Summer Management of Beef Calves

1. Summer Management of Beef Calves Mark F. Spire, DVM, MS, DACT Schering-Plough Animal Health Technical Services Manager Manhattan, KS

2. Summer Management • 28 days of age until weaning • 25% of pre-weaning losses • 75% of weaning weight gain • Calf gain – Cows - >2.25 ADG Heifers - > 2.00 ADG

3. Summer Management Focus on management practices that allow a calf to reach its genetic potential

4. Cost Effective Management Practices • vaccination • growth promoting implants • processing – castration and dehorning • parasite control – internal and external • pinkeye • creep feeding • mineral supplementation • early weaning

5. Vaccinations • Will you receive a return on money paid for labor and products? • Will vaccines work, if they are given as early as 2-3 months of age?

6. Vaccination Cost Returns • Difficult to put a cost return on prevention • When sold – Sale results - $0.77-$2.65/cwt more for calves vaccinated, castrated and dehorned before weaning (Superior Livestock)

7. Passive Immunity % of Calves With Immunity 3 Months 6 Months Birth Time

8. Effectiveness of Vaccinationat Branding New Mexico Study Calves vaccinated at branding and weaning Calves vaccinated at and following weaning Results 1) Maternal antibodies ranged from 35%-98% for common viral pathogens 2) 81% of branding and 63% of weaning calves showed a positive response to vaccination

9. Branding Vaccinations • Booster – before or shortly after weaning • Product route – Avoid IM route with reactive vaccines – particularly in rounds Colorado Study IM injections into the rounds had tissue trim of 7.5 oz. – Lesion extended 2 in. from center

10. Growth-Promotant Implants • NAHMS report – 14.3% of operations on 33% of cattle received implants prior to weaning – varies by ranch size • Majority – 98% use only one implant • Branding or about 2 months of age in steers • Heifers – single implant over 2 months of age • Tool to reach beyond genetic potential

11. Implant Advantages • 19-trial summary of implants on suckling calves – 18.9 lb. advantage over non-implanted calves • Little or no carry-over into feedlot phase • Positive response after weaning to re-implanting • Ralgro® implants lessen the effect of high-endophyte fungus infested fescue – improve weight gain (10%) and decreases affect of stress

12. Implant Disadvantages • Buyer resistance • Most have adequate nutrition – poor milking cows and mid- to late-summer (rule of thumb: don’t use implants, if expected gain is less than 1.25 lbs.) • Decreased future reproductive performance with multiple implants

13. Castration and Dehorning • 64% of bull calves castrated prior to sale (NAHMS) – average age around 70 days • 30% of operations don’t castrate • < 50% of calves are dehorned – 28% less than 90 days – average age around 130 days • Pricing discounts – 400-500 lb. calf - $3.60/cwt and $0.50/cwt for bulls and horns, respectively

14. Castration and Dehorning • Earlier is better- 5-7 month old calves – 7.5 – 11 lb. loss over unprocessed calves • No difference in performance between pre-weaning bull calves and implanted steers • Post-weaning performance better in processed and vaccinated calves • Early castration doesn’t impact feedlot performance • Dehorning increases animal welfare

15. Parasite Control • 73% of producers use some form of parasite control practices • Makes up largest percentage of annual total veterinary costs/cow

16. Internal Parasite Control • Cows contaminate pastures – before calving and in early lactation • Reduced performance in calves delayed until after peak lactation – 60-90 days of age • Treatments vary by region of U.S.

17. Internal Parasite Control • Treatment of cows – increases milk production and weaning weights • Treatment of 2-3 month-old calves increased weaning weights 19-50 lbs. • Mid-late summer treatment of calves increases weaning weights 10 lbs. • Parasite infections can suppress immune system • Parasite resistance

18. External Parasite Control • The Big Three - Horn flies, Stable flies and Face flies • Female Horn fly feeds up to 35 times/day and may fly as far as 10 miles • Impact milk production, weight gain and feeding behavior • Face flies are principal vector for pinkeye organism • Most control programs return at 2:1 to 8:1

19. External Parasite Control • Horn Flies – target cows and bulls Late spring - >200 flies/animal tag, pour-on or spray Early summer – let fly numbers build pour-on, spray Late summer - >200 flies pull tags, pour-on or spray with different class of chemical Fall – pull all tags, if not done earlier

20. Pinkeye • Around 11% of operations report Pinkeye • Seasonal - incidence increases with age of calf • Reduces weight gains – up to 40 lbs. • Blemishes – discounted at markets – averaged $8.35/cwt in a Kansas survey

21. Pinkeye • Face fly is a mechanical vector • Dust bags and ear best control – 50 – 70% effective • Vaccination – cows and calves (over 4 weeks) – given 3-6 weeks prior to pinkeye season – revaccinate cows annually • Medicated minerals* – 500mg/head/day CTC – reduced pinkeye incidence >77%, increased weight gain *use on advice and consul of your veterinarian

22. Summer Management Tools • Trace mineral programs – add to late-season native grasses and cool season grasses all summer • Creep feeding – late season grass, drought, high-endophyte fungus fescue, or poor milking females (heifers, old cows) – full-feed or limit-fed • Early weaning – late season grass, young cows, thin cows – look feed resources, labor and market options

23. Summer Management Opportunities • improve weaning weights – reaching genetic potential • enhance immunity • provide strategic deworming and fly control • improve calf uniformity and marketability • increase disease incidence • enhance cow performance – milk, reproduction, decrease costs • excellent return on investment