It seems such a long time ago that we had a settled period of fine weather but hopefully the last few weeks have provided just that for you and an opportunity to get some crops harvested.
The ‘Animal Health and Welfare Review’ program that is being funded by RPA has recently been expanded to allow for a follow-up with extra funding now available. It really is well worth you applying, you can complete a review every 10 months, the follow up must be completed within 10 months of a review. This means up to £1400 for Beef Cattle and £1200 for sheep can be claimed every 10 months. You can enrol by using the web address: https://apply-for-an-annual-health-and-welfare-review.defra.gov.uk/claim , you will need your RPA details to hand. I have written at length about BVD and Worm control in cattle and sheep respectively in previous newsletters, so I am sure you all understand the importance of these 2 areas!
We continue to see cases of Johne’s disease in cattle. The majority of Dairy herds are now well on their way to controlling this disease but we continue to see problems in Beef suckler herds. This is partly because it is easier to test dairy herds alongside milk recording, but despite this there are definitely some easy steps that can be taken to help minimise the risk to a beef herd. Buying replacements is a dangerous game, especially if you are sourcing dairy x cattle. Part of our control strategy in dairy herds is ‘breed to beef’ so there is a high chance of unwittingly buying a calf that is infected with Johne’s disease but will not test positive or show signs for 2-3 years. Dairy herds do tend to have good knowledge of their Johne’s status so if you are forced to buy in, it shouldn’t be too hard to source low risk cattle if you ask the question. The main risk period for transmission of disease is around calving when infected cows will shed the bacteria and infect susceptible calves that are present in the same environment. Eliminating these shedding cows from the calving areas by testing your cows annually pre-calving is a good strategy, calving outside on clean paddocks will also reduce transmission. Any infected or suspect Johne’s cows should be isolated from the main group and reared separately, that way you can ensure they do not see a bull and leave the herd once the calf is weaned. A second test can be used pre-mating to make sure any new positives are identified before being served and they can then move to the infected group. Identifying the positive cows before they start losing weight and scouring is sure to pay-off in the extra cull value alone. These small steps can have a big impact on the prevalence in your herd alongside a specific risk assessment and control strategy for your farm. If you are keen to get on top of Johne’s disease then please give us a call.
We are struggling with supply of Enzootic abortion vaccine this year, and I don’t see the situation getting any better this season to be honest. There are a few things that we can consider so please talk to one of us if you are worried about lambing without full protection this year.
We are offering “Teaser Days” at the practice again this year on 19th August from 8.30am till 1pm. Please give us a call to book a slot to get your Ram vasectomised for just £65(ex VAT) per Ram. We recommend using a young keen ram as a teaser. He should be structurally correct with good feet. A young ram gives you more years as a teaser and therefore is a better investment. With Ram sales now upon us, we should also be mindful of checking our stock tups for fertility. We are holding a Ram MOT day at the surgery on Wednesday 28th August where we can give them a full check over and test their semen. We charge just £35(ex VAT) per Ram on this day, please call to book a slot.