On The Farm: Livestock Vaccinations | Video

Rene Thibault | 10/3/2012

With an anthrax case being confirmed in Stark county, state officials are reminding farmers and ranchers to protect their animals from disease. Vaccinating livestock is a smart and safe decision, with millions of kinds of bacteria and diseases in the world, farmers and livestock producers need to make sure their commodity is protected.

Pneumonia, BVD and Red Nose are just a few of the debilitating diseases that can affect a cattle herd. Russell Behm, a Livestock Veterinarian at the Minot Vet Clinic said vaccinations can save an animal’s life, “Vaccinations ahead of time are very necessary for preventing these, here again, these diseases are very unlikely to be recognized in a timely fashion to save the animal`s life when the disease is prevalent”.

North Dakota just had its first anthrax case of 2012. The spore was found in a beef cow, which was most likely picked up while the animal was grazing. While anthrax isn`t as much of a concern in Ward County, in an age of high production costs, farmers and producers need to be ready for any possible problem. “It`s very important in this day of high costs, high input costs, the loss of an animal has considerable price tag. Loss of an animal is going to decrease anyone`s ability to say in business, to sustain their cattle operation, so vaccination programs are important for a person to stay productive and to stay economical”, added Behm.

At the Frey Angus Ranch in Granville, they know the importance of keeping their animals vaccinated. “It pays off in the long run, doing all the vaccinations can keep your herd a lot healthier. For us selling a breeding stock, it’s always a good thing to vaccinate everything”, said Arlen Frey..

And for an area that has a reputation for producing high quality beef animals, vaccinating herds is a smart and safe step for farmers and livestock producers.

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