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Tag: farm

Blowfly strike treatment and prevention

Fly treatment

These warmer days, combined with the inevitable rain, provide the perfect habitat for Lucilla sericata more commonly known as the blowfly. We now recognise the blowfly season as being longer with strike seen as early as February and as late as November, so it’s important that our fly prevention adapts to the changing climate too.

94% of farmers admit to being caught out by flystrike

Most will know what a fly struck sheep looks like:

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  • Agitated, itchy, away from flock, smell, wool discoloured and eventually loose wool.
  • This progresses to anaemia, septicaemia & ammonia toxicity causing lethargy and then death.

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Early intervention is important not only to prevent deaths but also to reduce the general fly population.

To create a fly control programme it is important to understand what type of conditions these flies thrive in and also to use your knowledge from previous experiences on your own farm with your own sheep.

Blowflies need the following conditions to successfully complete their lifecycle:

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  • Soil temperature over 9°C
  • Long periods of rainfall (causes fleece to rot)
  • Low wind speeds (allows increased fly mobility)
  • High temperatures and humidity causes microclimate in fleece that is attractive to flies to lay eggs.
  • NADIS now has a blow fly alert web page which will use data from the Met Office to create a local risk for blow flies.

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In perfect conditions fly eggs hatch in 12 hours and once larvae start feeding they release a powerful odour which attracts more flies causing significant damage within 24 to 36 hours of the first egg being laid. This emphasises the need for daily flock checks.

Losses due to fly strike are seen as: death of individuals, reduced lamb growth rate, reduced productivity, down grade wool clip, cost and time of treatment. Elanco has calculated these costs as shown:

Blowfly losses chart

To prevent Blowfly Strike:

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  • Dagging and crutching (start in April and every 4-6 weeks)
  • Keeping breeds of sheep with more open, hairy or self shedding coatsearing (especially thick fleeced breeds)
  • Shearing (especially thick fleeced breeds)
  • Culling ewes with narrow breeches or deformities that result in soiling
  • Tail docking in lowland flocks
  • Reduce incidence of footrot
  • Eliminate scouring issues (for example keep coccidiosis, worm burden and nutrition under control)
  • Frequent flock inspections (at least daily)
  • Appropriate insectide use

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Insecticide use: We recommend starting treatment against flies now to reduce fly populations for the rest of summer. Keep an eye on the NADIS blow fly alert map and ensure your sheep are protected at the high risk times. There are various products you can use to prevent blow fly strike and these are listed in the table below:

Product Drug Length of action Meat withdrawal
Vetrazin Cyromazine (IGR) 10 weeks 28 days
Clik extra Dicyclanil (IGR) 19 weeks 40 days
Clik Dicyclanil (IGR) 16 weeks 40 days
Clik Zin Dicyclanil (IGR) 8 weeks 7 days
Dysect sheep Alpha cypermethrin 8-10 weeks 49 days
Ectofly/ Crovect Cis Cypermethrin 6-8 weeks 8 days
Fly and lice spot on/ Spotinor Deltamethrin 6 weeks 35 days
Paracide 62/ Osmonds
gold fleece dip		 Diazinon dip (Organophosphate)
Cypermethrin		 8-10 weeks 70 days/ 49days
respectively

* IGR products are NOT effective as treatments

To date there has been no resistance of blow flies to any insecticide formally reported.

Farm Vet Andy goes state side!

Andy BramallIn January, I headed over to Indiana, Indianapolis as part of a trip organised by Elanco to visit some dairy farms in the surrounding area. 6 vets and 6 farmers from across the UK attended, visiting 7 dairy farms followed by a day of lectures at Elanco HQ covering dairy economics and the American dairy industry. 

 

We saw a variety of farms during the week from 250 cows to 15,000 spread over 5 adjacent farms,
though most were around 1200 cows. Rainfall was similar to Lancashire with farms receiving 60” rain a year but had temperatures of 35+°C to deal with in summer. All units milked 3 times a day and yields varied from 36-43 kg/day. Nutrition obviously played a role in this yield, diets were very consistent; maize and alfalfa based. However, all farmers cited improvements to cow comfort as the major reason for increase in yield and this had become central to any decisions made to the cow environment, in one case they had improved from 30 to 40kg by moving into a new cow building and onto sand bedding.
However, increasing stocking density on one farm to 110% to prepare for expansion had reduced yield by 3kg/cow. Sand was the predominant bedding system and was reclaimed using a sand lane system where the slurry was effectively washed repeatedly in a channel, the gradient of the channel meant that the sand settled out and could be removed before being reused after around 6 weeks.

 

Did you know?
There are currently 9.4 million dairy cows in the US with 1.8 million in California, average herd size is 232 with smaller farms found on the east coast where farming would be more similar to the UK. By 2025 50% of milk production is expected to come from farms >1000 cows. Average yield is predicted to increase by 1.9%/year for the next 10 years mainly from technological advances. The liquid market in the US is in slight decline but the market is mainly thought to be driven by cheese squares for burgers!

All farms had cooling systems for the cows consisting of fans and soakers, often in the UK we only think of temperatures getting hot enough to use these systems for a few days in the summer. However, fans switched on at 15-18°C and soakers at 21°C, with farmers reporting a clear benefit at these temperatures.

Whilst we don’t see the extreme heat where these systems really benefit cows, we certainly have many days high teens/early 20’s and we often see fertility dropping off across the practice during these periods.

During the trip we had the opportunity to visit a large robot farm, 36 robots housed under one roof! The cows were grouped in 180’s with 3 robots to each group, averaging 36kg/day. The shed was ventilated using 100 fans situated down one side of the shed drawing air through. The unit cost roughly $7000/stall to build and he plans to install another 12 robots in the next few years. The calf rearing part of the enterprise was even more impressive. Calves were reared in groups of 60 on automatic feeders and used whole milk with a protein supplement, at 3 weeks they were drinking 13 litres on average and were 120kg bodyweight at 9 weeks of age.

Control of disease was helped by only having a 5 day spread of age in the groups. Heifers calved at 21 months at 535kg.

Most farms had heifers reared off farm from a few months of age to allow them to utilise the farm for more cows, one farm sent calves 1200 miles to Texas at 3 days old for rearing. A strong emphasis on all farms was also placed on fertility and heifer rearing. Preg rate was the main metric used to monitor performance with farms all aiming for 20%+. Good fertility and calf performance allowed farms to more selective with culling and have a more productive/profitable herd, cull rates ran at 35-40%. Attention to detail set the better farms apart with each process on farm assessed to see if there was a more efficient way.

One interesting feature on the largest farm Fair Oaks was the visitor centre, attracting 600,000 visitors a year, as part of the farm tour they had a glass fronted calving gallery where there was always a cow calving visitors could watch!

The main message from the American producers was improving cow comfort and the cow environment had been the main factor in improving production and animal health.

The other key thing that I took away from the trip was that aggressive fertility management improved farm profitability through more efficient milk production.

Andy Bramall
Oakhill Farm Vet

 

 

Embryo Transfer

Embryo transfer- repeat breeder embryos (‘cow stoppers’)

What is a Problem Breeder Cow?
Cows that have had three or more services at regular (21-24 day) intervals and that are still not in calf.

What treatments can we use to treat problem breeders?
Problem Breeder Embryos – implanting a beef cross embryo 7 days after service in problem repeat breeder cows improved pregnancy rates by over 20% according to a recent UK study.

How does implanting an embryo help?
By implanting a second embryo into the cows’ uterus the strength of the hormonal signals within the cow are doubled and so the likelihood of the cow reabsorbing the embryo(s) is reduced.

What cows would make good Embryo Transfer candidates?

  • Cows should be cycling normally, showing regular heats every 21 – 24 days.
  • Cows should be vet-checked to make sure there is no uterine damage and no ovarian problems such as cystic ovaries.
  • Cows should be clean with no uterine discharge.
  • Ideally cows should be in reasonable body condition and good health. Chronically lame or high SCC cows are not ideal candidates!

What is the procedure?

  • Cow AI’d as normal. Arrange vet visit for 7 days later.
  • Cow examined prior to implanting the embryo.
  • We administer an epidural as this facilitates the procedure and should improve success rates.
  • Embryo implanted and cow scanned 5 weeks later to check if successful.

Maximising success rates in embryo transfer 
These are some suggestions when dealing with embryo recipients.

  • Maiden heifers make the best recipients: they have higher conception rates.
  • Cows can be used providing they have a good body condition score, and they are clean and cycling.
  • Embryos can be put in to heifers that were bulling 6, 7 or 8 days previously. The highest conception rates are likely to be achieved 7 days after a heat.
  • A good reference heat is vital to the success of the transfer.
  • Reference heats can be a natural observed heat or synchronised induced heats.
  • Included heats (i.e. Following a CIDR and prostaglandin programme) work equally well providing good heat detection is undertaken.
  • A wrong or inaccurate heat observation will mean no pregnancy as these recipients are not synchronised with the donor cow.
  • Avoid feeding changes to the recipient group for four to six weeks either side of transfers. Try to keep the diet consistent.
  • Knowing the trace element history of your farm is important.
  • Grass variation and grass silage variation can affect conception rates.

Healthy Feet Programme

Lameness
Healthy feet programme 
An understanding of which types of lameness are present, coupled with a structured approach to tackle the underlying causes is required to tackle lameness effectively.

The AHDB Dairy Healthy Feet Programme is a structured approach which will help make important progress towards diagnosing the problems, devising an action plan, and develop the skills necessary for long-term lameness control. The approach is based around the ‘four success factors’ – Low infection pressure – Good horn quality and hoof shape – Low forces on the feet – Good cow comfort and cow flow – Early detection and prompt, effective treatment of lame cows

Foot trimming training days
We offer hoof trimming training days that cover the 5-step foot trimming technique, recognition, treatment and prevention of foot lesions in cattle. Watch out for announcements about our foot trimming courses.

Our next foot trimming April 5th, to book onto the 1 day course, please call 01772 861300 or contact farm@oakhill-vets.com.

Cattle foot trimming

Liver Fluke

Liver fluke has a complicated life-cycle involving a tiny mud snail which is the intermediate host responsible for infection on pasture.

Traditionally Liver fluke was thought to be very regional however movement of stock, changing weather patterns and ground conditions have increased the fluke risk to the whole of the UK. Lancashire has a climate that favours the snail and therefore also favours fluke transmission and increase fluke risk.

A move to housing dairy cows all year round may be thought to remove the risk of Liver Fluke from the herd, but positive bulk milk samples are still reported from zero grazing herds! Where heifers are turned out they may become infected and maintain a reservoir of infection. Where fluke is identified these animals should receive appropriate treatment. Sheep, deer, hares, geese and horses can all carry fluke and complete the lifecycle outside of the snail.

New research by the Mordun Institute has found that Metercerariae (the stage passed by the mud snail that are ingested by cattle) are very persistent and this stage of fluke can survive in silage. Heat and pH are thought to be involved in killing off the Metercerariae in most cases, but in less well fermented silage, wet silage and less acidic silage this is less so. With this in mind poorly made silage, later cuts and big bale silage pose the highest risk. Last year’s silage crops were certainly made in challenging conditions.

Further investigations into housed youngstock infections, egg survival and spread in slurry are ongoing but if you have history of fluke infections in housed cattle submitting further investigation may be useful.

Liver fluke herd

 

 

Even in herds that are housed 365, there is still a risk of liver fluke. There is an inexpensive bulk milk test available, some interpretation is needed if first lactation heifers are introduced after grazing. However there is a test available (the coproantigen test) that will test for current infection to differentiate this. It is also thought that Liver fluke can survive in cattle for 2 years.

is treatment necessary liver fluke

 

 

Due to the complex life cycle and products available to treat lactating cattle, treatment is often targeted at dry cows often making it difficult to treat the correct animals at the correct stage of infection. Creating a testing and treatment plan with your vet is the best course of action on an individual farm basis. Care should be taken to select appropriate treatment product for dairy cattle, flukicide residues are increasingly being detected in bulk milk samples.

liver fluke treatment plan

Liver Fluke

adult flukes treatmentThe NADIS liver fluke forecast for the end of 2017 held true with many flocks in Lancashire being exposed to a heavy burden of fluke.

Both acute fluke and sub- acute fluke were prevalent so treatments administered were targeting immature fluke. The products used were either triclabendazole and/or closantel and/or nitroxanil depending on the flocks’ history. While these products are very effective, repeated use will inevitably increase the risk of resistance, to the active ingredient.

To limit resistance, other flukicidal products should be considered, now that the main risk period is coming to an end. Paddocks grazed over the autumn and winter will now carry a much lower burden of the infective metacercariae so treatments can be targeted at the adult flukes (Chronic fluke) that have survived. Targeting the adult fluke at this time of year will reduce the number of fluke eggs shed onto pasture before the mud snails become active.

If you would like anymore information, please contact us.

Oakhill Farm Vets Clitheroe

Oakhill Farm Vets Clitheroe:

Improved farm productivity is one of the hot topics in British agriculture following last year’s Brexit referendum. Although the specific details are yet to be ironed out, there are a huge number of potential export markets for British produce. To realise this potential, Lancashire farmers need to boost farm output whilst maintaining a close eye on their cost of production. Animal health is one of the key drivers of efficient farm output on dairy, sheep and beef farms.

Farmers often rely on a team of trusted advisors to help them make the right decisions for their business. This can include business consultants, nutritionists and vets. The team at Oakhill Farm Vets have been working with Lancashire farmers for over 40 years.

Based at Goosnargh, Preston, the practice covers an area from Garstang through to Blackburn and now Clitheroe. The 9 farm vets provide 24/7 cover to over 400 farms, with 2 vets on call at all times in order to deal with all emergencies quickly.

As the business has expanded from 4 vets in 2010 to 9 vets in 2017 the practice area has also grown. To help clients with medicine collection, Oakhill has partnered with Michael Hoyle & Co at Clitheroe auction. Medicines dispensed from Oakhill at Goosnargh will be available for collection the same day in Clitheroe through Michael Hoyle.

Oakhill Farm Vets have also developed the highly successful Red Rose Dairy & Sheep Discussion Groups. This has helped farmers and vets to discuss topical animal health issues with leading industry experts. Watch out for the Clitheroe Red Rose meetings this winter.

Oakhill Farm Vets can be contacted on 01772 861300.

 

 

 

Red Tractor Standards Changes

Red tractor standards

There has been an update in the Red Tractor Assurance Standards coming into effect from October 2017. A full list of changes is available on the Red Tractor website, the main changes affecting your herd health plan are listed below.

Dairy:

· Documented medicine records – all antibiotics used must be collated, and an annual review must be undertaken by the vet.

· Farm to farm sales of animals under statutory withdrawal periods for medicines must be accompanied by a withdrawal period declaration.

· Colostrum – a colostrum protocol must be put in place to ensure young stock are receiving adequate colostrum. The protocol must be added to the herd health plan. A recommendation has been added that the quality of colostrum should be tested.

Beef and Lamb:

· Animal medicines – recommendation that the highest priority critically important antibiotics are only used as a last resort and under veterinary direction.

· Farm to Farm sales of stock under statutory withdrawal periods for medicines must be accompanied by a withdrawal period declaration.

· A farm biosecurity plan must be created, implemented and updated in relation to health and performance reviews. Disinfectants across the farm should be DEFRA approved.

To find out about all Red Tractor Assurance Standards, please go to: http://assurance.redtractor.org.uk/tools-and-library

Respiratory Disease- Cattle

Respiratory disease is estimated to cost the UK cattle industry £80 million annually through increased mortality, veterinary drug costs and most importantly weight 

loss/reduced performance. Whilst the effects on clinically affected animals are obvious often the rest of the group will be affected sub-clinically resulting in reduced growth rates.

For respiratory disease, prevention is vital as many animals never fully recover from severe cases and is through a combination of good management, good ventilation, and effective vaccination protocols prior to the risk period (housing/weaning).

respiratory symptoms cattle

Respiratory disease occurs when environmental factors, infectious agents and inadequate immunity come together and tip the balance in favour of disease. In beef systems, stressful events such as dehorning and castration are best undertaken before housing or delayed until calves have been housed for at least 6 weeks.

Ventilation is key!

The minimum recommended air changes within a building of 10 times each hour, increasing in summer up to around 60 air changes per hour. High ammonia levels from manure irritate the respiratory tract and will make the animal more vulnerable to respiratory disease. Studies have shown that the ammonia levels a calf is exposed to in the first four months of life severely impact on the age at first calving, and lifetime productivity.

respiratory disease in cattle

We are offering Subsidised Ventilation Assessments in the month of September, please contact us at the clinic to arrange yours today!