january 12, 2016 • Page 2 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com Pre-Calving Vaccinations for Pregnant Cows BROOKINGS, S.D. - This calving season, SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist, Taylor Grussing encourages cattle producers to consider pre-calving vaccinations. “Pre-calving vaccination of pregnant cows can aid in controlling calf scours,” Grussing said. She explained that attention to these areas is warranted as is critical to both performance of cows and health of newborn calves. Pre-Calving Vaccinations Adequate colostrum ingestion is so critical for calves because they are born without the protective immunity of antibodies to common environmental disease organisms. The “first milk,” or colostrum, is what transfers protective antibodies to the calf. “Producers can improve the quality of colostrum by providing strategic vaccination to the dam while also providing adequate nutrition throughout the winter,” Grussing said. The main goal of giving pre-calving vaccinations to pregnant females, Grussing explained, is to maximize protection against the calf scours complex. “In order for this type of vaccination to be effective in transmitting protection to the newborn calf, it must be delivered to the pregnant female at the correct dose, and within an appropriate window of time,” Grussing said. How pre-calving vaccinations work Pre-calving vaccinations stimulate production of antibodies in the mother’s body, which are then directed towards the mammary gland when she begins producing colostrum. Increased levels of antibodies targeted to scours organisms in the mother’s blood while she produces colostrum, results in more of these specific antibodies in it. These antibodies are then passively delivered to the newborn calf through its first drink of colostrum, providing a first line of immunity within hours after birth. In order to ensure the most effective transfer of high levels of antibodies, Grussing explained that cattle producers must administer the vaccine at the proper times. Pregnant females begin to form colostrum by pulling antibodies from the blood and storing them in the mammary tissue three to five weeks before calving. “This process continues until birth,” Grussing said. “Therefore, performing booster vaccinations six to seven weeks prior to the expected calving date may not be effective in aiding high quality colostrum production or in preventing calf scours.” Depending on the age of the cow and type of product used, Grussing added that there are different requirements which need to be followed. For example, heifers require an initial vaccination followed by a booster at least three weeks later (follow label recommendations), whereas cows that have been vaccinated in previous years only require an annual booster. Grussing encourages cattle producers to always consult with their herd veterinarian for assistance in developing a pre-calving vaccination program specific to their cow herd needs. For additional examples, visit the iGrow Beef community. Scours Management Factors Scours is a complex and costly disease issue and should be confronted from many angles in order to limit outbreaks, explained Joe Darrington, SDSU Extension Livestock Environment Associate. “Maternal vaccination can significantly increase the level of antibodies present in the colostrum, but in order to be effective calves must ingest an adequate amount of colostrum within the first 12 - 24 hours of life,” Dar- Dining, Entertainment, and Celebrations! winter rington said. He added that unsanitary and contaminated conditions may overwhelm the maternal antibodies calves receive. “By keeping calving areas clean and by purposefully limiting cross contamination between age groups of calves you can ensure that this year’s calf crop will have the best chance to stay healthy,” Darrington said. He encourages cattle producers interested in learning more to check out the Sandhill’s Calving System, which is a management style that can help limit scours. An article describing this system can be found at the iGrow Beef community. If cattle producers have questions or want more information, they can contact an SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist. Complete contact listing can be found at the iGrow Our Experts page. niGrow It was time to do it. I mean, Dud had specifically dropped more hints than World War II bombs that he had always craved a pair of snowshoes, and Anita had given him a good set of wood and babiche trail shoes … (the good ones … 12 by 56) for Christmas. Only problem at Christmas was … it’s hard to justify snowshoes when there’s only an inch of snow on the ground. But now, this morning, the world is a powdery white and it’s time to do it. So just after breakfast, Dud Campbell walked on down to the field next to Lewis Creek and strapped them on. Kinda weird. But fun. After a little practice, Dud was shuffling along like nobody’s business on those shoes. Only two more miles, Dud thought, looking back at his following dog team. Only two more miles of packing trail and he’d be in Nome. The Iditarod! Eleven hundred miles of driving a dog team and he’d only had to pack trail for the dogs twice. He smiled through the tunneled parka hood. It takes a real Alaskan to do this job right, of course, and Dud was the one to put the sour in sourdough! Well, he thought, looking up at the yellow-diamond sky, there’s the old Miller place on the left. Well, where the old Miller placed used to be, anyway. Had to take it down, so all that’s left is this field … this field stretching to … The North Pole, of course. Oh, others had been here before. Peary and Henson in 1909 and a bunch of others since then. But they hadn’t done it on snowshoes alone. No way. He would be the first. And he wondered … when I get there, will there be some sort of monument left by the others? Some way of telling I’m really there? Ah, these snowshoes … great opener of doors for Dud’s imagination. Of course, there’s only one reason to reach the North Pole. He’s always wanted to write in his diary, “From there I turned south …” BROOKINGS, S.D. - This year, SDSU Extension is providing training to help producers prepare for the Common Swine Industry Audit as well as quarterly regional trainings throughout the state for South Dakota pork producers to receive their Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) PLUS and Transport Quality Assurance (TQA) certifications. Since 1989 the Pork Quality Assurance PLUS program has assisted producers in producing safe and nutritious pork in a humane and environmentally sustainable manner. Many individual packers have also created their own audit programs to augment PQA PLUS. However in 2014, to avoid duplication of packer audits, the National Pork board and various industry leaders created the new Common Swine Industry Audit. “To respond to this new audit process, SDSU Extension is hosting these trainings to ensure producers are completely prepared for the audit process on their farms,” said Heidi Carroll, SDSU Extension Livestock Stewardship Associate. Common Swine Industry Audit training to be held Jan 19 & Feb. 11 The Common Swine Industry Audit training will be held January 19, 2016 in Mitchell at the SDSU Extension Regional Center (1800 E. Spruce St) from 2 to 4 p.m. and February 11, 2016 in Redfield at Leo’s Good Food (602 N Main St) from 2 to 4 p.m. Registration for these trainings is due the day before training and is $40. Payment will be collected at the training; cash or checks will be accepted. This new two-hour training program covers everything a producer will need to successfully complete the audit. Participants will Common Swine Industry Audit, PQA and TQA winnerland Play any of the Rocket Games at the Casino or Travel Plaza to win a Variety of Prizes until January 31! Prizes include Instant win ticket for Bonus Bucks, Cash Prizes, Logo Items or a chance to win BIG SCREEN TV! Warm, Leather Slippers Pric Redu es ced! Men’s Women’s Boston Shoes to Boots 312 W. 3rd • Yankton • 665-9092 Casual, Comfortable & Arch Support YHS Student House For Sale 32’x50’ three-bedroom home. Built during the 2015-2016 school year by Yankton High School Building Trades Class. receive a 3-ring binder with the templates and examples of all the records, SOPs, etc. that they will have to provide to the auditor. Producers will learn what things the auditor will be evaluating on the walk-through, and what is acceptable and unacceptable. Like PQA PLUS, the Common Swine Industry Audit emphasizes food safety and animal well-being, but it goes much more in-depth on many of the criteria. While a voluntary program, most packers are requiring producers to take part in the Common Swine Industry Audit program. PQA & TQA training dates PQA PLUS training dates: No Registration Fee * April 7 - Aberdeen @ Extension Regional Center, 1-3pm * July 6 - Mitchell @ Extension Regional Center, 1-3pm * October 13 - St. Lawrence @ Willies Bar & Grill, 1-3pm TQA training dates: No Registration Fee * April 7 - Aberdeen @ Extension Regional Center, 3-5pm * July 6 - Mitchell @ Extension Regional Center, 3-5pm * October 13 - St. Lawrence @ Willie’s Bar & Grill, 3-5pm Registration information To register for a training or for more information, please contact Heidi Carroll by phone at 605.688.6623 or by email, or Bob Thaler, by email or by phone at 605.688.5435 and let them know which site you’d like to attend. niGrow finding the right job is easier than you think OPEN HOUSE will be held on January 13th and January 27th from 3:30 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. at the construction site located on the west side of Yankton High School Sealed bids due by 1:30pm on February 2, 2016 For details and bid form, go to: ysd.k12.sd.us/studenthouse or contact the Business Office at(605)665-3980 10 Miles West of Wagner, SD or 3 Miles East of Fort Randall Dam on Hwy 46 1-605-487-7871 or 1-800-362-6333 (Hotel Reservations only) Owned and operated by the Yankton Sioux Tribe Management reserves the right to alter suspend or withdraw promotions and/or offers at anytime. when you’ve got the right direction Stop searching. The Help Wanted section of the Missouri Valley Shopper lists many possible new job opportunities. Find a career that’s right for you. MV Shopper M I S S O U R I VA L L E Y M I S S O U R I VA L L E Y