With the clocks going back last weekend, it seems as though Winter has crept up on us once more, with preparations now underway for the housing period. The recent dry spell should have allowed the completion of maize harvest and cultivations.
The winter housing season is always when we see an increase in the incidence of calf scour. Both dairy and beef herds can find this challenging to manage at this time of year when housing is in constant use allowing pathogens to build up. Three of the commonest causes of scour in calves aged under 3 weeks are E. coli, rotavirus and coronavirus, all of which can result in rapid dehydration and death. As always, prevention is far better than cure and there are several actions you can take to protect your calves: Ensure that calving areas and housing used by young calves are regularly cleaned out and kept well bedded. Be certain that every calf has received sufficient colostrum within 4 hours of birth (ideally 10% of body weight). Even suckled beef calves frequently fail to achieve adequate passive transfer of antibodies through unsupervised suckling. If you are in any doubt about whether a calf has suckled then make sure it has; either by helping it to suckle, bottle feeding or tube feeding. We can take blood from the calf in the 1st week of life to assess the colostrum intakes so you can instigate appropriate action. Vaccination of your cows with Fencovis between 3 and 12 weeks prior to calving will allow them to raise antibodies against E. coli, rotavirus and coronavirus. These are then transferred to the calf via colostrum enhancing its immunity and reducing the severity of any diarrhoea. The vaccine is completely reliant on calves receiving sufficient colostrum after birth and can be a life-saver. It is particularly effective in suckler calves where we commonly see coronavirus several weeks after birth. For those of you that struggle with cryptosporidiosis in baby calves you may be keen to know about the launch of Bovilis Cryptium, this vaccine is also used as a dam vaccine with antibodies being passed in the colostrum. Two doses are required prior to calving in the first year. If you are keen to learn more, please ask one of the vet team.
You are probably aware of how the Blue Tongue Virus 3 Restriction Zone is continuing to spread across the country as the midge incursion continues. The unseasonal mild weather we have had recently has done nothing to help slow this spread. The Zone currently sits just short of Andover at its nearest point to us. The virus has decimated sheep flocks on the continent where there are odd reports of up to 25% mortality in sheep flocks. We don’t yet have this data with the UK outbreak but some initial reports were that outbreaks seemed less severe. We have 3 vaccines that are now able to be used, albeit with licencing restrictions. Where we prescribe vaccine, both the practice and the keeper have to keep detailed records involving recording and reporting individual eartags of all cattle sheep and goats vaccinated. The vaccine claims a reduction of severity and signs of disease rather than prevention, also the duration of the vaccinal protection has not yet been determined but it would seem reasonable to be 6 months to 1 year for re-vaccination. For anyone who would like to vaccinate at this time, currently we can supply bottles of 50 doses which is priced at £142.80. Sheep and Cattle require a single dose with onset of immunity at 3 weeks. Please feel free to get in touch if you would like any more information. At this point in the year it seems reasonable to delay vaccination till the spring to provide cover for the Midge season; especially as in 3 weeks (when we will have protection if we vaccinated today) we would expect to be below the temperature that allows blue tongue to replicate in the midge.
We have our sheep lameness meeting next Wednesday 13th November at 7pm for 7.30pm. We will cover the 5-point lameness plan, as well as talking through quarantine recommendations for incoming stock. Refreshments will be provided. Please call to book your place.