Suckler calves generally remain with their dams at pasture until they are weaned, usually between five and nine months of age.

Some autumn-born calves will have been weaned going out of the shed with later winter-born calves remaining at grass with their mothers until autumn time again.

Weaning stress has an adverse effect on the immune system, making calves more susceptible to disease, particularly pneumonia.

It is essential for the health and performance of these calves to minimise stress around weaning by having good handling facilities and by using proper weaning procedures.

Causes and signs of pneumonia in weanlings

A combination of stress and infectious agents like viruses and bacteria contribute to the increased likelihood of a pneumonia outbreak in weanlings.

Calves may be infected with more than one of these viruses and bacteria at a time.

The viruses that most commonly cause pneumonia are Bovine Herpesvirus 1 (BoHV1); the virus that causes Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR); Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus, (BRSV) and Parainfluenza Virus 3 (PI3V).

The bacteria involved include Mycoplasma bovis, Pasteurella multocida, Mannheimia haemolytica and Histophilus somni. Early diagnosis is essential for the successful treatment of pneumonia, as is good stockmanship.

This requires calves to be observed on a regular basis post-weaning.

Initial signs of pneumonia can be non-specific and include being off-form, dullness, reduced feed intake and lack of gut fill.

Other signs may include fever (over 39.5°C), increased respiratory rate, watery nasal discharge and severe breathing difficulties.

By the time these later signs are apparent, the disease is advanced and treatment is less likely to be successful as damage to the lungs may be irreversible.

If you suspect weanling pneumonia is present, consult your vet for advice on diagnosis and treatment.

If you spot pneumonia in a group of cattle, other cattle within that group will be more susceptible to contracting pneumonia, so extra vigilance is required.

Pneumonia prevention

Pneumonia around the time of weaning has the potential to cause significant performance losses and even death in weanlings.

The risk of pneumonia is increased by factors such as poor weaning management, sheds with poor ventilation and additional stressful events around weaning – including mixing newly bought animals with homebred animals.

Quarantine

If you are buying weanlings, quarantine new animals after arrival, ideally outdoors or in well ventilated buildings for at least four weeks before mixing with homebred animals.

Vaccines are available against the most common viruses and bacteria that cause pneumonia.

Time is required to build up protection and vaccine courses should be completed before the time of weaning and housing in order to have the best effect.

For most vaccines, this means beginning the vaccination programme at least six weeks before the planned date of weaning.

In some situations, vaccination may also be used in the face of a viral respiratory disease outbreak.

Best practice for vaccines

  • Always check with your vet prior to vaccine administration.
  • Allow the vaccine to reach ambient temperature (room temperature).
  • Always read and make sure you understand the manufacturer’s instructions before use. Record all vaccines given to animals, eg date, animal number, type of vaccine used in your own animal remedy records.
  • Never mix vaccines or administer different vaccines within 14 days of each other unless the instructions state otherwise.
  • Don’t use the same needle or syringe for different vaccines.
  • For vaccines given intra-nasally, the supplied applicators are designed to break up the vaccine into minute droplets, so it is important to use it to disperse the vaccine in the nasal chambers.
  • If not vaccinating all animals, separate vaccinated groups from unvaccinated groups that need to remain free from viral antibodies. This is necessary to avoid the possible spread of live vaccine virus from vaccinated animals, which may excrete the virus for up to five days following intra-nasal vaccination. Separating these groups will avoid accidental contact with the vaccine virus resulting in their becoming antibody positive. For some vaccines, eg for IBR, this would prevent their entry to a semen collection centre or bull testing station.
  • Do not use vaccines with immuno-suppressive products such as corticosteroids. If there is any doubt about other animal remedies, use on a case-by-case basis in consultation with your veterinary practitioner.
  • Always store vaccines in a fridge at two degrees Celsius to eight degrees Celsius.
  • Always check the shelf-life of the product and never use expired vaccines. Once opened (seal broken), check the longevity of the product (usually hours).
  • Using some vaccines in the face of a disease outbreak can be questionable in that vaccines may not trigger an immune response if the animal has a high temperature.

    • Exporter view

    Speaking at a recent suckler event in Aurivo marts, Balla, Co Mayo, Roscommon-based live exporter Derek Maxwell said that vaccination is a must when selling calves in 2026.

    “That’s one of the biggest things that our customers are coming back with. They want healthy calves and if we are to keep them customers coming to this country to buy weanlings, we have to start to vaccinate them.

    “The money is just too big now. We have been taking a massive risk buying unvaccinated weanlings and we can’t afford to take that risk anymore.

    “I’m giving farmers fair warning that we will be prioritising buying vaccinated weanlings when the autumn weanling trade kicks off in 2026”

    Summer health tips

  • Parasite control: lungworm (hoose) infection in adult cattle and calves can give rise to husky coughing depending on the grazing management and dosing regime on the farm. Roundworms in young stock will increase if animals are not dosed appropriately. Fly control is also important.
  • Vaccinations: in preparation for the autumn, review vaccination protocols with your vet. Administer a broad-based clostridial vaccine if there has been a past issue on-farm.
  • Tetany prevention: lower grass supplies and increased stress around weaning can place suckler cows at an increased risk to tetany. Make sure you are supplementing cows with some form of magnesium to prevent tetany.

    • Beef Welfare Scheme Vaccination options

    While the actions for the 2026 National Beef Welfare Scheme have not been confirmed yet, the two vaccination options available to farmers in 2025 were clostridial vaccination and pneumonia vaccination.

    Participants will receive a payment of €15/eligible calf for completing this task. Bluetongue vaccination has also been added as an option in 2026.

    Eligible calves

    The maximum payment in previous years was based on the number of calves born from 1 July to 30 June, with an upper payment limit of 45 head.

    To be eligible for payment a calf must be born on the farm to an eligible suckler cow.

    This is defined as a cow which belongs to a beef breed or is sired by a beef breed bull, is in the ownership and possession of the applicant and maintained on the holding, is part of a herd intended for rearing calves for meat production and rears a calf by suckling. The cow must also be inseminated either through natural service or artificial insemination by a bull of a beef breed.

    \ Philip Doyle

    An eligible calf must satisfy the breed criteria outlined above and also have been tagged and registered with the Department’s Registration Agency within 27 days of birth.

    Failure to register a calf within 27 days will result in the animal being ineligible for payment.

    Calves that have left the holding prior to the opening of the scheme remain eligible provided actions have been completed.

    Beef Welfare Scheme Vaccination protocols

    If this action is selected at application stage, participants must implement a vaccination programme against clostridial diseases and/or calf pneumonia in suckler calves and record details of the vaccination. The exact recommendations regarding pneumonia vaccination were not prescriptive in 2025.

    Derek Maxwell

    The terms and conditions stated: “farmers should select the most appropriate product for their holding and circumstances and should comply with the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding the relevant product.

    “Where appropriate, it is advised that participants should consult with their veterinary surgeon for the most suitable vaccination programme for their specific farm.

    "A record must be kept by each participant in this option of the purchase and use of vaccines. For a vaccine to work properly, you must follow the vaccination programme for the product being used, and allow the time required for the onset of immunity.”

    The recommendation relating to clostridial vaccination was as follows:

    “Clostridial vaccines consist of a combination vaccine covering a range of clostridial diseases with a primary course of two injections of 2ml doses given four to six weeks apart.

    Calves can be vaccinated from two weeks of age. Farmers should select the most appropriate product for their holding and circumstances and should comply with the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding the relevant product.

    “Where appropriate, it is advised that participants should consult with their veterinary surgeon for the most suitable vaccination programme for their specific farm.

    “A record must be kept by each participant in this option of the purchase and use of vaccines.”