PARAGON VETERINARY GROUP
ISSUE 47
ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE IN HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY
LIVESTOCK NEWS
May 2014
Contact us:
Bull Fertility Would you prefer your invoices by email? Paragon can now send your monthly invoices/statements by email. If you would like to receive your accounts by email please let the accounts know. Tel: 01228 710208 Email: Suzanne.pollock@ Paragonvet.com
Cash Accounts Can we remind everyone that an additional 2.5% discount for large orders over £300 can be offered if ORDERED 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE and paid for on collection. If an ordered is requested on the Cash Card we cannnot guarantee it being ready for collection that day!
As the beef mating period draws nearer or if you rely on a bull for all or some of your dairy pregnancies, now is the time to consider the fertility of your bull. Obviously it is critical in a beef herd that your bull/s are in full working order when they are put to the cows or heifers, ensuring a prompt and tight calving period. All too often a poorly performing bull is discovered at PD or even calving, often with serious consequences. Obviously a physical inspection is easily done with particular attention to feet and body condition but an assessment of a bull’s semen quality and breeding potential is also pretty easily done. Using an electro-ejaculator a semen sample is easily collected and can be assessed fairly quickly however if you need to asses a bull’s libido and ability to mount you will need to line up a female in heat and ideally collect the bull using an artificial vagina. Remember a bull can be sterile for up to 6 weeks after a testicular insult (such a fever) so it takes time to recover to full “service fitness”. We are able to both collect with an electro-ejaculator and artificial vagina if the bull can be handled so get in touch to get yours tested now.
PARAGON VETERINARY GROUP Visit us at: www.paragonvet.com
PARAGON VETERINARY GROUP CALDEW VETERINARY GROUP Carlisle House, Townhead Road Dalston, Carlisle, CA5 7JF
Tel: (01228) 710208 vets@paragonvet.com TOWNHEAD VETERINARY CENTRE Townhead Veterinary Centre Newbiggin, Stainton, Penrith, Cumbria
Tel: (01768) 483789 townhead@paragonvet.com PARAGON ET et@paragonvet.com
LIVESTOCK NEWS— May 2014
Problems with Diarrhoea………?
Recofast Entericum Provides easily digestible nutritional support Dries up the scour Rehydrates & contains electrolytes Deactivates toxins. Inhibits bacterial growth
Nematodirus Risk Infection with Nematodirus battus worms was diagnosed as the cause of death of a lamb submitted to SAC in South East Scotland. This indicates that N. battus eggs are now hatching. This shows that the north of England and South West Scotland are now high risk. This is backed up by soil temperatures in Dumfries which also indicate that hatching will have occurred. An early hatch is often a good thing as fewer lambs are in the most susceptible 6 to 12 week age group. Currently lambs born in February and the first half of March are most at risk. Hatching will be delayed in north facing fields and with every 100m of altitude. Points to remember include: Lambs grazing permanent and/or heavily stocked pastures used for young lambs every spring are particularly at risk. Scour and death can occur before eggs can be detected in faeces so unexplained deaths should be investigated. Concurrent coccidiosis is not uncommon in this age group of lamb. If the risk is considered high then treatment should be given to prevent disease outbreaks.
Corrects metabolic acidosis
Group 1 (1BZ, Benzimidazole) and Group 2 (2LM, levamisole) products should be effective against N. battus however worms re-
Passes easily through a stomach tube
sistant to white drenches (1BZ) have been reported. Group 3 (3AV, Macrocyclic lactones): There are differences in efficacy between oral and injectable products so the data sheet should be checked before use. No products have any persistence against N. battus. Group 4 (4AD) and Group 5 (5SI): Although effective the use of these products is not recommended when treatment is aimed solely at N. battus. Avoiding overuse of the newer wormer groups will slow development of resistance.
Administration:- Recofast is a powder to be administered in milk or water. Calves—100g sachet once daily or split into 2 doses, for 1-5 days until recovered. Apply by stomach tube, bucket, feeding system or bottle.
If there is any suggestion that treatment has been ineffective (e.g. scour develops or fails to improve) then this should be investigated by collecting 10 individual faecal samples for a pooled worm egg count. If resistance to a wormer is suspected then faecal samples should be checked for worm eggs 10 days after treatment. If an outbreak of clinical disease occurs and lambs remain on the same pasture two doses of wormer 7 to 10 days apart are recommended. Where there is a severe problem the best solution may be to move the ewes and lambs to lower risk pasture (e.g. reseed) if available. When spring temperatures rise slowly the egg hatch is delayed putting more lambs at risk. This results in more disease outbreaks as shown in 2013. A secondary hatch of eggs can occur in autumn. Courtesy SCOPS and SAC
PARAGON VETERINARY GROUP Visit us at: www.paragonvet.com