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As a cattle rancher, you know that a healthy herd is a productive herd. Of course, a well-thought-out vaccination plan is important, but your execution of that plan is the key determinant of its effectiveness. In this guide, we’ll review cattle vaccination methods, techniques, and tips that will ensure your vaccines are administered correctly and will effectively protect your herd from disease throughout your vaccination schedule.
The Importance of Cattle Vaccination
Cattle vaccinations keep your herd healthy, and therefore, productive and profitable. Not to mention it’s more cost-effective to prevent a disease outbreak than it is to combat one.
Achieving Optimal Vaccination through Proper Techniques
Properly administering vaccinations to your cattle involves understanding various injection methods, aseptic techniques, and some practical tips. Let’s first review the vaccination methods that your vaccine regimen may require.
Vaccine Injection Methods for Cattle
Cattle vaccination methods vary depending on the type of vaccine and the disease it’s intended to prevent. The main injection methods include intramuscular and SUBQ administration (intravenous injections are less common for preventive vaccination), while oral and intranasal administration methods can be used for non-injectables.
Intramuscular (IM) Injection:
Intramuscular injections are standard for core vaccines and boosters. Injection this way is easy, as the vaccine is injected directly into the muscle of the neck in front of the shoulder and below the nuchal ligament. You’ll need a 1-1.5” long needle with a large enough gauge to go through thick skin without breaking or bending. A 16-gauge for adult cattle is usually appropriate, with an 18-gauge being better suited to calves.
Subcutaneous (SUBQ) Injection:
Most vaccines for cattle are approved for subcutaneous injections due to concerns about carcass quality. Instead of injecting into the muscle, these are administered directly under the skin into the same area as IM injections. Simply pinch the skin and pull it out to create a pocket to insert the needle in between the skin and the muscle. You can use a shorter needle, usually about ½ - ¾” long, and a 16-18 gauge.
Intranasal Administration:
Intranasal administration is common for certain live vaccines and is particularly useful for preventing respiratory diseases like Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV) and Parainfluenza Virus (PI3) in calves. These are administered directly into the nostril and will require you to employ some restraint techniques so that you don’t end up wearing more of the medication than was administered to the cow or calf.
Oral Administration:
Many oral medications for cattle are administered as a solid bolus through a ‘balling gun’. Personally, this is my least favorite administration method. Maybe it’s a skill issue, but I don’t love putting cattle in a headlock and wrestling a syringe down their esophagus. Certain medications require it though, so it’s good to at least know how to do it.
Mastering Essential Vaccination Techniques
Beyond choosing the right method, per your vaccine label, it’s important to understand how to ensure your vaccinations or treatment protocols are effective. This not only saves you money, but helps to avoid infections, stress, and overall lowered productivity throughout your operation.
Effective Handling and Restraint Strategies
If you have staff, or family and friend volunteers to assist with vaccinations and processing, it’s best to review handling and restraint protocol so that everyone is on the same page. One thing I’ve always found incredibly helpful is to walk through your entire chute, leading up to your headgate so that everyone is aware of potential bottlenecks, gate closures, and sorting areas. This will save you a whole lot of confusion, the day of. For more specific handling techniques, see our guide on low-stress handling.
Maintaining Aseptic Conditions for Needles and Injections
The definition of “aseptic” is to be completely free of any contaminants, viruses, or bacteria. Given the nature of cattle, 100% aseptic conditions aren’t always possible when vaccinating, but there are a few simple things we can do to lower our risk of infection at the injection site, such as using sharp, clean needles, wiping off manure before injecting and avoiding using the same needle for more than one animal.
Selecting the Right Injection Site and Needle Size
We touched a bit on the correct needle size and injection site earlier in this article, but to review, most injections for cattle are given in the triangular area of the neck, in front of the shoulder, below the nuchal ligament. 16-18 gauge needles are typically sufficient to cleanly puncture the hyde without bending or breaking. Needles that are 1-1.5” long are ideal for IM injections, while ½”-¾” needles are more appropriate for SUBQ injections.
Ensuring Accurate Dosage and Maintaining Detailed Records
Say it with me: “accurate dosing saves money!” Overdosing will force you to replenish your supplies more frequently, while overdosing can negatively impact vaccine efficacy, causing you to treat a disease later down the road. Luckily, accurate dosing is easy. If you’re using single-dose syringes, use the size appropriate for your dosage. Likewise, if you’re using multi-dose syringes, check that it’s administering an accurate dose each time.
Practical Tips for Successful Cattle Vaccination
A successful vaccination plan starts before your vaccines are administered to your herd. Below is a list of “little things” that make a big impact on vaccine efficacy.
Implementing a Tailored Vaccination Schedule
Develop a vaccination schedule tailored to your herd's specific needs, including considerations for disease prevalence and local conditions. Read more on this in our guide on creating a cattle vaccination plan.
Consulting with a Veterinarian for Herd-Specific Recommendations
A working relationship with your veterinarian is invaluable. The more you can consult with them about your herd’s unique needs, past disease outbreaks, and prevalent diseases in your region, the more tailored your plan can be to effectively maintain your herd health.
Monitoring for Adverse Reactions and Post-Vaccination Complications
Explore strategies for monitoring your herd for adverse reactions and complications post-vaccination, such as abscesses, and potential infections and irritation at the injection site.
Adhering to Proper Vaccine Storage and Handling Guidelines
On the label of each vaccine, there will be a section that describes the proper vaccine storage and handling conditions that maintain its efficacy and potency. For some, this means refrigeration, others just need to be in a cool, dry place, and some need to be kept at room temperature. This isn’t complicated, it just requires some attention to detail.
Implementing Biosecurity Measures to Prevent Disease Transmission
Biosecurity measures, when taken seriously, can have a hugely positive impact on your herd’s health. This enables you to protect your herd from outside diseases that they may not have built an immunity against. Some simple measures include having a designated pair of boots that you exclusively wear around your ranch and implementing a quarantine process with new animals before introducing them into your herd.
Special Considerations for Different Cattle Groups: Calves, Pregnant and Lactating Cows, and Bulls.
Different cattle groups have unique vaccination needs. For instance, the vaccinations for pregnant cows will be different from those for calves and yearlings. You’ll need to tailor your vaccination plan to the life stage of your herd. We list core vaccines for each group in this guide.
Conclusion
The main takeaway from this article is that successful and effective cattle vaccination requires a multifaceted approach. By understanding various administration methods, techniques, and practical tips, ranchers can establish robust and cost-effective vaccination protocols that contribute to overall herd health, disease prevention, and long-term productivity.
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