Vaccination is far less costly than even a few more open cows or a few more abortions, and much less costly than a reproductive disaster.

Vaccines are cheap insurance — don’t let your premiums lapse

Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen

After last summer’s pasture conditions and last winter’s feed costs, it’s safe to say that many cow-calf producers are facing the upcoming grazing season with some anxiety. Some are looking for new grazing arrangements, opportunities to trim input costs or both. No single solution can solve every challenge for every operation, but nearly all decisions […] Read more

Buying livestock you’re unfamiliar with has its risks so remember to vaccinate new arrivals before mixing them with your herd.

Always look a gift cow in the mouth

Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen

This year’s feed situation is forcing many cow-calf producers to make very difficult decisions. Those who are short of feed may cull their herds harder than usual or look for alternative feeding arrangements to winter some or all their cows. Others with feed carryover from previous years may be tempted to custom feed other people’s […] Read more


Using two hands to deliver a SubQ injection is easier, but one hand is generally safer for the handler.

Don’t stick yourself — take care when injecting

Knowing proper injection techniques can save you from discomfort and harm, vet says

Knowing proper injection techniques can save you from discomfort and harm, says vet

No one giving injections to cattle wants to accidentally get stuck with a needle; most producers will do everything in their power not to. And yet it happens, and the results can be deadly. Just ask Dr. Cody Creelman. “A producer was treating a sick calf from the cab of his truck. He was filling […] Read more

Vaccines are an important part of a preventative herd health program, but they aren’t a silver bullet.

An(other) ounce of prevention

Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen

My first fire drill in Grade 1 was absolute chaos, screaming and panic as we all circled the teacher, who was likely wondering how our parents had managed to keep us alive this long. By Grade 3, we yawned and strolled to the nearest door. Fire drills teach kids what to do when there’s no […] Read more


(KTSimage/iStock/Getty Images)

Vet Advice: mRNA transforms science behind vaccine development

Vaccination is one of the major success stories in human and veterinary medicine. Modern vaccines reshaped approaches to animal health and production medicine. On the human side, vaccines greatly reduced the incidence of infectious diseases such as polio, and were instrumental in eradicating, on a global scale, killer diseases such as human smallpox and rinderpest […] Read more

A case of acute BVD in a calf. BVD can cause symptoms ranging from nasal discharge to birth defects, as well as diarrhea.  Photo: Supplied by Dr. John Campbell

BVD still a threat to Canadian cattle herds

Even closed herds can be at risk for BVD, making vaccination key to preventing this disease

Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) can affect cattle in many ways, causing abortion, birth defects, stillborn calves, immune deficiencies in persistently infected animals, and other acute or chronic illness. BVD is also an indirect cause of many other diseases because it has adverse effects on the immune system. An estimate a few years ago suggested that […] Read more


Use a cooler with ice or heat packs to keep vaccines at the right temperature.

Make vaccinations work for your cattle herd

When giving a shot, make sure it isn’t a shot in the dark

As ranchers begin another calving season and vets stock their shelves with vaccines and supplies, now is the time to review vaccination protocols and management practices to make sure the herd is protected. Dr. Glen Griffin of South West Animal Health Centre in Swift Current, Sask., has been serving the southwest since 2004, when he […] Read more

Keep syringes and needles clean and working during vaccination

Keep syringes and needles clean and working during vaccination

Make sure you protect your vaccine’s effectiveness with a few practical steps

Getting the most out of a vaccine starts with the syringes and needles. Dr. Cody Creelman, a bovine veterinarian in southern Alberta, recently held a free webinar on ways to make cattle vaccines more effective. Part of his webinar covered how to keep needles and syringes clean and working well. Creelman recommends checking and replacing […] Read more


The first phase would see successful small businesses get up to $150,000 to refine their research.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency seeks proposals for vaccine matching

Research: News Roundup from the September 30, 2019 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) seeks proposals from small businesses on developing a computer model that predicts which vaccine strain would best control foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks in cattle, sheep and swine. Foot-and-mouth is highly contagious, making it a serious threat to the agriculture industry. Viral strains can be stored in vaccine banks, but right […] Read more

Hughes works to minimize stress during weaning by vaccinating calves and introducing them to pellets before splitting them from their dams.

Tips for reducing antibiotic use on the ranch

Producers and veterinarians adapt to new rules around livestock antibiotic use

Beef producers used to be able to pick up antibiotics at their favourite farm supply store or local small town co-op, but things changed on December 1, 2018. Since then, Health Canada has mandated that all medically important livestock antibiotics require a veterinary prescription. While producers and veterinarians alike have dealt with some challenges that […] Read more