farm practice newsletter - afon vetscalving tips 6 lambing season arrives again farm practice...
TRANSCRIPT
I N S I D E T H I S
I S S U E :
The Ewe in
Late
Pregnancy
2
Parasite
Outlook
3
Metabolic
Profiling in
Sheep
3
Johnes
Disease
4
Calf
Pneumonia
5
Diary Dates 6
Calving Tips 6
Lambing Season Arrives Again
Farm Practice
Newsletter
Winter 2013 Happy new year to all our clients! – after a good summer and au-
tumn the winter has proven difficult with above average rainfall.Stock
have though benefited from a better grazing season earlier on and
are fitter than in previous years. Silage quality and yields were up in
2013 –but stock are going through it fast!
are caused by dystocia. So if in
doubt call the vet out!.
Approach to the difficult
lambing….
Wash your hands before
intervening ( no excuses!) or
wear long gloves
Assess the presentation and
position of the lamb– check the
legs that might be presented
are from the same lamb!
Try and correct any abnormal
positioning of the lamb/legs
( e.g. legs bent back/head bent
back)
Assess the size of the lamb
relative to the size of the ewe’s
pelvis. If you think the lamb may
be too big, stop and contact the
vets.
If you are trying unsuccessfully
for 15– 20 minutes it is time to
bring the ewe in!
Dystocia is not only a major cause
of ewe deaths; pulling too hard or
forcing a lamb through the pelvis
It’s that time of year again… lambing season is upon us! We have recently run 2 successful lambing workshops, in conjunction with Farming Connect, at the surgery in Neath. Gareth gave a talk on prepariation for lambing while Beki and Jon ran practical demonstrations of tubing lambs, intra-peritoneal injections in hypothermic lambs and a run through of common abnormal positions of lambs during birth ,rounding off with basic post mortem of lambs.
Dystocia It is estimated 70% of ewe deaths in the UK
when it is just that little too big
may break the lamb’s ribs and it
may not survive.
Colostrum...Colostrum….
Colostrum. Colostrum provides
energy,antibodies and is a natural
laxative The all important window
for getting colostrum into the
lamb is ideally within the first 4-6
hours of life.
Check the ewe’s udder - does she
have plenty of colostrum which
you can take for the lamb? Is she
affected by mastitis? The amount
and the quality of colostrum is
vital. If you are using a powdered
substitute read the instructions
carefully; if prepared at the
incorrect temperature it will not
form a clot in the abomasum.
50ml per kg body weight of
colostrum is required for the
optimum start.
Visit us at www.afonvets.co.uk
BE PREPARED:
Lambing kit checklist
Being prepared is key -
keep all equipment clean
and in an easily accessible
place.
Lambing ropes ( soft ropes
not chord!)
Lubricant
Head snare
Strong Iodine navel dip
Hibiscrub (no excuse for
dirty hands!)
Gloves
Prolapsed harness or
spoons
Calcium 20%
Glucose 40% (dilute in
equal volume of cooled
boiled water)
Thermometer
Metabolic problems in ewes The following diseases affect ewes in late
pregnancy and it is important to be able to
tell the difference between them and have a
protocol to hand for treating them.
TWIN LAMB DISEASE (PREGNANCY
TOXEMIA)
The ideal position to be in is to prevent
this happening with adequate feeding of
ewes during pregnancy.
These ewes tend to be isolated and
appear to be blind.
Treatments: use a good quality drench -
one that just contains glucose will not be
beneficial. Make sure the drench you are
using contains both glycerol and
propylene glycol—take care not to over
dose with drench either. If the ewe is
unresponsive with supportive care and
drenching then she may require
veterinary attention and steroid injection.
The Ewe in Late Pregnancy
Sheep Abortion Abortions can be sporadic but levels above 2% suggest an infectious cause and
should be investigated. The main causes are enzootic abortion of ewes (Chlamydia),
Toxoplasmosis and Campylobacter and the costs of abortion can be £20-£65 per
aborted ewe.
It is important that aborted ewes are separated from the flock and
aborted material should be removed and destroyed along with infected
bedding. Any ewe lambs fostered onto aborted ewes shouldn’t be kept for
breeding. (See our Autumn newsletter for more detailed info on abortion or
request a copy from the practice.) Subsidised blood testing (Barren ewe check)
is available to check aborted ewes for Enzootic abortion and toxoplasmosis and is
available from the practice. MSD VET is running this barren ewe program again this
winter until March 2014. Any client with scanning figures showing 3% or more empty
ewes should take advantage of this subsidised blood testing service to check for
evidence of Toxoplasmosis and Enzootic abortion - more details are available from
the practice.
In Other News... New Cattle Scanner
We have recently purchased
the latest model of the BCF
Easi-scan large animal scanner.
This will now allow 2 vets to
scan on separate farms at
once and also has a more
mobile screen and goggles.
Contact us if you still haven’t
had your cows scanned
before calving.
——————— Keeping up to date!
In the last few months of
2013 we have attended a
number of courses to ensure
our knowledge and skills are
right up to date for the
benefit of our clients.
Jon has attended an advanced
cattle scanning course while
Gareth and Beki undertook a
practical course in bovine
surgery. We are constantly
attending further training in
order to give you the best
service.
———————–
New Requirements for
Dispensing Medicines
As part of meeting the Royal
College Practice standards we
will be asking you to sign a
consent form for off label use
of medicines—this applies
mainly to sheep. Although we
use a wide range of drugs
safely and appropriately in
sheep, very few are actually
licensed. Overall it is to help
us make sure we are using
medicines responsibly.
HYPOCALCAEMIA
Suspicious signs include: recumbancy, not
ruminating, weakness, cold extremities,
dry dung not being passed much.
Treatment: supportive care is important
make sure the ewe has access to fresh
water and feed. Inject calcium 20%
under the skin (80 ml for small ewes/
100ml for larger ewes) if she is
unresponsive to this within an hour then
she will require calcium Intravenously.
HYPOMAGNESAEMIA
This is less common than the other two.
Clinical signs include tremors/fitting, over
-reaction to stimulus.
Treatment: up to 75ml Magnesium 25%
under the skin. Contact us if no response
in one hour.
Ewe Nutrition We are now entering a critical period for
ewes in the winter feeding period, 70% of
the lambs growth occurs in the last 8
weeks of pregnancy, udder development
begins and colostrum is produced. The
rapidly expanding uterus creates
significant competition for space in the
abdomen - leaving less room for the
rumen.
Remember that lamb mortality is highest
in low birth weight lambs and/or born to
ewes in poor condition. Ewes need to be
fit at lambing and poorer ewes will need
preferential treatment. Ewes carrying
twins will require twice maintenance
levels of feeding by full term. Remember
also to ensure that ewes have a supply of
vitamins and minerals as body reserves
are limited.
Feed provided must have the following
characteristics:
Continued on page 3...
New Twin Lamb Treatment -
Selekt Glycerol Plus We trialled this new treatment for
Twin lamb disease last year with a
lot of success, this product in
addition to
Propylene Glycol
and Glycerol and
vitamins also
contains yeast,
which helps rumen
function. Rather than
just giving the ewe
glucose which she
will burn rapidly this
product gives her
energy precursors
so she can produce
more energy for recovery.
NADIS webinars in conjunction with Afon Vets are now available monthly. Please visit the link below to our NADIS site webinars include the updated liver fluke forecast, lice in cattle and parasite gastroenteritis in sheep, including advice on clostridial vaccination in sheep and treating milk fever in cows
Afon Vets News now
online!
http://webinars.nadis.org.uk/distributors/afonvetcentre.aspx
Remember to check the fluke forecast regularly this winter!
...Continued from page 2
Fibre high in dry matter >30%
Total diet high digestibility >60%
Concentrates high in energy density -13mj/kgDM,
High in crude protein >16%
While good hay or silage are capable of supplying these
requirements, anything inferior will not. Intake will be
adversely affected if roughage is too course and fibre
length too long.
This high nutritional demand in late pregnancy continues
into lactation - a 5 kilo lamb will take in 1 litre of milk a
day- prolific ewes may need a diet of 18 % crude protein.
A ewe with twins may have three times the maintenance
requirements of the dry animal.
Many low priced concentrates are available - beware of
anything with a very low price and an ash content of 10%
or over- such feeds always prove false economy in the
long run.
Parasite Outlook Fluke As usual we just can’t leave out the
liver fluke! At this time of year
flukicide treatment should aim to kill
the immature and adult stages of the
fluke life cycle. The most effective
product against these is still
Triclabendazole and ideally most
flocks will have already received an
Autumn dose. However, most farms
should still repeat this dose in the
sheep to ensure immature fluke don’t
have a chance to build up.
In cattle we usually advise the use of
triclabendazole just after housing or
nitroxynil/closantel 6weeks after
housing, to clear out any infection
but if cattle are overwintered at
pasture they may also require a later
winter dose. Over the past year we
have had a few cases of suspected
triclabendazole resistance in our
practice area.
A new accurate test is now available
with Liverpool University to test for
resistance to triclabendazole. The
test requires pre and post drench
samples 21 days apart. Please contact
us if you suspect you have had a
problem with triclabendazole on
your farm and we can carry out a
resistance trial on your farm. If fluke
is a cause for concern on your farm
don’t hestitate to contact one of the
farm animal team to arrange a
comprehensive overview and plan for
your farm. Worms Mild average temperatures so far this
winter will allow continuing
development of larvae so in sheep
we would still advise faecal sampling
of fattening lambs if you have
concerns. Watch for signs of ill thrift
and scouring.
In cattle the dry summer followed by
autumn rain before housing may have
led to a late challenge from Ostertagia
ostertagi larvae with large numbers
of inhibited larvae in the abomasal
wall so young stock should receive a
larvicidal wormer (Group 3, Macro-
cyclic Lactones) after housing to
prevent emergence of many worms
in the gut as temperatures rise after
winter.
External parasites Stay alert for itching and wool loss
with scabs on sheep this winter as
Sheep Scab requires diagnosis and
appropriate treatment and can often
be mistaken for lice. In cattle watch
for lice infestations which can
reduce feed intake and damage hides
mainly in housed cattle.
Metabolic Profiles in Sheep
Ewes should be scanned 60 –90 days before
lambing .Body condition score your ewes at the
same time and use the information it gives you to
group your ewes and manage them appropri-
ately.In the last month of pregnancy its crucial to
determine the protein and energy status of ewes
to tailor feeding regimes—especially twins and
triplets who are under far more metabolic strain
compared to singles. Metabolic blood profiling
can be carried out for the whole flock for less
than the cost of a dead ewe and measures en-
ergy and protein status. Inadequate nutrition at
this late stage of pregnancy results underweight
weak lambs more susceptible to disease and the risk of twin lamb disease in the ewes. For more
information on metabolic profiling your ewes
give the farm team a call to arrange a visit and
sampling of your flock.
What is it? Johnes is caused by a bacteria – mycobacterium avium
subspecies paratuburculosis. It has a long incubation
period, where the bacteria hides in the wall of the gut.
Infection occurs in the calf but clinical signs don’t
normally develop until between 3-5 years of age
(although can be from 24 months of age). Infected
animals will shed bacteria – sometimes for years before
they show clinical signs but the chance of shedding
increases the closer they get to showing symptoms of
the disease. The bacteria damages the small intestine
preventing absorption of food and causes wasting and
profuse watery diarrhoea despite the animal still eating.
Johnes can remain in the environment for a long
time- up to 2 years.
In heavily infected dams there is evidence to suggest
infection of the calf can be in utero through the
placenta.
There is no treatment for johnes, the disease is always
fatal, and all ruminants are susceptible.
Disease Focus: Johnes Disease Johnes Disease is a bacterial infection which causes scour and wasting in
adult cattle and is a major cause of losses in both the UK Beef and Dairy
industries. Cases are on the increase, it is thought to affected between 20-50%
of UK herds. In this disease focus we look at the disease in detail and discuss
how to help keep it out or deal with it.
Testing for Johnes Blood testing
The blood test detects antibodies however it is unlikely that an animal will show positive on the test while they are
only incubating the disease. Like the chance of an animal shedding bacteria, the chance of picking up an infected
animal with the test increases the closer they come to actually showing symptoms of the disease. For this reason,
animals under 2 years old do not tend to be tested and animals with the disease tend to be older before they are
detected. Testing is advised annually – a cow may be negative one year but positive the next.
The offspring of positive cows should be traced. They should not be used as replacements/for breeding and in some
cases cull is advised.
Faecal examination
Faeces can be examined for the actual bacteria but as stated, a cow can be positive for the disease but not
necessarily be shedding or shedding can be intermittent. Again if an animal is actually showing symptoms then it is
more likely to show in the faeces.
We would generally advise screening the herd for johnes with the blood test. It helps determine the extent of the
disease in the herd so we can work out the best strategy for control. Johnes can devastate a herd if left
uncontrolled.
Clinical signs Progressive weight loss and chronic wasting.
Scouring – often chronic and bad smelling/
bubbly
Oedema – bottle jaw (swellings under jaw
and brisket)
Poor fertility
Signs often follow a stressful event such as
calving.
Clinical signs can last for months – the cows
become emaciated but maintain a good
appetite.
If you have stock with any of these clinical
signs isolate immediately pending testing away
from animals due to calve.
Dealing with Johnes/reducing the risks Control is difficult because of the long incubation period meaning that an outbreak can occur over years. Cows that can
look completely normal can be shedding the bacteria which can be picked up by calves which themselves may not go down
with the disease until years down the line.
The main objective of control is to identify and remove infected animals to prevent them infecting their calves and so the
next generation. The culling of positive animals is an essential step towards control.
Hygiene is a major part of control particularly around calving. Faecal contamination needs to be reduced. The main route
of infection is faecal oral. Reduce the faecal contamination of food/water (make sure food troughs are raised). The
bacteria can also be found in stagnant water sources so restriction of access ponds etc is important.
Calves can be infected by colostrum. It is important that if you use home frozen colostrum you mark the container with
the number of the cow and if she becomes positive for
johnes this is discarded. If the cow will tolerate it, clean the
teats when the calf is born before it sucks to reduce
contamination. Do not feed pooled colostrum if johnes is
present.
Because of the likelihood of the calf getting infected from a
positive cow it is important not to keep calves from infected
dams. It is advised calves from infected dams are not sold as
replacements/breeding animals.
Bulls can also bring johnes on to a farm. When replacing a
bull blood testing whilst the bull is in isolation is advisable.
Purchasing accredited stock would be recommended.
Muck spreading is a risk – sharing of equipment is a biosecurity
risk. The bacteria can survive in the pasture for a long time.
Ideally muck spreading on pasture should be avoided.
An ideal environment for the spread of Johnes to young
animals.
Reduce the pneumonia
risk Avoid Mixing calves from
different sources/ages in same air space.
Timing of Routine
procedures worming/
castrating/dehorning
Housing: ensure a
clean ,dry bed, good
ventilation without chilling
or draughts
Good hygiene practice is
critical to limit the spread
of contagious disease
Ensure buildings
maintained no leaking
troughs or gutters
especially in the weather at
moment
Identify sick calves,
isolate, treat early and
follow a treatment plan.
When outbreak occurs if
possible reduce stock
density to reduce pathogen
load.
Despite the mild weather we have
seen few outbreaks of calf
pneumonia in single suckled calf units
over the Christmas period. This has
been associated with severe rain
often soaking sheds. All calves
housed at this time of year need
access to a lying up area whether this
is provided by a restricted access
section of a shed or something as
simple as running an electric fence
around the shed perimeter to allow
the calves access to a dry bed away
from the cows. Good ventilation is
also essential to help prevent
pneumonia in housed calves this
winter; we are able to assess
ventilation on farm and advise on
changes that could improve
conditions. Vaccination of bought in
bucket calves against the major
causes of viral pneumonia is now
advised on all units we visit. These
calves are often under more stress
and receive reduced immunity in
their mothers milk unlike their single
suckled counterparts. Remember
that we have access to a subsidised
blood testing scheme to investigate
calf pneumonia outbreaks on your
farm. Contact us for further info.
Calves at Risk from Pneumonia this Winter
Stress of mixing increases the risk of pneumonia in calves passing through cattle markets
Monday 3rd February 7.30pm at Neath RFC.
Farming connect are hosting a Johnes meeting for our clients with Bruce Lawson
MRCVS– this will be focussed on practically tackling johnes disease. We look
forward to seeing you all there.
Mid february—venue and date to be confirmed
Following our recent successful lambing workshop in conjunction with Farming
connect we will be running a Calving workshop in preparation for the up coming
calving season.
We appreciate any feedback you have on the newsletter or any aspect of our service. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Neath surgery: 01639 642739 Email: [email protected]
Good farming from all the team at Afon Vets!
Calving tips Make sure you are prepared for calving with adequate supplies of
colostrum, iodine for navel dressing, clean calving ropes, and
medicines. For those of you calving indoors the provision of well designed
clean calving pens is essential and make sure the cows udder is
cleaned before the calf sucks! If you are handling cows, cut tails to
minimise dung contamination on teats. Taking bulls out of autumn calvers at end of January will mean
calving ends mid November. Scour problems in previous years? Vaccination against rotavirus
needs completing 12-3 weeks prior to calving. Early born autumn calves should be eating approaching 2kg per
head/day of 14%CP creep. This is the optimum intake if calves are
going on to grass with their mothers later.
Dates for your Diary In Other News...
Farming Connect/Menter
a Busnes Update
All applications for 80%
funding for health planning
and investigations need to be
submitted by March 2014.
your trained mentors within
the practice and Gareth
Mulligan, Jonathan Reilly and
Beki Reilly. Please ring us
ASAP if you are interested In
having a health plan -
remember it is a farm
assurance requirement!
—————————
Pregnancy Scanning
Offer
We are continuing our
scanning offer into 2014 for
pregnancy scanning of more
than 20 cows. Remember
early scanning can identify
problems. Unlike lay scanners
we can also give advice during
visits for methods of
tightening the calving pattern
and can identify possible
problems with individual
cows. Don’t worry if your
calving pattern is spread, give
us a call to discuss your
options.
————————-
Availability of Rotavec
Corona TM
We have been informed by
MSD that some supplies of
the vaccine will be available
from the start of February
2014 however these are likely
to be in short supply. We
strongly advise clients who
require this vaccine to contact
us at the surgery to order
supplies. We will be selling
the vaccine in spring 2014 at
£49.92 plus vat per 5 doses
and £188.32 plus vat for 20
doses. Please note these
prices are only available to
clients if payment is made at
the time of vaccine collection.