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Fact: The main cause of illness in freshly weaned calves is their exposure to infectious agents and stress associated with weaning, commingling and transportation. Fact: When compared to other ages and classes of cattle, newly weaned calves and stocker calves have the highest levels of sickness and death, with BRD (bovine respiratory disease) accounting for a significant portion of those losses. Fact: One occurrence of respiratory disease in a feedlot animal can cost $60 - $90.
Unfortunately, BRD-causing organisms are in virtually every animal - those coming off their dams as well as animals entering or already in a feedlot or backgrounding program. While BRD-causing bacteria and viruses tend to remain inactive, they kick into high gear when an animal is stressed. And stress is at a maximum when a calf is weaned and shipped. "For BRD to occur, it takes both -- the disease-causing organisms plus environmental stress -- most of the time," Dr. Colin Campbell with Pharmacia & Upjohn states. "Thus, newly weaned calves are prime targets for BRD." Veterinarians and animal health specialists agree that calves weaned and shipped to a feedlot - all within a 14-day time period - are at the highest risk for BRD. BRD Symptoms Producers and pen riders can lessen BRD's devastating impact on the beef industry by accurately identifying calves with BRD symptoms and treating them for a long-lasting cure. Freshly weaned calves with BRD will pant or have irregular breathing; look hollow with their head hung low and their back humped; have swollen, watery eyes; have sweaty facial features; and will have frizzed hair rather than smooth, slick hair. They might lag behind at feeding, be hyperactive and/or have a runny or discolored stool. What producers and pen riders cannot see are the lung lesions. When BRD strikes, the bacteria release endotoxins, and these endotoxins cause lung lesions. The lung lesions, in turn, cause the animal discomfort when breathing. Thus, an animal will pant or breathe irregularly. Unfortunately, not all BRD-infected calves are diagnosed and treated for BRD. According to research, 50% to 65% of calves with lung lesions go undiagnosed. Solutions Producers wanting to take the bite out of BRD are advised to implement a preconditioning program that combines vaccination, nutrition and management. This three-part preconditioning program prepares young cattle to withstand the stress of being weaned and shipped to a backgrounding yard or feedlot. Dr. Charles Stoltenow, extension veterinarian with North Dakota State University, and Dr. Greg Lardy, NDSU extension beef specialist, urge producers to provide newly weaned animals with proper shelter and to place calves in pens and lots that are free from mud. They suggest using balanced starter rations and getting calves used to drinking out of a trough by running water in troughs for enticement. Stress factors should be stretched over a period of time, rather than vaccinating, castrating, dehorning, implanting and weaning calves on the same day.
As for feedyards, Drs. Stoltenow and Lardy suggest that calves come from verified sources that have a proven record of healthy animals. Other pieces of advice include closely observing newly arrived calves and avoid commingling cattle from multiple sources like auction barns. The more sources, the higher the risk of BRD. Producers and pen riders should be on the lookout for BRD, then pull early and pull deep - and treat each animal for a long-lasting cure. A durable or long-lasting cure is needed so lung lesions are cured. If the lungs aren't healed and lesions are present in a live animal, their impact can affect an animal's average daily gain, feed efficiency, quality grade and tenderness score. (See August 2000 issue) Lungs that aren't healed also result in repulls and chronics, and those can be quiet costly to a feedyard. Repull losses tally at least $60 per head and chronics can top $400 per head. When you consider the potential losses, it's just plain smart for producers to implement a com- prehensive preconditioning program, for everyone to be on guard for BRD and then to treat BRD- infected animals until the lungs are healed and a long-lasting cure is achieved. |
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