sheep June 2012 ewe hoggets lepto in dogs toxic tucker Photos by Richard Hilson

Transcription

1 sheep June 2012 ewe hoggets lepto in dogs toxic tucker Photos by Richard Hilson

2 Management of In-lamb Ewe Hoggets Johnny Atkins BVSc If you have decided to mate your ewe hoggets this year then you have started the journey to producing their first lambs. This article will outline the best practice feeding and management of these hoggets to ensure maximum production this season and into the rest of their life. Winter and pre-lamb Lamb mortality rates from hoggets are often high, generally due to lower lamb birthweights. Ensuring ewe hogget live-weight gain over winter, combined with good animal health management can reduce these losses. Feeding of the in-lamb hogget mob is crucial over the winter period, and feed levels must meet the requirements of not only the growing hogget but the developing foetus too. You should aim to have your ewe hoggets gaining 100g/day and maintain a condition score of 3. Improved placental development, increased lamb birth weight and increased early colostrum and milk production all lead to improved survival and mothering ability of the ewe hogget. It also ensures the ewe hogget becomes a productive member of the flock in years to come. To achieve these gains, singles should graze no lower than 1100kg/DM/ha and multiples 1200kg/DM/ha (contrast this with recommended MA ewe residuals of 800kg/DM/ha and 1000kg/DM/ ha for singles and multiples respectively). A mid-pregnancy or pre-lamb shear may be a useful tool to increase lamb birth and weaning weights, as well as twin survival; it helps to increase appetite and assist in shelter seeking in the ewe hoggets. Use winter combs and ensure adequate shelter is provided to prevent cold stress, especially in poor weather. Scanning of hoggets allows the differentiation of drys, singles and twins. Preferential feeding of multiples will ensure better twin survival rates. Iodine and selenium supplementation may be required to prevent goitre and ill-thrift. The decision to supplement should be made on a farm by farm basis, please contact us if you wish to discuss these options. Use of a long acting anthelmintic pre-lamb will aid in reducing the peri-parturient rise in internal parasites and decrease burdens in hoggets lambs as they begin to graze pasture. As the hogget s immune systems are still developing they will benefit from good parasite control during this critical period. Lambing and Lactation Growing hogget lambs quickly is important to ensure no long term live-weight penalty occurs. With preferential feeding of ewe hoggets, hogget lambs can reach good weaning weights and do not have to be store animals as has often been thought. Hoggets should be lambing in sheltered paddocks with covers of 1300kg/DM/ha or more and ideally residuals should not drop below this (often hard to achieve). As peak spring growth occurs aim to have pasture levels increasing to 1500kg/DM/ha about 3 weeks after lambing. Declining pasture quality often begins in October/November, as grasses start to produce stem and seed-head. This can have a significant impact on hogget growth and lactation. Focus on decreasing the development of seed-head and excess herbage as well as encouraging clover growth. Pasture management tools such as stocking rate, topping, shutting up for hay, silage or cropping, and the use of cattle grazing will all have an effect on the quality of feed in late lactation and post weaning. Effective use of cropping will also provide high quality feed to maximise lamb growth post weaning. Animal Health Considerations for In-lamb Hoggets 5 in 1 vaccination at set stocking Pre-lamb drenching Trace mineral supplements if required Lice treatment Campylobacter booster if not done before ram joining For any advice on getting the best out of your in-lamb hoggets this season please contact the clinic and discuss with one of our vets. Lighter note... An old man, Mr Wallace, was living in a nursing home. One day he appeared to be very sad and depressed. Nurse Tracy asked him if there was anything wrong. Yes, Nurse Tracy, said Mr Wallace. My Private Part died today, and I am very sad. Knowing her patients were a little forgetful and sometimes a little crazy, she replied, Oh, I m so sorry, Mr Wallace. Please accept my condolences. The following day, Mr Wallace was walking down the hall with his Private Part hanging out of his pajamas. He met Nurse Tracy. Mr Wallace, she said, You shouldn t be walking down the hall like that. Please put your Private Part back inside your pajamas. But, Nurse Tracy I can t, replied Mr Wallace... I told you yesterday that my Private Part died. Yes, said Nurse Tracy, you did tell me that, but why is it hanging out of your pajamas? (You ve gotta love this.) Well, he replied, Today is the viewing. IF YOU ARE NOT LAUGHING SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH YOU!!

3 LEPTOSPIROSIS IN DOGS Leptospirosis is one of those topics that has been around for years but just keeps on rising to the surface, mainly because all mammals including humans can suffer from it. Caused by bacteria in the Leptospira family, the disease shows in different ways depending on the strain of Leptospira (Lepto) and the animal infected. In simple terms, each strain of Lepto tends to have preferred host species which carry the bacteria but do not get sick; and susceptible animal species which may get sick but do not become carriers. Of course things are not so simple in real life, and we are finding less distinction between host and susceptible animals for each Lepto strain. Also, evidence is mounting that worldwide the disease is on the increase due to closer contact between people/pets and wild animals, intensification of farming, and/or warmer and wetter conditions (global warming of course and Lepto actually does like a warm and wet environment). In summary, research plus our local knowledge (we see disease outbreaks every year in sheep and deer, and last year some cases in dogs and cattle appeared) tells us lepto is alive and well in the Hawkes Bay. Dogs are susceptible to a few strains of lepto. Traditionally we have felt that the rat version, Leptospira Copenhageni, is the main cause of disease in dogs (usually seen as kidney and liver failure). This variety can survive well in warmish water so rat-hunters and swimming dogs are at risk; the strain is common north of Lake Taupo (and around Nelson) but sporadic cases have been seen in the Hawkes Bay. There is a vaccine licensed for dogs that covers this strain, so some of you will be using this in dogs at higher risk. We also saw some cases of Leptospira Pomona in farm dogs last winter; this is traditionally the pig strain but it was very likely transmitted from sheep (or possibly via cattle). Lepto Pomona is certainly a cause of disease and death in cattle, sheep, and deer, and there is research evidence that it is present on many farms in the area. Obviously this means that many/most animals (including dogs) that are exposed to the bacteria do not become recognizably sick from it, but we do not yet know what the risk factors are in moving animals from exposed to diseased. Vaccination of stock will minimise disease; but there is currently no vaccine licensed for dogs that covers this strain. We are involved with some research which Richard Sides BVCs may shed some light on this issue, particularly whether the dog vaccine in NZ needs upgrading to include more strains. Watch this space! And in the meantime, keep an eye on your dogs: Lethargy, increased drinking and urinating, and decreased appetite are likely to be the first signs seen, but some dogs won t show all of these. Dogs will not necessarily get jaundiced (yellow membranes) The risk is likely higher if you have had leptospirosis diagnosed in other animals, or in yourself! Prompt treatment can be very effective. In terms of prevention, a vaccination programme for stock is useful, and has been the mainstay for preventing disease in dairy farm workers for decades. Maintaining good hygiene practice is essential at all times i.e. whenever handling stock or dogs. Talk to us if you think your stock and/or dogs are at particularly high risk of leptospirosis and we can discuss your options. New Napier Clinic now open! We are really excited to announce that we opened our new Napier Veterinary Clinic on Monday 21 May. Situated at 210 Taradale Road (next door to Palmers Garden Centre) the clinic will cater for both small and large animal clients. We are offering a concise but relevant range of products that cater for farming and lifestyle operations as well as your companion animals. We will also be offering companion animal clinical out-patient services that will cover standard consults, vaccinations and routine day surgery. A vet will be on-site in the clinic between 8.00am and 1.00pm weekdays and 9.00am to 1.00pm on Saturdays. Afternoon appointments are also available between 3.00pm and 5.00pm. The clinic opening hours are Monday to Friday 8.00am to 5.30pm and Saturday 9.00am to 1.00pm. We have established the clinic to provide a convenient solution to our current clients based in the Napier area and look forward to your support as we develop our product and service range. Come in, pay us a visit and check out our range of opening specials on flea and food products and be in the draw to win a $1,700 Stihl multi-tool when any Merial Ancare product purchased over the value of $100 is made. We look forward to seeing you!

4 The Under Performing Ewe Mark Matthews BVSc, MACVSc An under performing (ill thrifty) ewe can be defined as a ewe with a Body Condition Score (BCS) less than 3. In other words if the back bone can be felt and it is slightly knobbly then it has a BCS less than 3. With woolly sheep a hand needs to be run down the back bone focussing on the loin area to ascertain BCS. A high performing ewe flock will have less than 3% under performers at any point in time. i.e ewes >> maximum of 60 under performers. Under performing ewes need to be identified on a regular basis. Key times to check are at: Scanning Pre lamb Weaning Pre tup Post tup The cause of the under performance needs to be identified so decisions can be made and remedial measures, if appropriate, put in place. Under feeding: 95 % of underperformance will be due to this either as a result of poor quality or more likely inadequate dry matter (DM) intake. If feed has been limiting, drafting off light ewes and preferentially feeding will resolve the problem. It should be noted that 4kg of high quality DM above maintenance will be required to add an extra 1kg of live weight to a ewe. In other words to get a 55kg ewe at weaning to 65kg pre-tup an extra 40 kg DM will be required than maintaining the same ewe at 65 kg through this time. Message: Maintain BCS >3 all year round. Lactation: At peak lactation a twin bearing ewe cannot eat enough grass to maintain body weight. One of the forgotten reasons for scanning ewes is to preferentially feed them during lactation to mitigate this loss. Un-scanned twin ewes competing with single ewes during lactation will lose more weight than well managed scanned and separated twin ewes. Message: Scan and use the information to maintain ewe body weight as well as lamb survival. Parasitism: Round worms and liver fluke can cause under performance. Round worms as a cause can be simply eliminated with a Faecal Egg Count (FEC). Liver fluke is not so easy to diagnose. Checking the livers of on farm slaughtered ewes will quickly tell you whether fluke are a problem. Fluke are easily seen in the bile ducts near the gall bladder. Message: FEC should be routinely performed on each identified group of under performers and an effective triple acting drench used to treat them if necessary. Seek veterinary advice about fluke control. Facial Eczema (FE): FE is a common disease in HB and should always be considered as a cause of under performance. For every clinical case of FE that is seen there will be another 20 with no outward clinical signs. If you are not sure about FE as a cause, on farm autopsies or blood testing under performing ewes for FE, will help you decide if FE is a problem or not. In most situations the livers of FE ewes will recover but it will be at a feed cost of at least double the figures quoted above in the feeding section. Some subclinical ewes never recover and will die at lambing. Message: Prevention. Ask a vet. Teeth: Incisor teeth are easy to examine. If any are missing or grossly uneven (broken mouth) they will not recover. Low incisors are fine as long as you can see them. Molar teeth are hard to examine and are very important when assessing teeth. In the first instance you can get a feel for whether molars are a problem by looking at them in on farm killed ewes. Slice back the cheek on either side of the mouth to view. Receding gums and loose teeth indicate a molar problem. Ewes with such teeth will continue to lose weight. By pulling back the cheeks in live ewes you will be able to view the front molars Message: Identify broken mouth and molar affected ewes and CULL immediately. Johne s Disease: Most ewe flocks in NZ will be affected with Johne s disease which results in a 1 2 % mortality annually. All affected sheep die. Message: Identify suspects early and cull. Pneumonia/ Pleurisy Complex If hogget pneumonia is an issue in the flock then this will flow on to cause problems in the ewe flock. Coughing and snotty noses in underperforming ewes is likely to be caused by this complex. A snotty nose in the absence of coughing is probably due to nasal bot and is of little significance. On farm checking of lungs will help identify this problem. This condition will not come right and deaths will occur. Message: Identify suspects early and CULL. Flysrike: This is an easy to identify condition and will cause significant body weight loss and under performance. Fly struck ewes do not get in lamb. Message: Use an effective preventative program at critical times. Seek veterinary advice. Footrot: Lame ewes will lose significant weight and are unlikely to get in lamb. Message: Identify and treat individuals early and if the problem is widespread seek veterinary advice Other causes of under performance include in-breeding, intestinal cancer and other chronic diseases Summary: Underperformance in the ewe flock will also apply to rams. The key is to identify these animals early and identify the cause. Decide if the underperformance is reversible or not. If it is reversible put remedial steps in place urgently If not CULL.

5 Toxic Tucker? Stock are in great condition heading into winter and it would be an excellent start to the Spring if that body condition was maintained especially in those twinning ewes and hoggets you don t normally put to the ram. Crops are a great source of high quality winter feed but need to be carefully managed to achieve the benefits and not a complete disaster. Nitrate poisoning affects cows, sheep and deer (and other ruminants) by damaging blood cells so that they can t carry oxygen to the organs. Animals essentially suffocate, sometimes in a matter of hours and many animals can be affected often many are dead whilst others may be staggering around the paddock, disorientated and panting. Nitrate is needed by growing plants but when they don t have enough energy from the sun, nitrate accumulates to toxic levels. Dull, overcast weather is the worst, but freezing weather and drought can stress plants and have the same effect, and you might have just applied your urea Helen Taylor BVSc fertilizer which is full of nitrate Nitrate toxicity is complex and multifactoral, hence the picture! Then add in the fact that cows in particular are GREEDY! so can consume large amounts in a short space of time. If you have any concerns regarding feeding your crop, please drop in a bread bag full (stalks and all) that has been collected over the length of the paddock i.e. not from just by the gate. It is tested in the clinic so we can get you a result within 24 hours and then advise on the safest way in which to offer your stock that tasty crop! Maximising your Tucker? Now your crop is being fed safely, are you getting the maximum out of your conserved winter feed? We offer a comprehensive feed budgeting service and give guidelines on how much needs to be offered and how often, in order to achieve maximum productivity and contented full-bellied beasties. Seasonal Update Dannevirke Johnny Atkins BVSc Like most of this season grass is still aplenty! There is lots of feed still around and anyone with a good cattle numbers will be happy. Much of the feed is starting to turn rank and if possible needs to be cleaned up to ensure good quality feed coming through in the spring. We are still seeing cases of salmonella coming through, as well as high parasite burdens. It looks like it will probably be a good season for Ostertagia so think about winter weaner drenches and keep an eye out for signs of ill-thrift and scouring. Waipukurau Ewe scanning is now underway, early results are looking good with most flocks being up 5-10% on previous years a result of good grass growth and covers throughout summer and autumn! Ewes are looking in good condition which should have positive flow on effects for lamb survival and weaning weights in the not-too-distant future. Beef scanning is pretty much finished with most farmers being happy with the results if your scanning results were poor, now is a good time to get your bulls tested to make sure they are up to the Napier/Hastings Cow pregnancy testing overall has gone well, and early sheep scanning results are very promising, although a few are wishing the bulls were tested before they went out with the cows as it seems some of the boys have let us down this year. The wet season has been perfect for Leptospirosis to thrive and we ve seen a number of cases; remember that humans can catch Lepto too and it s a nasty disease, so chat to your vet for advice. Scanning beef cows has started and from the numbers done so far it looks like a great season with most empty rates down on previous years. Ewe scanning is underway but we haven t had enough results yet to comment, watch this space. Deer scanning is coming up so make sure you are booked in, please contact us with any queries if you are interested. All in all it seems set to be a good winter (touch wood!), and hopefully we keep seeing some sunshine. Mike fitzgerald BVSc job for next season (you don t want to winter useless bulls!) The parasite challenge is still high, keep an eye on young stock, including in-lamb hoggets and two-tooths. Hind scanning is approaching so make sure you are booked in! If you are unsure of the ideal time to scan, please contact us and talk to one of the vets. May the crisp fine days continue! Helen Taylor BVSc The parasite challenge has been persistently high (yes we keep banging on about this, but we are still losing young stock) and now is the time to be treating for lice, not once stock is infested. Remember that Cooperia affects cattle up to about 15 months and a single active drench won t necessarily kill them all. Watch out for liver fluke too you might want to discuss some treatment options with the Vets, Mark or Harold. Stihl multi-tool winners for april Waipukurau: Hastings: Dannevirke: Myles Henderson Lloyd and Sonia Holloway Malcolm and Shirley Brunton

6 Time s on your side 23 C. Sunny. Light winds. 10 knots easing to 5, more fish than a weekend fishing show, and now cooking it on your brand new portable stainless steel Kiwi Sizzler BBQ. Finding the perfect day is a lot easier when you have more of them to choose from. When you use one of these long acting products pre-lamb on your ewes, you can leave them for a lot longer. Knowing its protection is second to none, which leaves you more time to find perfection in whatever it is you d rather be doing. Purchase today and for a limited time you ll get a portable stainless steel Kiwi Sizzler Bionic BBQ* to help you enjoy your perfect day. *Qualifying purchases are 2500 x BIONIC capsules, 2500 x EXTENDER SeCo capsules, 2500 x IVOMEC Maximizer capsules or 20 x 500ml packs of EXODUS LAI. NAPIER 210 Taradale Road HASTINGS 801W Heretaunga Street DANNEVIRKE 9 Gordon Street WAIPUKURAU 43 Takapau Road