Ryan Breuer, DVM, Dairy Program Specialist

There are many goals to vaccinating your herd.

Purposes for vaccination include:

- Provide optimal immunity for disease prevention in

individual animals and the herd.

- Protect animals from imminent pathogen invasions and

diseases present in the environment.

- Administer to animals at highest risk of contracting a

particular disease.

- Reduce the risk of recurrent disease(s) that have the ability

and/or tendency to spread.

- Provide protection to individual animals, as well as the

herd, during a period of disease outbreak(s).

- Reduce financial constraints and promote cost savings

associated with frequent treatments, as a result of disease-

related morbidity and mortality.

- Lessen economic impact related to preventable diseases.

Vaccines are not flawless nor 100 percent guaranteed effective.

Rather the purpose when administered to an animal is to pro-

mote an immune response so the body can recognize and fight

the disease in the future, thus reducing resistance to treatments

that are frequently given. It is critical that the vaccinations ad-

ministered to a herd are tailored to its specific needs. For exam-

ple, deciding to vaccinate for respiratory, reproductive, gastro-

intestinal diseases and mastitis-causing pathogens. Success is

achieved when vaccines are not only effective and safe, but

proven to provide protection. It is STRONGLY recommended

to establish a veterinary-client-patient-relationship (VCPR)

with a herd health veterinarian and to consult with your herd

health veterinarian on your vaccination protocols.

You will want to determine the disease(s) that pose the greatest

challenge to the cows in your herd and ensure that there is an

effective, protective

and safe vaccine avail-

able. Determine the

appropriate timeframe

for vaccination admin-

istration. Keep in

mind or take into con-

sideration the follow-

ing factors: a) optimal

nutrition, b) minimiz-

ing management inter-

ventions, c) pregnancy status, and d) stress reduction. Be cer-

tain to allow adequate time so that vaccinations are not delayed

or distract from the primary concern. Delaying vaccination can

be problematic and does NOT fix or prevent the problem. Be

flexible because some practices may also need adjustments.

It is imperative that the health of the animal be taken into con-

sideration prior to vaccine administration. A vaccination is only

effective if the animal being immunized has the ability to im-

munologically respond to the vaccination. As with any medica-

tion, it is imperative to follow dosing administration and direc-

tions as outlined on the package inserts and labels.

Remember to familiarize yourself with the product, as well as

the vaccine label regarding the following: indication, dosage,

storage, preferred route of administration, withdrawal period,

booster schedule and doses, time to therapeutic dosing, appro-

priate handling, and whether the vaccine is a Modified-live

(MLV) or Killed product. FOLLOW LABEL DIRECTIONS

ON ALL VACCINES! The labels provide pertinent infor-

mation that will eliminate failure of vaccine-initiated immunity.

Again, these are all great discussion points to have with your

herd health veterinarian.

FIELD FEEDLOT By establishing an efficient and effective vaccination protocol

you will protect your cows against the major challenges they will

encounter in their lives. By developing a solid immune system,

cows will be able to ward off the challenges they may encounter.

These disease challenges are most commonly faced during stress-

ful times – Transition! By vaccinating a calf, heifer, or cow dur-

ing times where they are the least stressed coupled with adequate

nutrition, increases the successful outcomes of your vaccination

protocol. This yields a strong immune-mediated response against

the offending pathogens and allows animals to fight off infection.

It also promotes passive transmission of immunity onto offspring

through valuable colostrum.

It is important that vaccination protocols and programs are modi-

fied for individual operations and meet the needs of your herd. A

lot goes into developing a vaccination protocol, including but not

limited to, operation type and size, geographic location, herd size,

reproductive status, genetics, vaccination adverse reactions, etc.

Consult a veterinarian to discuss and establish a suitable plan for

you and your herd.

By working with your herd veterinarian and establishing viable

vaccination protocols for your herd, you offer your cows the abil-

ity to live healthy lives, especially during stressful times of life, in

particular transition cows. An effective and efficient vaccine pro-

tocol is beneficial in many regards. The animals live a healthy,

productive life and are able to pass on exceptional immunity to

future members of the herd.

Kris Kohl, Ph.D., P.E. Agricultural Engineer

A wet fall and winter has enhanced the need for drainage on our

fields this spring. Much of our tile system is depreciated and in

need of updating. To help provide education on drainage in Iowa,

we have planned two workshops:

March 15 at the Pocahontas County Extension and Outreach

office, 305 North Main, Pocahontas, IA from 9:30AM to

3:30PM. Register by calling 712-335-3103

March 16 at the Buena Vista County Extension and Outreach

office, 824 Flindt Drive, Storm Lake, IA from 9:30AM to

3:30PM. Register by calling 712-732-5056.

Cost is $50.00 per person and includes a noon meal and an all

workshop materials.

Workshop topics will include: using satellite maps to locate exist-

ing tile lines in the fields; optimizing tile size and spacing fro crop

production; and water quality and options to reduce nitrate loss

We will share some spreadsheets that can be used to calculate the

sizing of mains and predict time required to remove a 2 or

3-inch rain.

Workshop participants will be provided an image of a field on

which they would like to improve drainage. Upon completion of

the workshop activities, each participant will leave with a plan

and the knowledge to apply the tools and techniques to the rest of

their fields.

We look forward to seeing you at one of the workshops. Please

remember to pre-register so we can plan for the meal and mate-

rials.

Dave Stender, Swine Program Specialist

PEDv Update: For the week ending 1/30/16, the report indicates

that there were 89 positives from the 516 submissions (17.2%

positive). Oregon

was added this

week to the USDA

list of states report-

ing at least one

confirmed case of

PEDv.

Online option avail-

able to renew TQA

or PQA Plus® Cer-

tification: New

TQA or PQA Plus

certification (or

recertification, if

expired) requires

face-to-face train-

ing with a TQA/

PQA Plus Advisor.

Renewal TQA or PQA Plus certification can be completed face-

to-face or via online training. To be eligible to re-certify

through an online course/exam, a person must:

1) Contact a certified advisor before current certification

expires.

2) Provide the advisor (dstender@iastate.edu) with an email

address for the purpose of sending online training

instructions.

3) Complete online training within 30 days of receiving the

access to train.

Common Swine Industry Audit Workshops Scheduled:

The Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) is partnering with

the Iowa Pork Industry Center (IPC) and Iowa State University

Extension and Outreach swine field specialists to offer free

training and preparation sessions aimed at helping Iowa pork

producers prepare for a Common Swine Industry Audit (CSIA).

Session attendees will have an opportunity to walk through

steps of the common audit, evaluate areas for improvement on

their farms, and customize Standard Operating Procedures

(SOPs) to be best prepared for the audit process. Attendees will

also be provided with a binder and flash drive, including cus-

tomizable audit materials for their farms, compliments of IPPA,

IPIC and the Pork Checkoff.

Classes are offered at no charge with support from IPPA.

Pre-registration requested for all meetings. Contact: Cherokee

County Extension @ 712-225-6196 or Dave Stender at 712-261

-0225 or dstender@iastate.edu

&

CSIA Training session dates, times and registration infor-

mation currently scheduled are as follows:

March 29, 2016 @ 10:00AM — 2:00PM, Sac County

Extension Office, Sac City, 620 Park Ave

June 7, 2016 @ 10:00AM — 2:00PM, Plymouth County

Extension Office, LeMars, 251 12th St S.E.

July 6, 2016 @ 10:00AM — 2:00PM, Osceola Community

Hospital Wellness Center, 600 9th Ave N Sibley

If you would like one in your area, or for your group of produc-

ers (10-15 operations class size), please contact Dave Stender

at dstender@iastate.edu or 712-261-0225.

Joel DeJong, Field Agronomist

The USDA recently released the yield estimates for corn and

soybeans by county in Iowa. 2015 was a very good production

year, on average. According to the USDA, Cherokee led all

counties in corn production, with a county-wide average of

209.6 bushels/acre. Pocahontas, O’Brien, Sac, and Osceola

Counties rounded out the top five with yields all over 204 bush-

els/acre. Twenty-two of the 99 counties surpassed the 200 bush-

el mark in 2015. The average yield of corn in Iowa in 2015 was

recorded as 192.0 bushels/acre.

For soybean production in 2015, 11 counties averaged over 60

bushels/acre, led by Sioux County at 64.1 bushels/acre. Chero-

kee (62.7), O’Brien (62.6), Lyon (61.1), and Scott (61.1) Coun-

ties rounded out the top 5. The statewide average soybean yield

was 56.5 bushels/acre in 2015.

County estimates for this year and previous years can be found

on the web at quickstats.nass.usda.gov.

Following are tables from the ISU Ag Decision Maker on coun-

ty yields, which can be found here: http://

www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/crops/html/a1-14.html.

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