Management and Health Calendar for a South Carolina Spring Calving Commercial Cowherd
Dr. John C. Spitzer – Professor, Reproductive Physiology
January 8
Calving Begins - Heifers
Tag and/or tattoo calves at birth
Castrate male calves and implant with Ralgro (males only)
January 22
Calving Begins - Mature Cows
Tag and/or tattoo calves at birth
Castrate male calves and implant with Ralgro (males only)
February 1
Conduct Breeding Soundness Exam on herd bulls
Vaccinate herd bulls
Campylobacterosis
Leptospirosis (5-way)
Re-vaccinate virgin heifers
Campylobacterosis
Weigh heifers for yearling weight
April 1
Begin breeding - Virgin yearling heifers (45-day breeding season) - OPTIMUM
April 15
Begin breeding - Mature cows (65-day breeding season) - OPTIMUM
Vaccinate all calves
IBR and PI-3 (intranasal vaccine)
Leptospirosis (5-way)
Clostridial diseases (7-way Clostridia)
Dehorn calves needing procedure
Re-implant steer calves with Ralgro or Synovex-C
May 16
End breeding - Virgin yearling heifers (45-day breeding season) - OPTIMUM
June 20
End breeding - Mature cows (65-day breeding season) - OPTIMUM August 25
Preweaning Preparation
Re-vaccinate all calves
IBR and PI-3 (intranasal vaccine)
Leptospirosis (5-way)
Clostridial diseases (7-way Clostridia)
Weigh calves for weaning weight
September 15
Weaning
Vaccinate all calves
IBR, PI-3, BVD, BRSV (modified live intramuscular vaccine)
Inject all calves with Vitamin A-D-E
Implant all steers and cull heifer calves with growth promotant (if retaining)
Number brand replacement heifer calves
Treat all cows, bulls, heifers and calves with grubacide
Pregnancy test and cull open heifers and cows
December 1
Calving Begins - Heifers
Vaccinate all cows
Campylobacterosis
Leptospirosis (5-way)
NOTE - Cows in some areas may need 5-way Leptospirosis vaccine twice or more each year
Re-vaccinate virgin heifers
IBR, PI-3, BVD, BRSV (modified live intramuscular vaccine)
Campylobacterosis
Inject all bulls, cows and virgin heifers with Vitamin A-D-E
Other Management
Lice control program?
Internal parasite (worms) control program - cows - calves (consider mid-summer program) ?
Precondition calves prior to marketing
Fly control program
Summer and winter mineral supplementation programs
Other Possible Vaccinations
Brucellosis (heifer calves only - less than 8-months-old)
Haemophilus somnus
Pasteurella multocida - Pasteurella haemolytica