Virus in Weanlings

lifelover2006

my neighbour has just bought 25 weanlings of 10 bulls and 15 heifers. Reckon ave weight about 275kgs.

he is plagued with virus in them - snotty noses, ears hanging down.

what is teh best way to handle these as I am going to be buying some in the next couple of weeks.

he has just being injecting each sick one as they appear sick. would it not be bette to inject all again virus as am sure that they will just keeping passing it around the shed. Also, what is best injection to use against virus.

he also injected for worms on the day they arrived as they were coughing bad - would he have been better off to leave them to settle in for a while before he injected them.

pakalasa

I'm no expert but he should have waited a few weeks before doing them for worms. After worming, the stress levels increase as they have to cough up the dead worms.

Even with all the bad weather, they are still better off out than in a shed. The virus will pass easier in the shed. The recent wet, damp weather doesn't help either.

Give them plenty of meal aswell as that keeps up their strength.

Split them in to smaller groups also. If there is an outbreak, it might be kept to the one group.

They might settle quicker too if left with a few cows if you have them.

squarebale

I agree. Small groups and plenty of meal. Consider vaccination against virus pneumonia. Also if coughing they need to be wormed. Do'nt use an ivermectin wormer as it acts too quickly/effectively and all the worms and fluid flood the airways. Levamisole wormers are the wormer of choice in this situation.

spoutwell

I did some weanlings from 200kgs to 350 kgs with anti-pneumonia vaccines (up the nose) to try and get them out of the shed in April this year. It didn't stop them all from getting it. The vet told me you can't do them if they've got it already.
I'm going to keep half the stock from now on and out winter them because I had them in the shed till the end of May -with loads of grass in the fields but I couldn't get them out with the harsh weather.
If I remember right there's an injectable vaccine for pneumonia which takes longer to become effective but lasts longer.
The last one I had ( at 320kgs) with pneumonia in the Spring went up to 105degrees temp. I couldn't cure him with hexasol , metacam or marbocyl. The latter brought the temp. down but it would come up again after a day and a half. I got Draxxin in the end (€55 for a shot). I gave it to him and let him out with a temp of 102.5 and he made it.
I bought a charolais bullock just a bare year old 3 1/2 weeks ago at 400kgs, kept him in for a couple of days, did him for blackleg and let him out. He was ok until the harsh weather came then he lay down and had a temp of 105.5. It was the same story - the hexasol didn't clear it up. I gave him a shot of 'Zactron (or zactran)' under the skin at €37 for the shot. I let him out on Monday with a temp of 102.5 and he's grazing away.
I have a feeling that doing them for blackleg stresses them out but if you can't keep them too long in the shed this day of the year or you'll have them in for the whole winter.