A growing number of cattle producers use spring vaccination programs to help reduce the incidence of summer pneumonia in their calves, resulting in increased weight gains. One program that has experienced record growth is Pfizer Gold. In fact, over 1,600 Canadian cattle producers have registered in Pfizer Gold – representing a 600% increase in each of the past two years.
“What sets Pfizer Gold apart from all other programs is that it not only protects calves from disease, but also protects the producer’s bottom line,” says Dr. Terry Gunter, B.V. Sc., Director of Marketing, Pfizer Animal Health, Canada. “Pfizer Gold provides the most comprehensive promotional program in the industry – including a certified Directory of all registered producers and even special auctions to support the sales of Pfizer Gold calves. Throughout the season, feedlot buyers are made aware of the benefits of spring vaccination so they know to look for Pfizer Gold calves when it’s time to buy.”
Geared towards cow/calf producers and buyers, the Pfizer Gold program promotes the use of spring vaccination, highlighting the benefits of incorporating it into herd health management practices. The program also connects the key industry players – producers, veterinarians and buyers – for effective coordination of livestock care.
Under the program, cattle producers work closely with their veterinarian to select the vaccines that work best to protect against major viral diseases including IBR, BVD Type 1 and 2, BRSV and PI3. Vaccinations must be administered a minimum of two weeks prior to weaning to qualify under the Pfizer Gold program.
“Producers stand to have much better protection for their herd using the Pfizer Gold products,” explains Gunter. “And this translates into better protection of their investment. Buyers appreciate the assurance of healthy calves so it’s really a win-win for both producers and buyers.”
Today’s challenging market conditions for cattle producers make protecting their investment more important than ever. Disease prevention is far less costly than treatment should there be a disease outbreak or cattle losses. Diseases like pneumonia can push up death losses, increase medical costs, reduce average daily gain and drive up the total cost per pound of gain. Preventing disease through spring vaccination can reduce losses, resulting in maximum weight gains.
John and Jackie Johnson of Triple L Stock Farms Ltd. in East Selkirk, Manitoba know firsthand the benefits of spring vaccination. “Pfizer Gold worked good for us this summer – didn’t have to treat one calf out of 150. We did all the calves this spring and then boosted them in the fall,” says John. “The 73 calves we sold off our cows this November were the heaviest, healthiest calves we’ve ever had. One buyer at our sale said his customer told him not to buy anything unless it had a Pfizer Gold sticker on it.” The Johnsons calve approximately 260 head of exotic cross Charolais/ Simmental annually.
Buyers interested in finding out about Pfizer Gold calves can look on the internet at Pfizergold.com. In the spring, the website promotes the value of calves that have been pre-vaccinated as part of the herd health management program. In the fall, the website includes a detailed listing of all registered producers allowing buyers to preview prior to buying.
For producers looking for disease protection and for buyers looking for a healthy investment, this spring vaccination program is as good as gold.
Pfizer is committed to enhancing the animal health industry by delivering innovation to the veterinary profession. For more information on Pfizer Gold or any other products and programs from Pfizer contact:
Pete Knight DVM Senior Manager Technical Service, Cattle Products Pfizer Animal Health Canada 1-800-999-2587