The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, is a concern for governments and the poultry industry due to the devastation it can cause to flocks, its impact on food prices and a risk of a new pandemic.

WHY IT MATTERS: Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been devastating to poultry farms and wild birds around the world, and has occaisonally hopped to other species like dairy cattle.

Concerns over vaccination masking the spread of the virus and jeopardizing exports have led major poultry producers worldwide to largely resist the strategy.

The UK trials, expected to span 24 weeks, aim to assess the effectiveness of authorized vaccines in field conditions and evaluate how surveillance mechanisms can protect trade, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said in a statement.

Bird flu outbreaks have cost Britain’s government and the poultry industry up to 174 million pounds (C$316.8 million) per year, DEFRA said.

Turkeys were selected for the trials due to their high susceptibility to the virus, with outbreaks often causing significant mortality rates.

France has been vaccinating farm ducks against bird flu since 2023, making it the first major poultry exporter to do so nationwide. It has credited the policy with curbing the disease.

The Netherlands and the United States are also running vaccine trials, with the U.S. assessing how any use of vaccination could affect poultry exports.

— Reporting by Nigel Hunt and Sybille de La Hamaide

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Intranasal vaccines are catching on with some Alberta ranchers, said Dr. Tawnya Copland, a large-animal vet with Prairie Rose Veterinary Services in Innisfree.

“A lot of people are using [them],”Copland said.

WHY IT MATTERS: Tailoring calf vaccination timing to your herd’s specific needs is key to healthier calves, experts say.

But she’s quick to point out these products aren’t right for every outfit, and instead are usually brought in when specific health troubles crop up.

“This isn’t a cookie cutter recipe for everybody … it depends on what your problems are, (and) how big your herd is.”

Operations dealing with respiratory disease in young calves are the main users of intranasal vaccines, while outfits without those troubles might skip vaccinating at birth altogether, Copland added.

Producers also need to read the fine print, since some vaccines have minimum age requirements before you can use them.

The maternal immunity question

Timing gets trickier when you factor in the immunity calves pick up from their mothers through colostrum.

How long those maternal antibodies keep calves protected is “a million-dollar question” that nobody can pin down for sure, Copland said. Even though people throw around rough estimates, immunity levels swing all over the map.

“You can guess eight weeks, but you can’t really say, because it all depends on the quality of the colostrum and the amount that the calf got,” she said.

Tricky vaccine timing

Research backed by Alberta Beef Producers sheds some light on why getting vaccine timing right in young calves is so tough.

A 2010 study out of the University of Guelph, led by researcher Patricia Shewen, found that newborn calves depend heavily on antibodies soaked up from colostrum in those first few weeks, but those same antibodies can interfere with how well early vaccines take.

Calves come into the world with immune systems that aren’t fully operational yet. It takes several weeks before they can properly respond to standard vaccines. Between when maternal antibody protection drops off and when the calf’s own immune system gets up to speed, there’s a window where calves face higher disease risk.

Pre-weaning programs target core diseases

Most cow-calf operations aim to get at least basic protection in place before weaning hits. Vaccination programs typically start during other ranch work, including branding time, when cows get their pre-breeding shots, or around bull turnout, to cut down on extra handling.

The backbone of most preweaning programs covers clostridial diseases (blackleg and related bacteria) plus the main respiratory viruses that cause shipping fever and pneumonia, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual.

On the virus side, that usually means protecting against bovine respiratory syncytial virus, both types of bovine viral diarrhea, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, and parainfluenza type-3. Some outfits also add bacterial pneumonia coverage for bugs like Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida, depending on what problems they’re seeing.

Feedlot versus cow-calf

In feedlot settings, where calves are packed tighter and often mixed together, the usual game plan includes early respiratory vaccines, then clostridial (blackleg) vaccines at four to six weeks, with boosters at weaning, according to feedlot vaccination guidance published by the Alberta Veterinary Centre.

Calves in feedlots are usually split into groups based on whether their vaccination history is known or not, with killed vaccines often the safer bet when previous exposure is anybody’s guess.

Handling matters

Vaccines only work if they’re stored and handled right, and that’s where plenty of programs fall apart, said the Merck Veterinary Manual.

Most vaccines need to stay refrigerated but not frozen, and they need to hold that temperature from the time you buy them until they go in the animal.

Common mistakes include hauling vaccines without a cooler, leaving them out during a long working day, or storing them in a fridge that doesn’t keep a steady temperature. If you’re keeping vaccines for any length of time, it’s worth checking your fridge actually holds the right temperature.

The manual also warns against reusing vaccine bottles once you’ve stuck a needle in them. Once that seal’s broken, bacteria can grow inside, and you risk making calves sick instead of protecting them. Use what you need that day and pitch the rest.

For vaccines that come as powder needing mixed with liquid, the manual recommends only mixing what you’ll use within an hour or so. Don’t mix up the whole day’s supply first thing in the morning. Be sure to give the bottle a gentle swirl before drawing up each dose to keep everything mixed evenly.

When it comes to whether you need to give a booster shot, that depends on what type of vaccine you’re using. Modified live virus vaccines usually build good immunity with one dose, while killed vaccines typically need that second shot a few weeks later to really take hold. Check the label or ask your vet which kind you’ve got.

Vaccines work best when cattle are in good shape to start with, the vaccine says. This includes proper nutrition, low stress, and good health.

Experts non-negotiable

Both Copland and Dr. Troy Gowan, a veterinarian at the Minnedosa Veterinary Clinic in Manitoba, hammered home that vaccine calls should be made with a local vet who knows your operation.

“The best thing to do is work with your local veterinarian,” Gowan said.

Copland agreed, warning producers off chasing generalized advice instead of getting herd-specific direction.

“The number one thing is get a relationships with a local vet and use them,” she said. “And stay away from Facebook know-it-alls.”

The post Different herd, different approach needed for vaccinating calves appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

These take on many forms, and I was involved in many when I was with the pharmaceutical industry.

I always encouraged the local veterinarians to speak on topics specific to their area because producers trust their local veterinarian’s knowledge, thoughts on new advances and opinions on what they read about.

The latest meeting that I was involved with was in Westlock, Alta., as one of several speakers. Many important points were raised that may have helped the clinic’s producers.

This meeting is generally held every other year, so attendance is good.

The display booths are well attended and good questions.

As well, there is always great networking among the progressive clients who attend.

Having many of the pharmaceutical companies in attendance, as well as banks and other distributors allows producers to ask questions and pick up information.

Their presence says they support the clinics, and they are able to provide information about their products.

This is good because we need many companies serving the veterinary cattle sector, and it’s valuable to know about alternative products in case others are in short supply.

Cattle vaccines

One veterinarian presentation was about vaccines.

Producers were told that the diseases they need to vaccinate for and the timing of administration as well as handling of the vaccine is much more important than the brand name.

Many vaccines can be interchanged, and while companies understandably promote their products, they can be substituted for another.

This is why it’s critical to have yearly conversations with a veterinarian about vaccine protocols.

Clinics may change vaccine lines or have two available because of short supply.

Calving occurs generally over two months, so producers try to hit peak immunity in the first third of calving season.

Producers always like to hear about the new advances, especially if they benefit their herds.

There was a presentation about the appeasing products — FerAppease, CattleZen and DeStress — from an objective third party (the veterinarian), which went over well with producers because they can compare the advantages of all three products.

Clients trust the products recommended by veterinarians because of the nature of their work.

Third-party veterinary experts

Veterinarians are sometimes told we are in a conflict because clinics sell the products that they recommend. In the presentations at the Westlock meeting, veterinarians provided good, better and best vaccination scenarios so producers could see the difference in the products.

One veterinarian at this clinic does embryo transplant work as well as some in vitro fertilization, so clients have that possibility.

The narrative was really about producers helping their best cow produce many more calves in her lifetime.

Semen and embryos are the mainstay of “frozen” sales, and the purebred industry has evolved away from export and import of live animals and toward exporting and importing frozen genetics.

Some clinics are offering more reproductive services, including synchronized breeding.

Another veterinarian has a real interest in feet and hoof issues and has a tilt table, which is important for clients to know.

Some clients phoned in their questions, which were answered during a question-and-answer session.

Questions ranged from what to do with an abscess to what is the most frequently used treatment for pneumonia to what to do or not do about warts and ringworm.

The answers came from practising veterinarians who do these things every day.

Other presentations included lots of examples of practice tips, such as paying attention to where claw amputations could extend a productive life and how deworming and lice treatments and their application are changing.

Other topics included handling vaccines properly, the safety of implants, how to implant and the accuracy of pregnancy checking cows and the value of this information for clients.

I hope other clinics considering holding their own producer meetings and spreading the word about services they offer, new developments and the expertise that is available.

They can partner with nutritionists, the pharma industry, banks, foot trimmers and provincial and federal veterinarians.

This networking creates trust with clients, and I hope other clinics and producers use this article as motivation to have a producer function in their area.

The post Don’t blow off that beef producer meeting appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

I have written about a few over the years, and each have their pros and cons.

In the old days, many counties in Alberta would rent a chute on transport wheels.

Luckily, the old scissor-type head gates are a thing of the past because many animals would attempt to jump through and get hung up at the hips.

It’s important for the safety of producers and everyone else dealing with their stock that handling equipment is functional and safe.

The brand-name chutes still need to be checked out to make sure nothing is broken.

The older chutes had the wooden boards and wooden floor with struts. These can be replaced with treated lumber.

The quality is generally there and as a start-up chute, it is still considered a good choice.

There are also calf cradles or calf chutes, and if dealing with smaller calves at spring turnout, these work fine.

Restraint is key in today’s cattle production with its preventive vaccines, preg checking, calf implanting and the administration of pour-on products or those given orally.

Having a functioning well-maintained chute is the way to get you there.

It’s best to talk to your neighbours about why they like their chute.

When in doubt, the best person to ask is your herd veterinarian because they have used all different kinds of chutes in all different kinds of circumstances.

Many producers advance from a good manual chute to a hydraulic one, and I have even done an article on the advantages of hydraulic.

They come with a price tag, but the savings on labour are huge, and a small person can run one all day and not get fatigued.

I have had situations where a calf got turned around in a lead-up alley system while castrating and vaccinating. The beauty is the calf can be backed into the chute and essentially done backward and then backed out of the chute. These are all labour savings.

The newer chutes can have neck restraints that make implanting so much easier. Implanting does take some skill and repetition, but the proper head restraint is key.

When I jokingly ask someone who has just bought a chute if they had read the operator’s manual, the hesitant response is always no. That’s because they don’t come with one, so producers need to jump in and work with them.

Experiment with the neck adjustment and adjusting the width of the chute. Make sure there is a mechanism for traction on the floor.

The biggest improvements over the years have been metal floors with built-in traction devices and better access panels for giving shots, especially with access to the neck area.

Ideally, there will be a self-catch head gate or one that can be operated from the side.

I recently used the Arrow Farm Equipment chute manufactured in Manitoba. It allows the user to operate from the side so that cattle walk easily along. It is also very well leveraged so younger folk can easily use it. A large fibreglass bar can be placed behind the livestock.

Animal welfare has improved dramatically in modern livestock production because of good equipment. The stress on the cattle and operators has greatly reduced, and we simply do a better job.

The importance of handling equipment will increase as individual care becomes more common and more products are given orally or pour on.

Chutes have had to get bigger, especially in the cow-calf and feedlot sector, because finished cattle are bigger and heavily pregnant cows require width when moving through the chutes.

Old chutes are often placed in pastures and work well with small catch pens.

We now have the ability to dart with certain products in situations where the medication will help and where animals are in too big an area to round up or the family doesn’t have a very experienced roper.

Protocols for the use of remote drug delivery devices should be worked out with a veterinarian.

I also don’t know many decent-sized producers who don’t have a maternity pen.

Make it easy on yourself when examining a cow at calving or helping them suck.

They need to be set up somewhere that has easy access, a good light source and is out of the elements. They are worth their weight in gold, and can often be found at farm dispersals, ranch sales or consignment auctions in rural towns.

I have my favourites, but any maternity pen is better than no maternity pen.

Handling equipment is a worthwhile, long-term investment.

It increases efficiency and safety for both the veterinarian and the producer.

As well, the cattle are much safer and less likely to injure themselves, even the frantic ones.

The post Good handling equipment a must on cattle operations appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

A team with the university’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) recently tested two vaccines — the established Bacillus Calmette Guérin (BCG) and a newcomer on the block, MSX-1, which they hoped would provide protection without triggering the false test positives that have been so problematic for livestock vaccination in the past. With further research, they found, the latter may have potential as a vaccine for the deadly cattle disease.

WHY IT MATTERS: A number of bovine tuberculosis cases have cropped up on the Prairies in recent years, including a case in Manitoba this summer.

The investigation found both vaccines helped mitigate the bacterial infection in lab mice in different ways.

All of the mice vaccinated with BCG — which has long been a vaccine for TB in humans and some wildlife — survived exposure to the TB-causing bacteria Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis), while only 80 per cent of those vaccinated with MSX-1 remained after being infected.

That meant MSX-1 was not as strong as BCG in terms of total protection. A big pro, however, was that MSX-1 did not, in fact, interfere with the accuracy of the standard tuberculin skin test, as BCG tends to do.

The false positives from the BCG vaccine have kept it from being a feasible vaccination option for livestock, risking interference with Canada’s monitoring and, in the case of a positive result, strict control efforts against the disease.

“The BCG vaccine is not compatible with the diagnostic tests for bovine TB in livestock, in the sense that if you vaccinate cattle with BCG down the road if they do get infected, you will not be able to distinguish between whether they were vaccinated or they’ve actually gotten infected with the disease-causing bacteria,” said the project’s principal investigator, Jeffrey Chen.

Cull reduction a primary goal

The project was recently highlighted by the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), which was a key funder of the project. A post on their website expressed optimism over the findings and the role they may play in minimizing cattle culls.

“This means that there could be a vaccine with the potential to be approved to protect Canadian cattle herds from tuberculosis while still allowing the ability to test, which could mean culling only infected animals rather than the whole herd, meaning cost savings for cattle producers, the beef industry and the government,” the BCRC said.

“There are also implications to further vaccinate wildlife, other livestock and humans with this development. Further research into dosage and length of protection will help to improve the efficacy of the MSX-1 vaccine and potential approval of use.”

Advantage: MSX-1

Bovine tuberculosis is a reportable disease under the federal Health of Animals Act. It’s a zoonotic disease that can affect a wide range of mammals including livestock, wildlife and humans.

“For the beef cattle and dairy cattle sectors in Canada, it can be devastating in the sense that it can essentially block trade,” Chen noted.

Chen’s project started in 2018, including “piecemeal” experiments during the COVID-19 pandemic years.

The project to date has focused primarily on the 104-year-old BCG and MSX-1 vaccines.

“(BCG) jolts the immune system so that when an immunized individual encounters an actual infection with the bacteria that actually causes the disease, (the) immune system is essentially given a boost. It recognizes it and it’s able to fight off the infection much more efficiently,” Chen explained.

But because of the aforementioned false positives to skin tests , BCG isn’t permitted for livestock. This reaction does not occur in humans.

“For humans, there is a diagnostic test that was developed to allow you to differentiate between individuals who are vaccinated from those who get the disease, but there isn’t a similar test for livestock,” Chen said.

Meanwhile, according to the BCRC, MSX-1 is based on “a very different and harmless mycobacteria” called M. smegmatis that could be used to provide protection against bovine TB without interfering with the tuberculin test or causing negative side effects.

“I think that sort of gives … MSX-1 an advantage in that sense,” said Chen.

TB resurgence

Bovine TB has had an unfortunate return to the Prairies in recent years.

In 2023, cases in a Saskatchewan herd became Canada’s first since 2018. Another herd was locked down in Saskatchewan in 2024 and, most recently, a dairy cow in Manitoba’s Pembina Valley region tested positive — the first such finding in the province in over a decade.

As of Sept. 11, those cases had returned 59 positive TB tests so far, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Testing is still ongoing.

“As of today, testing and culling of infected herds is the only way to manage the disease once it is confirmed,” the BCRC noted.

“While this internationally recognized approach has helped to safeguard Canada’s bTB-free status and our ability to trade internationally, these control measures are very costly to the producers affected as well as the federal government.”

Outlook for a vaccine

There’s still much research to be done before a realistic vaccine is identified, if anything develops at all, said Chen. He makes an admittedly optimistic guess of two to two-and-a-half years before there’s a chance of an effective vaccine.

“We may get some data that said ‘No, this is a no-go.’ So we just have to do the work to find out,” he said.

The project was primarily to obtain proof of principle.

“(It) has to be vetted by the scientific community before we can broadly announce ‘Look — we’re on to something interesting here that we certainly need to look into further,’” said Chen.

Once peer-reviewed, the next stage will involve large-scale studies in cattle.

The durability of MSX-1 will also be a key focus in the next round of research.

“If you vaccinate, let’s say, today, how much protection will MSX-1 provide three months from now or six months from now and a year from now?” Chen said.

Future Johne’s disease applications?

Reynold Bergen, science director for BCRC, described the project as a good use of the national check-off dollars collected from producers by Canada Beef, which disperses funds to the council for research and tech development.

“Since they have to pay it, it’s really, really important that the use we’re putting those dollars to is stuff that will benefit all producers, ideally,” he said.

Bergen hopes the development of bovine TB vaccination tech will also play into a solution to Johne’s disease, a wasting illness of cattle and other ruminants.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Johnes’s is caused by a resistant species of bacteria (mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis) that belongs to the same family as tuberculosis.

“It’s not a reportable disease. There’s no trade implications from it,” said Bergen.

“But it affects a lot (of) producers and has a very real economic impact for them …. The two are related, so the technology that’s used to develop that TB vaccine could also help us to develop an effective vaccine against Johne’s disease, which is a real, clear and present issue for producers.”

Tyler Fulton, president of the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA), praised BCRC’s work in an email.

“CCA appreciates and fully supports BCRC’s focus on and dedication to producer-funded research that directly benefits Canadian beef producers. We are proud that BCRC is one of our divisions, providing unbiased scientific research on subjects that producers have identified as being of importance,” he said.

The post A new vaccine for bovine tuberculosis? Maybe not yet, but a step closer appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

The live vaccine — listed only as ASFV-G-ΔI177L — is the product of a collaboration between the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Plum Island Animal Disease Center and Kenya’s Nairobi-headquartered International Livestock Research Institute.

WHY IT MATTERS: A Canadian case of African swine fever would be a serious blow to the pork sector, both in terms of animal health and trade impacts.

A statement published by eurekalert.com said the results are still mixed. The vaccine seems to protect pigs from some ASF strains, but has shown little protection against others.

Cam Dahl, general manager of the Manitoba PorkCouncil, said this has been the case in a number of would-be ASF vaccines.

“I’m not surprised at the outcomes,” he said. “We’ve seen, for example, in some vaccines that Vietnam had been trialling … that they just don’t give blanket coverage.”

That’s frustrating for Canadian pork producers seeking a comprehensive vaccine for all strains of the disease, which lacks a global, commercially licensed vaccine to fight it.

Hunting for a vaccine

Investigators said they got an important takeaway from the recent project: ASF vaccine development should be fine-tuned to the specific strains found in a region.

“The findings point to the need for region-specific vaccines to tackle one of the world’s most devastating animal diseases,” read the news release.

Egan Brockhoff is the chief veterinary officer for the Canadian Pork Council.

Although Brockhoff said the fight for a comprehensive ASF vaccine isn’t new, this project is unique in that it marks the first time a commercial ASF vaccine candidate has been tested against lesser strains of the disease.

“This finding confirms what a lot of the veterinary and scientific communities have been describing: that strain homology matters with ASF virus immunity,” he said.

“Homology” refers to being identical. As an organism mutates and creates new strains, it becomes heterogenous, referencing their differences.

Weighing ASF shield strength

The researchers divided the efficacy of the vaccine into three categories: strong protection, partial protection and no protection.

The first category included pigs infected with the same ASF strain used to make the vaccine, which stayed healthy.

The partial protection cadre saw 80 per cent of of the vaccinated pigs survive when administered a genetically different strain found in Ghana. Finally, the vaccine failed against genetically unique strains from Malawi, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda “despite triggering strong immune responses.”

Researcher said the results call for a rethink of vaccine strategies — particularly the traditional method of classifying ASF viruses by a single gene. This method wasn’t enough to predict a vaccine’s efficacy, they argue. In fact, two viruses with identical sequences produced dissimilar results in the vaccinated swine.

“The team recommends continued research into matching vaccines to virus types, as well as exploring new vaccine designs that could provide broader protection against ASF,” read the release.

Canada, U.S. armour up against ASF

ASF can spread in a number of ways, including infected pigs and contaminated farm equipment, feed and clothing.

There has never been an ASF case in Canada or the United States, but the usually fatal disease has wrought havoc in countries such as Vietnam, China, the Philippines and around Europe.

The World Organisation for Animal Health said ASF has led to more than two million pig deaths worldwide since January 2022. Sixty-four countries and territories have reported the virus since that time.

“I think if you look at how devastating the disease has been around the world, to say it would be nice to have a vaccine is putting things pretty mildly,” said Dahl. “This is something that is a high priority for the industry globally.”

To date, ASF has primarily affected pigs raised in backyard systems in low- and middle-income countries, reports the International Livestock Research Institute, although the hits to China’s pork sector several years ago made international headlines.

The threat of a U.S. or Canadian ASF case is the thing of nightmares for the North American pork industry. At upwards of US$27 billion in gross cash receipts in 2023, the Kenya-based research institute describes U.S. pork production as a “cornerstone” of the country’s economy.

Canada’s swine industry, which earned C$6.3 billion in 2024, is also highly vulnerable economically. In Manitoba alone, third-party analysis reveals the industry supports 22,000 jobs and contributes about $2.3 billion annually to the provincial GDP, Dahl noted.

“That’s a pretty big chunk of the province. We produce about eight to eight-and-a-half million pigs every year and 90 per cent of that is exported either as pork or live animals into the United States,” he said.

Then there are the trade implications, added Brockhoff, noting that “Our borders would close immediately, so we would lose all of our border access to all of our trading partners. Overnight, it would all be gone.”

Keeping ASF out

So how has Canada managed to keep the virus outside its borders? Luck has been one reason: ASF is frequently spread by ticks that are not present in Canada or the U.S., said Dahl.

Otherwise, he points to Canada’s vigilant culture of biosecurity, both at the border and on hog farms across the country.

“Producers here have gotten very good at biosecurity and keeping diseases out of their barns,” Dahl said.

“And then we’ve also paid attention to our borders … If you go into (a) Toronto airport, for example, there’s advertisements about not bringing meat back. We have dogs at most of our major airports and they’re looking for food.”

This bent towards biosecurity has been many decades in the making, he added, singling out transport security practices such as thorough disinfection of trucks as a successful example.

“Those efforts are really aimed at not just limiting the spread of ASF but limiting the spread of all diseases, whether it’s PED (porcine epidemic diarrhea) or PRRS (porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome) or others.”

The Canadian pork industry is also working with the federal government to enhance biosecurity efforts, including more sniffer dogs in airports and with international mail, said Brockhoff, adding the federal government has also been vigilant in their biosecurity policies.

“We recognized early on that imported feed ingredients could be a risk and so we asked for and got support from the Government of Canada to mitigate those higher-risk feed ingredients that could be imported from ASF-positive countries,” he said.

The pork sector also continues to work with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to create zoning arrangements with trading partners. A “zone” in this context is a space created to isolate a sub-population of infected animals.

“Canada has signed zoning arrangements with key trading partners all around the world and those bilateral zoning arrangements say that, in the face of disease, those countries will recognize our disease-free zones as disease-free and continue to trade from the disease-free space once we demonstrate that we’ve contained and controlled the disease,” Brockhoff said.

“The Canadian Pork Council has aggressively advocated for the Government of Canada to actively pursue more and more of those bilateral zoning arrangements to help facilitate movement in the face of disease.”

The post Mixed results on new African swine fever vaccine appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Sometimes there are new products that have a definite place in cattle production, or we find easier ways to do things.

Products are changed due to developing resistance or the need for alternatives.

It’s a global market, and Canada can occasionally find itself on the outside looking in.

Regulatory changes can make our lives more complicated as more paperwork is introduced, and sometimes the speed of commerce slows down.

In this column, I am going to provide a variety of tips that can work on western Canadian cow-calf operations, both commercial and purebred.

Stomach ulcers are blamed on a number of factors, but research by Dr. Murray Jelinski has found they always happen in the transition from milk to grass consumption at around six weeks, resulting on one per cent death loss.

Some producers are creeping calves with very soft palatable grass hay and access to their own minerals to decrease incidence.

Clostridial vaccination is a possible prevention method, but whether it is or isn’t, the vaccine is a core one for young calves.

Speaking of clostridial vaccination, a new broader spectrum product has just come on the market.

It is called Covexin 10 but includes clostridium perfringens A.

This is pretty rare in beef cattle and is seen more in mature dairy cows, but I did talk to a purebred producer who had it diagnosed in younger calves that were dying.

Discuss it with your herd veterinarian because like all vaccines that have tetanus, it does not include histophilus somnus.

Vaccination success

The latest information released by the Beef Canada Research Council is worth looking at.

It’s a review of proper vaccinating techniques, which is always nice to have, not only for new employees or producers but also for those who have been in the business for a long time because over time, we can develop bad habits.

Producers pay good money for vaccines, so it’s important to look after them and take a little more time and thought to administer them properly.

Vaccination is still a huge part of producers’ biosecurity program, so keep abreast of new developments.

The BCRC put out information on core vaccines necessary in the cattle industry, and I would say pretty much all veterinarians would agree with 80 to 90 per cent of it.

Histophilus somnus should be considered a core vaccine because it is added to a lot of clostridial vaccines, and I remember when we saw the brainers and heart forms of it in our calves, especially in feedlots post weaning.

If we do see it now, it’s because there is a lack of a booster shot at the proper time.

Industry learning

We sometimes need to pat ourselves on the back for how far the industry has come in the last two to three decades, from much less navel infection and joint issues in young calves by improving colostral consumption and hygiene to far fewer calving issues because of proper selection for birth weight and body type in our herd sires.

Almost no dehorning is necessary now due to polled genetics, and cancer eye has a super low incidence because of dark pigment in almost all the breeds. Even Charolais animals have a darker pigment, resulting in a super low incidence.

We used to perform a lot of surgeries for this condition at our clinic because of the complete white faces, and now they are a rarity.

We now try not to over-treat lameness because we know that NSAIDs, in a lot of cases, are a better choice. In bad cases, we can get a diagnosis before treatment.

Each case is different and may simply require convalescence, trimming, surgery or, if something is incurable, shipping.

I used to do a lot of claw amputations. They are easy to recognize and worth doing, depending on the value of the animal and stage of pregnancy. It might even make sense in feeder animals.

The success rate is very high.

Some feedlots have trimming tilt tables because they have recognized the recovery success rate and the growth potential, not to mention the animal welfare implications.

If this service is required, look for clinics that will do them.

The procedure is preferably done on a tilt table, but occasionally they can be done in a squeeze chute with good access, depending on which claw is involved.

Your veterinarian will tell you their comfort level.

Record high cattle prices are helping speed up the decision to ship or treat as producers weigh the prognosis for success based on past experience.

Both producers and veterinarians are more engaged now on the animal welfare side of livestock production.

Again, treating often involves NSAIDs.

A multitude of options are on the market, and veterinarians have their preferences as to which ones they want to use in each situation.

Any NSAID is likely better than no NSAID in almost all situations, but producers must pay attention to withdrawal times.

We are fortunate in Canada that in most places, winter frosts and frozen yards and fields prevent transmission of lots of problems, eliminating the need for year-round treatment for internal and external parasites.

This slows the development of resistance.

We still need to be cognizant of this and not over-treat.

As well, treat for flies only when they reach the economic threshold. One life cycle in the summer may likely do it for most climates.

Major cattle diseases

Foot-and-mouth disease and bovine tuberculosis have received a lot of attention lately because of recent outbreaks.

Prevention needs to focus on border security, and our cattle organizations need to continually lobby the federal government on this.

I have great faith in our canine friends and the work they do, not only in drug detection but all citrus fruit, plants and meat. They are specialists and get lots done.

I am not a trained epidemiologist, but it appears that a new strain of bovine TB has been found in these last few outbreaks that hadn’t been detected before and aren’t found in surrounding herds, trace-outs, trace-ins or wildlife.

Where is it coming from?

We have one of the best surveillance systems in place during slaughter, which is how we find these cases in the first place.

I also realize the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s handling of reportable diseases is always under scrutiny from our trading partners.

Equipment and the beef farm

My last couple of points involve equipment.

When buying applicator guns, look for ones that can be used on different products.

Clean them out and maintain them like you do your vaccine guns. All things will wear out, so parts should be replaced often.

For those just starting out in the cattle business, chutes, alley systems, maternity pens and calf chutes are available at auction.

Any squeeze chute or maternity pen is better than nothing because they will help you treat your animals appropriately and on time.

Some may need a bit of repair, but I see chutes that are 50 years old or older that are still functioning well if maintained.

This will make your life easier as well as maximizing animal welfare and minimizing injuries when handling.

Equipment can be upgraded as your herd grows, and herds larger than 200 head warrant a hydraulic chute. Expanding producers will seldom sell older chutes because they will be moved to a pasture to be be used out there.

I hope that at least a couple of these points will resonate with you.

As well, if you ever feel a health area should be covered in these columns, plant the seed with one of the veterinary writers. Your idea or question will likely help others.

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Brazil, the world’s top poultry exporter, confirmed its first-ever outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, in domestic birds last week, prompting export bans from several countries.

While most countries rely on culling policies and movement restrictions, the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) said vaccination could help reduce outbreaks while preserving trade.

Why it matters: Canadian poultry and egg producers have been plagued by frequent outbreaks of bird flu.

“Vaccination is a tool, it’s a very good tool when it exists, but it’s up to each country, region, or group of countries to identify in which case it will be useful to use it or not,” Director General Emmanuelle Soubeyran told Reuters ahead of the start of WOAH’s general assembly on Sunday.

More than 633 million birds have been lost to bird flu over the past two decades, the Paris-based WOAH said in a report on the state of animal health released on Friday. The disease has triggered mass culling, caused billions in economic damage, and disrupted food supply chains worldwide.

Bird flu has also spread to mammals, including dairy cows in the United States, and infected hundreds of people, raising concerns it could spark a new pandemic.

If properly implemented, vaccination limits virus spread, protects animal health, and lowers the risk of human infection. But it is costly to develop vaccines and roll them out, and vaccination programs often lead to trade restrictions over fears that a disease may circulate unnoticed.

In France, a nationwide duck vaccination effort helped cut bird flu outbreaks from over 300 to just 10 within a year. The United States and Canada eased their ban on French poultry imports in January, citing good traceability and monitoring.

Most bird flu vaccination campaigns focus on long-lived birds like ducks or breeders. Broilers—chickens raised for meat – are typically not vaccinated because they do not live long enough, which may limit immediate use in major poultry-exporting nations.

Vaccination has helped eliminate or control other animal diseases, including rinderpest in 2011, the first animal disease ever eradicated globally, and only the second of any kind eradicated after smallpox in humans, WOAH said in its report.

To address concerns that vaccinations may disrupt trade, WOAH is working on global standards to distinguish vaccinated birds from infected ones, the so-called DIVA principle.

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Bird flu has spread among poultry flocks and herds of dairy cattle in the United States, has sickened nearly 70 people and killed one. It’s also been detected in migratory birds and an assortment of animals like alpacas, cats, rodents, marine mammals and a pig.

Canada has reported one human case of the disease — a teenage girl in British Columbia who was hospitalized with H5N1 avian influenza late last year.

There are 35 current outbreaks of avian influenza in Canadian poultry, according to Canadian Food Inspection Agency data. No cases have been found in Canadian cattle.

“To date, there has been no evidence of sustained person-to-person spread of the virus in any of the cases identified globally. However, avian influenza has the potential to cause serious illness in people,” the government said in a Feb. 19 news release.

“While the current risk to the public remains low, individuals with higher-level exposure to infected animals are at increased risk and should take appropriate precautions.”

Sixty per cent of vaccine doses will be dispersed to the provinces and territories and 40 per cent will be kept in a federal stockpile.

Widespread vaccination isn’t planned. It will be up to provincial and territorial governments to decide if vaccination is needed for those most at risk.

Preliminary guidance from Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization shows that groups considered most at risk for contracting avian influenza are those who handle the live virus in a lab setting, followed by those who have ongoing contact with infected animals, such as those working on a farm with an active outbreak or involved with culling sick animals.

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On Aug. 30, the government announced a formal request for proposals from interested providers.

“The successful bidder(s) would provide concentrated FMD (foot and mouth disease) vaccines that could be rapidly transformed into usable vaccines,” the agency said in a release.

Livestock producers were promised a vaccine bank in the 2023 federal budget. It had been a long-time ask from industry, which was wary of Canada’s reliance on U.S. vaccine sources in the case of a outbreak occur on the continent.

The budget laid out $57.5 million over five years for the establishment of the resource and to develop foot and mouth disease response plans. The government has also said they would provide an ongoing $5.6 million for the project.

“It’s vitally important that we continue to take steps to protect livestock, and the livelihood of our hardworking farmers, against the threat of animal disease,” Agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay said in the August release.

“By creating a dedicated foot and mouth disease vaccine bank, we’re working to reduce the spread of the disease and the impact that a potential outbreak would have on market access for Canadian producers.”

The Canadian Cattle Association welcomed the Aug. 30 announcement.

“We hope to never need to use it, but having a vaccine bank in place is critical to protect Canada’s beef producers,” president Nathan Finney said. “If FMD occurred in Canada, having a vaccine would minimize spread and expedite a return to normal trade. Today’s news is positive on the progress on preparedness and is the first step of many to follow.”

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