Have a diagnosis made, and take recommended action as soon as possible. Herd health programs must be tailored to each individual production situation. Performance of procedures should be grouped because cattle handling is expensive, time consuming, and stressful to cattle. In some cases, the cost of performing a procedure may outweigh the benefits gained. Every procedure should be evaluated in terms of its potential to be cost-beneficial.
Veterinarians can be of tremendous help in establishing and maintaining health programs.
They keep current with new developments in disease occurrence and in procedures available to prevent and treat diseases. Knowledge and experience enable them to help tailor programs that are based on the goals, capabilities, and situations present on given farms. It is important for your veterinarian to be a part of the herd health team. This program is based on handling cows twice a year and calves twice a year, along with administering some procedures to newborn calves. Times are given in relation to the time of the production cycle rather than calendar dates so that the program may be adapted for a calving season that begins any time of the year.