It certainly felt like spring was in the air at the weekend, despite the cold nights some beautifully sunny days certainly helps to lift everyone’s spirits!
The recent movement of the Blue Tongue Zone has certainly focused our minds with regard to thinking about vaccination. We have been inundated with enquiries over the past week, and it hard to give a yes/no answer to everyone. Obviously, we do not know evereything about this disease but we do know plenty to help base your decisions on. We are holding a meeting to discuss Blue Tongue Disease on Monday 10th March at 7.15pm. We strongly recommend someone from your farm attends this meeting; even if vaccination is not for you, we will also be talking about the implications of BTV zones and livestock movements. Please call to book your place and we will confirm the venue when we have an idea of expected numbers.
The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway is still running and offering literally thousands of pounds in grant funding for disease control. You are now able to apply for multiple species as well if you have beef and sheep for example. All you need is an SBI and CPH number to apply. Please get in touch if you need any help.
If you run a bull with your cows or heifers, then you should consider having a bull ‘Breeding Soundness Examination’ (BSE). The BSE is completed on farm and the results are given straight away. The examination should be repeated annually, usually 1 -2 months before each breeding season. This will allow time to replace any unsuitable bulls before the season begins. It is much better to find out about any fertility issues at this stage, rather than when you PD your cows months later! The examination consists of several parts:
• Physical examination including body condition, eyes, feet, legs.
• Scrotal circumference – a larger scrotal circumference is correlated with higher fertility.
• Examination of the reproductive tract, including assessment of internal accessory glands.
• Use of electro-ejaculator to assess reproductive function.
• Collection of a semen sample, and examination under a microscope for quality.
The results will give an assessment of the bull’s fertility at the time of the examination. It cannot assess libido so passing the breeding soundness examination does not guarantee success. It is not valid for the life of the bull because many factors could affect future sperm production, so we advise repeating the test annually. We commonly see sub-fertile bulls that lead to a protracted calving period, this has a huge effect on weaning weights, disease and thus profitability.
With Spring now on the horizon, consideration should be given to getting your spring vaccinations in place. There is currently a good supply of Huskvac and I have reserved doses of Lepto vaccine due to a tight supply.
We are running our second Sustainable Farming Group meeting looking at non-chemical fly control in the grazing season on Wednesday 19th March at 6pm. Please call to book your place.