HIGH RISK DISEASE ALERT: Lungworm
Extended grazing into a late mild Autumn means very short lungworm life cycles and rapid build up of larvae on the pasture despite good control all summer.
Ivermectin pour-on stops re-infection with Lungworm for 28 days, Moxidectin pour-on stops re-infection for 6 weeks , and the long acting injectable (behind the ear) Moxidectin stops re-infection for 120 days so ALL worming strategies could be considered vulnerable at this time of year as we make the most of the extended grazing period without a frost.
The first sign you'll see is coughing when you move the group. Don't delay on treatment.
Calf Pneumonia: Defining Prevention
Autumn and the changeable weather that we've been having lately definitely leads to a seasonal rise in the pneumonia cases - this raises some interesting questions.
Do we accept this Autumn spike as the norm?
How many treatments is "too many"?
How many did you treat last Autumn?
How do you compare with other local farms?
Do we lean too heavily on long acting antibiotic treatments?
Is there a long term cost to compromised lungs?
Are stricter regulations for pneumonia antibiotics on the way?
Is prevention just about vaccine?
Are stricter regulations for pneumonia antibiotics on the way?
All Red Tractor farms now need to do an annual audit of their medicines use and so pneumonia meds will be included as part of that - this can be a useful opportunity to review the number of losses and treated cases last year and plan ahead for this year.
Some certifying bodies and milk buyers are looking at adding Macrolide antibiotics to the list of "Highest Priority - Critically Important Antibiotics" in the future. The Macrolides include some of the long acting pneumonia treatments such as Draxxin and Zactran so we need to keep that in mind when it comes to planning ahead; pneumonia prevention is key to future proofing your medicine cabinets.
Is prevention just about vaccination?
Treating pneumonia is costly and should only ever be a short term plan - the value here comes from identifying and controlling the pneumonia risks specific on your farm.
Targeted pneumonia vaccines can really help to boost natural immunity but cannot be expected to cover up overwhelming on-farm risk factors. We need to maximise immunity, minimise infection pressure and get the air quality at calf level dry and clean.
MAXIMISE IMMUNITY: Colostrum comes ready made, specific to your farm, free of charge and is one of the biggest predictors of lifetime health for a heifer. From our preliminary testing, around a third of calves were not getting enough colostrum transfer in that first feed unless calves stay on the mum for the first day. In all farms undergoing regular calf immunity checks and monitoring for colostrum quality, we have increased the proportion of calves with successful transfer of immunity to over 95%. No fancy kit or complicated process - just a bit of time invested at the start.
MINIMISE INFECTION PRESSURE:
- Don't let mixed age groups share air space or have nose to nose contact
- Be quick to diagnose, isolate and treat calves with pneumonia - temperatures can be the first sign of infection; have a thermometer to hand in your calf shed so it's a simple job to do. Anything over 39.5°C/103°F needs pulling out, marking up and treating.
AIR QUALITY: you're aiming for fresh, dry air, with no ammonia build up and no draughts at calf level.
Why is air quality so important?
VIRUS SURVIVAL: The viruses will only survive a second or two in dry air - but up to 20 seconds in warm, breathed out, humid air that hangs around. This is one reason mixed age groups must not be nose to nose or share an air space - older animals will tolerate some virus without getting ill so can be the spreaders.
Humidity in the shed is driven externally by wet weather at this time of year - but also internally by the build up of damp bedding so regular mucking out, getting good drainage and adding an absorbent layer on the base can really help control humidity and virus survival at calf height. Most sheds have "hot spots" or wet areas which aren't draining well - these are areas which really need attention. If you can kneel down in the bedded area without getting wet knees then the bed is dry enough!
FIRST LINE OF DEFENCE: Any ammonia from a build up of bedding paralyses the tiny hairs lining the windpipe. These hairs waft debris and viruses back out of the lung on a travelator of mucous - as soon as the hairs are paralysed this mucous stops, the first line of defence has gone and the viruses get further into the lungs. Get down at calf nose level in the bedded area and be critical here - you shouldn't smell any ammonia.
VENTILATION: All livestock buildings are designed to ventilate by body heat rising off the cattle and taking stale air and pathogens with it. This rising stale air exits at the ridge and draws in fresh air from the inlets.
Some calf sheds are multi-purpose sheds, often too high at the eaves and the calves are simply too small to drive the cycle of ventilation so stale air cools too fast and falls back to calf level again. Increasing inlets and outlets or forcing ventilation mechanically can help improve air flow in these sheds.
At this time of year, an old brick built calf shed with a 1:20 gradient to the floor, low to the eaves and a steep pitched tiled roof can outperform a modern multi-purpose steel and concrete shed for young calves!
Cosy Calf Jackets
As soon as night time temperatures drop below 13°C baby calves use energy from milk to keep warm rather than to grow and so putting jackets on to help keep them insulated can really help maximise growth rates early on.
We're now stocking Cosy Calf Jackets at HFV - these are waterproof, breathable and washable - get in touch if you'd like more details!
What are the pneumonia bugs on your farm?
We have a number of subsidised schemes for identifying the viruses/bacteria responsible for the pneumonia on your farm - either through bloods looking for immunity or swabs looking for live bacteria and viruses. Knowing what combination of bugs are causing the problem lets us target treatments and also choose the most cost-effective vaccine for the future.
We can, and should be, looking at strategies to reduce treatment levels down to the occasional, individual animal rather than leaning on the long acting antibiotics that we may not have in the future.
The Calf Recovery Position
The late flush of Autumn grass has meant there's been a spate of big calves born so bear that in mind if you have to assist!
Sometimes calvings don't go to plan; if you've had to assist, the calf may be compromised too, but there are things you can do to maximise their survival once they are out.
The calf recovery position is shown below - putting a newborn calf into this upright chest position, supported by both its back legs, as soon as it's born means both lungs are able to inflate easier. Getting breathing initiated faster means the brain is oxygenated quicker and you get a more responsive calf that is more likely to get up and suckle.
If you have had to assist with a calving, don't forget the cow too - a couple of buckets of warm water to drink (ideally as a fresh cow drink), fresh food next to the calf and an anti-inflammatory are simple ways to help her transition safely.
NSAID's - which one to choose?
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAID's) have become an increasingly important part of our medicine cabinets over the past few years -and there are a few different options to choose from.
Some work really quickly, some last a bit longer, some have no milk withhold, some are particularly useful in treatment of toxic disease.
NSAIDS COMPARISON:
Some points to consider:
If you need anti-inflammatory QUICKLY eg pneumonia or toxic mastitis then use the MUSCLE OR VEIN route - uptake from under the skin will be even slower in a sick animal as blood flow reduces to the extremities - you'll often tell us "she's cold to touch"
If the animal is dehydrated you MUST make sure they receive fluids too - NSAIDs can cause kidney problems in dehydrated animals so make sure they are drinking, if not then drench them at the same time
All of the NSAIDs come with warnings about use in very young calves as their kidneys are slower to clear the drug so always make sure they are well hydrated, and ideally choose a short acting option, and at a lower dose
Allevinix seems particularly good for TOXIC disease eg E. coli mastitis
Ketofen/Kelaprofen has ZERO MILK WITHDRAWAL so useful for slips, falls, lameness, assisted calvings or down cows where antibiotics aren't needed
Medicines Update
Draxxin-Plus
Despite our best efforts, there will always be the occasional calf that gets pneumonia and needs treating. Draxxin is a well known, long acting antibiotic which covers against the main secondary bacterial causes of pneumonia, as well as Mycoplasma. A new combination formulation has just been released which combines Draxxin with Ketoprofen; a fast acting anti-inflammatory. This combination reduces temperatures within an hour - and gives you antibiotic cover for up to 14 days to allow the lungs chance to recover.
Mastitis Tubes
The unstable supply of mastitis tubes seems to be continuing; most likely into 2021. The tubes under most pressure are the broad spectrum tubes which pushes us towards using the narrow spectrum tubes.
Most of our farms are well below industry target levels for mastitis, but with continuing supply issues it is going to become more important that we ID the bacteria found in mastitis cases on your farm so we can select a 1st and 2nd line tube to suit your farm and to maximise cure rates.
We have secured funding from one mastitis tube manufacturer for discounted in-house mastitis cultures over the next few months as an aide to suppling the most appropriate treatment for your farm. If you get in the habit of taking a pre-treatment milk sample and popping it in the freezer we can culture a batch at once as a snap shot into the mastitis bugs on your farm.
Rispoval IBR Live
There have been some temporary stock issues with Rispoval IBR Live - the 50 dose bottles should be back in stock in a couple of weeks, and 10 dose bottles from Jan 2021. If you are needing small numbers of doses for vaccinating dry cows or heifer groups get in touch - the manufacturer will cover the difference on the 50 dose bottle whilst there is a continued supply issue with the small dose bottles.
DATE FOR YOUR DIARY
18th November 11am
Dairy Genetics & Genomics; Unravelling the Myths
Genetics can seem like a mysterious and complicated art form! Join us to learn how to decipher some of the terminology around genetics and to find out why better breeding always pays.
This webinar will include a detailed explanation of genomics and how it might fit into your own breeding strategy with a case study from a commercial Holstein herd in Derbyshire that have been genomically testing heifers since 2016.
This webinar is open to everyone and will be recorded so you can watch later at a time to suit you - just make sure you register by clicking on the link below to get your link.
Guest Speaker:
- Rose Jackson, Fertility Consultant BVSc DBR MRCVS
GET IN TOUCH:
Paula: 07764 747855 paula@haywoodfarmvets.com
Tom: 07837 291097 tom@haywoodfarmvets.com
Enquiries: mail@haywoodfarmvets.com
Website: haywoodfarmvets.com
Open hours: M-F 08:30 - 16:30
Out of Hours: 07398 743095