Maximising beef weaning period

Maximising The Beef Weaning Period

With warm weather and late summer rains, autumn provides great opportunities for growth in your newly weaned calves. These favourable conditions can also cause animal health challenges, including growth suppression and the death of your valuable young stock. With good management however, these losses can be prevented.

Good pasture growth in autumn offers ideal conditions for the survival of gastrointestinal parasites on pasture, creating a considerable build-up of infective larvae challenging your beef weaners and depressing growth. These losses are often underrated and by the time you see the clinical signs - such as scouring - a parasite burden may have already caused considerable reductions in growth rates. There are two main parasite species we are concerned about in young cattle in New Zealand. Cooperia sp. particularly in young stock, with significant burdens on pasture building up in the autumn depressing appetite and growth. Cooperia sp. resistant to the ML or “mectin” family of drenches are widespread with levamisole the only active that has retained good efficacy against this species.1 Don’t forget about Ostertagia sp. which are the most harmful worms in cattle of all ages. Converge® is an ideal choice for beef weaners as it contains both levamisole and abamectin. For extra protection from resistance we have Alliance® . A triple combination that contains oxfendazole on top of levamisole and abamectin. If resistance is a concern, the use of a triple combination drench is an excellent choice. Both drenches can also be used in your sheep keeping things simple and reducing wastage. A good preventative drenching program, using effective, combination oral drenches every 4 weeks through the autumn, prevents the build-up of infective larvae on your pasture, reducing parasite challenge and the associated losses in beef cattle. Used in conjunction with refugia, good quality pasture, cross-grazing and drench checks, maintaining an effective parasite management plan on-farm farm can be implemented. Talk to your animal health advisor about putting a good preventative program for parasite control in place at the start of autumn. Protection against clostridial disease is also an important consideration for your beef weaners this autumn. Clostridial spores are found almost everywhere. Some exist as spores in soil for decades; others survive for a whole lifetime in otherwise healthy stock, cropping up in an animals muscles, gut or liver. Clostridial diseases in cattle include malignant oedema, tetanus, pulpy kidney, black disease and blood poisoning. Often the first you will see of these diseases is the sudden death of the biggest calves, with risk factors including unvaccinated/improperly vaccinated animals, wounds and injury, liver damage and fast-growing animals on good quality feed. Prevention by vaccination is your only option. Multine® 5-in-1, developed, manufactured, tested and proven in New Zealand is an excellent choice. Full protection with Multine® requires an initial sensitizer and then a booster 4-6 weeks later, with full immunity developing after the booster dose. To maximise the success of your beef weaning period, make sure you have a good animal health plan in place, to help ensure that weaning goes as smoothly as possible, therefore ensuring that the stock are well set up for good growth and optimal health.

For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

Article Supplied by MSD Animal Health

CVM No: A10119, A10249, A000934, A8214 ®Registered trademark. Schering-Plough Animal Health Ltd. Phone: 0800 800 543. www.coopersonline.co.nz NZ-ALL-201100001 1. TS Waghorn et al (2006). Prevalence of anthelmintic resistance o 62 beef cattle farms in the North Island of New Zealaund. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 54(6), 278-282

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