Dairy farmers are also beef producers. Therefore, the injection site should be carefully selected to avoid damaging valuable pieces of meat. We are in the dairy business. Milk is our main source of income, but in the end, we also sell beef. In the past few years, beef production in the dairy sector, including culled cows, dairy cows and heifers, accounted for 19% to 22% of total US beef production.
When you consider injections of all calves from birth to elimination or death, the possibility of injury to the injection site is real. A cow may receive 15 to 20 injections per lactation cycle. For example, if a cow undergoes the pre-synchronization-ovsynch procedure before the first artificial insemination after calving, resynchronizes once or twice before pregnancy, and receives several postpartum and dry cow vaccinations, please consider.
Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) is a nationally coordinated program implemented by the state. BQA provides American beef producers and beef consumers with information on how common-sense animal husbandry can be combined with proven scientific evidence to raise cattle under optimal conditions. The guide aims to ensure that all beef consumers can rest assured that the beef they buy is of top quality.
One assumption of beef quality assurance is that all injected products will cause muscle damage, and all injections should be done in front of the shoulder to avoid damaging high-value meat. Injections to any part between the shoulder and back of cows are common in the dairy industry, and at least 50% of reproductive hormones are reported to be injected intramuscularly (IM) in the hind leg.
There are several reasons for the limited use of reproductive hormone injections in the neck of cows. First, the facilities used during pregnancy diagnosis and other reproductive work make neck injections somewhat challenging. Since head locks are often used to restrain cows, accessing and injecting the neck area can be more difficult than implementing the protocol at the rear end of the cow.
Some people believe that the effectiveness of reproductive hormones varies depending on the site of administration. The US FDA-approved label does not list specific body parts for injection of prostaglandin or GnRH intravenous (IV) or IM. Zoetis' new concentrated Lutalyse prostaglandin product (HighCon) has special label injection sites including IM and subcutaneous (SQ) options.
It is believed that reproductive hormones do less damage to muscle tissue than vaccines, antibacterial drugs, and anti-inflammatory drugs. This may be another reason for not using neck injections of reproductive hormones. Even the injection of sterile water can cause disease.
Beef quality assurance has now been included in the FARM (Farmer Assurance Responsible Management) program of the National Milk Producers Federation. This year’s audit showed that dairy farmers are responding. The frequency of injection site injuries in this round has dropped from 60% in 1998 to about 15% today. More cow carcasses are sold for select cuts in high-end restaurants, because Holstein beef marbles are very good. The 2012 culling audit showed that 75% of individual culled cows or bull carcasses were sold as whole muscles instead of ground beef.
The National Dairy Farm Program is dedicated to helping dairy producers manage their operations in a way that ensures high-quality milk and produces beef that meets consumer expectations. All dairy producers who have completed FARM 3.0 evaluation have passed BQA certification. For more information, please visit its informative website www.nationaldairyfarm.com.
A study examined IM injections of prostaglandin (5 ml), GnRH (2 ml), flunixin meglumine (5 ml Banamine) in the semimembranosus or semitendinosus (upper hind leg muscle) 5 times a week Or normal saline (5 ml) after muscle injury injury or round). Banamine was used as a positive control because it is known to cause tissue damage when administered IM instead of SQ. Chemically assess tissue damage by monitoring blood levels of creatine kinase. Compared with GnRH or normal saline, IM injection of prostaglandin and Banamine caused more muscle damage.
Prostaglandins are known to cause vasoconstriction and may cause muscle damage by affecting blood flow. One problem with this study is that there are differences in the number of products used as treatments, and the lack of actual tissue inspections at the site of administration. Despite these potential deficiencies, the results indicate that intramuscular injection of prostaglandin may cause more lesions at the injection site than GnRH.
Reproductive hormones should be delivered deep in the muscles. Use 1.5-inch needles that do not exceed 18 gauge. This needle gauge and length ensure deep IM conveying of the product. Injection products may reflux, so this recommendation makes sense, especially when a GnRH product is only concentrated to a volume of 1 cc. The BQA guidelines recommend that no more than 10 ml is administered to one site at a time.
Use sterile injection technique. Try to inject the product through the neck cleansing area. Never put a needle that is already in the animal's body into the product bottle. Pharmaceutical companies must comply with strict standards to ensure the sterility and safety of their injectable products. Mishandling and reuse of needles may cause contamination on the farm. Providing contaminated products greatly increases the likelihood of infection and reduces the efficacy of the products used.
Neck injection is better than hind leg injection to meet BQA guidelines. When possible, you should follow these regulations to reduce and eliminate injection site lesions in high-value meat cuts. Please consider these guidelines and recommendations when training employees and administering intramuscular injections. Happy AI breeding!