April 2011

PRACTICE NEWS

As turnout approaches we have seen a number of outbreaks of both calf scour and pneumonia to go along with the seasonal rush of calvings, prolapses caesars etc. The scour has in most cases been identified as Cryptosporidium although both E Coli and Rotavirus have been implicated as well. Early diagnosis of the causative agent remains important to ensure the correct treatment is given. Fluids remain the most effective form of treatment for many cases, either oral with Energaid or in extreme cases, intravenously at the surgery. The Government sponsored BVD testing is now complete with many results still coming in following a lot of last minute sampling. To date results are broadly encouraging with most herds tested showing no evidence of BVD. Credits for the testing should follow next month after we have reclaimed the £36 per herd for those that participated.

CALF CARE AND DISBUDDING

We will be holding a neonatal calf care and disbudding course on Wednesday 27th April 2011. This will cover the day to day care of newborn calves, including the prevention and treatment of some common ailments, in the morning. In the afternoon there will be a practical session on the disbudding of young calves where participants will be shown how to nerve block calves and disbud them and get a chance to put the theory into practice. Please contact the surgery as soon as possible if you are interested in this as numbers will be restricted due to the practical nature of the course.

BULL TESTING

With calving well underway on many farms now is the time to sort out any bull problems. To complete his job properly the bull must be fit and sound enough to follow cows around a field and successfully serve the cows with quality semen. Foot and leg problems are more readily visible and should be remedied well in advance of the service period. Semen quality is now easily determined in most cases by using electroejaculation. This is a useful tool that allows us to identify subfertile bulls before the service period and not at PD time. On the plus side it also allows us to identify bulls that can be reasonably relied upon to settle more than the standard 35-40 in a given time. Remember paying a lot of money for a bull is no guarantee that he will work! We see lots of empty cows attributed to giving the bull ‘one more summer’.

ANTHELMINTIC RESISTANCE

To avoid introducing resistant worms, hoggs returning from away wintering should be drenched with the new wormer, Zolvix. Almost 60% of upland farms in Scotland have white drench resistance and trials showed Zolvix treated lambs gained an average of 2.8kg more than lambs treated with a white drench on such farms. This drench comes with a new design of drenching gun (The Optiline drencher & backpack). The new drench and gun is available from the surgery and it has a short 7 day meat withdrawal.

It is important to know how effective the drenches are on your farm and pre lambing is a good time to check. Samples should be collected 7, 10 or 14 days post drenching depending on whether levamisole, white or avermectin drench was used. SAC now offer a discount on a year’s parasite check allowing you to comply with SCOPS recommendations and target your treatments more effectively. Further details and collection kits are available from the surgery.

The aim of dosing ewes around lambing time is to reduce this contamination. Ewes on contaminated pastures may need a persistent anthelmintic to prevent immediate re-infection. The Cydectin LA injection is ideal for this situation. Ewes turned out onto clean pasture only require a short acting anthelmintic before turnout. In order to avoid undue selection for anthelmintic resistance, SCOPS recommend that this dose be targeted; for example, on thinner, younger and/or multiple bearing ewes, so that not all ewes are dosed and some anthelmintic-susceptible parasites are carried over onto the clean pasture. However if there is a risk of sheep scab please contact us for advice.

LAND MANAGERS CONTRACTS AND OPTIONS

Please let us know if you require a Confirmation of Annual Review Certificate for the 2010 Land Manager Options or a Producer/Vet Declaration. Please note the following changes:

Action 2.3 Maintaining Bodily Condition: Note change of target body condition score of lowland ewes at lambing - changed from 2.0 – 2.5 to 2.5 – 3.0. Action 2.7 Liver Fluke Control: Additional text - Evaluate the effectiveness of treatment and the extent of the high risk areas annually with your vet taking account of the results of sampling and feedback from the abattoir. You may wish to carry out this evaluation during your annual review with your vet.

It is worth discussing the new Animal Welfare Management Programme with us before the deadline for applications of 16th May 2011. Options include payments for Sheep Scab control, Liver fluke control, Lameness prevention and body condition monitoring. Annual payments of up to £3000 are available. This will be the final chance to apply for this 5 year programme.

JAAGSIEKTE (OVINE PULMONARY ADENOMATOSIS)

Lambing is usually the time this contagious lung condition is most obvious. Any middle age ewe losing condition with breathing difficulties should be checked.