What a spell of dry weather! It is a long time since I have written that in a spring newsletter. Grass growth will hopefully follow once the frosty weather leaves us behind.
The Cull trade continues to be particularly strong, as many of the spring calves are hitting the ground it is a good time to be selecting cows that should be culled and not run back with the bull. A problem cow this year is likely to be a problem cow next. The cull value means a heifer can replace a cow for zero input cost. With production costs as they are, it is certainly not a time for carrying passengers. It is now time also to consider your Bull/s for the breeding season ahead. We are keen to test the fertility of your bulls to make sure your calving period is as tight as possible and to avoid carrying a sub/infertile bull. Every year we investigate a few herds with poor fertility. There are any number of reasons but one of the most common is a poorly performing bull. A fertility check of the bull before the breeding season will help ensure that area is covered, but please check him in good time so there is time to re-check or go shopping for another! The procedure is pretty routine, we need the bull restrained with side access, we do not require power at the crush but we need some power nearby for the microscope. Please get in touch to book your bull in.
The cows can also be to blame so it is worth checking the trace element status and screening for any infectious causes of infertility prior to mating. It is far better to be prepared and to pre-empt problems before you have a disaster on your hands. Multi-min is an injectable trace element product that may well fit the bill and as an injection is easier than a bolus to administer.
Something we are doing now for a number of herds is Pelvic Measuring; this involves inserting a large set of callipers into the rectum to measure the width and height of the pelvis to calculate the area. When combined with a multiplication factor from the age and weight of the heifer we can calculate the weight of calf such a heifer could be able to deliver. What we tend to find when we measure a group of heifers is there are generally a few surprise heifers with poor pelvic area that would otherwise have been selected. Hopefully by excluding these we can reduce bad calvings in the future and help increase productivity. If you would like to find out more then please get in touch.
We have been pleased with the uptake of Blue Tongue Vaccine across the practice and further afield within the country as a whole. We have a temporary blip in vaccine supply as we anticipated but I have been assured that more is on the way. There is no change currently on the zones or restrictions since I last wrote but I would expect the Vector Low Period to come to an end shortly. We are watching with anticipation for any changes in the zones.
We will once again be at the North Somerset Show on Monday 5th May. Please come and say hello and enjoy a cup of tea!