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 a ord 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

Graham and Fiona Skeen.

way we can help to combat the environmental and housing issues that are di cult 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

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, we then wean them the following summer.”

High herd health

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 bene ts

“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 rmly 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 a rms. FG

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Relieve the pressure from this year’s grazing

The Ceres Sub-Line Grassland Subsoiler is a low-cost, but highly e cient way to rejuvenate and sustain healthy grassland, by relieving compression from the year’s livestock, water and general tra c, with minimal disturbance, and helping to prevent water damage and further compression moving into the new season.

The Sub-Line is designed to achieve the maximum e ciency from your soil by lifting and shattering compaction, allowing air, water and nutrients to ow into the substructure, thus enabling the roots and microbacteria to ful l their potential.

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Personal advice on equipment and sundries

Essex-based company Di’s Supplies provides personal advice on all types of farm livestock equipment and sundries – including xed and portable handling systems for cattle and sheep, using components from Bateman, IAE, Ritchie and Shearwell to name a few, along with electronic identi cation and weighing systems.

Feeding equipment can be portable or xed, comprising of feed barriers, Hesston feeders, ring feeders, beef feeders, troughs and hayracks, along with drinking troughs from the following companies: IAE, Bateman, Ritchie and Portquip.

Internal and external parasite control is also catered for with pour ons, drenches and injections. Dallas Keith and Crystalyx products are represented in the form of mineral and feed buckets as well as liquid supplements.

A huge range of products are supplied, including electric fencing as well as stock fencing, barbed wire, gates wooden and galvanised, posts and rail fencing, water pipe and ttings. As winter sets in, Di’s Supplies also has bird scaring products to keep the vermin away from your crops.

Di’s Supplies is selling Christmas trees again this year and visitors are assured of a warm, friendly welcome at the shop, located at Whitesbridge Farm, Margaretting. FG credentials of this machine include its contoured, low-draft legs, which are mounted in-line, achieving great lift and shatter with minimal horsepower and fuel consumption. It also helps water to dissipate through the soil structure, preventing ash run-o , or worse, standing water that will further compact the soil, deprive the soil of oxygen and emit greenhouse gases. Additionally, like all Ceres machinery, the Sub-Line is designed, built and manufactured in the UK, reducing its carbon footprint.

The Sub-Line is suitable for all levels of soil management, including contractors and farmers, and as it has been designed for UK soils, it can be more e ective than other more expensive machines. The leading discs have independent suspension to help prevent damage to the discs and overload and shock of bearings.

All of the discs can be adjusted with one handle, which has six working positions and one out-of-work position. The discs can be kept in their optimum working position, cutting through the sward cleanly, allowing the leg to pass through without tearing the surface. Each of the legs are mounted on the substantial frame, with two M16 shear bolts for protection. The legs, knock on points and all other wearing components are widely available, which reduces cost and downtime.

It is equipped with a 460mm diameter at rear roller, which has simple dual turn-buckle adjustment to control the working depth of the machine, and leaves a neat, level nish across the width of the work. There is a galvanised, adjustable scraper mounted within the roller arms to prevent congestion and build-up.

The Sub-Line is available from a single leg machine up to a ve-leg machine. All sizes are compatible with Category 2 linkage, from 40–190 hp. Other variants can be designed and built to order, including optional trailing harrow and applicator platform. FG

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Milk replacer digestibility key to successful lamb rearing

Choosing the optimum milk replacer can have a signi cant impact on lamb sales and ock pro tability, according to Trouw Nutrition GB.

A recent sheep producer survey revealed 55% expect to arti cially rear up to 5% of lambs born. Another 14% anticipate this will increase to up to 10% of all lambs. Achieving 5–10% more lamb sales has a big impact on the bottom line, so managing arti cial rearing must be a priority.

Milkivit Energized Lamb Milk is precisely formulated to fully support lamb performance and health, which is central to pro table arti cial rearing.

Newborn lambs have limited energy reserves, so Milkivit ELM provides su cient energy in a highly digestible form to support survivability and body temperature maintenance as well as a robust immune system, while promoting high liveweight gains. Protein digestibility is also important, so Milkivit ELM contains 100% of protein from dairy sources.

To reduce digestive upsets, Milkivit ELM is formulated for low osmolality. Lamb milk replacers with elevated osmolality either in the formulation or mixed in too concentrated a form can damage gut integrity, increase the risk of scours and compromise future growth rates.

By investing in a milk replacer formulated for high digestibility you can ensure lambs get the nutrients they require for good health and performance and help them get as good a start in life as possible. FG

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Safe calf handling system gets rave reviews

The ATV- or UTV-mounted Calf Catcher developed by Aberdeenshire croft farmer Gordon Stephen has proved to be a hit with farmers. It aims to make calf catching easier and o ers a safe working environment for carrying out tasks such as injections or tagging.

The system – which is easily adaptable to most ATVs or UTVs – is a 1.8 x 1.1 x 1.4m cage that runs on two wheels alongside the ATV. The ATV/UTV operator follows the calf until it is inside the cage, then uses a lever to release a sprungloaded gate.

Wick farmer Mr Barnetson says tagging has gone from a three-man job to a one-man job since using the Calf Catcher. Meanwhile Mr Clark, of Rattray Estate, Fraserburgh, says it is “a must” for farmers calving outside and working alone. “It’s strong, easily attached and most of all, safe to tag, castrate and dehorn calves without rushing. Once caught we can move cow and calf to another eld very easily.”

Hawick farmer Mr Richardon describes it as the “best investment ever” and urges other farmers not to take chances with calving outside.

Mr Clark, who is in his fourth season using the catcher, adds: “Too many farmers are getting injured or worse during calving. Tagging is a necessary job that needs to be done correctly by taking our time and not rushing whilst constantly looking over your shoulder!” FG

Helping lambs to achieve their full growth potential.

About 50 calf catchers sold so far, from Orkney to Southampton, France , Denmark and Romania

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Wagglehill Croft, Cumiestown, Turriff AB53 8HY www.calfcatchers.co.uk