Comparing colostral bovine rotavirus and bovine coronavirus antibodies in primiparous and multiparous cows vaccinated pre-partum with two different multivalent vaccines

Abstract

Neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD) is a prevalent problem globally and in the U.S., data from NAHMS indicates that 50% of pre-weaned dairy heifer deaths are due to NCD. Bovine rotavirus (BoRV) and coronavirus (BoCV) are common viral causes of NCD. Dry cows are frequently vaccinated against these pathogens to enhance colostral antibody content. Studies have shown that vaccinating cows increases colostral antibodies but few published studies exist comparing different vaccines in this regard. The objective of this trial was to compare colostral antibody titers from cows given one of 2 commonly used multivalent vaccines compared to cows that were left as unvaccinated controls.