Morning Ag Clips logo
  • Subscribe ❯
  • PORTAL ❯
  • LOGIN ❯
  • By Keyword
  • By topic
  • By state
  • Home
  • Events
  • Jobs
  • Store
  • Advertise
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Subscribe to our
    daily email
    ❯
  • Portal Registration❯
  • Login❯
  • policy
  • tractors & machinery
  • education
  • conservation
  • webinars
  • business
  • dairy
  • cattle
  • poultry
  • swine
  • corn
  • soybeans
  • organic
  • specialty crops
  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

Morning Ag Clips

  • By Keyword
  • By topic
  • By state
  • policy
  • tractors & machinery
  • education
  • conservation
  • webinars
  • business
  • dairy
  • cattle
  • poultry
  • swine
  • corn
  • soybeans
  • organic
  • specialty crops
  • Home
  • Events
  • Jobs
  • Store
  • Advertise
Home » Boosting consumer confidence in beef
cattle marketing
From Gate to Plate ...

Boosting consumer confidence in beef

Proper vaccine administration can help coost consumer confidence in beef

PUBLISHED ON January 13, 2021

Dr. Wade encourages producers to choose a vaccine that combines effective disease protection and tissue friendliness. By selecting a vaccine that meets BQA standards for low dosage and subcutaneous injection, the risk of long-term tissue damage is minimized. (Courtesy Photo)

DULUTH, Ga. — With ever-increasing competition for the consumer’s protein dollar, beef producers look for ways to inspire consumer confidence in beef products. Although it may not be top of mind, management strategies like proper vaccine administration can come into play.

“The end goal of cattle production is for consumers to have a pleasant eating experience when they choose beef as their protein,” said John Currin, DVM, extension veterinarian and beef quality assurance (BQA) coordinator, Virginia Tech. “Improper administration of animal health products not only de-values the animal, but it can cause consumers to have an undesirable eating experience down the line.”

To not only prevent meat quality defects, but also ensure animal well-being and increase the market value of cattle, Dr. Currin and Jody Wade, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim, provide insight on best practices for vaccine administration:

1. Store, mix and handle vaccines according to label directions.

“Vaccinating cattle prevents disease, and therefore cuts down on the total number of injections that each animal will receive in its lifetime,” said Dr. Currin. “Improper storage and handling of vaccines will result in less efficacious products. Animals will be more likely to be infected by disease-causing pathogens and require additional injections for disease treatment.”

Store vaccines somewhere dark and at a temperature of 35-45 degrees Fahrenheit. Reading and following label directions is the easiest way to be sure you’re storing, mixing and handling each vaccine correctly.

2. Choose an appropriately-sized needle.

Product efficacy and tissue reactions may be drastically affected by the product entering the wrong tissue plane due to incorrect needle gauge and length.

“The needle needs to be long enough to push the vaccine through the skin without a struggle, but short enough so we don’t reach muscle tissue underneath the skin when giving a subcutaneous injection,” said Dr. Wade. Needles should be new, the appropriate length and no larger than 16 gauge.

Note: Using larger or dull needles can traumatize tissue and produce injection site lesions.1

3. Administer products subcutaneously.

Intra-muscular products are most likely to cause tissue damage. In fact, a Colorado University research study showed that more than 90% of intramuscular marks at branding were also found at processing.2

“To prevent any damage to the retail product for consumers, best practice is to administer vaccines subcutaneously whenever possible,” said Dr. Currin. All injections should also occur in front of the shoulder, and be at least four inches apart. Tenting the skin for subcutaneous injections allows for proper product administration.

4. Choose a BQA-certified vaccine. 

Dr. Wade encourages producers to choose a vaccine that combines effective disease protection and tissue friendliness. By selecting a vaccine that meets BQA standards for low dosage and subcutaneous injection, the risk of long-term tissue damage is minimized.

5. Evaluate animals prior to vaccine administration.

It’s also important to evaluate the cattle before deciding to administer vaccines. “When producers are processing cattle that have just been rained on, we will typically see more tissue damage due to the wet hides,” said Dr. Wade. “When a needle is inserted into a wet hide, it may carry bacteria from the surface of the skin into the injection site.”

6. Be aware of and adhere to product withdrawal times.

Animal health products typically have withdrawal time guidelines that need to be followed to ensure the end product is safe to eat. Therefore, keeping accurate records of product administration and following the label for withdrawal periods is crucial.

Finally, your local veterinarian and state BQA coordinator can provide additional guidance on how to best administer animal health products to ensure a safe end product for consumers to enjoy.

1 Hilton WM. Beef quality assurance injection sites and techniques. Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service. 2005.

2 Dollars and sense: The value of beef quality and consistency. Texas A&M University System. 2012.

–Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health

For more articles concerning the beef industry, click here.

RECOMMENDED ARTICLES

NCBA announces 2022 Beef Quality Assurance award winners
February 06, 2022

HOUSTON — The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, has announced the winners of the 2022 Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Awards, sponsored by Cargill. The National BQA Awards annually recognize outstanding beef and dairy producers, marketers, and educators. Winners not only demonstrate high-quality animal care and handling principles as part of […]

Program increases beef quality and consumer confidence
July 15, 2021

CENTENNIAL, Colo. — As the Beef Checkoff celebrates its 35th anniversary, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, is shining a light on the successful promotion and research programs that drive the demand for beef. Today, we feature the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program, which has improved beef quality and […]

Texas A&M helps prepare animal health 'first responders'
June 14, 2021

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Institute for Infectious Animal Diseases, IIAD, a unit of Texas A&M AgriLife, and Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, CVMBS, recently hosted a virtual foot-and-mouth disease, FMD, vaccine tabletop exercise. The event helped animal health experts from top beef, dairy and swine states collaborate on vaccine plans for their […]

How to talk about COVID-19 vaccination with your employees
April 22, 2021

ITHACA, N.Y. — The decision to receive the COVID-19 vaccine is a highly personal one, yet each individual’s decision has profound implications for public health. At the farm level, that makes farmer and farm worker vaccination an important risk management issue. The more people on your farm who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the lower […]

A dairy farmer's guide to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout
February 14, 2021

WASHINGTON — The COVID-19 pandemic has presented numerous challenges for U.S. dairy farmers, who remain committed to implementing CDC-recommended workforce best practices to prevent and control the spread of coronavirus on farms. Access to one of two safe and highly effective vaccines will give the dairy workforce and their families an added layer of protection […]

Spread the word

Browse More Clips

Editorial: Rural Texas prepares for Legislative Session

Dairy cattle judges confirmed for World Dairy Expo 2021

Primary Sidebar

MORE

CALIFORNIA CLIPS

The farm bill jump ball is in flight
January 31, 2023
Bar 20 Dairy named 2023 Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year
January 31, 2023
FBN, Boveta Nutrition launch new feeding system for beef cattle
January 31, 2023
dairy cows (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Public Domain)
Fresno State receives $1.8M grant to expand dairy outreach program
January 31, 2023
dairy cows (Photo by Carolien van Oijen on Unsplash)
California dairy districts seek ambassadors to serve as 2023 Dairy Princesses
January 31, 2023
  • Trending
  • Latest

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...

Mid-South Stocker Conference
Mid-South Stocker Conference is Feb. 21-22
February 1, 2023
Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board
Hildenbrand named to Beef Promotion and Research Board
February 1, 2023
Young Cattleman award
Brinker earns Young Cattleman of the Year Award
February 1, 2023
Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative
Dairy group applauds additional ​​​​​​​action in Canada dispute
February 1, 2023
New York Beef Promoter of the Year Award announced
January 31, 2023

Footer

MORNING AG CLIPS

  • Contact Us
  • Sponsors
  • About Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service

CONNECT WITH US

  • Like Us on Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

TRACK YOUR TRADE

  • Markets & Economy
  • Cattle Updates
  • Dairy News
  • Policy & Politics
  • Corn Alerts

QUICK LINKS

  • Account
  • Portal Membership
  • Just Me, Kate
  • Farmhouse Communication

Get the MAC App Today!

Get it on Google Play
Download on the App Store

© 2023 Morning Ag Clips, LLC. All Rights Reserved.