As more and more producers recognize, calves that are preconditioned on the ranch have fewer health problems after they leave it. And they perform better, too. Preconditioning includes vaccination, deworming, dehorning, castration, adjustment to the feedbunk and water tank, and a holding period on the ranch after weaning. Getting started early helps because it’s less stressful to castrate and dehorn calves prior to weaning. This is also a good time to start respiratory disease control and parasite protection. You’ll improve your calves’ ability to cope with change and resist disease challenges with proper preconditioning.

Consider the results from a summary of the Texas A&M Ranch to Rail program (1991-1995).

• Healthy cattle had a more favorable return of $92.26 than cattle that got sick.
• The cost of gain for healthy cattle was 17% lower than for sick cattle.
• Healthy cattle produced higher-quality carcasses.
• There are cattle feeding operations willing to pay more for good-quality, properly immunized and backgrounded calves.¹

MERIAL SUREHEALTH is a solid set of management practices proven to increase productivity. It includes:

• A comprehensive and reliable animal health protocol for each stage of a beef animal’s life.
• MERIAL SUREHEALTH Preconditioning Certification. This can not only improve the productivity of your herd, but can add value or reduce discounts when you sell calves.

Developed by veterinarians for cattle producers, MERIAL SUREHEALTH is closely tied to the recommendations of your own animal health practitioner. Your veterinarian will sign off on your MERIAL SUREHEALTH protocol, to certify that your animals are receiving the best possible care.

1 McNeill J. Vaccination program adds value. Angus Journal 1996; 17-18.