livestock Salers safeguarded from myostatin to maintain the maternal magic In 2019 the Salers Cattle Society of the UK took the decision to protect the Salers’ leading maternal traits, especially it’s unrivalled calving ease, by implementing a five-year program to eliminate the various mutations of the myostatin gene. From 1st January 2024, registrations will no longer be accepted into the main herd book of animals with an unknown myostatin status or known carriers of the myostatin gene. To support breeders in the transition period, where it is advantageous to ascertain the myostatin status of their breeding females, the Society has reduced the cost by more than 50% of registrations of U3month females born in 2022. Registrations meeting the same criteria in 2023, will also attract significant discounts. Myostatin has the potential to negatively influence traits such as pelvic size, milk production
and fertility. The Society believe this policy is essential to protect the breed and its sought-after maternal traits, enabling suckler
farmers to continue to capitalise on the unrivalled calving ease of Salers, whilst having the freedom to select any sire, including
strongly muscled terminal sires, that suits their system! #salers #maternalmagic #suitsanysire #suitsanysystem #theultimatesuckler
MSD Animal Health UK Launches Breakthrough Poultry Vaccine Poultry producers across the UK are set to benefit from a new vaccine launched to tackle three of the most infectious diseases facing the industry. MSD Animal Health UK, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA, has today announced that the INNOVAX®-ND-ILT vaccine is now available to customers. Among some of the most commercially disruptive flock diseases, Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT), Newcastle
disease (ND) and Marek’s disease (MD), are highly transmissible and affect the nervous, respiratory, immune and reproductive systems in poultry. Historically, a combination of vaccines was needed to protect against these diseases. “The new vaccine is the first to provide long-term* protection against three of the most infectious poultry diseases in a single vaccination,” explains Katie Pitman, technical
veterinary adviser at MSD Animal Health UK. INNOVAX®-ND-ILT is a dual HVT construct vaccine that can be administered either in-ovo or subcutaneously at the hatchery. “This new vaccine offers the convenience of a single immunisation to improve flock immunity and minimise operational disruption, without the risk of reversion to virulence or interference with other respiratory vaccines.
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“More efficient disease control can improve flock health. The addition of this new vaccine to the INNOVAX® range will enable producers to pick the most appropriate option for their system and create space in busy on-farm vaccination schedules,” concludes Ms Pitman.
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