Catawba Valley Cattlemen’s Association
(meets the 2^nd Tuesday of each month)
This month’s meeting is on Tuesday, October 9, 2018, at the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Catawba County Center (Ag Resource Center).
GPS address: 1175 South Brady Ave. Newton, NC 28658

Agenda
6 p.m. – Supper is served.

6:45 p.m. — Business meeting – Dr. Greg Whitener, president
7 p.m. — Informational meeting: Dr. Mark Alley DVM with Zoetis   –
Vaccines, – Preventing Disease and Death Losses.
(All Vaccines are not Created Equal)
8 p.m. – Meeting adjourned

Announcements

• Plan for the Fall BBQ on Saturday, October 13. Food is served from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Best in the State!
     1)Please put out all signs for the BBQ this weekend, Oct 6,7.
     2) Key item needed:  pre-sale of dinner tickets to allow a good estimate of the meat to prepare for the meal.
  3) At the meeting on Tuesday, be prepared to commit time to set-up, meal
  prep, and meal clean up.
  a. Setup will begin at 4 p.m. Friday afternoon, afterward, a meal will be served for volunteers.
  b. Some volunteers are needed on Saturday at 2 p.m. to cook beans.
  c. Some volunteers need to come at 3 – 3:30 p.m. on Saturday to get ready to serve and be assigned tasks.
  d. All volunteers are asked to stay and clean up between 8 and 10:30 p.m. if your schedule permits.

• A cattle hide (very nice!) was purchased for a raffle at the BBQ. Encourage people to buy tickets.
• Cattlemen Trip is set. The Itinerary will be available at the meeting.
  Leaving will be 7 a.m. Friday, Oct. 26 and return will be Oct. 28, Sunday evening.
• If you would like to receive the news via email, look for the signup sheets, or want a text the day before a meeting
• North Carolina Cattle Industry Assessment Referendum Vote occurs at your County Extension Office, on Oct.4.

Why Even Give a Vaccine to Animals?
Modified-Live Vs. Killed Vaccines – Which Is Better?

Written by Glenn Detweiler Livestock Extension Agent – Catawba & Lincoln

First, we need a short review of how a vaccine works in the body. With any vaccine, the trick is to have a strain of organisms mimic their disease-causing cousins closely enough that the animal’s “active” immune system will be ready to recognize the disease-causing pathogen. Then when infection enters the body, it will either be interrupted before the disease occurs or the severity of the resulting disease will be reduced. Note that vaccines can’t prevent infection. The offending pathogen must get inside the body to come under fire from the vaccine-stimulated “active” immune system. There is an “innate” immune system in the body also. Like a firewall in an apartment complex, the body has “innate” firewalls to prevent infection. For example, bacteria that cause pneumonia must first overcome the mucous and cilia lining in the upper airways of the lungs. Then they must get past the defense cells in the lower airways and finally penetrate the respiratory tract membranes. If the bacteria are not able to break through all of this, infection is prevented and vaccine-stimulated immunity will not be necessary.

For example, compare the mucosa and cilia “innate” immune system to a firewall in an apartment complex and the sprinkler system to the vaccine-stimulated “active” immune system. Since the apartment complex firewall keeps the fire out of the next section of apartments, the next section’s sprinkler system will not be activated. If the fire breaches the firewall, the sprinklers will be activated to fight the fire. When the innate immune system breaks, the active immune system begins fighting the pathogens. When we give a vaccine, the body builds antigens to fight that disease. It is like giving a blue print of a sprinkler system to the plumber for installation in building. So asking, “Why even give a vaccine?” is like asking, “Why even build a sprinkler system?” When we don’t give a vaccine it is like not providing a blueprint for a sprinkler system and not installing sprinklers. For certain diseases, animals have no “innate” immune system (firewall). Therefore, pathogens move through the “innate” immune system very fast. To protect our animals. we really need to give a vaccine. For example, veterinarians always recommend (and in many cases require) Blackleg vaccine in all cattle, even when animals are kept on the same farm. The reason for this is within 48 hours of observable symptoms of Blackleg almost all animals are dead. Blackleg spores live in the soil in all of North Carolina. Since researchers have not found a way to eradicate it, a producer’s only wise option is to vaccinate.

Another question, “Which is best … Modified-live vaccine (MLV) or killed vaccines?” is a common one. First let’s review these two terms. A live vaccine contains bacteria or a virus that has been modified (MLV). This means they’ve lost their disease-causing ability (attenuated) or are administered by a route that prevents them from causing clinical disease, although the bacteria or virus is still alive. Killed vaccines are just what the name says – a solution of bacteria or virus which was attenuated (lost their disease-causing ability) but also resulted in bacteria or virus death. MLV and killed vaccine (two types of blueprints for a sprinkler system in the building analogy) have their individual advantages and disadvantages. Some positive attributes of MLV vaccines include: 1) A strong, long-lasting immune response that is achieved with fewer doses, 2) Virus vaccines’ ability to quickly stimulate antiviral protection, 3) A minimum occurrence of allergic reactions. Some positive attributes of killed vaccines include: 1) Greater stability in storage, and 2) The unlikelihood of containing traces of contaminating vaccine. Another important thing the producer must remember, since this is occurring at a microscopic level, vaccinations need to be tested in the field where stress is an everyday occurrence. Ultimate determination of a vaccine’s merits comes from controlled tests conducted under field conditions similar to the production setting. Evaluating a vaccine’s effectiveness is very difficult because so many management factors can overwhelm a vaccine’s effect. Therefore, specific vaccine recommendations should be made by a veterinarian familiar with the disease problems they typically experience on farms in the surrounding community. Also, to assist in choosing the correct vaccine, veterinarians must be familiar with a farmer’s operation, type of cattle, and management style. The choice to vaccinate will ultimately depend on the targeted pathogen as well as the nature of the relationship between the animal, pathogen, vaccine, and management style. The bottom line for the builder in the apartment complex example is, “Did the builder provide the plumber the money and blueprint to install a sprinkler system that will prevent a fire from spreading throughout the whole building?” The bottom line for vaccinations to work is, “Did the producer provide his animals a low stress and healthy environment at vaccination time, so their bodies can produce the antibodies necessary to fight off the disease?” A very good article in Beef Magazine, written by Gerald Stokka & Louis Perino, gives a review of the MLV vs. killed vaccine. The N.C. Cooperative Extension Service brings you researched information, backed by our land-grant universities; NC State University and A&T Greensboro. If you have any questions call the Livestock Extension Agent, Glenn Detweiler at 405-219-1902 (text) or office 828-465-8246.

Our Educational Speaker is Dr. Mark Alley DVM working with Zoetis. He states: “Vaccines are a component of a comprehensive herd health program, and all vaccines are not created equal. Vaccines serve as an insurance policy for when infectious disease agents are inadvertently brought into your operation. Focus will be on preventing reproductive disease losses and preparing calves for next stage of production whether that is leaving farm as feeder calf or staying behind as replacement heifer or bull. Bring your questions about vaccines and herd health topics.”

The referendum is requesting you to continue paying $1.00/head. The following article explains it well and is worth reading.
FUQUAY-VARINA, NC — The North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association (NCCA) has announced that the N. C. Cattle Industry Assessment Referendum vote will take place on October 4, 2018. The North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association will conduct a referendum to continue the N. C. Cattle Industry Assessment. Arrangements have been made with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension to facilitate the voting. The Extension offices in each county will be the polling places. NORTH CAROLINA CATTLE INDUSTRY ASSESSMENT REFERENDUM VOTE
SET FOR OCTOBER 4, 2018.

John Langdon, President of the North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association said that the referendum will be to assess all cattle sold and marketed in North Carolina one dollar per head for the purposes of advancing the cattle industry in the state. The money collected will continue to fund the following five areas:  youth programs, cattle research, education, promotion of North Carolina cattle and beef, and issues management. The North Carolina dairy industry will also benefit from the funds collected, as a portion of the income will be allocated to the same areas within the dairy sector.

Education projects have been funded to deal with production issues facing North Carolina cattlemen in the areas of management, forage production, feed efficiency, and general input reductions. In addition, we have been able to provide additional services in issues management to help the public have a better understanding of our industry and training for farmers to help them to be more efficient and provide more research-based management for them and the cattle in their care. Youth programs have been a huge beneficiary of the investments from the assessment as we have been able to support livestock schools, judging contests, skillathon contests, leadership development, and the very popular youth beef industry tour, among many others.

Bryan Blinson, executive director of the North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association, states that “The assessment will be for a period of six years with a recurring referendum if requested. Also, Mr. Blinson states that producers will be eligible for a full refund of their North Carolina assessment by request within 60 days of the sale of the animal with proof of sale. This is a provision that is not available in the national program due to federal law.”

All cattle owners who are at least 18 years of age as of October 4, 2018, will be eligible to vote. Voting will take place at the North Carolina Cooperative Extension offices. All eligible voters must vote in their county of residence. Absentee ballots may be obtained by contacting the North Carolina Cooperative Extension office. The North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association can assist with directing you to your local office.

For additional details on voting procedures or funding information, please contact your local county office of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, or the North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association.