Cattle producers should keep a close eye on freshly weaned calves with the tough weather conditions. A lot of the challenges started in the spring, when calves were born in the rain, snow and cold. Some calves may not have received the colostrum they needed at birth. “So come weaning, we may see more sickness. I would really encourage producers to set up vaccine protocols,” says Dr. Peggy Thompson, cattle professional services veterinarian, Boehringer Ingelheim. “We’re also seeing quite a bit of difference in income when these calves go to market if they haven’t had any preconditioning done.” Additionally, freshly weaned calves are susceptible to respiratory viruses that can cause pneumonia. “We could have increased instances just due to the stress of weaning and the weather. Just watch those cattle closer because there may be more sickness.” Listen to the interview.