FARMNEWSshropshireFARMNEWS

COURSE/WORKSHOP DATESSheep Lameness Workshopwith Emily Denton

Saturday 31st October 2015To be held at Shropshire Farm Vets between9am – 12pm

AI Coursewith Tim O’Sullivan

Tuesday 1st – Friday 4th DecemberVenues and Times TBC closer to the date

If you are interested in any of the above please contact the Practice 01743 860920.

PRACTICE/DISPENSARY TIMESMonday – Friday 8:15 – 5.30

Saturday/Sunday Closed

SHREWSBURYLIVESTOCK MARKETEvery Tuesday From 9.30am – 12 Noon

Please order the medications that you require for collection before 4pm the previous day.

Shropshire Farm Vets

Unit 3, The Depot, Hanwood, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY5 8NY

T: 01743 860 920 F: 01743 861 934 E: farm@shropshirefarmvets.com W: www.shropshirefarmvets.com

IN THIS ISSUE: October 2015

• Introducing our new service:Shropshire Hoof Care

• Charity Cycle

• Herd Health Monitor

• TB Update

Shropshire Farm Vets

Unit 3, The Depot, Hanwood, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY5 8NY

T: 01743 860 920 F: 01743 861 934 E: farm@shropshirefarmvets.com W: www.shropshirefarmvets.com

SHROPSHIRE FARM NEWS: OCTOBER 2015

Herd Health Monitor

Find us on social Media

www.facebook.com/ShropshireFarmVets

www.twitter.com/ShropFarmVets

TB Update for AugustWe carried out 59 tests with the total number of

animals coming to 4,523

There were 10 inconclusive and 6 reactors

WE’VE ADDED

ANOTHER STRING TO OUR BOW

The mastitis side has shown a reduction in the rate of clinical mastitis and as well as reductions in somatic cell counts and taking herds out of penalty bands, increased yields and reduced medicine usage also features

Following on from this we have now been able to turn our attention to other issues, such as Transition cow management, reducing the levels of negative energy balance and its associated problems and reducing the levels of post-parturient disease. This should lead to an improvement in milk yield and cows should be more receptive to getting back in calf.

Continued overleaf

The Herd Health Monitor is designed to run in conjunction with your Herd Health Plan to make it a more useful working document and to accurately record disease levels on farm to in turn this will:

1) comply with Farm Assurance requirements, and

2) Identify disease trends. This allowing a more targeted action plan to reduce disease, and improve production efficiency. This is particularly important in terms of mastitis, lameness, culling rates and causes, and calf mortality rates as they are compulsory requirements of Farm Assurance.

Right from the start, the Monitor can be all embracing, covering all stages in a dairy animal’s life. Parts of the plan maybe picked up depending on your individual requirements For example, you may just adopt the calf rearing parts of the plan. We intend to cover the basic aspects of the Red Tractor scheme

I am at present revisiting all the farms where we have instigated this Herd Health Monitor. I have been encouraged by the progress we have made. In conjunction with using other tools like the Dairy Co Mastitis Plan, Healthy Feet program, etc. there has been a positive response especially to mastitis rates and lameness rates on some farms reviewed.

The use of the computer program Vet Impress has allowed us to fully analyse the data obtained by the Herd Health Monitor, to have a positive effect on your farm. The Monitor does require farmer input, but I hope we are showing that there is a real benefit and our aim is that when there is an upturn in the industry, you are better placed to take advantage of it.

The Herd Health Monitor can also incorporate the new requirements for farm assurance imposed by some of the milk purchasers on drug usage and reviews and will also tie in with Johne’s and mobility programs, which are a growing part of milk contracts.

Rod

XL Vets are aiming to travel the circumference of the globe without using an engine by the end of September. Each XL Vets practice has been given a target to achieve with the aim of raising money for Send a Cow and a charity of choice, for which we have chosen Mind. Send a Cow supports families in sub-Saharan Africa by proving livestock and training as a sustainable method of reducing poverty.

What we are:Shropshire Hoof Care is a brand new service which delivers a combined approach between the Foot Trimmer and the Vet. We believe that this team effort provides farmers with a better method to reduce lameness on farm.

We provide:• Routine hoof trimming with cow side history for better

understanding and monitoring improvement (Trimmer)• A work list of recommended animals to see sent by email a

few days in advance (Trimmer)• Comprehensive data of the findings during trimming and

treatment (Trimmer)• Quarterly or annual report of data analysis with herd level

advice (Vet)• Inclusion of action plan in Herd Health Plan (Vet)• Internal referral of cases that need veterinary intervention

(Vet)

Our services are:• Mobility Scoring with Integrated data recording• Delivery of the DairyCo Healthy Feet Program• Advice on Footbath regimes and application• Digital Dermatitis Control (scoring and action plan)

Routine Foot TrimmingThe latest recommendations for fixed trim dates in a cow’s lactation are:• At drying off• 60-80 Days post calving• Day 200 of lactation

Depending on the client’s preference we populate a work list of cows to present to us on the next visit.

We sailed down the other side of the hill into Habberley and quenched our thirst, before heading back to Pontesbury. By this point it was almost dark and the first drops of rain were beginning to fall. Thankfully we all completed the cycle with no major accidents occurring and all team members still had functioning limbs the next day.

Thank you very much to everyone who has already donated, we are very grateful for your contribution.

Ally

CHARITY BIKE CHALLENGEWe trim according to the latest techniques and recommendations of veterinary research. The Crush is an upright fully hydraulic HTL to improve cow flow and speed. We are all trained in The Dutch 5 step method and the Dairyland method as promoted by Karl Burgi.

Our Pricing:Our pricing is at a competitive hourly rate. For the latest prices please contact the office. We have chosen the hourly rate above the pricing per animal or per foot to stop the focus on pure numbers. Although the numbers need to be done the focus needs to be on getting the cows better. A quick job does not necessarily mean a good job. For the same reasons blocks and bandages are at a low price. If an animal benefits from a block or bandage we want her to have them.

The Shropshire Hoof Care TeamSimeon Lloyd (Director SHC):

I attended a basic foot trimming course in 2006 and my obsession for treating and preventing lame cows started. In 2008 I became a professional foot trimmer and worked quickly to become licensed category 1. I am now one of the few foot trimmers that have both the Dutch

diploma and the city guilds qualification in foot trimming. Recently I have completed the Dairyland foot trimming course and have become a committee member of the National Association of Cattle Foot Trimmers (NACFT). Controlling cattle lameness has become my passion and Shropshire Hoof Care is the result of progression and hard work.

Roel Driesen (Director SHC):My cow foot fetish started back in 1996 when I did a Dutch hoof trimming course on the Belgian-Dutch border as a final year vet student. Since then I have always aimed for the right hoof shape and a well balanced foot before digging for the problem and shouting

Eureka when the pus flies out. In 2012 I become a Mobility Mentor in the Dairyco Healthy

Feet Program, which helped me address lameness better at a herd level.

In Spring 2015 we organised a Dairyland Foot Trimming course that Simeon, Pablo and I also attended. It has given us a different view of how hoof trimming can be done.

Pablo Nuñez:I have always been concerned about animal health and welfare in order to gain the maximum possible profitability on farm. After I graduated as a vet and became involved in farm animal practice, I realised that cattle lameness is one of the most common and

costly diseases in the dairy industry. I started to get more involved in cattle lameness in 2015 after many conferences, seminars and the Dairyland foot trimming course.

To arrange an appointment, call:

01743 860 92807771 693 855

We can see the cider from here.

At last we made it, well done everyone.

Nearly there, great teamwork.

On Friday 11th September a gang of SFV staff members set out on our sponsored bike ride to raise money for Send a Cow and Mind, as part of the XL Vets 10 year anniversary celebrations. After months of hard training (by Roel at least) we all felt very prepared and ready for the challenge ahead. We had managed to assemble a wide selection of bikes ranging from a large chunky mountain bike for the team’s smallest member and an extremely streamlined racing bike with minimal comfort, particularly in the saddle area.

Roel lead the main peloton off down the A488 with Nathan in the support vehicle following behind. We did our best to cause minimal disruption and soon turned onto a steep hill heading towards Pound lane. This was tackled easily by most of the cyclists but unfortunately no one had managed to explain to Emily how bike gears work, After a bit of a push from James we all made it to the top of the bank. Over the next few miles we wound our way towards Pontesbury on what we thought would be nice quiet lanes, however the volume of traffic was a bit higher than expected.

On arrival in Pontesbury there was a decision to be made – a gentle meander towards Habberley or down to Minsterley and over ‘a bit of a hill’. Feeling enthused, the majority of us set off down the new cycle path towards Minsterley. At this point the hilly route seemed like an excellent choice, however our views were soon changed when we saw the road stretching up and up in front of us. Motivated by the thought of a refreshing pint waiting for us on the other side, we started our ascent with Roel, Sim and Eva racing to the front. Imagine my relief when I’d struggled up to where they were waiting, absolutely exhausted but pleased with my achievement, only to be informed we were about halfway and the very steep hill continued round the bend. After a lot of huffing and puffing (and cursing) we all arrived at the summit, where Nathan duly informed a group of worn out cyclists that he had a very sore leg from controlling the clutch on the way up.