Analysis of intranasal vaccine and environmental factors on calves

In order to have healthy calves it is important to ensure proper keeping conditions and microclimate parameters that meets the requirements. It is also important to prevent infectious diseases. Vaccination should be mentioned as important preventive measure. Main agents that couse bovine respiratory disease complex in Lithuania are RS and PI3 viruses. Bovine respiratory disease complex brings huge losses to Lithuania dairy farming due to decreased weight gain of sick calves, treatment costs, increased mortality. Even if these calves recover they can not grow into full productive cows anymore. Intranasal vaccine mimics infection more realistically than parenteral vaccine, calves form an immune response and protection more quickly. During the study (within 4 months) two groups were formed: vaccinated group of 38 calves and the control group of 8 calves. Intranasal vaccine Rispoval RS + PI3 was applicated on calves. Collected information: birth date of calves; calf ear-tag numbers; mothers ear-tag numbers; total number of mother lactations; calf breed; calf gender; the date of vaccination; body temperature of calf on the day of vaccination, body temperature on the 2nd day; monthly weight gain of calves; information about treatment; information about indoor and outdoor where calves were kept temperature, humidity, air movement velocity, composition atmospheric gases. There was no considerable violation of the keeping conditions. Vaccinated calves had 9.21 % more respiratory diseases, 2.5 % higher mortality, the average weight gain during the month was 0.5 % lower than in the control group. However, in the control group that had respiratory diseases weight gain was lower compared with vaccinated groups that stayed healthy and had respiratory diseases, also, they required treatment more times in average. Calves that were vaccinate up to 9 days old gain 0.87 kg more than in all vaccinated calves monthly and they needed treatment 0.44 times less in average