Recommendations by Dr. Shari Sandoz

Considerations Before Purchasing Replacements

·       Evaluate the health, nutrition, management, and immune status of potential replacements. 

·       Assess both disease exposure history and immune status of new animals. 

·       Compare the cost of preventive measures with the potential loss and treatment costs resulting from disease or injury. 

·       Acquire animals that have been vaccinated at least three weeks before transportation. 

·       Conduct screening tests such as bulk tank culture and somatic cell count three times before buying. Depending on the home herd’s health status, consider additional tests for BVD-PI, Johne’s disease, BLV, and Salmonella dublin. 

·       Recognize that testing alone does not fully eliminate the risk of bringing in infected animals due to costs and test sensitivity limitations. 

·       Source cattle from reputable herds to reduce risk. 

·       Avoid purchasing animals from sale barns, where exposure to sick animals is high. 

·       Refrain from buying cull animals. 

·       Use only clean, disinfected, and well-bedded transport trucks to prevent disease transmission and injuries during transit. 

Non-Disease Related Concerns

·       Digestive disturbances caused by changes in feed. 

·       Injuries associated with unfamiliar facilities, stall design, or adjustments in hierarchy. 

Arrival Procedures for Replacement Animals

·       Isolate new arrivals for at least 2–3 weeks. 

·       Provide booster vaccinations if required. 

·       House animals in clean, comfortable, and well-ventilated facilities. 

·       Consult a nutritionist or Armor veterinarian to formulate appropriate transition diets. 

·       Work with your Armor veterinarian to design tailored vaccination and treatment protocols. 

·       Develop diagnostic strategies for disease evaluation with your Armor veterinarian, including cultures for mastitis and testing for BVD, Johne’s, Salmonella dublin, and BLV. 

Potential Contagious Diseases From Replacement Livestock

·       Contagious mastitis: Agents include Strep agalactiae, Staph aureus, and Mycoplasma. 

·       Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD): Can result in illness or death, abortion, calf loss, & weak calves. Persistently infected (PI) animals may be identified over a period of weeks to months. 

·       Shipping fever (pneumonia complex): Typically occurs 1 to 4 weeks after arrival. 

·       Salmonella: May cause acute illness, diarrhea, death, or create chronic carriers within days to months. 

·       Salmonella dublin: Causes severe respiratory disease and/or diarrhea in young animals, often with high death loss. 

·       Foot rot and Hairy heel warts: Can lead to lameness and reduced production, lasting weeks to months. 

·       Johne’s disease: Characterized by prolonged weight loss and diarrhea, which may persist for months or years. 

·       Bovine leukosis virus (BLV): Risk of introduction with new livestock. 

·       Isolate new arrivals for at least 2–3 weeks. 

·       Provide booster vaccinations if required. 

·       House animals in clean, comfortable, and well-ventilated facilities. 

·       Consult a nutritionist or Armor veterinarian to formulate appropriate transition diets. 

·       Work with your Armor veterinarian to design tailored vaccination and treatment protocols. 

·       Develop diagnostic strategies for disease evaluation with your Armor veterinarian, including cultures for mastitis and testing for BVD, Johne’s, Salmonella dublin, and BLV. 

Ongoing Management Practices

·       Avoid cross-contamination by not using the same equipment for feed and manure handling. 

·       Prevent manure runoff from adult cattle areas to calf-rearing and feed areas. 

·       Maintain a clean calving environment to help prevent Johne’s disease, Salmonella, calf scours, and mastitis in fresh cows. 

·       Segregate sick animals and keep calving and hospital pens separate. Clean and disinfect equipment before reusing. 

·       Milk cows suspected of contagious mastitis separately or last in the milking order, and segregate from the rest of the herd.  

·       Monitor for disease actively, using diagnostics such as bulk tank milk cultures and somatic cell counts. 

·       Manage animals according to livestock production group guidelines and ensure appropriate segregation. 

·       Collaborate with your Armor veterinarian to continually develop and update vaccination programs to maintain strong herd immunity.