Dry Cow Vaccines Protect Calf Health

By Greg Goodell, DVM, The Dairy Authority, LLC

Does your dry cow vaccination program provide the protection that newborn calves need? That’s right, the job description for vaccines given to dry cows is to protect the health of young calves. And the job description for vaccines given to lactating cows 4 weeks after calving is to protect the cows. In order to deliver maximum protection to both the cow and her calf, vaccination programs must be tailored to work in each production cycle.

When it comes to protecting newborn calf health, dry cows must receive the right vaccines at the right time so that maximum antibody production coincides with colostrogenesis. When these two factors occur together the colostrum produced contains very high levels of maternal antibodies that help protect newborn calves from disease.

Scours, respiratory disease, and clostridial bloat are the common causes of morbidity and mortality in pre-weaned calves. But a well-designed dry cow vaccination program can significantly reduce their occurrence. Here’s what we recommend:

All dry cows should receive vaccinations to protect newborn calves against: E. coli, salmonella, rotavirus, coronavirus, and clostridia. First-calf heifers, and any dry cows with unknown vaccination status, must receive two doses of vaccine (a priming dose and a booster 3-6 weeks later that triggers an immune response to boost maternal antibodies in colostrum). Each year after, all dry cows will just need a single annual dose.

Timing of vaccination delivery is critical. At 8 weeks prior to calving, every dry cow or springer that has not been previously vaccinated for E. coli, salmonella, rotavirus, coronavirus and clostridia must receive their first dose of vaccine to prime the immune system to recognize the disease. Then at 3 to 4 weeks before calving the second dose is administered. This triggers an immune response that turns on the production of maternal antibodies in colostrum. Each year after, all dry cows will just need a single annual dose given 2 to 3 weeks prior to calving. (Some dairies prefer to vaccinate when cows are moved into the pre-fresh pen, while others prefer to wait a week after the move.)

Many vaccines, such as core antigen vaccines and those that help protect the calf from enteric disease, provide protection against multiple pathogens. Work with your veterinarian to select vaccines and develop a vaccination program that is tailored to the health challenges seen at your dairy.

Newborn calves are born defenseless. A strong dry cow vaccination program can help you provide maximum antibody protection in the colostrum fed to newborn calves. That, combined with clean, dry bedding, a solid nutrition program and adherence to established best management practices for newborn and pre-weaned calf care can improve the odds that your calves will live to become productive cows.