Preconditioning for Healthy Calves

A sound preconditioning program helps ensure the health of weaned calves. Preconditioning includes vaccinating and other health care, weaning and introducing dry feed. It is designed to prepare calves for arrival at a back-grounding lot or feedyard in a manner that significantly reduces sickness and death loss. Preconditioning ensures to buyers that calves have been properly handled, and can lead to premium sale prices.

For the best response, the proper vaccines must be administered in time for calves to develop immunity before they are challenged by a disease. A common approach would be to vaccinate for blackleg or blackleg/somnus, and respiratory diseases IBR, BVD, PI3, BRSV and Pasteurella (Mannheimia haemolytica). By increasing resistance to respiratory diseases while calves are still on the farm, where exposure and stress are minimal, they are better prepared for sale and transport to a feedyard or the next phase of production. Most calves are healthy on sale day, but the stress from weaning, transport and environmental change lowers their ability to resist disease at a time when their exposure to disease increases.

Need help with preconditioning records? Ask about our Preconditioning Certification forms, which are free to you upon request with your vaccine purchase. The forms allow you to document health care for buyers, including dates of blackleg vaccination, respiratory vaccination, deworming, external parasite control and other data. Two-part forms include record for buyer and a duplicate copy for your own records. Lori H