Beef Cow Immunity and Its Influence on Fetal and Neonatal Calf Health

Abstract

Improving the immunity of the dam is critical to optimizing the health of the gestating cow and fetus as well as the perinatal calf. Vaccine use alone is inadequate. Strategic management decisions, including types and timing of vaccination, are required. These require a knowledge of the host-pathogen relationship, including immune mechanisms, pathogenesis, and epidemiology. This article selectively reviews the immune system of the cow and fetus during gestation and explores the use of active immunization of the dam as a management tool to control certain reproductive diseases in the beef herd.