farmskills herd fertility training...high quality, cost effective service to their clients, to...

Inside this issue:

Common problemsaround lambing timeWe describe some of the common problems that can be encountered during the lambing season.

CALVING PERIODAdvice on health and safety at calving time, looking at the potential risks and dangers that can be avoided.

LivestockMATTERS

VOLUME 4 EDITION 2WORKING TOGETHER FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE

www.xlvets.ie €3.25

FARMSKILLS HERD FERTILITY TRAINING

OBJECTIVE: Provide farmers with the foundations for good herdfertility, in a practical farm setting. The day will also include apractical scanning session and conclude with Q&A.

AGENDA:

l Compact Calving

l Fewer Empty Cows

l Improving Heat Detection

l Bull Fertility and more...

Events nationwide. Contact your local XLVetspractice for details or visit www.xlvets.ie/skillnets

Kindly Supported by MSD Animal Health

XLVets Skillnet is a not-for-profit, industry-led learning network for training companies in the veterinary and animal health sector inIreland. XLVets Skillnet is funded by member companies and the Training Networks Programme, an initiative of Skillnets Ltd. fundedfrom the National Training Fund through the Department of Education and Skills.

EXCELLENCE IN PRACTICE

The members of XLVets have worked hard to create what they see as amodel of how practices can work together, sharing the latest ideas andpassing on savings and joint expertise to clients.

The group comprises of a number of the foremost farm practices in Ireland. With many years of combined experience, it is able to give expert advice on all areas of farm livestock, health and production.

XLVets -WeExcelInvest in Health Don’t pay for Disease

Kilcoyne Veterinary ClinicTubbercurry, Co.SligoTelephone: 071 9185016

Killenaule VetsThurles, Co.TipperaryTelephone: 052 9156065

Longford Animal Health CentreShroid, Co.LongfordTelephone: 043 3346716

Mulcair Veterinary ClinicsCappamore, Co.LimerickTelephone: 061 381209

Riverview Veterinary GroupBandon, Co.CorkTelephone: 023 8841503

Sliabh Luachra Veterinary CentreRathmore, Co.KerryTelephone: 064 7758009

Southview Veterinary HospitalClonmel, Co.TipperaryTelephone: 052 6121429

The Veterinary HospitalGorey, Co.WexfordTelephone: 053 9421151

Adare Veterinary SurgeryAdare, Co.LimerickTelephone: 061 396390

All Creatures Veterinary ClinicRoscommon Town, Co.RoscommonTelephone: 0906 626898

Avondale Veterinary ClinicsArklow, Co.WicklowTelephone: 0402 33744

Clerkin VetsCootehill, Co.CavanTelephone: 049 5552777

Comeragh VeterinaryKilmacthomas, Co.WaterfordTelephone: 051 294143

Donal Lynch VeterinaryTullamore, Co.OffalyTelephone: 057 9354505

Geraghty & Neary VeterinaryMountbellew, Co GalwayTelephone: 096 79277

Glasslyn Veterinary ClinicBandon, Co CorkTelephone: 021 4772277

Glen Veterinary ClinicsTipperary Town, Co.TipperaryTelephone: 062 52992

Glenbower Veterinary GroupKilleagh, Co.CorkTelephone: 024 95189

XLVets member practices are dedicated to providing ahigh quality, cost effective service to their clients, tosupport long-term growth and future prosperity withinthe Irish livestock industry.

www.xlvets.ie

Glenina Veterinary ClinicGalway, Co.GalwayTelephone: 091 752 014

Gortlandroe Veterinary ClinicNenagh, Co.TipperaryTelephone: 067 31016

Ormonde VeterinaryKilkenny, Co.KilkennyTelephone: 056 7763630

XLVets IrelandMember PracticesAdare Veterinary SurgeryStation Road, Adare, Co.LimerickAll Creatures Veterinary ClinicLanesboro Street, Roscommon Town,Co.RoscommonAvondale Veterinary ClinicsFerrybank, Arklow, Co.WicklowClerkin Vets90 Bridge Street, Cootehill, Co.CavanComeragh VeterinaryMain Street, Kilmacthomas, Co.WaterfordDonal Lynch VeterinaryKillurin Cross, Killeagh, Tullamore Co.OffalyGeraghty & Neary VeterinaryCollege Road, Mountbellew, Co GalwayGlasslyn Veterinary ClinicGlasslyn Road, Bandon, Co CorkGlen Veterinary ClinicsBlind Street, Tipperary Town, Co.TipperaryGlenbower Veterinary GroupClashdermot East, Killeagh, Co.CorkGlenina Veterinary Clinic1 Glenina Heights, Galway, Co.GalwayGortlandroe Veterinary ClinicSt Conlon’s Road, Nenagh, Co.TipperaryKilcoyne VeterinaryMountain Road, Tubbercurry, Co SligoKillenaule VetsKillenaule, Thurles, Co.TipperaryLongford Animal Health CentreCooleeney, Shroid, Co LongfordMulcair Veterinary ClinicsDromsally, Cappamore, Co.LimerickO’Connor Julian Vets67 Main Street, Cashel, Co.TipperaryOld Church Veterinary HospitalThe Mall, Ballyshannon, Co.DonegalOrmonde Veterinary14 Barrack Street, Kilkenny, Co.KilkennyRiverview Veterinary GroupDistillery Road, Bandon, Co.CorkSliabh Luachra Veterinary CentreWest End, Rathmore, Co.KerrySouthview Veterinary HospitalIrishtown, Clonmel, Co.TipperaryThe Veterinary HospitalArklow Road, Gorey, Co.Wexford

XLVets is a novel and exciting initiative conceived from within the veterinary profession.We are all independently owned, progressiveveterinary practices located throughout Irelandcommitted to working together for the benefit of our clients.

VOLUME 4 EDITION 2

C O N T E N T S

XLVet Ireland Ltd Registered Office at:DromsallyCappamoreCounty LimerickTel: 061 381505© XLVet IrelandNo part of this publication may be reproducedwithout prior permission of the publisher.Disclaimer:XLVets does not necessarily share the views of contributors. No responsibility can be acceptedfor opinions expressed by contributors, or claimsmade by advertisers within this publication.

Contact XLVets:

061 381505 and

[email protected]

Practical, farm based training, delivered by vets to

improve your livestock and businessperformance...

XLVets Skillnet is funded by member companies and the Training Networks Programme, an initiative of Skillnets Ltd. funded from the National Training Fund through the Department of Education and Skills.

XLVets FarmSkills courses are designed toput the farmer first; finding out what youknow now and what you’d like to know toimprove your business.

Courses are available across Ireland and areopen to everyone. Topics catered for includecattle lameness, mastitis and cell count, calfrearing and fertility management.

Training is a vital part of the jigsaw that makes up modern farm business success. But finding the training that’s right for you needn’t be a puzzle.

03 Glasslyn Veterinary Clinic celebrates 100 years of service:

Kevin O Sullivan, Glasslyn Veterinary Clinic gives us a brief insight into this practice’s history.

04 IBR controls and vaccination:

Tommy Heffernan, Avondale VeterinaryClinics looks at the control and vaccinationof the IBR disease.

05 Why do cows not get pregnant?:

Robert Zobel, Old Church VeterinaryHospital describes the issues associatedwith subfertility.

07 Health and safety at calving time:

Harold Ferguson, Longford Animal HealthCentre examines the potential risks anddangers at calving time.

09 Dry cow management:

Kieran O Mahony, Glen Veterinary Clinicdescribes the three periods of the dryingoff process to avoid problems during thelactation season.

11 Calf rearing to beef:

Conor Geraghty, Geraghty & Nearyexplains the challenges of animal healthin calf rearing to beef.

13 Beef herd health planning:

Tommy Heffernan, Avondale VeterinaryClinics discusses how the basis of any herdhealth plan is prevention rather tan cure.

16 Common problems around lambing time:

Conor Kilcoyne, Kilcoyne VeterinarySurgeons describes the common problemsthat can be encountered during the lambing season.

20 How XLVets training can benefit yourfarming business:

Denise Duggan, XLVets Training Managerprovides a brief overview of XLVets Skillnetand the benefits to farmers.

21 Parasite control:

Donal Lynch, Donal Lynch Veterinaryexplains how parasite control becomestopical as we enter the housing period.

Old Church Veterinary HospitalBallyshannon, Co.DonegalTelephone: 071 9851559

O’Connor Julian VetsCashel, Co.TipperaryTelephone: 062 61196

XLVETS NEWS

Glasslyn Veterinary Clinic, Bandon,celebrates 100 Years of Service

I BR CONTROLS

Veterinary Surgeon Tommy Heffernan

XLVets Practice Avondale VeterinaryClinics, Co.Wicklow

In this article, we will look at the control andvaccination of the IBR disease.

Farmers can control IBR by knowing the disease status of your herd and then deciding the best option. If you know yourherd is disease free of IBR then control isachieved by maintaining a closed herd andstrict biosecurity. All bought in stock shouldbe isolated for 3-4 weeks and tested for antibodies before being introduced into the main herd. But because of IBR beingendemic in most herds, it is very difficult to say you are disease free without first performing comprehensive testing to ascertain herd status. With this difficultly in mind most farms will have to use vaccination as a control option with biosecurity playing a key role also.

There are many different vaccinations available which can sometimes lead to a lot of confusion in relation to their use. The two main types of IBR vaccination arelive and dead vaccines. In the face of an IBR outbreak you can use an intranasal livevaccine to reduce the severity of the diseaseoutbreak. This must be given 1ml into eachnostril with careful animal restraint. Latentcarriers produce a huge risk in the spread ofthe disease, so reducing shedding of thevirus by these animals is very important.

A lot of companies are making claims abouttheir vaccines, so a vaccination programmeshould be discussed with your vet to give you a clear understanding of the choice ofvaccine that suits your enterprise. By startinga vaccination programme along with goodbiosecurity measures, you will over time

reduce the levels of active virus and shedding in your herd. I would still recommend the use of the live IBR vaccineI/M every 6 months to herds with high levelsof active IBR virus in the herd. This controlprogramme would involve vaccinating calvesintranasaly from 2 weeks of age, followed bya live intramuscular booster every 6 monthsto the whole herd. It is important also thatthis booster is given prior to peak risk periodsof stress - for example before calving andagain around weaning and housing. This willensure that there is maximum immunity provided before the periods of stress.

In a split calving dairy herd this would meanvaccinating around early January and againin June. Timing and proper vaccinationadministration are essential, it must be mentioned that vaccination is not a ‘silver bullet’. Very careful attention must be paid to husbandry and biosecurity. Themain risks for biosecurity is the purchase ofstock which could be potential latent carriersof the virus. Reducing stress by good management processes will also reduce the risk of IBR within herds. Another controlprogramme available is the use of a deadvaccine which involves 2 primary courses and then an annual booster. Because IBRcan be a complicated and economically significant disease its presence should bemonitored for in herds. If and when undertaking a vaccination programme it should be done in consultation with your vet.

Upholding traditional values in a state-of-the-art setting. WhenCornelius O’Driscoll set up his veterinary practice in Bandon in 1915,he could not have dreamed that it would still be serving the peopleof West Cork a century later. Glasslyn Veterinary Clinics in Bandonand Kinsale are rightly proud of their reputation for high quality care based on 100 years of experience combined with cutting edgetechnology, the best skills and the most modern facilities. Glasslyn is now one of the largest veterinary practices in the country with nine full-time vets and a crack team of support staff, and two clinicsoffering state-of-the-art facilities to protect and improve your animal’s health.

All Creatures Great...When Con started in 1915, and when his sonJohn Doc took over in the 1950s, workinganimals were the order of the day. Pets wereviewed as a fanciful notion and most of thebusiness was conducted in fields and farmyards. Large animals like cattle, sheep,horses and donkeys are still an importantelement of the business today but theemphasis has shifted from dealing withemergencies - known as ‘fire brigade’ work - towards herd and equine health management, working with farmers toenhance and improve the quality of livestock. Glasslyn vets are at the forefront ofdevelopments in important areas of animal health such as bull fertility and vasectomy, cell checks, TB testing, pregnancyscanning, vaccination programmes, mastitisand lameness. They offer training days andinformative talks to share their knowledgewith the farming community and holdstrong to the principle that prevention isalways preferable to the cure.

...and SmallWith pets now taking pole position in many households, Glasslyn has opened adedicated small animal clinic in Bandonheaded by Debbie Yates. Debbie gainedextensive experience of working with companion animals in the UK, and morerecently in New Zealand where she specialised in orthopaedic surgery for jointand fracture repair. She also worked in a dermatology clinic and a leading bird hospital where she treated endangeredwildlife species along with cage birds andpoultry. Joining the usual patient roll of cats,dogs and rabbits, recent visitors to the clinicinclude a barn owl and several hedgehogs!

IBR controls and vaccinationTommy Heffernan MVB, Avondale Veterinary Clinics

3 LIVESTOCK MATTERS WORKING TOGETHER FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE... VOLUME 4 EDITION 2 LIVESTOCK MATTERS 4

The small animal clinic offers a comprehensive range of treatments and diagnostic services to keep your pet in prime condition, including:

l Health checks

l Vaccinations and flea and wormtreatments

l Skin care

l Neutering

l Orthopaedic surgeries

l Gaseous anaesthesia

l Dental care

l Diet and nutrition clinics

l Nurse clinics

l In-house blood testing

l Ultrasound

l Digital X-ray machine

l Exotic pets

l Premium quality animal food andmedicines

From 31st March 2016 all dogs in Irelandmust be microchipped and registered on agovernment-approved database. This law isalready in force for puppies and it is illegal toown a pup that has not been chipped andregistered. Glasslyn Veterinary Clinic willcarry out this quick and painless procedureand can also provide pet passports. This newlaw not only safeguards your own pet, butwill also help eliminate the scourge of unregulated puppy farms.

The team at Glasslyn understand the importance of animals and pets in people’slives and constantly strive to provide thehighest quality care in a friendly environment. Appointments are availablefrom Monday to Saturday in Bandon, andMonday to Friday in Kinsale. Glasslyn alsooffers a full, out-of-hours emergency service.

To book your consultation, email [email protected] or contact your nearest clinic.

Veterinary Surgeon Kevin O Sullivan

XLVets Practice Glasslyn Veterinary Clinic, Co. Cork

Bandon Clinic Station Road, Bandon,Co. Cork T: 023 8842946

Kinsale Clinic Church Square, Kinsale,Co. Cork T: 021 477 2277

COW FERT I L I TY COW FERT I L I TY

Why do cows notget pregnant?

Veterinary Surgeon Robert Zobel

XLVets Practice Old Church VeterinaryHospital, Co. Donegal

Part 1

RO B E RT Z O B E L DV M , P H D

There is a trend in decliningfertility in cows worldwide,with subfertility as the mostcommon reason for culling,second only to mastitis.In a study of 43 dairy herds in California24.8 % of the cows were culled each yearwith reproductive failure as the most common cause. In another survey of reproductive performances in New Zealand,13.6 % of cows were culled during each season. Of these, 42.5 % were culled for failure to conceive, and 4.4 % were culledfor other reproductive problems.

Cows do not become pregnant because theyare either subfertile or infertile. Fertility incows is defined as the ability of the animalto conceive and maintain pregnancy ifinseminated or served at appropriate time.Sterility is defined as an absolute inability toreproduce. Infertility, on the other hand, iseither considered to be synonymous withsterility, or may imply delayed or irregular

ability to produce offspring during a regularreproductive cycle. However, the term subfertility is considered as more appropriateterm for the latter reproductive problems.

Infertility, as described in this article, willinclude congenital and developmentaldegenerative changes in the genital tract:freemartinism, cervix duplex, aplastic ovaries,aplastic uterus, periovarian adhesions, uterine adhesions, and urovagina.Subfertility will include medically mostlytreatable conditions: anovulatory oestrus,anoestrus, Cystic Ovarian Disease, RepeatBreeder Syndrome, endometritis/metritis,and delayed ovulation.

Puerperal metritis is to be diagnosed inanimals with abnormally enlarged uterusand foetid, watery, red-brown uterine discharge. It is usually associated withsigns of systemic illness (decreased milkyield, dullness etc.), and fever (body temperature over 39.5 °C) that usuallyoccurs within 21 days after parturition.Animals that are not systemically ill, buthave an abnormally enlarged uterus and apurulent uterine discharge detectable inthe vagina, within 21 days post partum,should be classified as having clinicalmetritis. Clinical endometritis is characterised by the presence of purulentuterine discharge detectable in the vagina21 days after parturition or later, ormucuopurulent discharge detectable inthe vagina after 26 days post partum. On the other hand pyometra is usually

defined as the accumulation of purulentmaterial within the uterine lumen in thepresence of a persistent corpus luteum onone of the ovaries and a closed cervix. Themajor factors contributing to the higherincidence of metritis/endometritis areDystocia, Retained Foetal Membranes,and too low or too high Body ConditionScore (BCS less than 2.75 and higher than4). In the research conducted over 3 yearsand with 1.300 cows included, the incidence of clinical endometritis wasfound to be 15.3%. In another study, alsoconducted by this author on 12.030 cowsover the course of 5 years, endometritiswas found to be the third most commoncause of subfertility, present in almost1/10 of observed animals, and with asteady increase over the 5 years of study(published data by R. Zobel).

Endometritis/Metritis

Subfertility

Ovarian cysts (Cysticovarian disease)

Ovarian cyst is defined as an anovulatoryfluid-filled follicle-like structure, usuallymore than 24 mm in diameter that persists for more than 7 to 10 days withthe absence of corpus luteum. Ovariancysts are follicles that did not ovulate atthe end of the cycle, but kept on growingto the different sizes. Cows with COD areeither in heat very often and unusuallylong (every few days and remain in heatfor a week or even longer, or are in heatalmost constantly), or, on the other handdo not get into the heat for a very longtime (sometimes for few months) whichdepends on a type of the cyst (Follicular vs. Luteal cyst). The incidence of ovariancysts is usually small, and averagesaround 4% (published data by R. Zobel).Contrary to the usual believe, this condition is of the least of importance of all subfertility diagnoses.

Delayed ovulation

Duration of normal oestrus in cows isbetween 2.5 and 18 h, and onset of ovulation occurs approximately 28 to 32 h after the onset of oestrus, or 10 to 15 h after the end of clinical signs ofoestrus. Delayed ovulation is considered in instances when the ovulation occurs 2 to 7 days after the onset of oestrus.Affected animals get into the heat every18 to 23 days, ovulate (disappearance of the dominant follicle on one of theovaries) but animals do not get pregnant, and come into the heat overand over again. Incidence of this condition ranges from 16% up to 35%for different authors, breeds and regions.In the study conducted by the author ofthis article, incidence of this conditionwas 28% in the research conducted on1.033 cows of the Holstein-Frisian breed.

Repeat Breeder Syndrome

Repeat Breeder Syndrome is defined in cows as a failure to conceive in 3 ormore regularly spaced services/AI's with the absence of detectable clinicalabnormalities, and represents a significant loss for the dairy industryworldwide. These cows typically exhibitnormal signs of oestrus every 18 to 24days, and return to service repeatedlyafter being bred to a fertile male or afterartificial insemination. Condition is morecommon in heifers compared to cows,and is the most common in HolsteinFriesian breed (data published by R.Zobel). The main reasons for this condition are pathological changes in

bursa or oviduct that are difficult to palpate, or undiagnosed uterine infections. Other possible causes are earlyembryonic death, unfavourable uterineenvironment, precocious luteolysis, lack of initial recognition of pregnancy etc.Furthermore, sometimes is even impossible to find the primary, underlyingcause of this condition which only complicates this diagnose and makes itmore difficult to explain. Incidence of thiscondition is estimated to be around 8%(data published by R. Zobel), but there arereports of its incidence going up to 14%(South America) and even 17% (Africaand China).


Robert Zobel


CALVING SAFETY CALV ING SAFETY

Health and Safety

Veterinary Surgeon Harold Ferguson

XLVets Practice Longford Animal HealthCentre, Co. Longford

Health and Safety Authority statistics show that one quarter of Irish farm accidents and one fifth of farm deaths in olderfarmers are livestock related. This article will examine the potential risks at calving time and how these risks can be minimised or ideally eliminated.The potential risks at calving time can be related to the cow that is calving,her cohorts, the facilities or to thefarmer him/herself.

A cow at calving time has only one priorityand that is to care for the calf that she hasgiven birth to or is about to give birth to. It isimportant to remember that a cow can bejust as aggressive before she calves as afterwards. The wild cows in the herd aregenerally well known by the farmer andtreated with respect but the quiet cows areoften not seen as a risk. These quieter animals are potentially more dangerousbecause of the sudden change in their temperament at calving time and may catch a farmer off guard. These changes

in temperament are a result of hormonalchanges that occur in a cow during pregnancyand calving and are unpredictable in theirnature. Any cow can become aggressive evenolder cows that have no history of aggressionat previous calvings.

The cohorts of the calving cow can be just asdangerous. A bellow from the new mother inresponse to a perceived threat to her calf ora bawl from the new-born calf when handledcan be enough to instigate a flight reactionin the rest of the group. A farmer shouldalways be aware of the other cows especiallyin group calving pens or if catching new-borncalves in the field.

Poorly designed calving facilities contributegreatly to the risk at calving time. Extra helpis often unavailable on a lot of Irish farms at calving time. This is particularly the caseat night time. Suckler farmers in general willhave more calving problems than dairy farmers and also they will spend more timedealing with post-calving problems, e.g. getting cows to bond or getting calves tosuck. While undoubtedly calving facilitieshave improved on a lot of Irish farms, bothdairy and suckler, every farmer should assess their facilities well in advance of the calving season and learn from the experience of previous years. Even the bestfacilities benefit from a little tweaking toperfect them.

Another potential contributing risk factor at calving time is fatigue. A farmer’s judgement and also the ability to carry outroutine tasks efficiently can be seriouslyimpaired by tiredness. More risks tend to betaken towards the end of the calving seasonas farmers can be often more tired andsometimes complacency can set in.

As well as the potential direct physical risksof handling unpredictable cows we need tobe aware of the zoonotic risks at calvingtime. Many diseases, e.g. leptospirosis andsalmonellosis are more easily transmitted at calving time by direct contact with calving fluids and new-born calves/aborted foetuses.

Poorly designed calving facilities contribute greatly to the risk at calving time Extra help is often unavailable on a lot of Irish farms at calving time.

H A RO L D F E R G U S O N , M V B

at calving timeThe reduction of these risks onIrish farms can be achieved bypaying attention to a number of factors.

Cow factors:It is impossible to completely eliminate therisk associated with the cow but a number of risk reduction measures are easily achievable. Cows should be bred with docility in mind as a docile cow is less likelyto become aggressive at calving time.Allowing the cow to become used to thefarmer pre-calving by, e.g. walking throughcubicles/pens will increase their tolerance to handling. All handling of cows should be carried out in a calm, quiet manner and cowsshould be moved to the designated calvingarea well in advance of calving. Any cowwith a history of serious aggression at calving time should be culled. There is noroom for sentimentality in this regard.

Facilities:Calving pens should have ample space,be clean and free from any possibleobstruction. Lighting is especiallyimportant in this area of the shed. A properly designed calving pen should eliminate direct physical contactbetween the cow and the farmer. A locking head gate and calving gatewith inset caesarean gate and spacefor suckling is another essential element. The head gate should beopen to the bottom to eliminate choking risk if the cow goes down. Not every calving gate is the same andunfortunately there are some poorlydesigned gates on the market. Thegate chosen should reflect the sizesand types of cows it is needed for. A quick escape route should ideally bebuilt into the calving pen. Gates shouldbe hung high enough to allow a farmerto crawl out if necessary or a cornercan be fenced off to allow a safe placeto escape to. In group calving pens itshould be possible to completely closeoff the cow you are handling from theothers in the group to avoid any interaction between them and thefarmer. Calving jacks reduce the risk of physical injury to the farmer as dopulley systems for lifting out calves during Caesarean sections. Calvingcameras reduce fatigue by allowing thecows to be checked without having toget out of bed.

Farmer:People handling stock especially atcalving time need to be experienced,competent and understand the risks atthis time. The ability to react quickly if a dangerous situation arises is essential. Most accidents related tocalving are avoidable by forward planning and assessing risk. You shouldnever turn your back on a cow whenhandling a calf and as far as possiblekeep a closed gate between you andthe cow. Always carry a mobile phonewhen working on your own with afreshly calved cow. A plan should beput in place to avoid tiredness andcomplacency setting in by either hiringextra help to do routine daytime tasksor by rotation of calving duties on larger units. It should be possible toreduce the number of cows that needto be handled at calving by using easier calving sires and breeding cowsfor calving ease.

Zoonosis:The risk of zoonotic diseases being spread at calving time can be reduced by using armlength gloves and protective clothing whencalving cows. Cows should only be assistedwhere necessary as most cows will calveunassisted. If a zoonotic disease is identifiedon the farm, then every precaution shouldbe taken to avoid the handler becominginfected. Masks and goggles may be necessary and the young, old and pregnantwomen should avoid all contact with cowsand new-born calves.

Due to the unpredictable nature of the calving cow, it is impossibleto eliminate risk completely but by being aware of potential issuesthat may arise and by forwardplanning, farmers can reduce theserisks significantly.

The Do's and Don'ts ofDry Cow Management

Do’s...

3 Body Condition Score all cows

3 Culture and Sensitivity of individual milk samples from 'problem' cows

3 Dung sample analysis

3 Silage Analysis

3 Use a sealer

Don’ts...

8 Milk cows once a day prior to drying off

8 Dose cows for parasites withoutassessing what's required

8 Assume that the dry cow tube thatworked last year will work this year

8 Neglect cows with high or low BCS

The health and care of the cow in the last 3 weeks of pregnancy will determine the success or otherwise of the entire following lactation.

K I E R A N O M A H O N Y, M V B


DRY COW PERIOD DRY COW PERIOD

Veterinary Surgeon Kieran O Mahony

XLVets Practice Glen Veterinary Clinics,Co. Tipperary

In late Autumn/early Winter, the focus in Spring calving herds turns to the drying off process. This process should be well planned and tailored to prevent problems in the forthcoming lactation season. As with all processes, the dry cow period should be broken up into a beginning, a middle and an end.

The dry cow period

The Beginning:

Submit milk samples for culture andsensitivity

Submit dung samples for parasite detection

Stop milking and administer a dry cowproduct and sealer

The Middle:

Follow up with any parasiticides basedon time of housing

Continue to monitor BCS

Identify cows at risk of Ketosis post-calving(Fat cows or twin pregnancies)

Follow up with any necessary vaccines,especially for calf scour

The End:

Finalise any parasite treatment

Monitor for abnormalities in the udder

Formulate a transition diet

Body Condition Score all cows

Put a parasite control plan into action

Administer any necessary vaccines

The Middle of the Dry Cow Period:

Proper preparation in the final weeksbefore calving is essential. The health andcare of the cow in the last 3 weeks ofpregnancy will determine the success orotherwise of the entire following lactation.

Nutrition will be key at this time. Cowsneed to hit the ground running when theycalve and in order to achieve this theirdigestive system needs to be operating atfull capacity. In simple terms the cow'sdiet in the last 3 weeks of pregnancyneeds to match as closely as possible thediet she will be getting after calving.

By feeding a transition diet the rumen isready to digest the large quantities ofroughage that will be consumed postcalving. Eventhough Dry Matter Intake(DMI) drops at calving time, if the rumenpapillae are primed the cow will recovermore quickly. This helps prevent milkfever and associated problems such asretained afterbirths and mastitis. The cow will also be less likely to suffer from ketosis.

Therefore a high roughage diet withsome energy in the form of concentratesis recommended.

The final part of the parasite control programme may need to be carried outduring this time, and if calf scour vaccinesare necessary they will be administerednow also.

The End of the Dry Cow Period:The Dry Cow Period begins with the administration of an intramammary product, be that an antibiotic, a sealer or a combination of both.

The choice of Dry Cow antibiotic used atthis time is very important as it will helpto clear any existent infections as well as preventing new infection in the forthcoming lactation.

Cows should always be dried off abruptly,and not milked once a day as has been practiced in the past.

Before drying off cows a number of samples from 'problem' cows should besubmitted to establish what tube to use.In my opinion, this process is probablybetter at identifying the antibiotic NOTto use. Either way it is a practice whichshould be followed every year as the bacteria in a herd can change from season to season. A select number of individual milk samples will give a more accurate result than a bulk tank sample. A sealer should always be used.

The presence of parasites can hugelyaffect the performance of a dairy herd.

In recent years Fluke and Lungworm havecaused massive problems and it is nowmore important than ever to adequatelydose dairy cows for parasites. Decisionson which products to use and when to give them should be decided by submitting dung samples to establishwhat parasites affect your herd. With alimited number of products availableresistance is always a worry so productsshould only be used if they are necessaryand products should be alternated fromyear to year.

As with all housed animals, lice treatment is very important. Over the past few mild winters Lice have become a bigproblem. I find that prevention is betterthan cure, and cows should be dressedwith a proven lice treatment in advanceof any issues arising.

Body Condition Scoring, of course, is very important at drying off. Cows shouldbe managed according to their BCS priorto and at drying off. The ideal BCS atDrying is 2.75 to 3 on the 5 point scale,with these cows ideally gaining a quarterto a half of a BCS before calving.

The Beginning of the Dry Cow Period:

Depending on when the cows werehoused and what parasiticides wereadministered at drying off they will probably require further dosing during the dry period. This is a process whichchanges from year to year and from farmto farm and which should be discussedand planned with your vet. Withdrawaltimes must be watched carefully with calving dates in mind. Continue lice treatment at 4 week intervals.

The BCS of the cows should be monitoredthroughout the dry period. Depending onsilage quality some supplement feedingmay be required for some if not all cows.

Conversely to low BCS cows, some cowsmay have obvious excess body fat andthese need to be monitored as they willbe prone to ketosis after calving. Considerblousing these cows to prevent ketosis.Cows scanned with twins will also requireextra care at this time.

Dry Cow Management

CALF REAR ING CALF REAR ING

Veterinary Surgeon Conor Geraghty

XLVets Practice Geraghty & Neary,Co. Galway

Calf Rearing to Beef

There are two calf to beef systems in use. Both systems involve sourcing young calves from multiple sources and rearing them on milk replacer.

C O N O R G E R AG H T Y, M V B


the animal health challenge

l High suckler cow feeding costs.

l High cost of store cattle.

l Availability of dairy bull calves withdairy expansion.

l Increased demand for lower carcaseweights by processors.

l Ability to increase stocking rate and extend grazing season withlighter animals.

Many beef farmers are movingtowards calf to beef systemsbecause of; There are two systems in use; calf to < 16

month bull beef and calf to 24 month steerbeef. Calf to < 16 month bull beef is a highlyspecialised system that requires calves togrow at > 1.0 kg/day all of their lifetime. Calfto 24 month steer beef allows farmers toachieve more live-weight gain from grass but does require a lower stocking rate. Bothsystems involve sourcing young calves frommultiple sources and rearing them on milkreplacer. This is a high risk activity from ananimal health viewpoint. Excellent herdhealth management is required to maintaincalf mortality at < 1%.

Sourcing CalvesCalves should be sourced from as few herdsas possible. If large numbers are neededmixing is inevitable. Buy healthy thrivingcalves as this is the best indication ringsideof good colostrum management on the birthfarm. Calves should be moved home asquickly and efficiently as possible to avoidexcessive stress.

HousingCalf houses should be clean with a deep, dry bed of straw. The shed needs to maintain body temperature above criticaltemperature and yet have adequate ventilation. Calves have a critical temperatureunder normal conditions of 10oC. Calves lessthan 4 weeks old do not have the ability towarm themselves. Calves need an outlet of0.05 m2/head. The ventilation inlet requiredis 0.1 m2/head. Controlling wind speed iscritical and can be achieved by using ventilation that has 25% porosity. Yorkshireboarding is popular due to its heat retentionproperties. Insulation of concrete walls or tin-sheeted gates with straw bales will helpprevent heat loss to external sources. Calfjackets are another option to help maintainbody temperature. If using calf troughs, tencalves is a sensible group size. Automaticfeeders will mean larger groups. Feeding ofmilk, water and meal should take place atthe front of the pens to minimise wetness in the bedded area.

NutritionCalves should be fed 600-800g of a highquality milk replacer/day in two feeds. Calveshave greatest feed conversion efficiency atthis stage. Milk replacer should be whey/skimbased and > 22% protein and > 19% fat.Once a day feeding can be started from 4weeks. Calf starter ration and water shouldbe available at all times. Fibre is provided inthe form of straw to encourage calves to eatmeal. Ration is superior to nuts for rumendevelopment. Once the calf is eating > 1kgmeal/day weaning can be considered usuallyfrom 8 weeks. Target weight at weaningshould be 100kg.

Calf pneumoniaThis is the single biggest issue with calf rearing systems. All calves shouldbe vaccinated against pneumonia afterarrival. We recommend long actingmacrolide antibiotics also at this stage in larger units to reduce the incidenceof Mycoplasma infections. If animalsget sick we recommend they are treated for 4 days minimum to reducerelapse rates and resulting ill-thrift.

Calf scourNutritional management is key to preventing scour. The farmer has nocontrol over colostrum managementexcept to buy healthy calves. Hygieneof calf pens is essential to reduce the pathogenic load in the calf sheds.An all in-all out policy should be inplace with cleaning, power hosing and disinfection between batches. Use disinfectants active againstCryptosporidia and coccidiosis.

I recommend that all calves are treatedwith a coccidiostat approximately a week after arrival or sooner if a calfshows clinical signs.

First Grazing SeasonCalves are usually turned out at weaning.Weather conditions may be variable early in spring so additional shelter unit may be needed.

Clostridial vaccination is advised as with allyoung animals. Discuss mineral deficienciesspecific to your farm with your vet to prevent loss of thrive. In my area copper,cobalt and iodine deficiency is very common. Calves generally are supplementedwith meal at grass from mid-June onwardsto drive performance.

Parasite control is very important to realiseweight gain targets. Many of our calf rearing farmers use long acting macrocyticlactone products at turnout. Ivermectins at 3, 8 and 13 weeks post turnout are effective alternatives. Regular weighing is an important tool for measuring performance..

Finishing PeriodFarmers finishing young bulls usuallyhouse weanlings at 380-430kg live-weight. Target finishing weight is520-550kg with a minimum carcase fat score of 2. This requires an intensivefinishing period of 120 days with highstarch and fat components in the diet.Control of liver fluke, gastro-intestinalparasites, lice and mange is essential at housing to maintain optimum performance as fat score targets aredifficult to achieve. Rumen buffers areimportant to prevent acidosis. Diseasessuch as Mortellaro’s digital dermatitiscan be bought in and often mistakenfor acidosis. In such cases regular foot-bathing controls the issue. I recommend that finishing cattle arevaccinated against IBR.

High output per hectare is possible in calf to beef systems however animal health is the critical limitingfactor to performance. Mortality of < 1% is possible with active engagement of veterinary advice and regular monitoring.

Calf with scour


BEEF HERD HEALTH BEEF HERD HEALTH

Veterinary Surgeon Tommy Heffernan

XLVets Practice Avondale VeterinaryClinics, Co.Wicklow

Beef HerdIt is important to have clear goals and targets from the outset. It must be driven by the farmer with the vet overseeing and advising on necessary changes and recommendations.

TO M M Y H E F F E R N A N , M V B

There has been a lot of talk about dairy herdhealth but it is equally important for beeffarmers. On the ground, I have seen that by implementing these herd health plans,there can be huge improvements made in performance on farm. This increased performance simply means more money infarmer’s pockets in a sector that is strugglingwith margins. It is important to have cleargoals and targets at the outset. It must bedriven by the farmer with the vet overseeingand advising on necessary changes andrecommendations.

These herd plans also work best when everyone on the farm (Farmer, vets andnutritionists) are involved in implementingthe health plan. They can be quiet simple ormuch more elaborate plans but they mustbe able to adapt and evolve year to year.The BTAP scheme encouraged a lot of beeffarmers to adopt a health plan as part of thescheme. In my experience this opened a discussion but didn’t see the full benefits ofsuch forward planning being implementedproperly on the ground.

Health plans are all about record keepingand looking at key performance indicators(KPI’s) and how they can be improved. Good record keeping can play a vital role in improving your herd performance. Oneexample of that I experienced recently waswhen we looked at a farmers records for the previous two years, we both only afterlooking at the records realised there was anissue with calf scour and fertility on thatfarm. It is only by looking at records that youcan pick up abnormal incidents of diseaseand also assess fertility issues at herd level.

There is a lot of information available suchas on ICBF and at farm level but we mustutilise all this information. A health planshould have space on it to include all nesscessary records required over the year ahead.

A good health plan should deal with disease, nutrition, vaccination, parasitology,fertility and biosecurity. There really is no‘one fits all’ plan and each farm can be verydifferent in my experience. A health plan can be broken down on a monthly basis with certain tasks to be carried out and with standard operating procedures (S.O.Ps)being set up for that particular farm.

For example S.O.Ps could be in place aroundnavel care. This would involve the wash used for e.g. chlorohexidine the amount ofwashes given and records taken of any incidences of navel infections. This will set up best practise for routine procedures onfarm and allow these to be monitored on a yearly basis to see where improvementscan be made.

Then if an issue arises, for example; calf pneumonia then appropriate controlscan be put in place going forward to monitor incidences and put in place preventative measures. A lot of farms willalready be doing this of course but by producing records and monitoring theserecords there will be huge benefits to performance. In my experience on theground, it will lead to a much more proactive approach to controlling diseaseand leading to better cure rates on farm. By being more proactive about planning,these changes tend to be more long termand permanent.

Health PlanningThe basis of any herd health plan is prevention rather than cure.

By this I mean the current disease statusof the herd. This can be done by knowledge of past problems, assessing old records and of course strategic bloodsampling to find out current levels of disease. I really believe we have to also‘aim for the moon’ and even if we hit theroof top it is a step in the right direction.What I have seen over the last two yearssince starting this preventative approachhas been very positive. However it is not without its problems of time and effort. In my experience it will only work wherethere is strong commitment from all those involved.

To give me some indicators of current disease status, I have been using targetedblood sampling of young stock to determine antibodies levels of certain diseases on different farms. An example,recently a farm had coughing weanlingsevery year and wanted to implement control measures to reduce pneumoniasymptoms. The particular farm was goingto vaccinate for IBR, but instead we didsome diagnostics to find the actual causeof the problem. Through some targetedblood samples and nasal swabs we foundRSV and ruled out some other viruses. This lead to more targeted and strategicvaccination with good results. This is justan example of one farm and how somediagnostic sampling can be a very usefultool in treating disease but also it is very important in monitoring disease. We at XLVets have developed our own monitoring package called XLVets SucklerCheck where we do blood samples onyoung stock. We also will check for johnesdisease and targeted pooled faecal sampling. What this has allowed me to do,is monitor the health status of a lot of myfarms which previously were unknown tome. This gives a baseline which we canmove forward with.

A huge part of any plan should also bebiosecurity. The main source of disease forso many of our farms is bought in stock. A closed herd is the ideal scenario but isnot always possible. What every farmshould have is S.O.P for buying in stockwhich should include nesscessary diseasescreening (serology), 4 weeks isolation(quarantine) and fluke/worm drench. A good example of this for me, was afarmer who bought three replacement

heifers that went lame shortly after arrivalon farm. What it ended up being was highly contagious digital dermatitis(mortellaros). It ended up spreadingthrough the rest of the naive herd in thehouse leading to footbathing and expensive antibiotic treatments. This is just an example of why keeping a closedherd is so beneficial and that when you are buying in that it is only healthy stockfrom a farm you know the health statusof. Equally important when your sellingcattle that you could have a health planwhich backs up the high health standardwhich your farm is achieving.

Bought in stock therefore can play themost important role in disease spread and introduction of disease into your farm.It is also important that farm boundariesare maintained and of course that all farm visitors undertake thorough disinfectionand nesscessary hygiene precautions whenentering your farm. I have been hugelyencouraged lately by the number of farmers who have asked me to disinfectwhen arriving on farm. This is best practiceand we all should be aiming to limit thespread of disease on our farms.

Current health statusBefore any vet or farmer undertakes, or starts implementing a health plan they must have some idea where there starting from.

l Farm details and performance targets: For example; to produce high quality weanlings for sale inSeptember.

l Biosecurity plan: This should includeprotocols for bought in stock, farmboundaries and visitors.

l Issues for the forthcoming year: This section should have areas onfarm which have been picked out forimmediate attention or action. Forexample; pneumonia, fertility, weanling performance etc.

l Livestock management and routineprocedures: This should be done on a monthly basis and outline the tasksto be carried out on a monthly basison each individual farm. So eachmonth there will be tasks to be carried out and this can be adaptedeach year.

The herd health planI am going to discuss thebasic approach to adopting a herd health plan that I usein practice. Each farm andenterprise whether sucklerfarmer or finishing cattle canhave a comprehensive plandeveloped around this model.

l Current disease status: This shouldcontain all known occurrences of disease on farm, current and pastrecords. This may also include anysuggested targeted blood sampling or results of any disease stock screening carried out.

BEEF HERD HEALTH LAMBING


Thank you to Boehringer Ingelheim for their support with this article.

FEBURARY:

Ensure all calving boxes have been cleaned out thoroughly and disinfectedwith e.g. Sorgene/ Kilcox. Clean all calvingequipment and ensure ropes, lubricant,navel (chlorohexidine) and pain killers onfarm before calving commences. Keepcows udders as clean as possible in lead up to calving. Cows to be given rotavac-corona 4-6 weeks before theycalve. Have spare supply of colostrum infreezer (source from neighbour’s farm only if known johnes status). Monitor BCS as calving approaches.

This is only a sample of one month andthis advice will vary between enterpriseand farms. In a beef finishing or fatteningunit this sort of yearly plan can be equally beneficial.

This is an example from one of our suckler farms which calve in March/April.

Parasite control programme:

This should include any results from faecal samples and set targets for whenfaecal egg counts should be carried out.Also all doses used should be recorded.This allows for far more strategic andtargeted dosing. It prevents overdosingor poor timing of dosing. By monitoringfaecal egg counts as well, it gives you agood indicator of worm/fluke burdenson your farm.

Nutrition/housing:

This section should include all feedingstrategies and general husbandryaround housing. There is a saying ‘if you don’t measure you can’t manage’this is why silage and feed analysis is so important. All relevant feed analysisand body condition recording should be included here. It is very useful for any input from external advisors if nesscessary in this section. A very important part of nutrition is also mineral analysis by blood testing cows,before they calve can harvest a lot ofinformation in relation to mineral issueson farm. Also grassland managementand DLGs should be recorded in this section. Regular weight recording canalso be very beneficial when recordingherd performance.

Fertility:

One target for any suckler farmer is acalf per cow per year. By proper fertilityrecording, prebreeding scanning, treating problem cows, heat detectionand attention to body condition scoringthis can be achieved. By having a fertility plan you will directly effect onfarm profitability. The stock bull or bullsshould not be forgotten and should befertility tested post purchase or beforethe breeding season commences.

Vaccination strategy:

A lot of farms use vaccines to control disease. With tighter regulations onantibiotics, vaccination will becomemore important in the future for maintaining a healthy herd. What is so important is that these vaccines are used at the appropriate time and administered by the appropriate route.In this section of the plan all vaccinations used will be put down on a calendar basis which will bereviewed annually.

Finally the last section shouldinclude recording of samples submitted, issues on farm and further notes. At the beginning of the next year, last year’s planshould be reviewed changed and adapted where needed.

It is very important to realise that this is only a sample of aherd health plan. It is importantto talk to your own vet whenimplementing your herd healthplan. My opinion is that a herdhealth plan can be fundamental to enhancing your herd’s performance. In an industry thatis struggling with low profit margins, it is important to maximise effiency and continueto monitor performance in thisproactive manner.

Case study Common problemsaround lambing time

Veterinary Surgeon Conor Kilcoyne

XLVets Practice Kilcoyne VeterinarySurgeons, Co.Sligo

The vast majority of veterinary input on Irish sheep flocks is in the Springtime and with lambing time (early or late) rapidlyapproaching, now is the time to make sure we are all prepared forthe busiest time of year. Flocks can have problems with differentissues every year but there are a few commonly recurrant themeswe see every year. Infectious abortion outbreaks can lead to significant losses and when it strikes often results in considerablestress right at the start of lambing time.

Practice ProfileKilcoyne Veterinary Surgeons are a modern 3 vet mixed veterinarypractice based in Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo. This family practice,established in 1924 is currentlymanaged by Conor Kilcoyne. He isably assisted by Paul Barnes whohas a particular interest in sheepand cattle medicine and byCanadian, Rodney Gale who hasvast experience in the bovine andequine veterinary fields.

Nora Frizzell, Geraldine Fallon and our trained veterinary nurseKathryn Faul complete our team,and between us we aim to providea comprehensive, friendly andaffordable service to all our varied clients.

Vaginal prolapse is a well recognised problemin virtually all flocks and occasionally anunusually high number of cases may need to be dealt with. If nutritional managementisn't quite right with heavily pregnant ewes,cases of pregnancy toxaemia/twin lamb disease may occur; this disease is very difficult to cure and needs to be distinguished from ovine hypocalcaemia,which responds very well to calcium therapy.

The actual lambing of ewes is almost an artin itself and with experience most shepherdsdevelop quite a degree of skill in its practice.Lambing and caring for the young vulnerable lambs is the most critical andlabour intensive job of the year. Get throughthis few weeks intact and the rest of the year is plain sailing!

Ewe with a uterine prolapse.

LAMBING


LAMBING

1. Abortion

When some infectious agents get into a flock initially they can cause very significant losses, up to 25% of ewes may lose their lambs. If measures are notput in place, even in subsequent yearsthese infections will continue to cause significant losses.

Enzootic abotion of ewes (EAE) caused by Chlamydia abortus and Toxoplasmaabortion (Toxoplasma Gondii) are themost common infectious causes. Keepinga closed flock or buying from only knownclean sources is the only way to keep EAE out of your flock. Avoiding contactbetween cats (particurly young cats) willreduce the possibility of a Toxo outbreak.Campylobacter and Salmonella, while lesscommon, are the two other most likelycauses of ovine abortion.

If abortions do occur it is vital to get samples to the Regional Veterinary labimmediately at the start of a potentialoutbreak. Results will help you and yourvet determine how best to manage theproblem and will specifically determinewhich if any antibiotic is likely to be ofhelp in the face of an outbreak. Then moving forward, both EAE and Toxo areare covered by very effective vaccines forwhich a single shot in a ewes lifetime isusually sufficient.

It's not uncommon for one or two ewes in a hundred to lose alamb by accident, but if 3% or more abort there is likely to bean underlying infectious cause which needs to be determined as soon as possible.

General Guidelines:

l Investigate all abortions, submitfoetus and placenta to lab and/orblood sample ewes. The more samples the lab gets, the more likelyyou are to get definitive results.

l Isolate aborters and infected materials.

l Keep cats away from sheep.

l Remember that there may be morethan one agent involved.

l Long acting antibiotics in the face of an outbreak may reduce the incidence of abortion.

l Remember that pregnant womenshould avoid having any contact with sheep at lambing time.

Toxoplasma abortion.

Treatment:

l Propylene glycol/ glycerine drenching(these provide energy in a form thesheep can metabolise).

l Large dose of glucocorticoids.

l Caeserian section may occasionallybe indicated to salvage lambs/save ewe.

l Vitamins.

l I.v. glucose injection (oral glucose is of no use as the sheep cannotmetabolise it in this form).

l After an initial indicator case:increase quantity/ quality of feedavailable to rest of group.

The lambing of ewes is almost an art in itself and with experience most shepherds develop quite a degree of skill in its practice. Caring for the young vulnerable lambs is the most critical and labour intensive job of the year.

C O N O R K I L C OY N E , M V B

It needs prompt correction as rupture ofthis football sized red protruding mass willbe catastrophic for the ewe and lamb(s).Most flocks will have a case or two everyyear but if you have an outbreak, youneed to investigate the cause.

Treatment:

l Gently clean and replace the prolapse; raising of the hind legs may be required to facilitate this.

l Trusses, or plastic retention devicesare commonly used to keep the prolapse in place.

l Antibiotics and painkillers to preventinfections that can lead to abortions.

l Watch closely for lambing.

l Buhner sutures, that essentiallypurse-string the vagina in place, give excellent results.

3. Vaginal ProlapseThis is a common pre-Lambing condition of pregnant ewes wherby the increasing intra-abominalpressure causes the vagina and cervix to prolapse out the back of the birth canal.

Reduce incidence:

l Mark and cull affected sheep and their offspring; there is a strong genetic predisposition.

l Ensure adequate trough space.

l Treat lame ewes with antibiotics and painkillers, as recumbency willincrease the risk of prolapse.

l Avoid overcrowding.

l Avoid excessive body condition.

l Feed meal twice daily rather than one large feed.

Vaginal prolapse.

Aborted foetus.

Success rate is less than 50%, evenwhen recognised early.

Ewe displaying symptoms of twin lamb disease.

2. Twin Lamb DiseaseTwin Lamb Disease (TLD) iscaused by an excessive negativeenergy balance in the heavilypregnant ewe. Twin or tripletlambs place a very high glucosedemand on the dam and anynutritional insult to the ewe atthis stage of pregnancy can be fatal.

Clinical Signs:

l Off feed

l Disorientation

l Depression

l Blindness

l Recumbency

Underfed ewes are known to have significantly higher mortality rates in theiroffspring, and if they are carrying twins ortriplets they are very much at rick of developing TLD. Scanning for multiple pregnancies, analysing silage quality andfeeding meal accordingly in conjunction with monitoring of body condition scores will generally avert problems in this area.

Anything, however, that might induce stressor put a heavily pregnant ewe off her feedis likely to precipitate a case of TLD. All ewesneed to be watched closely to make surethey are all feeding well. Any ewe not eatingneeds drenching with propylene glycol or anequivelent to keep her energy status intact.


LAMBING XLVETS TRAINING

4. Hypocalcaemia / Milk feverHypocalcaemia can occur afterlambing but is more commonbefore lambing time.

Clinical Signs:

l Ewe stops eating and ruminating

l Recumbency

l Bloat

Can be mistaken for Twin Lamb Disease, but the rapid response to calcium therapyconfirms the diagnosis. Any ewe off formbefore lambing should be given an injectionof calcium under the skin, as sheep are oftensub-clinically affected and any handling/stress may precipitate a clinical case. Theonset of clinical signs is quite rapid and ifnot recognised and treated on time will be fatal.

Ewe in recumbency due to hypocalcaemia.

Treatment:

l Rapidly responds to i.v. calciumborogluconate. Response to s.c. injections will take longer.

l Ensure proper mineral formulation in ration.

General Lambing tips:

1 Have plenty of clean water, lubricant and disinfectant readily available at all times.

2 Have a system in place wherby a lambing ewe can be monitored and assistedwithout much disturbance.

4 Raising the ewes rear end can facilitate the repositioning of the head or a misplaced limb.

5 Occasionally, it is useful to be aware that a small to medium sized lamb canoften be delivered successfully even with a leg back at the shoulder.

10 Ewes that have had a difficult lambing are prone to a uterine prolapse and needto be watched closely and /or stitched pre-emptively.

11 Uterine prolapse, recognisable by the lambs bed hanging behind the ewe is anemergency and will usually require veterinary help.

12 Veterinary assistance called on time is more likely to yield beneficial results.Sometimes the cost of the vets call may not seem economically justified if ewe and lamb prices are low, but for welfare, educational and general moralepurposes, a vets visit is always a worthwhile investment in your flocks heath.

9 A teaspoon of bread soda under the lambs tongue will help reverse lactic acidosis in a distressed lamb.

6 Snaring the lambs head is very helpful in delivering larger lambs. Quite somedexterity is needed to place the snare but if the shepherd practices snaring theeasy lambings, he will soon be able to snare a difficult one.

7 Twins can be confusing. It is an easy mistake to attempt pulling a head with thewrong leg(s). Always trace feet back to shoulder joint and neck to ensure youhave the correct head and feet together.

8 Ringwomb, or incomplete cervical dilation, is the single most common cause ofdystocia in sheep. Patient digital manipulation over 10-15 minutes, with plentyof lubricant, will often result in sufficient dilatation to deliver the lambs(s). Theabillity to snare the lambs head will be vital for these cases. Occasionally a caesarean section is indicated.

3 Always handle ewes very gently as it is very easy to cause a uterine rupture.

XLVets Skillnet* courses are designed to be of real andmeasurable benefit. After all, time away from the farmneeds to be well spent. That is why we try to offer adiverse range of programmes to meet the varying needsof farmers wherever they farm and whatever their levelof experience.

Denise Duggan XLVets Training Manager

Training is delivered by our training panel of practising vets and industry experts. Our goal is to better equip farmers to understand and deal with a range of animalhealth issues on their farms. XLVets Skillnetcourses are available across Ireland and areopen to everyone.

What training do weoffer?Farmer Talk - These events are approx. 3 hours in duration. The number of attendees can vary from 20 people up to100. These events usually take place in alocal community hall, or hotel, or sometimeson a farm and across the whole country.Some of the topics covered so far in 2015included summer parasites control, sheepflock health, lameness, herd health, Johne’sprevention, body condition scoring andpreparing for the lambing season.

Farmskills Workshops - These short one-day courses (10.30am - 3.30pm), takeplace on a farm. The number of attendeesis kept to approx. 10. We find smaller numbers for these types of events are muchmore effective, participating farmers canguide the agenda and get all their questionsanswered by the industry expert, and learnfrom each other. Training is very practicaland hands on, by observing demonstrationswe find learning is much more effective.

So far this year, XLVets Skillnet have organised over 30 FarmSkills events aroundthe country. Topics included; Calf healthand heifer rearing, Milk quality and mastitiscontrol, dairy herd fertility, best practice for the prevention and treatment ofectoparasite in sheep

I am interested intraining, what is thenext step?If you'd like to find out more about upcoming courses taking place in your localarea, please visit our website www.xlvets.ieor the Skillnets website www.skillnets.ie.

If you are part of a discussion group and would like to organise an event,please contact our Training ManagerDenise Duggan on 061 381505 or email [email protected]. Training can be tailored to suit yourgroup’s specific needs.

Examples of training we offer;

l Preparing for calving

l Calf Rearing

l Heifer Rearing

l Herd Fertility on dairy & Beef Farms

l Feeding the High Yielding Dairy Cow

l Milk Quality Control

l Locomotion and Foot Trimming

l Johne’s Disease

l Practical Lambing

l Sheep Lameness

l Safe & Effective Use of Medicines

We have put together a trainingpackage for 2015/2016, upcomingevents include;

*XLVets Skillnet was launched in June 2011. This means that training events organised by XLVets Skillnet will be supported by Skillnets which is a state-funded, enterprise-ledsupport body dedicated to the promotion and facilitation of training and upskilling as key elements in sustainingIreland's national competitiveness.

How XLVets training can benefityour farming business


PARASITE CONTROL PARASITE CONTROL

When treating animals, we need to allow a certain amount of exposure to certain parasites to create an immunity against these parasites.

D O N A L LY N C H , M V B

Veterinary Surgeon Donal Lynch

XLVets Practice Donal Lynch Veterinary,Tullamore, Co. Offaly

ControlAs we enter the winter housing period parasite control becomes very topical.

Parasites of concern

l Lungworm

l Stomach worms

l Liver fluke

l Stomach/Rumen Fluke

l Lice

l Mange

Parasite

The symptoms associated with parasitic disease vary dependingon the parasite involved.

Parasite Symptoms

Coughing

Pneumonia

Ill Thrift

Lungworm

Ill Thrift

Scour

Poor coat condition

Stomach worms

Ill Thrift

Scour

Submandibular oedema (bottle jaw)

Liver Fluke

Ill Thrift

Scour

Poor coat condition

Stomach/Rumen Fluke

Every year is different and the problems we see vary from farm to farm and also onthe weather during the summer grazing season among other factors. In recent years’rumen fluke became a big problem with several years of high rainfall and flooding. In our own area lungworm has been the predominant parasite causing problems this autumn. This is due to a warm moistsummer which is ideal conditions for the

spread of lungworm. Now is a good time toconsider the control options available to usfor all parasites.

Diagnostic testing strategiesavailable include:

l Dung sample for presence of parasiteeggs.

l Blood samples for serological evidenceof parasitic infection.

l Bulk or individual milk samples forserological evidence of parasitic infection.

How do you confirm thepresence of parasites?All of the parasites listed opposite are presentacross the whole country. There areseveral test possibilities available but all willneed to be discussed with your own vet and interpreted in light of land type, local weather conditions, grazing management,previous control strategies and the type of animals on your farm.

Information is now beginning to be availablefrom meat factories. This relates only to liver fluke and is very useful to assess howcontrol strategies are working. If you slaughter animals, you should request thisinformation from the factory or agent. The result will specify chronic or acute. Acute indicates live fluke present in the liverand is an active infection, chronic indicatessevere damage to the liver from a longstanding fluke problem.

There are a number of times during theyear when we need to address parasites incattle. The product used at different timeswill depend on what we need to cover.Once cattle are housed they do not pickup internal parasites so if we can eradicatewhat is there now we allow cattle to thrive

better and also reduce the contaminationof pasture after turnout next year. Cattlewill also need treatment during the grazing season to control parasites forexample lungworm and gut worms.Discuss with your vet what is best to useand when.

When should one treat animals to control parasites.

Withdrawal periods

All dosing products are subject to withdrawal periods for meat and themajority also have milk withdrawal periods. Several products are notlicensed to use in cows producing milk for human consumption. It isimportant that all withdrawal periodsare adhered to.

When treating animals, we need toallow a certain amount of exposure to certain parasites to create an immunity against these parasites. Thebest example is lungworm. Historicallyolder cattle had an immunity againstlungworm but with the way parasitecontrol has been managed over the last number of years appears to haveallowed cattle mature to adult cowswith little or no immunity built uptowards lungworm. As a result, we areseeing clinical lungworm in adult cowsduring the grazing season. We need to consider this problem when we formulating a parasite control plan.

Maximising productivity from availableresources on farm is a key driver of profitability. Now is an appropriate timeto draw up a parasite control plan aspart of a whole herd plan. Contact yourvet for the best advice in relations to the choice of product and appropriatetiming of dosing to manage parasites in a sustainable way.

Coughing cow as a result of Lungworm.

Submandibular oedema (bottle jaw), a signof Liver Fluke.

Ostertagiosis as seen on postmortem. Photo courtesy Kilkenny RVL.

Lungworms in the airway of an animal atpostmortem.

farmskills herd fertility training...high quality, cost effective service to their clients, to...

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