BVD

[Bill the Bass]

We are BVD free, all our breeding females are vaccinated and we are a closed herd apart from bulls which are bought judiciously. Given that we are officially BVD free, is it worth carrying on vaccinating?

 

[TheRanger]

Do any of your cattle have nose to nose contact with any neighbours cattle over a hedge?

Is your yard secured, so that if a neighbour’s PI escapes, it couldn’t wander down into your sheds?

 

[Cowabunga]

We are BVD free, all our breeding females are vaccinated and we are a closed herd apart from bulls which are bought judiciously. Given that we are officially BVD free, is it worth carrying on vaccinating?

I'm the same. Just tested some 40 unvaccinated young heifers again this year and they are clear, but I've vaccinated them [with the initial dose, booster due 10th March] and the whole herd again against BVD and Lepto and have done so for decades. Also do Salmonella in the Spring.
Just ordered a pack of sample jars for testing for Johnnes as well. Up to now there is no sign of that in the herd either as I've sampled about a random third of the herd for several years and not found one yet.

Does it pay? Is it worth it? These are questions I ask myself every year and always reckon that it is probably cheaper and easier to keep the herd clean and ensuring by vaccination than try to deal with the consequences of disease rampaging through the herd.

It's rather like dealing with measles or Covid in the human population in the future.

 

[Bill the Bass]

Do any of your cattle have nose to nose contact with any neighbours cattle over a hedge?

Is your yard secured, so that if a neighbour’s PI escapes, it couldn’t wander down into your sheds?

Yes and yes

 

[Bill the Bass]

I'm the same. Just tested some 40 unvaccinated young heifers again this year and they are clear, but I've vaccinated them [with the initial dose, booster due 10th March] and the whole herd again against BVD and Lepto and have done so for decades. Also do Salmonella in the Spring.
Just ordered a pack of sample jars for testing for Johnnes as well. Up to now there is no sign of that in the herd either as I've sampled about a random third of the herd for several years and not found one yet.

Does it pay? Is it worth it? These are questions I ask myself every year and always reckon that it is probably cheaper and easier to keep the herd clean and ensuring by vaccination than try to deal with the consequences of disease rampaging through the herd.

It's rather like dealing with measles or Covid in the human population in the future.

We have just tested 18 youngsters, all clear. Since the withdrawal of bovidec we are now on Bovella and it just seems pretty dear considering we have never had a case in nearly ten years of screening.

 

[milkloss]

Another one in a similar position. Been using bovela for 5 years since we had a bvd storm and now all clear.

Does bovela give any lasting protection? Doubt the vaccine companies have bothered doing any research in that respect.... makes repeat trade a dead cert.

 

[Bill the Bass]

Yes and yes

Sorry not sure where that came from - meant ‘no and yes’ so fine in that respect

 

[Cowabunga]

We have just tested 18 youngsters, all clear. Since the withdrawal of bovidec we are now on Bovella and it just seems pretty dear considering we have never had a case in nearly ten years of screening.

We've probably not had a case precisely because we vaccinate. Or that's what I like to think in order to justify the work and cost.

I use Bovilis BVD and have done for as long as I can remember but changed to Spirovax Lepto this year for supply reasons. Also use Bovilis S for salmonella because I've had a nasty bought of it about five years ago while the cows were housed. I did have two cows have it while grazing about 25 years before that, but it just went away. Lost five cows with it last time and several other got ill as well, so I'll stick with vaccinating for this too as long as I can afford to do so. The cost of 'best practice' for everything is very significant and it is very tempting sometimes, especially when margins are particularly low, to say 'to hell with it'.

 

[Farmer Fin]

I would always advise to keep vaccinating. If BVD enters a naive herd it can have major implications and done untold damage before it’s detected. I know of 2 herds that brought it in when they had bought clean animals into the herd but unbeknown to them the haulier had taken other animals in the same lorry which were PIs.

 

[milkloss]

I would always advise to keep vaccinating. If BVD enters a naive herd it can have major implications and done untold damage before it’s detected. I know of 2 herds that brought it in when they had bought clean animals into the herd but unbeknown to them the haulier had taken other animals in the same lorry which were PIs.

Are animals that have been vaccinated in the last few years naive?

 

[Farmer Fin]

Are animals that have been vaccinated in the last few years naive?

No. They will have some protection, although most vaccines only have a 12 month claim. Remember you will also have heifers and 1st calves that may not have had a vaccine after 24mths of not vaccinating.

 

[delilah]

Job has got a bit easier now with Bovela not needing a second jab in the first year.

 

[Cowabunga]

Job has got a bit easier now with Bovela not needing a second jab in the first year.

If vaccination is done annually, only the young stock need a second dose in a closed herd. No problem.

 

[delilah]

If vaccination is done annually, only the young stock need a second dose in a closed herd. No problem.

Do the youngstock need a second dose though ? I read the data sheet twice the other day as it didn't seem right, we just done ours and it says nothing about a follow up 3 weeks later with Bovela, whereas Bovilis did.

 

[Iogijones]

Do the youngstock need a second dose though ? I read the data sheet twice the other day as it didn't seem right, we just done ours and it says nothing about a follow up 3 weeks later with Bovela, whereas Bovilis did.

No you get a full protection from a single dose with Bovela

 

[delilah]

No you get a full protection from a single dose with Bovela

that's a relief, invoice was big enough as it was lol.

 

[M-J-G]

I didn't vaccinate for a long time, then I saw what it did to someone elses naive herd, now I wouldn't consider not vaccinating, even though we don't have neighbours with cattle.
One rogue PI in contact at the wrong time could mean shooting dozens of calves at a week or so old.

 

[Cowabunga]

Do the youngstock need a second dose though ? I read the data sheet twice the other day as it didn't seem right, we just done ours and it says nothing about a follow up 3 weeks later with Bovela, whereas Bovilis did.

I just go with the recommended procedure for the products I use and every one of them requires a second initial dose.

Some few years ago Bovilis S was not available for nearly a year, so my cows went without a booster for about twenty months. Bovilis recommended going back to day one and do the whole herd again twice within six weeks. They supplied the second dose free of charge due to it being their fault that they couldn't supply for an extended period. So basically I got 250 shots free compared to the normal retail price.

 

[Bill the Bass]

Okay think I will continue vaccinating, I guess we have invested this much so far so would seems foolish to ease off now.

Thanks for the responses

 

[gone up the hill]

We are BVD free, all our breeding females are vaccinated and we are a closed herd apart from bulls which are bought judiciously. Given that we are officially BVD free, is it worth carrying on vaccinating?

Yes 100%