Montana Beef Quality Assurance Certification Course

• Tutorial Main
• Introduction
  • Education Team
  • Intro to BQA
  • BQA History / Nat. Audits
  • 2005 Nat. Audit
  • Top 10 Industry Goals
  • Defining Quality Beef / Cattle Care
• Regional Curriculum
• Record Keeping
  • Effective Record Keeping
  • Information Recorded
• Care & Handling
  • Producer Attitude
  • Animal Behavior
  • Facilities & Transportation
  • Nutrition
• Feed & Additives
  • Feed
  • Additives
  • Handling / Monitoring
• Animal Health
  • Vaccines
  • Injections
  • Needles
  • Implants
  • Parasite Control
  • Antimicrobials
• Processing
  • Vaccinations
  • Dehorning & Castration
  • Identification
  • Weaning
• Carcass Quality
  • Quality Grade
  • Yield Grade
  • Other Quality Issues
• Marketing
  • Source & Age Verificiation
  • Market Timing
  • Cow Marketing
  • Feeder Calf Grades
  • Shrink
• Breeding & Genetics
  • Uniformity & Consistency
  • EPDs
  • Crossbreeding
• Biosecurity Basics
  • Disease Control
  • Learning Tough Lessons
  • Attention to Zoonotics
  • Agroterrorism
• Certification Process
• MT BQA Directives
• BQA Code
• Certification Exam

Funded, in part, by beef and veal producers and importers through their $1-per-head check off through the Cattlemen's Beef Board and state beef councils by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

Animal Health Products & Practices

Needle/Syringe Care

Select the needle size to fit the size of the cattle, diameter (gauge) to fit the viscosity of the product, length to fit the route of administration.

	Routes of Administration
	Sub Q Injection ½ to ¾ inch needle			Intraveneous injection 1½ inch needle			Intramuscular injection 1 to 1½ inch needle
	Cattle Weight			Cattle Weight			Cattle Weight
Injectable Viscosity	<300	300–700	>700	<300	300–700	>700	<300	300–700	>700
Thin/Watery Saline, live virus vaccine	18 gauge	18–16 gauge	16 gauge	18–16 gauge	16 gauge	16–14 gauge	20–18 gauge	18–16 gauge	18–16 gauge
Thick Biomycin, L.A. 200, NuFlor	18–16 gauge	18–16 gauge	16 gauge	16 gauge	16–14 gauge	16–14 gauge	18 gauge	16 gauge	16 gauge
Select the needle to fit the cattle size (the smallest practical size without bending)

When to Change Needles

• Immediately if the needle bends (DO NOT USE BENT NEEDLES).
• If needles become contaminated with feces, dirt, or irritating chemicals.
• If the needle point is damaged or burrs develop.
• Before the needle becomes dull (every 10 to 15 cattle).
• Between cattle with known blood borne infectious disease.
• Based on your veterinarian’s instructions.

Broken Needles

• Restrain animals properly and adhere to injection site management, to prevent breaking needles.
• Do not straighten and reuse bent needles.

Replace broken needles immediately.

• Develop a standard operating procedure for dealing with needles broken off in cattle.
  • If the needle remains in the animal, mark the location where the needle was inserted.
  • If a broken needle cannot be removed at the ranch, contact a veterinarian immediately to have the needle surgically removed.
  • If a broken needle cannot be extracted from the tissue, record the animal’s ID to ensure that it is never sold or leaves the ranch. At the end of its productive life, the animal should be euthanatized and disposed of properly.

Needle Disposal

Your veterinarian can supply you with a sharps container.

Syringe cleaning steps for multiple dose syringes

1. Clean the external syringe surface with soap, water and a brush.
2. Rinse the inside components of the vaccine syringe, including tubes and connectors with distilled or deionized water that is near the boiling point (greater than 180 degrees F). Three to five rinses should be adequate.
   • Remove as much water from the inside of the syringe as can be squirted out and let the syringe cool before using. Heat kills modified live vaccine (MLV) products.
   • Do not use soap or disinfectant on internal components as residues may inactivate MLV vaccines.
3. Store the vaccine syringe in a dust free, dry (low humidity) environment.
   • It is best if the newly cleaned vaccine syringe is stored in a new Ziploc bag and placed in the freezer. Then allow the syringe to return to room temperature before using again.

Change needles frequently, at least every 10 to 15 animals, or every syringe of vaccine.

When using killed vaccines, keep a saucer or sponge of alcohol or disinfectant nearby and wipe off the needle after each use. Do not disinfect needles between injections when using a modified live vaccine, as the disinfectant can inactivate the vaccine. Injecting into a wet or muddy site can increase both the spread of disease and the incidence of injection site lesions. Make sure the injection site is clean. Clean transfer needles regularly to avoid contamination.

Residue Avoidance

• Avoiding tissue residues of antibiotics or other drugs is simple to manage.
• Observe and follow label directions and ensure that cattle are not marketed until the appropriate withdrawal time has elapsed.

Implants

• The only approved location for implant administration is the middle third of the backside of the ear.
• All implants must be located subcutaneously within this area.
• Implants should never be placed in locations other than the ear.
• Routine inspection of implant and vaccine sites should be done every time animals are handled.
• Document the results of the inspection for future reference in implant management decisions.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves and regulates the use of all growth promoting implants. Optimal response to implants depends on sanitation and proper implanting techniques. Improper sanitation and technique may cause defects including abscesses, lost implants, improper placement, crushed pellets and missing pellets. Manufacturers of implants market an implant gun that is specific for each implant. The implant and implant gun should be made by the same manufacturer to keep defects to a minimum. Today, at least 22 brand name growth implants are available for feedlot cattle. That works out to nearly 500 possible implant combinations in a reimplant program and more than 10,000 possible combinations if three implants are given to long–fed cattle.

Calfhood implants can add 20 to 40 lbs. (3–5%) to weaning weights. Stocker cattle that are gaining over 1.5 lbs./day will increase weight gain 8–18% or 15–40 lbs. during the grazing season. Cattle that have been implanted as calves or stockers may have a slightly lower response to feedlot implants than those that have not been implanted. Keep this rule of thumb in mind: The most important implant you give is the last one before you sell the cattle. In the feedlot that is the terminal implant. If you background calves, the implant used the last 80–120 days will give you the most return per dollar invested.

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Copyright © 2006, Montana Beef Quality Assurance