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HFV News FEBRUARY 2022

In this issue…

Winter Dysentery (WD)

Getting value from a fresh cow trim - Craig Lawrence

Worming: planning ahead for this grazing season

Vet Tech Service at HFV

Winter Dysentery (WD)

We're seeing a sudden outbreak of suspect localised Winter Dysentery in our area.

Things to look out for:

  • Milk drop
  • Lots of cows scouring
  • Poor intakes

WD is caused by Bovine Coronavirus which is a virus that causes an infectious scour that can sweep through adult cattle over a few days and cause significant milk drop; farms are experiencing 10-20% reduction in bulk tank volume.

The scour is highly infectious to other cows, and seems to be transferred between sheds and between farms very easily.

WD will cause scour in 50-100% of all cattle on a farm, but the disease is relatively mild and self-limiting - on many farms we just see a sudden drop in bulk tank volumes that gradually recovers over a week or so.

It goes without saying that biosecurity for incoming visitors is critical, and keep up with all your efforts to move starlings on from feed faces, bunks and clamps as they are thought to be a high risk vector for transfer of disease between farms.

Don't forget, there are other causes of scour in adult cattle that are not mild and self-limiting such as clinical BVD, Salmonella or acidosis and these do need to be ruled out ASAP.

Getting Value from a fresh cow trim - Craig Lawrence

The hoof horn in a dairy cow grows faster in the few weeks before calving and for about 100 days after calving, this growth then slows down until she is close to calving again. Getting a preventative trim in to all milking cows at 50-80 days in milk makes sure this increased horn growth doesn't contribute to sole bruising, or develop into a full blown sole ulcer.

Once a cow or heifer has a sole ulcer, she will be a sole ulcer risk for life so we must pre-empt that risk, rebalance the foot and set them up for a successful, sound lactation.

Around calving the hormones which relax the ligaments in the pelvis also relax ligaments supporting the small pedal bone in the hoof (P3) which can sink into the soft tissue next to the horn. Underneath the P3 is a small bump of bone called the flexor tuberosity - and it is this bit that sinks into the soft tissue causing damage at the sole ulcer site.

The inflammation and damage to this soft tissue in the foot causes bruising initially, which can then progress to an ulcer and ends up as a lame cow. Once that damage occurs, the foot will need a trim every 3-4 months to rebalance the hoof around the sole ulcer site and take away that pressure point.

Early identification and treatment of a simple bruise or early sole ulcer with a rebalance trim and a block can mean the lesion is healed within a few weeks, but if that ulcer develops or becomes infected the healing time can turn into months, and some of these won't heal, may need a claw amputation or end up as a cull.

Cubicle comfort and lying time play a huge role in sole ulcer prevention. Cows should be lying down for at least 14 hours in every 24 hour period - the rule of thumb is you can take 4 hours from her day for milking/vet checks/AI etc but the other 20 hours are hers to feed and rest. A cow will get up and down on average 16 times in that 24 hour period so making sure the cubicles fit, have a comfortable surface and don't restrict her getting up or down to encourage maximum lying times.

HEIFERS:

On some farms heifers can be a real risk group for sole ulcers forming too - especially if they haven't met a cubicle before and they spend too much time on their feet on concrete in those early few weeks of lactation.

How many heifers had sole ulcers on your farm last year?

Lame cow trims will always be a priority, but don't forget the value in scheduling in an early lactation preventative trim before she's gone lame. The trim is quicker, we get much better cure rates and stop that bruise becoming a long term pinch point in the foot.

For any trimming enquiries please get in touch: Craig Lawrence 07779 017878

Worming: planning ahead for this grazing season

There's been an occasional burst of sunshine with a bit of warmth in it that reminds us spring is on it's way!

Over the next month we will be talking to you about updating your worming plans for 2022. This plan will cover first and second season grazers as well as any necessary adult treatments, and it is a useful time to schedule in any worm egg counts to monitor pasture egg build up.

There is increasing pressure for judicious use of wormers rather than a blanket policy - we need to preserve a population of susceptible worms to future proof our wormers!

HUSKVAC REMINDER:

Huskvac is a great way to safely get youngstock immune to lungworm infection before the first grazing season - they will need two doses, 4 weeks apart and the second dose 2 weeks before turn out.

Don't forget - Huskvac immunity will need boosting with natural exposure to lungworm throughout the grazing season so this will need factoring in to your worming schedule. Long acting wormers should NOT be used alongside Huskvac.

Vet Tech Service at HFV:

Time and staff can be in short supply on farm - if you are needing an extra pair of hands to get vaccinations done, need help with numbers at a TB test, get tails or backs clipped out, catch up with disbuds or complete your ROMS mobility score, then give Rhianon Atherton a call on 07891 681 362 or via email on rhianonatherton2@gmail.com

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 - 16:00

Out of Hours: 07398 743095

Created By
Paula Scales
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