Calfhood Vaccination and Temperature

[JSchroeder]

I know we're not supposed to do the 7-way vaccination when the temp gets above ~80 degrees.

How about calfhood brucellosis shots?

We'll obviously have to call the vet any way but we're working cattle tomorrow, won't call the vet till the morning, and just trying to make plans.

 

[3dfarms]

I think you are ok but would advice you ask your vet.  All vaccines usually have some advisory about temperature on them, but I think it is the modified live vaccines that you have to be more cautious about temperature.  Maybe wrong though.

 

[JSchroeder]

We have to ask a vet any way because they have to give the shots.  Just trying to plan for tomorrow.

 

[chambero]

Well for what its worth, we calfhood vaccinate our yearling heifers in July every single year and it has probalby never been less than 90, more often than not around 100.  Our vet has never said anything about the temp when he's doing it.

I didn't know you weren't supposed to give 7 way when its over 80.  We usually do those in December and early June.  Is the warning against due to the vaccine getting too hot or because the calves might react adversely?

 

[JSchroeder]

We did the same, it seems it was just tradition to vaccinate calves in the heat.

Last year at the Beef Cattle Short Course the drug company rep said that once it gets in the upper 90s you might as well shoot the syringe on the ground and save yourself the time.  I was taken aback by the comment and asked her after the session about it.  She said she realizes that's just not possible in many areas regardless of the time of day but to take steps to keep the cattle as cool as possible for best results.

 

[chambero]

We did spend a little money and bought a couple of the really nice vaccine coolers that have the pre-made slots to stick your vaccine guns in to keep them cool between calves.  They have different size holes for the small diameter guns (2 cc doses) and larger diameter guns (5 cc doses).  We used homeade ones for several years, but these make it so easier to actually use them every time between animals.

 

[JSchroeder]

To be clear, it's the cattle temp I'm talking about.  I assumed the bottle/gun temp was a given.

 

[JSchroeder]

And cattle as in the temp they are exposed to.

 

[chambero]

I thought that might have been what you meant at first, but then I wondered how body temperature vs. outside temp would be that big of an issue since cattle internal temp runs what - 101 to 103 anyway?  I would imagine that if you jostled them around enough in 100 degrees + that you could elevate them a little, but in the high 80s?

I guess this is just another reason to work them as early in the morning as possible and keep them calf and moving slowly.

We bring heifers to town this weekend to start calving and I just absolutely dread it if this temperature doesn't break a little.