A308
Herd Health Program

nutrition | reproduction | replacements | newborn calves and calf management | infectious disease prevention | record keeping and identifying animals | handling problems and emergencies

1. Nutrition
2. Reproduction
3. Replacements
4. Newborn Calves and Calf Management
5. Infectious Disease Prevention
6. Record Keeping and Identifying Animals
7. Handling Problems and Emergencies

The following information will list general questions and then provide recommendations relative to each of the above areas. All seven areas are interrelated and none should be overlooked. This information should be modified under the direction of the local veterinarian to fit each operation’s needs and goals.

1. Nutrition - Proper nutrition is essential for disease prevention, reproduction, and weight gain. Adequate nutrition can make or break an operation. Following is a list of common questions that should be asked concerning nutrition in a herd:

Questions:

1. Is there adequate feed available for each animal during the various stages of life (growth, pregnancy, lactation)?
2. Does the feed provide sufficient protein, Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN), vitamins, and minerals for each animal?
3. Are forage samples collected and tested?
4. What is the stocking capacity of the forage areas?
5. Should the herd be broken into smaller groups (heifers and cows) to ensure that the right animals are being fed the right diet?
6. What is the average body condition score (BCS) for each animal at various times during the year (see page A85 for additional help on BCS)?

1. The essential time for evaluation of cows is 90-100 days prior to calving.

                    * For specific nutrition information, refer to page A575.

Recommendations:

1. Forages should be analyzed prior to feeding to determine the nutritional value. See A577 for additional help.
2. A general rule about stocking rates is that approximately half of the available forage should be left for the next year's growth. Items such as troughs, mineral blocks, and fencing should be placed to allow equal grazing pressure to all areas.
3. Heifers and cows should be separated due to the high energy demands of the growing heifer. Adult cows also tend to push the younger animals away. High milking animals may need to be separated in order to receive adequate nutrition.
4. Body condition scores (BCS) should be carefully monitored. Cows should score between a 5 and 7 (on a 1-9 scale) just prior to calving.  See page A85 for additional help.  Animals that are too thin when they calve will have weak calves, not cycle properly, and take longer to breed back. Animals that are too fat at this time are at an increased risk of having a difficult delivery (dystocia) or developing fat cow syndrome (fatty liver disease). Approximately 90-100 days prior to calving, cows should be sorted by body condition. This will allow additional feed or supplements to be fed to those cows scoring less than a five. Depending on the year and the cost of feed, the cows that are moderate to heavy can be allowed to drop a score or two without compromising reproduction. Refer to page A85 for additional information.

2. Reproduction - This area should address the common diseases and problems associated with reproduction. The following are questions that should be considered:

Questions:

1. At what age/weight should heifers be bred? In relationship to the rest of the herd, when should heifers be bred?
2. How long is the breeding season? When does the breeding season start and end?
3. Should the cows be bred A.I. or naturally?
4. Is there any type of estrus synchronization being used?
5. If bulls are used, how many cows per bull should there be (bull to
   cow ratio)?
6. Are bulls tested for trichomoniasis and how often?
7. Is a breeding soundness exam (BSE) performed on each new bull?
8. What criteria determines if a cow will be kept for an additional breeding season?
9. What reproductive vaccines are or should be in use? This question is answered in more detail in the infectious disease prevention discussion. See the vaccination recommendations on page A905.

Recommendations:

1. Heifers should be at least 65% of their mature body weight at first breeding. This means that the typical heifer weighs between 625-750 pounds. They should be bred 3-4 weeks prior to the rest of the herd. This takes into consideration that heifers tend to have lower fertility rates on their first cycle and tend to take longer to cycle after calving. By breeding heifers 3-4 weeks earlier than the rest of the herd, uniformity in cycling and calf size can be optimized.
2. Breeding seasons should be kept as short as possible (45-80 days). This allows the calves and mothers to be uniform in their nutritional needs. This also reduces management time and the chance of spreading reproductive diseases.
3. A.I. breeding can help shorten the calving interval and reduce the chance of spreading disease, but greatly increases management time. The use of A.I. will also allow for enhanced genetic selection and herd variation.
4. In general, a bull to cow ratio of 1:30 is recommended.
5. All bulls should be tested for trichomoniasis every year and all bulls should have a breeding soundness exam (BSE) performed yearly. See page F842 for additional information on trichomoniasis. Bulls that are 12 months of age and older should have a scrotal circumference size of at least 34 cm and have greater than 70% normal sperm.
6. Reasons for keeping a cow are based on age, past production history (any dystocias, calf sizes, etc.), general health, and temperament.

• See page A710 for additional reproductive information.

Questions:

1. Where do replacement animals come from (raised, sale barn, anywhere)?
2. Is this a closed or open herd (this may involve issues such as how good are the fences and is there access to any open range)?
3. Are the new animals quarantined before they are introduced to the rest
   of the herd?
4. How old are the bulls that are chosen for replacement? Are these
   bulls virgin?
5. What type of calves will a replacement bull sire (consider calving ease, size, etc.)?
6. When will cows or bulls be culled?

Recommendations:

1. To prevent new diseases from entering a herd, maintaining a closed herd is highly recommended. A closed herd is one that does not receive any replacement animals from an outside source, and replacement heifers/bulls are raised.
2. If replacement bulls or heifers are bought from an outside source, they should be purchased before they reach sexual maturity. Some recommend that any new animals should be isolated from the rest of the herd for one full breeding season.
3. Bulls over 4 years of age have the tendency to harbor trichomoniasis; therefore, older bulls should be culled.

4. Newborn Calves and Calf Management:

Questions:

1. Does each calf receive adequate colostrum in a timely manner?
2. Are navels dipped?
3. Is each calf identified at birth?
4. When and how are calves vaccinated and processed?
5. At what age are the calves weaned?
6. When and how are the calves sold and shipped?

Recommendations:

1. All calves should receive 2 quarts of colostrum in the first 6 hours of life. For additional suggestions see page A122.
2. Each calf should have the navel dipped immediately after birth. Povidone iodine (Betadine) is recommended and can be administered in two ways: the last few inches of the navel can be submerged in the iodine for 3-5 minutes, or the iodine can be injected into the opening of the umbilicus. About 5 mL of iodine should be injected into the opening. Do not inject the iodine into the umbilical vein. Dilute the iodine with sterile water/saline before using.  See page B156 for more information.
3. For vaccination recommendations, refer to page A905.
4. Calves should be weaned, allowed 2-3 weeks to adjust, and then shipped.

5. Infectious Disease Prevention:

Questions:

1. What are the prominent diseases found in the area (virus, bacteria, and parasite)?
2. Are there specific infectious problems in the herd?
3. What vaccination and de-worming program is being used?

1. This should include identifying what products are used, how they are administered, and how often they are given.

4. Is there any disease monitoring program in effect?

1. This may require that blood and manure samples be collected on a routine basis from random or suspect animals.

5. What facilities and handling equipment are available to process the animals as safely and stress-free as possible?

Recommendations:
For suggestions on the use of vaccines and developing a vaccination program, refer to page A900. For information on vaccination and de-worming schedules, refer to page A905 and page A620. Page D135 contains information on collecting blood and manure samples for testing.

6. Record Keeping and Identifying Animals:

Questions:

1. Are records kept on each animal in the herd?
2. Are all animals individually identified at birth or when a new animal is introduced into the herd?

Recommendations:

1. These records do not need to be extensive and time consuming to maintain; however, they do need to be accurate and current. Age, lineage, problems encountered (diseases, prolapses, etc.), and reproductive history (size of calves, abortions, dystocias) are some of the information that would be essential to keep.
2. Identifying individual animals can be as simple as an ear tag identifying the calf and mother. Whatever method of identification is chosen, it should remain with that animal throughout its life and be used as an identifier for that animal in all records.

7. Handling Problems and Emergencies - There are many problems that arise on a daily basis on any beef operation. These problems can include calving difficulties (dystocia), calf scours, respiratory disease, injuries, a prolapsed uterus, pinkeye, reproductive problems, parasite infections, plus many others. A detailed written protocol to handle each one of the above situations should be designed before these problems arise; then, when the problem occurs, a standard protocol can be followed, no matter who on the operation is treating the problem. The pages in this manual that address the above situations can be used as a guide, and additional modifications or procedures specific to each operation should be added to these pages.