Rotavec ... timing is everything!
Rotavec®Corona vaccination is a significant investment and well worth it when compared to facing the debilitating effects of rotavirus scours outbreak! Vaccination of pregnant cows gives passive protection to the calf via antibodies in the colostrum and milk to protect against rotavirus, corona virus and E. coli, three of the primary causes of calf scours in the first weeks of life.
To ensure maximum benefit from your investment, there are several important points to consider:
Timing of vaccination
Vaccination needs to be done 3 to 12 weeks pre-calving. Plan to vaccinate your herd 3 weeks before planned start of calving. This will mean all cows calving in the first 9 weeks are covered, and will produce the vital high levels of colostral antibodies that are needed. This gives a 9-week ‘vaccination window' which is vital to ensuring the economic and clinical success of vaccinating; outside of this 9-week span, antibody levels from the vaccine will be markedly reduced.
Colostrum management
For the best result, newborn calves must get 2-2.5 litres of immediate post-calving colostrum (i.e. from the FIRST milking from a cow) from the vaccinated cow within 6-12 hours of birth when intestinal absorption is at its best and colostrum antibodies are at their highest. They then need 2.5-3 litres of stored or fresh colostrum daily during the first 2-3 weeks (longer if possible) to provide local protection at gut level.
Colostrum from the first two milkings contains by far the most antibodies, and rotavirus antibodies courtesy of the vaccination, so it makes sense to ensure newborn calves get this colostrum. Although ‘another thing to do' at such a busy time, the practice of milking freshly calved cows separately from the other colostrum cows and storing separately is a worthwhile practice.
