Sanatorium Road, Cardiff CF11 8DG Tel: 02920 382211 Email : enquiries@park-vets.com FARM NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2016 OUR TEAM MARY WALTERS Welcome to the September Newsletter Isn t the year going fast! We had a very busy August on the small animal side, with the farm animal side very weather dependant. It was nice to see so many of our clients at the Vale Show, it was good to be able to sit down and offer some hospitality in return for the hospitality we often enjoy at your farms. The Park Vets It s A Knockout team did tremendously well making it through to the final but narrowly losing out - well done to Jonny, Morgan, Matt and Nurse Hannah. I can honestly say I could not have done it! MORGAN RICHARDS On 16 th August we held a joint meeting with Maes Glas Vets on pre-tupping. Kate Hovers led the meeting and covered a large range of topics from body condition scoring to mineral deficiencies. Thank you to the Edwards family at Pwll-y-Wrach Farm for hosting the afternoon. On 24 th August we had two on farm meetings with Sara Pederson all about calf rearing. The morning covered dairy calves and bought in calves with an afternoon on beef sucklers. Sara did a comprehensive reminder for all of us with the latest research added in. Thank you very much to William Walters and Rob Saunders for hosting these meetings. THOMAS SEARLE This month, the farm animal vets are all running the Cardiff 10K race to raise funds for LATCH The Welsh Children s Cancer Charity. We have a team of 12 runners (all the farm animal team with some of our nurses) It s 10 years since my daughter Maggie was diagnosed with Leukaemia she is totally recovered now, but we still remember the help we received from LATCH. If you would like to donate, Morgan has set up a Justgiving page (https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/parkvets or feel free to send in donations. And don t worry if you have a farm animal emergency on the morning of Sept 11 th Simon has kindly volunteered to cover us look after him If he comes to you please! And nothing too strenuous on Monday either please! The following weekend on Sunday 18 th September we are holding an Open Day at Sanatorium Road a real behind the scenes look at what goes on. You may be surprised if you come & see we have real state of the art equipment and we can do so much for your pets. Everyone is welcome! And Finally, on Sept 30th we are again taking part in the Macmillan Coffee Morning so if you re planning on coming in to pick up drugs etc, try & come on that morning and enjoy some cake. MARY
JONNY FAIRE Sponges and Synchronisation Ewes are what we call short day breeders, meaning they naturally start cycling and being ready for conception during the winter months. As the gestation period for ewes is 5 months, this means that sheep will naturally lamb around spring time. MATT PACK By using progesterone sponges, we are able to manipulate this natural cycle so ewes can get in lamb a) early and b) at the Picture courtesy of Abi Reader same time as the rest of the flock. The method for this is by sponging the ewes (inserting an intra-vaginal progesterone releasing sponge) for 14 days, and then injecting the ewes with a PMSG (specific hormone) injection on the day of removal. (If you would like a detailed description of how this all works, feel free to phone me, it s very interesting!) Once we have removed the sponges and injected the ewes, they will then ovulate and be receptive for conception. This can be achieved by natural service (ie remove sponges and then introduced to rams) or through artificial insemination (AI) which is recommended at 55 hours after removal. Even if ewes are sponged for the normal lambing season (ie not trying to have early lambings), you can sponge ewes to get them to lamb at a specific time/date, and have a much tighter lambing season. Rams Every farmer will have their own criteria for buying rams for their needs and their farm. Therefore advice on which rams to purchase etc is very difficult to give out on a general basis. If you would like any advice on purchasing rams (particularly if you are new to sheep farming/changing systems etc) then don t hesitate to give us a call! On a more general basis, no matter what breed and traits you aim for in your rams, the common goal of a fertile ram remains. No matter how valuable a ram appears, it will only hold this value if it is fertile (unless a ram is purchased as a pet or show animal), and we therefore thoroughly recommend getting rams fertility tested before using them. Imagine these 2 (very simplified) scenarios; 1) Purchase ram, put ram to ewes, scan ewes (low % and lots barren), poor lambing returns 2) Purchase ram, fertility test ram, realise poor fertility, don t use ram, put different ram to ewes, scan ewes (good % very few barren), good lambing returns! Now imagine the financial implications (very simplified) of these 2 scenarios; 1) Costs: Ram Lost income: eg 100 ewe flock with a reduced lambing % of 20%= 20 less lambs sold. 20xlamb price= s lost! 2) Costs: Ram (+2nd ram), Fertility testing rams Losses: none due to ram fertility! Tom is our experienced fertility tester, and will be more than happy to answer any questions about how he tests fertility. I will be happy to chat to anybody on WHY to have your rams tested! Jonny
Ram Sales With Builth Wells ram sale later this month I wanted to reiterate the importance of selecting a ram with longevity and fertility. EBLEX reports that approximately 20% of rams are culled prematurely, with the main reasons being for poor fertility and chronic lameness. As profit margins get tighter it is important every animal on farm is performing and are not a waste of resources. Rams however operate in teams so it can be difficult to assess which animals are not pulling their weight. Raddles can help, but by the time an animal is identified this way it can be too late and a replacement may be difficult to source for that tupping season. Photo courtesy of NSA Webpage Rams are also expected to do a large amount of work (serving 30-50 ewes) in a short space of time and a fit, fertile animal is paramount in keeping a lambing period as tight as possible. It is therefore recommended to assess rams annually, 6-8 weeks pre-tupping, to give you the confidence your Team can achieve the required results. It s reported ~60% of rams fail a fertility exam on the physical aspect alone, something the astute stockman can carry out. A routine ram exam should cover: Teeth is he broken mouthed and able to eat sufficiently Body condition is he over conditioned? (fatter rams lay down more fat within testicles, warming them and decreasing sperm viability), is he under conditioned? (tupping requires a lot of energy and rams can easily melt away) Feet is he lame? Is there scald or footrot? Lame rams will struggle to mount and are less inclined to travel to ewes. Lameness also decreases fertility by decreasing sperm production. Testicles are they sufficient size (34cm at 18months) and of the correct consistency. Penis is there any external damage, warts or infection Sperm concentration and motility (Requires electro-ejaculation by a vet) Park Vets are again offering a full Ram Breeding Soundness package covering all of the above points with interpretation and advice on the results. A full exam can be carried out on farm, with only minimal handling facilities, warm water and a power source required. Ram exams are recommended pre and post purchasing, giving you confidence in the rams you are buying or selling. Tom Abortions and vaccinating with Enzovax and Toxovax Abortions are something seen and paid for at lambing time but the preparation to help prevent those abortions needs to be done even before the ewes have been put to the Tup. Enzovax Chlamydophila abortus is responsible for Enzootic abortions which generally occur in the last few weeks of pregnancy alongside still births and weak lambs. Enzootic abortion is the cause of around 50% of infectious abortions in Sheep in Great Britain. Foetuses are fresh and do not look decomposed in most cases and can be covered in red brown placenta. Diagnosis can be achieved by sending away samples of the aborted lamb and placenta. C. abortus can be passed on to pregnant women and so pregnant women should not work with ewes in lamb, especially when abortions are occurring. The infection is passed from one sheep to the next through aborted lambs and foetal fluids and placenta. This method of infection can lead to abortion storms and so big losses within the flock. If a non-pregnant ewe is infected then they can go on to abort next time they are in lamb. Disposing of aborted lambs and placenta effectively can help prevent spread.
Enzovax is a vaccination against C. abortus and can help prevent Enzootic abortions in ewes that have not picked up the infection previously. Ewes that were infected at the previously lambing and are carrying the infection can be vaccinated but may still abort in late pregnancy. The vaccination is given via a 2ml injection into the muscle or under the skin. Ewe lambs intended to be breeding stock can be vaccinated from 5 months of age. Shearlings and older ewes should be vaccinated in the 4 months leading up to mating and must be vaccinated at least 4 weeks before the Tups are introduced for mating. Revaccination is recommended every 3-4 years. A policy of vaccinating bought in ewes should be adopted. Do not Use in pregnant ewes or you are pregnant yourself and wear gloves whilst using. If you are concerned you are having a problem with Enzootic abortion during lambing or have any other questions then please get in contact with one of our Vets. Toxovax Toxoplasmosis gondii is a parasite and is responsible for 25% of diagnosed infectious abortions in British sheep. Toxoplasma can cause a range of problems from abortions to mummified or weak lambs and resorption of the lamb and so a barren ewe. Aborted lambs can be covered in small areas of white bumps on the placenta. Again, diagnosis can be best achieved by sending samples to the lab. Toxoplasmosis can be spread via infected cat faeces. Cats eat contaminated meat and then pass the parasite in their faeces onto feed and bedding. Therefore, stopping cats having access to these areas and not allowing cats to feed on dead stock helps decrease the risk. Toxovax is a vaccination against Toxoplasma to help prevent fertility problems associated with toxoplasma infection. The vaccine is given via a 2ml injection into the muscle. Ewe lambs intended to be breeding stock can be vaccinated from 5 months of age. Shearlings and older ewes should be vaccinated in the 4 months leading up to mating and must be vaccinated at least 3 weeks before the Tups are introduced for mating. Enzovax and Toxovax can be given at the same time. Revaccination is every 2 years and new additions to the flock should be vaccinated. Do not Use in pregnant ewes or you are pregnant yourself and wear gloves whilst using. If you are concerned you are having a problem with Toxoplasma abortion during lambing or have any other questions then please get in contact with one of our Vets. Matt Park Vets Cardiff 10K for LATCH 11 th September 2016 Park Veterinary Group take on the Cardiff 10K for LATCH Welsh Children's Cancer Charity because LATCH is a wonderful charity close to our hearts. We have a team of 12 Vet & Nurses in this race!! We have raised 445.00 so far if you would like to donate you can pop a cheque or cash into any of our branches!! Or copy and paste this link in your browser for our just giving page https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/parkvets?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=fundraisingpage&utm_con tent=parkvets&utm_campaign=pfp-share
A Great Day out for all the Family Sunday 18 th September 2016 at Sanatorium Road, Cardiff, CF11 8DG From 12.00 until 4.00 pm Look behind the scenes at our main Cardiff hospital Come and see the latest equipment & facilities available to our clients Meet our veterinary & nursing team who are on hand to answer any questions you may have *Farm Pets Corner * Face Painting * Demonstrations * Refreshments available and much more So come along, all welcome! Park Vets Living and working in your community www.park-vets.com @Parkvetscardiff Park Vets