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.

Cattle Processing

When conducting processing procedures such as vaccinations, castration, dehorning and branding; proper techniques and/or equipment should be utilized.

To ensure the health and well–being of the animal, only properly trained and experienced personnel should perform these procedures. It is important to have the cattle properly restrained, to prevent injury to the cattle and handlers. Treating cattle for control of lice, grubs, and flies and for internal parasites may also require some limited confinement and restraint of cattle.

Vaccinations

Even experienced producers may overlook many key aspects when preparing and administering vaccines. With the increased use of Modified Live (ML) and Chemically–Altered (CA) vaccines, producers need to reevaluate how everyone involved with your operation handles products. First, purchase vaccines from a reputable dealer. A vaccine will be less than 100 percent effective if it has ever been stored improperly, frozen, damaged by heat or light. Management practices can also increase the percentage of cattle that respond to vaccine, maximizing the efficacy of the vaccine greatly enhances immune response. Reducing stress, providing improved nutritional management, along with proper timing of vaccination, will increase the response rate to the vaccine.

Handling Vaccines

• When purchasing an animal health product, always transport it in a closed, refrigerated container. Keep vaccine shielded from UV light by storing it in a refrigerator and transport it using cold packs.
• Always keep the vaccine cool while you process cattle. Keep the working bottle of vaccine and syringes in a cooler. Unused and unmixed product should be in a closed, refrigerated container until used.
• Only mix ML product within an hour of use.
• If you are processing a small number of cattle, purchase the product in small containers with fewer doses.

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