VACCINES AND MANAGEMENT

Vaccines won't dig you out of a management hole.

- Mark Moore

Vaccines are truly game changing when it comes to animal health. Products can help protect your herd from diseases that, at their core, cost the farm, whether it be in loss of productivity for the cow, increased veterinary costs to keep the herd healthy, or premature death.

However, vaccines are only part of the solution when it comes to herd health. While highly effective, they won't be as effective if there are lapses in other farm management practices.

"It's important to understand that vaccines are only a tool, and other issues can impact the effectiveness of a farm's vaccine protocols," says Jen Roberts, veterinarian at Boehringer Ingelheim.

The overarching issue when it comes to vaccines and management is knowing how an animal responds to a vaccine. How well the animal develops an immune response can be impacted by stress levels as well as how often the cow is presented with a disease challenge.

The first step is to take a systematic approach when looking at your herd. "Look at the entire life cycle, from birth through the animal's entire life on the farm," Roberts says. "Determine the areas where you can make improvements."