IBR

[sheep&cows&stuff]

I bought in 15 Friesian bull calves and done them for IBR at 10 days of age. Supposed to cover for 3 months.

2 weeks later I have had to inject 2 of the calves with Resflor due to coughing and blowing.

Have just increased to 20 calves in the batch and very reluctant to IBR the last 5 as it is £7.50 a dose and I'm not sold on the idea.

Maybe I should let the last 5 go as a test group and just treat as I see any symptoms - then ill have made my own conclusion through experiment?

I would appreciate advice from farmers who regularly IBR or used to IBR and no longer do (or visa versa).

Btw - calves are in 2 foot of straw, plenty of ventilation and in batches of 5 with plenty of room. In a high roof shed with a canopy.

 

[Farmer Fin]

What vaccine did you actually use as 7.50 a dose for straight IBR sounds very expensive.

Vaccinating calves that early always struggle with vaccine working effectively. Ideally need intransal to get a local effect. Also many bugs that cause pneumonia and IBR isn’t one of the most common bugs for that age of calf. Good ventilation without a draft is king and adequate milk to ensure plenty of energy.

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

Is it necessarily Ibr they are suffering from ? We use Bovipast RSP now as soon as they arrive , then 28 days later . Looked at it in depth a few years back Bovipast covers for Mannheim haemolytic a bacteria that is often present when calves get really ill Rispoval 4 for instance doesn't ,cover this irc .

 

[sheep&cows&stuff]

Its risproval 4 that I have used....I'm not sure that its IBR they are suffering from - I was under the illusion that IBR vaccine would prevent any and all pneumonia?

 

[Optimus]

We didn't used to vaccinate for ibr until 2 years ago.we got a severe dose at xmas of it, it went through nearly all 400 cattle.spent 3 hours a day jagging cattle with every drug under sun.at the end of 10 days think the vets bill was around 5k.nearly 1k of it just on a bull alone.never seen anything like it.needless to say everything is now vaccinated for ibr and calves for pneumonia too.

 

[Farmer Fin]

We didn't used to vaccinate for ibr until 2 years ago.we got a severe dose at xmas of it, it went through nearly all 400 cattle.spent 3 hours a day jagging cattle with every drug under sun.at the end of 10 days think the vets bill was around 5k.nearly 1k of it just on a bull alone.never seen anything like it.needless to say everything is now vaccinated for ibr and calves for pneumonia too.

This is classic IBR. I take it they are stores or finishing cattle?

 

[Farmer Fin]

Its risproval 4 that I have used....I'm not sure that its IBR they are suffering from - I was under the illusion that IBR vaccine would prevent any and all pneumonia?

The vaccine you are using has 4 viral components IBR being one of them. The issue is that it’s probably the wrong vaccine for the age of animals and not working very well.

Young calves at this age respond better to intranasal and this will keep them going through to 12 weeks when they can get their risp 4.

 

[Farmer Fin]

Its risproval 4 that I have used....I'm not sure that its IBR they are suffering from - I was under the illusion that IBR vaccine would prevent any and all pneumonia?

Also 1 shot of risp 4 is not going to be effective yet. As said already calves at that age are most likely not IBR. RSV and PI3 are the most common (in risp 4) these then allow secondary bacterial.

 

[Paul E]

I was under the illusion that IBR vaccine would prevent any and all pneumonia?

No.
It's an IBR vaccine, so protects against, er, IBR.
Might not give a good enough immune response at 2 weeks though, but, of course you WILL have read the data sheet won't you?

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

Its risproval 4 that I have used....I'm not sure that its IBR they are suffering from - I was under the illusion that IBR vaccine would prevent any and all pneumonia?

If only it where that simple .
You could give them Ibr intranasal as well as Bovipast or Rispoval 4 but it will take a little time to build up immunity to anything.

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

We didn't used to vaccinate for ibr until 2 years ago.we got a severe dose at xmas of it, it went through nearly all 400 cattle.spent 3 hours a day jagging cattle with every drug under sun.at the end of 10 days think the vets bill was around 5k.nearly 1k of it just on a bull alone.never seen anything like it.needless to say everything is now vaccinated for ibr and calves for pneumonia too.

How can £1000 be spent treating one bull

 

[Optimus]

This is classic IBR. I take it they are stores or finishing cattle?

Everything, we take them right through to finishing .tbh it was the cows that it hit hardest . they had green mucus almost flowing from their nose and it was stinking.

 

[Optimus]

How can £1000 be spent treating one bull

Easy it was Xmas so vet was charging me double for call out fee to administer micotil which ain't cheap and the bull got a fair old dosage of the stuff

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

Easy it was Xmas so vet was charging me double for call out fee to administer micotil which ain't cheap and the bull got a fair old dosage of the stuff

Could you have used Draxxin ? still a lot of money for a big dose but at least you can administer it yourself.

 

[Fergieman]

Too young to be given Rispoval 4 and does it not need 2 injections IM 3 weeks apart or similar? Intranasal would be the best option on young calves, but as said above is it IBR they are suffering from?

 

[Optimus]

Could you have used Draxxin ? still a lot of money for a big dose but at least you can administer it yourself.

Yeah I was using draxxin but it wasn't having much effect on the worst ones.

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

Too young to be given Rispoval 4 and does it not need 2 injections IM 3 weeks apart or similar? Intranasal would be the best option on young calves, but as said above is it IBR they are suffering from?

That's one advantage of Bovipast, it can be given at two weeks old .

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

Yeah I was using draxxin but it wasn't having much effect on the worst ones.

It's no joke when you get an outbreak like that. Did you use anti inflammatory saw well ?

 

[Farmer Fin]

That's one advantage of Bovipast, it can be given at two weeks old .

Doesn’t mean it actually works [emoji6]

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

Doesn’t mean it actually works [emoji6]

Do any of them work ?