Welcome to Season 2 Cattlemen & Veterinarians: A Partnership in Bovine Health, powered by American Cattlemen Media! Today, Gale and Dr. Peterman chat with Dr. Roger Osinchuk to discuss calving setup for lifelong success through sound cow and calf management. 

They begin with cow management before breeding and calving, emphasizing pre-breeding vaccinations and scours vaccines. Dr. Osinchuk explains that reproductive diseases, including BVD and IBR, are largely preventable with correctly timed and administered vaccines, and that effective vaccination supports both pregnancy maintenance and colostral immunity for calves. He stresses reading labels, understanding the differences between killed and modified-live vaccines, and vaccinating four to six weeks prior to calving so protective antibodies are concentrated in colostrum.

Colostrum is highlighted as the single most important factor in neonatal calf health. Calves are born without antibodies and must absorb immunity through colostrum within the first 24 hours, especially the first few hours of life. Failure of passive transfer predisposes calves to scours, pneumonia, joint and navel infections. Both veterinarians strongly advocate early intervention in dystocia, rapid colostrum supplementation when there is any doubt, and judicious use of high-quality commercial colostrum replacers.

The discussion then moves to recognizing and managing calf scours, hypothermia, heat stress, and dehydration. Early fluid therapy, proper use of electrolytes, and appropriate antibiotics under veterinary guidance are key. They note that prevention through sound vaccination, hygiene, and timely intervention is far cheaper and more profitable than treatment.

Later, they cover calf processing: early castration and dehorning to reduce stress and long-term performance losses, strategic respiratory and clostridial vaccinations, and management of pinkeye and other region-specific issues. They also address bottle calf management, stressing colostrum status, controlled milk feeding, rapid transition to high-quality starters, and meticulous sanitation. The episode concludes with a discussion of udder and teat quality, mastitis recognition, and culling criteria, all framed around the goal of producing healthy, efficient calves and ultimately higher-quality beef.

For Future or Previous episodes visit our websites:

American Cattlemen

American Dairymen

Cattlemen and Veterinarians: A Partnership in Bovine Health Sponsored by:

Central Life Science