would have a national bvd eradication scheme like they have in many other countries which would negate the need for vaccinating.
Anyway I was wondering how everyone else has dealt with it?
Also where does everyone get their tissue tags from I already have the official tags for the calves next year so he poor calves will have 3 tags at birth.

 

[Ross121]

We had a pi crop up,(brought in a in calf heifer) tag and tested everything from bulling heifers back down we found one more PI but after 3 years of tag and testing completely clear, we BVD vaccinate all heifers and use risproval 4 as calves ( starts the BVD antibodies) wasn't cheap but least we know what we are doing now.
Our tags come from shearwell, originally used Nordic star but father preferred shearwell as he orders sheep tags etc
Hope that helps
Ross

 

[gone up the hill]

You will have no option but to vaccinate from now onwards, the cost of the fallout of not doing so is just too high!!

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Bovidec

 

[Dave6170]

We use bovidec. Every cow was blood tested and we had 1 pi. You re leaving yourself wide open for a hit by not vaccinating

 

[Giles1]

Bovidec for breeding stock and test youngstock annually.

 

[bovine]

The vaccine is to mitigate any negative effects from any PIs you may have, whilst you hunt them down. If (once you have tag and tested everything) then you could stop vaccinating of you have great biosecurity. For what it costs I think anyone would currently be mad NOT to vaccinate for BVD.

If the cows are not pregnant then Bovela looks to be the best vaccine on paper. Bovilis is the biggest selling BVD vacc.

 

[GTB]

How much does the vaccine cost?

 

[Bruce Almighty]

If the cows are not pregnant then Bovela looks to be the best vaccine on paper. Bovilis is the biggest selling BVD vacc.

We have used Bovilis & Bovidec in the past, I was thinking about switching to Bovela. Can't you use Bovela on in-calf cows ?
Thanks

 

[Northeastfarmer]

We have used Bovilis & Bovidec in the past, I was thinking about switching to Bovela. Can't you use Bovela on in-calf cows ?
Thanks

Why are u switching through them all?

 

[Bruce Almighty]

Why are u switching through them all?

Bovilis / Bovidec was what the vet gave us - I can't remember which way round but I prefer to inject s/c rather than i/m. I think he supplied it on price.

Bovela - I like the fact you don't need a double dose at the start & I have been led to believe it lasts a full 12 months, whereas the others don't. I think it's i/m though. Maybe I have misunderstood ?

 

[Purli R]

Vaccinate. Its not worth not doing, as you say , neighbours scabby bull can get in and undo all your work.
I can't understand why some people will buy from unknown sources. www.cattlehealth.co.uk or http://213.123.181.148/pchsmembersbybreed.pdf(y)

 

[bovine]

We have used Bovilis & Bovidec in the past, I was thinking about switching to Bovela. Can't you use Bovela on in-calf cows ?
Thanks

Possibly - but it requires a discussion with your vet. Because it is a live vaccine there is a theoretical risk of causing a vaccinal strain PI calf. They've vaccinated thousands of pregnant cows now and found none.

We used some Bovidec when Bovilis was unavailable. People didn't like the larger volume, preferred intramuscular injections.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Bovilis / Bovidec was what the vet gave us - I can't remember which way round but I prefer to inject s/c rather than i/m. I think he supplied it on price.

Bovela - I like the fact you don't need a double dose at the start & I have been led to believe it lasts a full 12 months, whereas the others don't. I think it's i/m though. Maybe I have misunderstood ?

We vaccinate all our cows with Bovidec only once a year

 

[bovine]

They all last a year.....

A live vaccine (Bovela) generates antibodies. The other vaccines produce few antibodies and protect by other mechanisms. It covers type I and type II. Single injection so better compliance. If I had cows I'd use Bovela.

 

[Bruce Almighty]

Possibly - but it requires a discussion with your vet. Because it is a live vaccine there is a theoretical risk of causing a vaccinal strain PI calf. They've vaccinated thousands of pregnant cows now and found none.

We used some Bovidec when Bovilis was unavailable. People didn't like the larger volume, preferred intramuscular injections.

I understand you have to mix Bovela before using - I imagine like using Mamysin for example - I thought I'd read in the advert that Bovela prevented PIs ? Unfortunately my vet now has very few dairy herds so has limited experience of such issues.

 

[bovine]

The main use of BVD vaccine is to immunise pregnant females so if they are exposed to BVD they cannot produce a PI calf.

 

[Samcowman]

Thanks for all the replies sounds like I definitely need to vaccinate as well. Would it work if I used bovela (single initial dose) for the first year then follow with one of the other vaccines thereafter.
Just have to time it in now with IBR rotavac lepto and Trodax

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Thanks for all the replies sounds like I definitely need to vaccinate as well. Would it work if I used bovela (single initial dose) for the first year then follow with one of the other vaccines thereafter.
Just have to time it in now with IBR rotavac lepto and Trodax

Don't think that'll work as with the others they need two doses to start them off

 

[Willy A]

Vaccinate. Its not worth not doing, as you say , neighbours scabby bull can get in and undo all your work.
I can't understand why some people will buy from unknown sources. www.cattlehealth.co.uk or http://213.123.181.148/pchsmembersbybreed.pdf(y)

Does not have to be a bull. Any PI animal can infect a pregnant cow if not vaccinated and cause a PI calf.