Farm Newsletter - August 2016 Back by Popular Demand MVC Social and Skittles Night Wednesday 14th September, 7:30pm The Bell, Chittlehampton (Join us for what promises to be a great night.) The last few months have been challenging for farmers and vets alike so we thought it was time we had a well deserved night off! Last years skittles night was a very popular and a great night was had by all so we have decided it s time for a rematch! Abortion Vaccine Orders Come along for an evening of food, drink and skittles and definitely no lectures (we promise!) Prizes for the highest scoring team overall and also the highest individual male and female players. Sign up in teams or individuals and we will put teams together on the night. Give us a ring at the surgery on 01769 572176 if you would like to join us. If you need to order either Enzootic abortion or Toxoplasmosis vaccines before your ewes go to the ram please can you ensure you call us to order at least 1 week before you need the vaccine. The vaccine must be administered at least 4 weeks before tupping. Due to the order process the vaccine is only released to us in batches about once a week so we need a bit more notice than normal to ensure you receive your vaccine in time. Please speak to Louise to place your orders as soon as possible to ensure there are no delays in getting your orders placed. Call us on 01769 572176 to place your orders.
Summer Mastitis Summer mastitis is defined as an infection of the non-lactating udder, usually in the warmer summer months. It is characterised by the formation of abscesses in the udder and production of a foul smelling, purulent discharge and in some cases signs of toxaemia. The condition is associated with a variety of bacteria and transmission is generally accepted to be associated with vector activity by the sheep head fly commonly found in our fields during the summer months. Other factors associated with the condition are trauma and irritation of the udder which can cause licking and disruption of the keratin seal normally present in the udder of non-lactating cattle, although this is not restricted to females; isolated cases have been seen in young bulls. Clinical Signs Clinical signs include and engorged, swollen and painful gland sometimes resulting in an altered gait. There is often a foul smelling, purulent discharge. Affected animals may be depressed and off feed and in severe cases the toxins released can result in death. Animals that do recover almost always loose the function of the affected quarter and in some cases some of the tissue may slough away. Milder cases may not show signs at the time of infection and simply present as a blind quarter post-calving, often with a hard core of scar tissue at the centre of the teat canal. Treatment Treatment is focused on saving the cow from the toxic effects as the quarter is nearly always lost, so a live cow is generally regarded as a successful outcome. Systemic (injectable) antibiotic, often penicillin, should be used together with NSAID s such as recocam or finadyne and oral fluids to reduce the effects of the toxins. Intramammary antibiotics are generally ineffective however, if the cow will allow, regular stripping will help to ease pain and swelling. Amputation of the teat has sometimes been suggested however the resulting drainage is often poor as the discharge is usually very thick and it is also then a source of infection to other animals so is now generally not recommended.
Prevention Management of dry cows and in-calf heifers is crucial to reduce the incidence of summer mastitis. Where possible avoiding problem pastures where flies are prevalent, particularly sheltered fields near woodland can help to reduce incidence, instead exposed windy fields where flies tend to be less common should be used if possible. Good pasture management can also have a role to play. Excess growth of pasture, particularly if nettles and thistles are present can cause irritation to the udder resulting in increased licking and disruption of the keratin plug. Pour on fly treatments can be used to help reduce the fly burden but often need regular reapplication and concentrations on the udder tend to be lower; anecdotally, application directly to the udder may be of use however this is off licence but may help if other options have failed. External teat sealants and products such as Stockholm tar may be of some benefit however they do require regular reapplication, often weekly, and are therefore of less practical value. Intramammary products have been shown to be very beneficial in preventing summer mastitis. Whilst these are now commonly used in dry cows they can also be of use in pre-calving heifers provided suitable restraint facilities are available. Current pressures to reduce antibiotic usage means using antibiotic dry cow tubes, particularly in heifers is difficult to justify. However, internal teat sealants have been proven to be reduce intra-mammary infections - including summer mastitis - and with care and good restraint it can be applied to heifers. It is important however to remember that these products rely of the formation of a good plug in the teat and therefore proper administration of the product is essential as is gentle handling of animals post infusion. Running them across fields after treatment can result in a large amount of the sealant being lost along the way, particularly if the udder is engorged. Coming Soon There is a new product coming on to the market designed to boost cows immune systems around the time of calving when they would normally suffer a natural drop in immunity making them vulnerable to infections such as mastitis and metritis.. We are currently waiting for more information on this very new product but will up date you as soon as we know more.
Sheep News Improve lamb growth rates with a mid-season knock-out drench We recommend the use of a mid-season worming drench from either the group 4 (orange) or group 5 (purple) anthelmintic classes, on all sheep farms whether you are aware of a resistance problem or not. This treatment is best carried out around weaning time for lambs. It acts to clear out any resistant worms that have not been killed by previous worming treatments. This in turn leads to a significant improvement in lamb growth rates, faster finishing and therefore improved profitability. Do not leave this treatment too late, or too much gut damage could have occurred to see a significant improvement. Anthelmintic resistance is very common in UK sheep farms, but it creeps up steadily. Without carrying out testing for wormer resistance, you might not be aware that it is occurring. By the time that you are seeing poor performance despite worming treatments, the damage is done. Worm damage is still the number one cause of poor lamb growth rates in the UK. It is estimated that losses due to poor growth rates in a flock secondary to GI parasitism may be as much as 3-8000 per year. Weigh Don t guess GOOD DRENCHING TECHNIQUE Dose to the heaviest in the group. Underestimating weight is the commonest form of under dosing. Calibrate and maintain the drench gun Check the gun is delivering the correct dose before you start. Regularly clean and maintain the gun wash in warm, soapy water after each use and check the springs, and tubes. Drench correctly Good restraint is vital to prevent damage to the throat and to ensure the full dose is swallowed. The nozzle must go over the back of the tongue. If using a BZ or Ml wormer, restricting access to food for 12 hours before drenching improves efficacy Check the use-by date and once open use time. Ensure correct storage, between 4-25C
The group 5 wormer has what is termed a dual active mode of action. It is slightly different from the other wormers in that it contains a combination of two worming products, that work in different ways so a broader spectrum of resistant worms are killed. Research has also shown that the use of a single strategic mid-season knock out drench using a dual active product may delay development of resistance to the routine (BZ, LEV and ML) classes of wormer on your farm. It is vitally important that all wormers are administered carefully, as poor drenching technique can speed the development of wormer resistance. Both the class 4 and class 5 anthelmintics are prescription only medicines, which are available to purchase from Market Vets. Please speak to one of our farm vets about the most appropriate worming treatment for your flock. Don t Buy in Trouble Quarantine Treat ALL incoming stock should receive a quarantine treatment when they first arrive on your farm. This should be carried out whether you purchase a few hundred replacements or a single ram. The objective of quarantine treatments is to minimise the chance of introducing resistant worms, fluke and scab into your flock. It also provides an opportunity for you to inspect your purchases individually for illhealth or contagious causes of lameness. Yard all incoming sheep on arrival Quarantine Treatment Protocol Treat with either a group 4 (orange) or group 5 (purple) anthelmintic at the same time as injecting a dose of moxidectin (seek vet advice if they have ever received Footvax) Check vendors farm history of liver fluke seek vet advice regarding need for quarantine fluke treatment and most appropriate product) Yard for 48 hours post treatment, do not spread faeces on fields grazed by sheep Turnout onto DIRTY pasture, i.e. fields that have been grazed by lambs recently for at least 28 days. For more information or advice, please speak to a member of the farm team.