We are well settled into 2023 and looking towards spring. The spring Equinox will be here March 20th and the Bova-Tech team will be back on the road and coming to a town near you. We are preparing for our on-site spring farm visits so please contact us, if you haven't already, to book your upcoming on-farm or in-clinic flush or implant appointment.  We are looking forward to seeing you!

So, how should you prepare for spring? To help maximize performance and potential for profit, diligence is needed. Keep correct birthing and health records. Create schedules and follow them. Pay attention to grazing pastures and good nutrition.

Depending on your exact location, calving operations begin with getting the most-ready mothers to the calving area. When one goes into labor, keep a close eye. Watch for scours, breathing, or calving problems and record body conditions. With good records, you’ll know when to put mothers on a lactation ration (10-15 days after birth). All the while, be certain cows have released the placenta and avoided prolapse.

How can you prepare for your spring program with Bova-Tech? We provide our services in-clinic as well as on-farm. On-farm work is and always has been a major part of our business. With our mobile lab, all services are available for your convenience right on the farm. This allows the producers to use their own recipient females and keep their donor cows at home, thus reducing the overall cost of the program significantly. 

​

On-Farm Flushing

BTL will send you all the necessary drugs, and provide detailed instructions for their use to insure the best possible results. Cows will be flushed on farm via the BTL Export Certified Mobile Lab. Our services are available anywhere in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

​

In-Clinic Flushing

Clients can set up and inseminate donor cows on-farm and bring them to the center for the embryo recovery process. Donor cows can be housed at the BTL center for all super-ovulatory treatments and artificial inseminations. Embryos recovered from the donor cow(s) can be transferred fresh to synchronized recipients or they can be frozen for transfer at a later date.

1) Decide on which services are required for your optimal results -

AI, In-Vivo (Conventional flush), IVF &/or implant

2) Select donors &/or recipients

3) Contact BTL to discuss options and to book an appointment

4) Provide number of donors along with their id# and how many recipients

5) Receive drugs and schedules

6) Complete protocols as directed

We are happy to bring you this months' article written by Dana Charban and covers 8 tips for preventing calf health issues.

We hope the spring calving season goes smoothly for your operation and hope to see you over the next few months!

~ Andres, Melissa & Lisa

Preventing calf health issues

"Research indicates that 57% of mortality is seen in the first 24 hours and 75% within 7 days of birth," states Dr. Mark Hilton in the Calf Management section of Merck Veterinary Manual. Dr. Hilton regularly contributes to Beef Magazine, is an emeritus clinical professor of beef production medicine from Purdue University, and a Senior Technical Consultant at Elanco Animal Health.

Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take in calf management to optimize calf health from birth to weaning on your operation and increase your weaning weights. A veterinarian or Cooperative Extension specialist can visit your farm about one month before calving season and make recommendations on improving your cattle equipment, squeeze chute, and pens where cattle are kept in the days leading up to calving. Ideally, you can combine this visit with another planned visit to your operation.

One of the best things you can do for your calf health is to ensure that the heifer or cow is at a body condition score (BCS) of 6 prior to calving, and has proper nutrition throughout her pregnancy and while raising the calf. Practice applying BCS scores to your cattle regularly, and work with your veterinarian to hone your skills. Many online resources are available to explain the scale and ideal cattle at each level.

Nutritional supplementation prior to calving can improve the colostrum that the calf receives. Forages should be checked for nutritional value to ensure needs of the cows are being met. Work with your veterinarian, a nutritionist, or Cooperative Extension specialist to evaluate your herd health and nutrition plans.

Calf management plans should include a follow-up visit by your veterinarian two to three weeks after calving begins. Keep an eye on the BCS of your cows throughout the time they're raising calves to determine if supplemental forage or minerals are needed.

Veterinarian recommended tips for getting and keeping your calf health on point include:

1. Keep accurate herd records. These should include any calf morbidity, treatments administered, vaccine types and dates, and other pertinent information. Your record keeping system can be as simple or complex as you prefer, anything from online software for herd management, to a date book where you write down treatments, illnesses, and death.

    

2. Vaccinate using veterinary recommendations. You should be vaccinating the heifer or cow pre-calving, and then vaccinate the calf as well. Consult your veterinarian for the recommended vaccines you need to use. Examples of vaccines administered prior to calving include rotavirus, coronavirus, E coli and Clostridium perfringens. All vaccinations administered should be part of your record-keeping system.

    

3. Inspect calves regularly. There is no better way to catch disease early than by regularly inspecting your cattle. Train all cattle handlers on signs to look for in disease or sickness, and treat calves early to prevent stunted growth or death. Establishing a working relationship with your veterinarian can improve herd health through training programs for handlers, or preventative veterinary practices that save money in the long run when compared to calf morbidity or culling cows.

    

4. Scours should not be an issue for your calves; it can be eliminated from your herd. Vaccinating your cows and heifers prior to calving can help reduce scours, as can many other management shifts, including the timing of calving season, rotating calving pens, and separating cows from heifers. Consider implementing the Sandhills calving system developed by the University of Nebraska for calving area rotation.

    

5. Use medications and dewormers as instructed. Not following the recommendations of the administering veterinarian or manufacturer can increase resistance to the product, or lead to a recurrence of disease in the animal.

    

6. Practice biosecurity at all locations on your operation. Separate sick animals from healthy ones to minimize the spread of disease. Disinfect any areas where sick animals have been after they return to the herd, and prior to new animals being placed in the area. One key practice is tending to sick calves after healthy calves have been handled, and using separate boots and coveralls with calves. These simple steps by handlers can reduce potential disease transmission.

    

7. Consider creep feeding prior to weaning to reduce stress and disease. Ideally you should implement the creep feeding system three to four weeks prior to the weaning date. Moving your weaning date up from the traditional 205 days to somewhere between 150 and 170 days is also a more efficient use of forages, and improves health and BCS of the cows prior to winter.

    

8. Control the flies. They spread disease. Even though it's winter, talk to your feed dealer now about adding an insect growth regulator to your cow mineral to inhibit fly production. You'll want to add it about one month before you expect flies to begin emerging. Ideally, your neighbors (if they are also livestock producers/owners) should be using fly predators or insect growth regulators as well for maximum control.

    

Calves are the future of your herd. Getting your calf health care on point can decrease expenses, increase weaning weights, and lead to larger profits for your operation. Adhering to the best management practices outlined in this article and working closely with your veterinarian can improve your herd health and make your calf care system a respected model for other producers.

​At Bova-Tech Ltd. we offer services that will help to increase your herd’s productivity and value. Producers depend on us to optimize their most valuable cows by generating more embryos and pregnancies that will extend the impact of outstanding cattle genetics. Our programs are designed to meet producer’s specific needs, offering all our services either in-clinic or on-farm.