Beef, Sheep & Lambing we then wean them the following summer.”
High herd health
Protecting cattle against pneumonia in the face of bad weather Keeping disease out of the herd is a priority for beef and sheep producer, Fiona Skeen – a ‘Disease? Not On My Farm!’ ambassador. Farming 175 Aberdeen-Angus suckler cows near Berwick, Northumberland, the cold, moist air that blows in from the North Sea can prove problematic for the respiratory health of her herd. “My family have been tenant farmers on the estate for 100 years, so we’ve always contended with the risks that the weather poses,” says Mrs Skeen. To avoid breakdowns in respiratory health, she takes every measure she can to achieve disease prevention. This includes maintaining a closed herd, running vaccination programmes and subjecting her stock to as little stress as possible. It’s a strategy that has paid dividends, as Mrs Skeen has not treated a calf for serious scour for at least seven years, while also keeping severe pneumonia at bay. However, this has not always been the case and Mrs Skeen has seen the devastating impact that respiratory disease can have. “We had a serious outbreak of pneumonia when the calves were outwintered many years ago. The foggy, sea air from the North Sea haar was a contributory factor,” says Mrs Skeen. “The fog persisted for a week and our vet estimated that the air circulation
around the feeder was minimal.” After losing several calves and blanket-treating the whole herd with antibiotics, Mrs Skeen decided it was an experience she could not afford to repeat.
Introducing vaccination protocols Subsequently, calves have been housed during the winter. Recognising that housing can add to the challenge of maintaining respiratory health, Mrs Skeen and her vet decided to implement a regular vaccination regime to prevent further outbreaks of pneumonia. “The youngstock are vaccinated six weeks before housing and receive their second dose, two weeks before they come indoors,” she says. “A few of our older sheds are far from ideal so we are aware that this poses a greater risk,” she says. “As a result, immunity-led disease prevention is vital. Having a vaccination regime in place is one
Shepherdess
Graham and Fiona Skeen.
way we can help to combat the environmental and housing issues that are difficult to control.” Mrs Skeen says that when the Beast from the East struck the UK in 2019, it reinforced the importance of the scour vaccination. “My brother-in-law lost 20% of his calves to scour when he kept them inside during those hazardous polar conditions. It assured me that we were doing the right thing – we didn’t treat a single calf that year and most years we don’t. It means that we’ve reduced our antibiotic usage considerably and also makes life much easier not having to treat sick animals.”
Minimising stress
Additionally, Mrs Skeen reduces the risk of introducing infection by running a closed herd. This is with the exception of the occasional stockbull, which are only ever purchased from two trusted herds with equal or higher herd health status. Any incoming livestock are quarantined for three weeks before being introduced to the wider herd. “We are BVD accredited in Scotland, so it’s important we buy from farms that operate similar vaccination strategies,” she says. “Most of our yearling stores are sold over the border so vaccination is not just good for the herd’s performance, it also facilitates trade at market.”
Preventative health benefits “Our preventative health strategy and routine herd management have been very successful and since the herd is also closed, I am hopeful we will not see serious pneumonia again. However, I would not take the risk of withdrawing the vaccine, it is too important. “I firmly believe you’ll pay the price if you don’t vaccinate. Even when there’s additional pressures on farm, such as being in the peak of lambing season, I always make sure we get cattle vaccinations done. It is my top priority,” Mrs Skeen affirms. FG
Care is taken not to overload her livestock with stressful procedures and Mrs Skeen believes reducing the impact of stress is another important part of disease prevention. “We avoid weaning the springborn calves at the same time as housing. This is delayed for a week to 10 days once they’re settled in the sheds,” she explains. “Similarly, those born in autumn remain with their mothers throughout winter housing,
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