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Tom says: ‘As with any vaccination
programme, it’s important to make sure all
at-risk animals are protected. This includes
youngstock, heifers and bulls.’
Calves born at Bawhill Farm receive their
first IBR vaccination once they are a month
old - a live vaccine is used. At two months
of age, they leave the farm and are
contract-reared on another farm where
they are the only cattle. In-calf heifers then
receive a live vaccine prior to returning
to Bawhill Farm, and it is timed so that
their boosters are in synch with the rest
of the herd.
The goal is to continue with the IBR
vaccination programme, accepting that
some animals will be latently infected with
the bovine herpes virus. However, the
vaccine will be reducing the virus shedding
and reducing clinical symptoms. So over
time, as heifers come into the herd,
protected by vaccination, there will be
fewer new infections. And as time goes on,
and older cows are culled, the levels of
BHV infection in the herd will fall, reducing
the disease pressure.
Steve adds: ‘With today’s dairy economics,
we need our cows to be achieving ‘A1’
performance. It would be a false economy
to not vaccinate, or to reduce the frequency
of vaccination. After all, it’s not an
expensive vaccine. Without it, we’d lose
milk production, fertility would fall - further
reducing the annual output of milk, and
we’d be wasting money on semen.’
Tom concludes:
‘IBR is a complex disease to
control. There are a variety of
vaccines and programmes to
control it, however the situation
from farm to farm will vary. The
best approach is to consult with
your vet who will be able to
advise what is most appropriate
for your individual situation.’
CASE STUDY
AUTUMN 2012 ISSUE
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
12
What is a marker
vaccine?
All the available IBR vaccines
are marker vaccines. This means
that it is possible to determine
whether the IBR antibodies
measured in milk or blood
tests are a consequence of IBR
vaccination or exposure to the
bovine herpes virus.
Cow temperature
Calves at Bawhill Farm
Computer records