Calf Health from
Birth to Branding:
The Calf
2005 NCBA Cattlemen’s College
Dr. Rob Callan
Colorado State University
Topics
The HIGH RISK CALF
 Pasture Management to Minimize Scours
 Neonatal Calf Immunity and Vaccination
 BVDV Surveillance and Eradication

The High Risk Calf
 Any
calf where physiological or
environmental factors increase
the risk of disease or death.
 Maternal
Nutrition
 Dystocia
 Twins
 Inclement
Weather
Maternal Nutrition

Nutritional Factors
Energy
 Protein
 Minerals


Calving Progression
Pelvic Fat
 Weakness
 Uterine Inertia


Colostrum Quality
Preventing Dystocia
Nutrition
 Calf Size

Sire Selection
 Maternal Selection

Maternal Pelvic Area
 Dystocia Calves


2 to 6 times more likely to become sick
or die than calves born normally!
Parturition and Dystocia

Normal Progression

Stage 1: Behavioral
1

to 8 hours
Stage 2: Delivery
 Allantoic
Fluid
 Progress every 30 min.
 Cows 1 hour
 Heifers 2 hours

Stage 3: Placenta
 Within
8 hours
Dystocia Assistance

Right Lateral Recumbency


30% less force than standing
Down (left) Shoulder First

Fetlock 1 hands breadth beyond the
vulva.
Up (right) Shoulder Next
 Shoulders and Head Out
 Rotate to relieve Hip Lock

Dystocia Assistance
Normal Neonatal Calf
Sternal position in 15 minutes
 Suckle response in 30 minutes
 Standing in 30-60 Minutes
 Temperature remains above 100 F

Higher temperature at birth
 Decreases within first 1-3 hours
 Thermoregulation!

High Risk Calves Have:

Inadequate Nursing
Colostrum Intake
 Nutrients and Energy

Poor Colostrum Absorption
 Poor Thermoregulation
 Hypoxia (low oxygen)

Identify The High Risk Calf
Any Dystocia
 All Twins
 Meconium Staining
 Temperature <100 F
 No Suckle
 Not Standing
 Not Nursing

Assisting the High Risk Calf
Manually Feed 1 Quart Colostrum
 Bonding to Dam
 Monitor Temperature

Recheck Later
 Heated Hutch
 Water Baths


Oxygen
Temperature and Oxygen
Scours and Pasture Management
Environmental Contamination
 Biological Amplification
 Sources

Adults
 Older Calves
 Prolonged Shedding

Pasture System - Example
Nursery Pasture 1
(1st 3 weeks)
Gestation Pasture
Calving Pasture
Dystocia
Facilities
Nursery Pasture 2
(2nd 3 weeks)
Nursery Pasture 3
(3rd 3 weeks)
Scours Pasture
Calving Pasture
Minimize Congregation
 Monitor For Dystocia
 Feeding Practices that promote cow
dispersal

Feed hay and grain distant from water
sources
 Move bunks or bale feeders periodically
 Seasonal Pasture (i.e. tall fescue in Fall)

Calving Pasture
Natural Cover
 Manmade Windbreaks
 Location

Good Drainage
 Southern Exposure


Feed and Water

Separate from congregation points such
as feed areas or water
Nursery Pastures
Identify Stocking Rates
 Age Range



<30 days between oldest and youngest
calves!
Scours Pasture
Quarantine!
 Until branding

A Scours Nightmare!
Calf Immunity
Colostrum, Colostrum, Colostrum!!!
 Maternal Antibodies


Lactogentic Immunity
 In
the GI Tract
 Prevents Scours

Sytemic Immunity
 In
the blood and tissues
 Prevents Systemic Disease

Enteric Immunity
 Resecretion
 Helps
prevent scours
Systemic Immunity
TP > 5.5 mg/dl  Adequate
 TP < 5.0 mg/dl  Failure
 Mortality Risk (90 days)

6.0-6.5  Mortality Risk = 1
 TP 5.5-6.0  Mortality Risk = 1.4
 TP 5.0-5.5  Mortality Risk = 2.1
 TP 4.5-5.0  Mortality Risk = 3.3
 TP < 4.5  Mortality Risk = 6.0
 TP
Lymphocyte Responses
Lymphocyte Activity
Immunologically Active
Calf Lymphocytes
Maternal Lymphocytes
Birth
1 2 3 4 5 6
8
10
12
Weeks
14
16 18 20 22 24
Maternal Antibody Interference
Maternal Antibody
Antibody
Level
Protection Threshold
Susceptible
Time
Immunization Threshold
Maternal Antibody Interference
Percentage of Calves Responding to IBR / PI-3 Vaccination
Age
Birth to 2 wk
2 wk to 1 mth
1 to 2 mth
2 to 3 mth
3 to 4 mth
> 4 mth
Killed 2 dose
5%
15-30%
35-45%
50-65%
70-80%
>80%
MLV (IM)
10%
20-40%
50-75%
75-90%
>90%
>90%
Schultz, R.D. AABP 26th Annual Convention, 1993
MLV (IN)
25%
50%
75%
>90%
>90%
>90%
Maternal Antibody Interference
Percentage of Calves Responding to BVDV Vaccination
Age
Birth to 1mth
1 to 2 mth
2 to 3 mth
3 to 4 mth
4 to 5 mth
5 to 6 mth
>6 mth
Killed 2 dose
5%
25%
45%
60%
75%
80%
>80%
Schultz, R.D. AABP 26th Annual Convention, 1993
MLV (IM)
10%
35%
55%
70%
80%
90%
>90%
Maternal Antibody Interference
Modified live vaccines immunize at an
earlier age.
 Modified live intranasal (mucosal)
vaccines immunize earlier than
intramuscular or subcutaneous vaccines.
 Some animals still do not respond by 6
months. Recommend a second MLV
vaccination at 9 to 16 months of age.

Schultz, R.D. AABP 26th Annual Convention, 1993
Modified Live vs. Killed
MLV
Killed
Longer
Shorter
Cell Mediated Immunity
Fair
Poor
Secretory Immunity
Poor
Poor
Less Common
More Common
Endotoxin
Possible
Possible
Immunosupression
Possible
NO
Disease / Abortion
Possible
NO
Duration of Immunity
Hypersensitivity Reactions
Calf Vaccination

Some Priming Response
1-3 Weeks of Age
 After 5 Weeks of Age


Active Response Increases
With Age


Fully effective after 6 months
Modified live vaccines generally
induce better immunity than
killed vaccines
Calf Vaccination
Killed vaccines REQUIRE TWO
DOSES within a 3-6 week period.
 Immunity takes at least TWO weeks
to develop after final dose.
 If you vaccinate at branding then
vaccinate again prior to weaning or
shipping.

Feedlot Respiratory Outbreaks
Vaccination Timing
 Immunosupression

Stress
 Nutrition

 Vitamin
A
 Vitamin E
 Selenium
 Zinc
 Copper

Disease
 BVDV
The Trojan Cow
BVDV Economics


$20-40 Loss per Adult Cow
Outbreaks $500-1000 per Cow
BVDV Persistent Infection



Occurs in the fetus when the dam is
infected with BVDV between 30 and 150
days of gestation
Fetus becomes immunotolerant
Virus persists
BVDV Persistent Infection




Clinically normal
Weak, poor doer
Immunosuppressed
Prevalence




10% of Herds
0.1-5% of calves
0-1% of yearlings
80% Die by 12 Months
of Age
Other BVDV Syndromes

Reproductive failure



Abortion


5-10% drop in 1st service
conception
5-10% increase in early embryonic
death
2-5% increase in sporadic abortion
CNS congenital defects

Infection during 100-170 days
gestation
Other BVDV Syndromes

Other congenital defects


Increased neonatal death loss




Eyes, Lungs, Skeletal, Thymus
Weak calf, poor growth
1-5% increase mortality by 12 months
Hemorrhagic syndrome
Immunosuppression
BVDV Transmission




PI animals are the primary source of infection
Contaminated needles and injectable medications
can transmit BVDV
Transmission over distances of at least 10 meters
BVDV can survive for short periods of time in the
environment



Bedding
Feeders and Water troughs
Generally less than 4 days
Niskanen R, Lindberg A. Transmission of bovine viral diarrhoea virus by
unhygienic vaccination procedures, ambient air, and from contaminated
pens. Vet J 2003;165:125-30.
Fetal BVDV Infection


10.1% of Calves in Study
0.5% Persistently Infected


9.6% Late Gestation Infections



exposed at 30-150 days gestation
Exposed after 150 days gestation
2-fold higher risk of a severe illness
Even late fetal infection with BVDV has a
negative impact on calf health, with
subsequent impact on herd health.
Munoz-Zanzi CA, et al. Quantification, risk factors, and health impact of
natural congenital infection with bovine viral diarrhea virus in dairy
calves. Am J Vet Res 2003;64:358-65.
BVDV In The Feedyard

Persistently Infected Calves

Overall Prevalence – 0.15 to 0.25%
1
to 3 calves per 1000
5.8% Treated Calves were PI
 25.5% of Calves that Died were PI
 33% increase in respiratory disease in the
same pen.
 20% increase in respiratory disease in
neighboring pen.

Loneragan GH, et. al. AAVDL Proceedings, 2003
Herd Diagnosis

Suspicion





Screening Tests


Herd records
Signalment and history
Clinical signs and CBC
Pathology/histopathology
Serology
Definitive Tests



Skin Tests (Ear Notch, IHC, Ag Capture ELISA)
Virus isolation (tissue, blood/serum)
PCR, ELISA
BVDV Serology

Detects Exposure



Group Screening




Natural Infection
Vaccination
Unvaccinated Animals
 Calves
 Sentinel Calves
 4-6 months
 Titers 32 suggestive of natural BVDV exposure
Vaccinated Animals
 Titers  1024 suggestive of natural BVDV infection
Indicates Likely Presence of a PI Animal
Cost - $5 per sample
Beef Herd BVDV Eradication Strategy
Test all calves and cattle without calves
including bulls to identify PI carriers at least
two weeks before the breeding season
Animals that test Negative
Retain bulls
and other
cattle without
calves in the
herd
Animals that test Positive
RETAIN
NEGATIVE
CALVES AND
THEIR DAMS IN
THE HERD
Calves that
test positive
Remove calves and their
dams from breeding herd
before beginning breeding
Sell calves for
slaughter only
Bulls and other
cattle without calves
that test positive
Sell PI animals for
slaughter only
Test Dams
Cows that test
Negative
Return cow to breeding herd
after weaning or selling calf
Cows that test
Positive
Sell PI animals for
slaughter only
Skin Biopsy IHC






Ear Notch
Formalin
No Maternal Ab
Inhibition
$20 / Slide
Up to 6 samples per
slide
Sample <7 Days old
PI Infection
Acute Infection
ACE Skin Test
Antigen Capture ELISA
 Skin Sample (ear notch)
 Storage

Saline
 Refrigerate or Freeze
 6 months

$3-5
 PI Detection

Blood Antigen Capture ELISA


Rapid: 1-3 days
Inexpensive


Animals >4 months old



$3-5
Maternal antibody can
cause false negative tests
Serum Sample
PI Screening
Control and Management



Eliminate the Source -- PI Carriers!!
Test all incoming cattle for PI carriers
Quarantine all incoming cattle



1 Month
Vaccinate all incoming cattle
Herd vaccination program


Type 1
Type II
Academy of Veterinary Consultants


The beef and dairy industries suffer enormous
loss due to effects of BVDV infection. The
highly mutable nature of BVDV and the
emergence of highly virulent strains of BVDV
contribute to limited success of present
control programs. Also, persistently infected
cattle are the primary source of infection and
effective testing procedures are available to
identify those infected carriers.
Therefore, it is the resolve of the AVC that the
beef and dairy industries adopt measures to
control and target eventual eradication of
BVDV from North America.
Approved November 2001
Questions?
The HIGH RISK CALF
 Pasture Management to Minimize Scours
 Neonatal Calf Immunity and Vaccination
 BVDV Surveillance and Eradication
