Vaccination strategies for preconditioning beef calves
Abstract
Cattle producers have adopted multiple strategies when administering vaccines to calves. Vaccine administration often occurs without the booster vaccination required by label directions. This practice may provide limited protection against bovine respiratory disease (BRD) for the calf. The study objective was to examine the effects of vaccine type and timing on animal performance and immune response in calves either pre-or-post weaned calves. Angus or Angus cross calves (n = 151) were assigned to one of three BRD vaccination protocols stratified by breed of sire, sex, and date of birth. Vaccination treatments included: 1) KV/MLV - a pentavalent killed viral (KV) vaccine at 2 to 3 months of age (day 0) or a pentavalent modified-live viral (MLV) vaccine at weaning (day 127); 2) MLV/MLV – MLV on day 0 (2 to 3 months of age) and at weaning on day 127; or 3) WEAN – MLV at weaning on day 127 and revaccinated with an MLV vaccine on day 140. Virus-specific antibody titer data was determined using serum-neutralization from serum collected on days 0, 127, 140, 154, 168, and 182. Antibody titers against bovine viral diarrhea virus type 1(BVDV-1) and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), body weight (BW), and average daily gain (ADG) variables were evaluated following vaccination. Results indicated no treatment effect on BW but vaccination did affect ADG post-weaning. Serum neutralizing titers to BVDV-1 and BRSV displayed a treatment x day interaction. The MLV/MLV group provided the greatest response to vaccination from day 0 to day 154 over the other two treatments. There was no difference between the KV/MLV and the WEAN groups from day 0 to day 127. By day 168, the KV/MLV treatment had a greater immune response than the MLV/MLV and WEAN groups. Providing a KV at branding had minimal effect on BVDV-1 titers but responded well to revaccination with MLV. The WEAN group generated the lowest BVDV-1 serum antibody titers overall but provided an acceptable level of protection to BRD causative organisms by the end of preconditioning. Bovine respiratory syncytial virus titers were also examined but had a substantial decrease in titer levels (< 2) following baseline measurements, with limited response to revaccination.
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- OSU Theses [15752]