Farms that are on the twice yearly IBR vaccination programme are due to get their second shot for the year next month. Some farmers will wait until after the breeding season is over to give the vaccine, to reduce any stress on the herd. Spring-born calves that are being vaccinated for the first time will need two jabs now. Most calves will require a worm dose around now too. Timing of the first worm dose depends on need. This can be gauged by getting faecal samples tested or by observing calves with loose dung.

There are a couple of dosing options from the drenches to the ivermectin type products. All work effectively when done correctly. The important thing is to closely follow the dosing intervals and use the right amount based on weight. It is over- and under-dosing that causes resistance problems.

For adult cows, the need to dose for worms is less clear. Bulk milk tests will give an indication of exposure to stomach worms. Faecal test results from a sample of cows will give a more accurate interpretation of prevalence of worms within the herd. For the costs involved in dosing with a zero milk withdrawal product, it’s well worth knowing if you need to dose or not first. With all the warm weather, flies will be a problem, particularly on maiden heifers and dry/cull cows. Treating these animals with a pour-on will help to prevent flies causing summer mastitis.

Maintenance

Now that most farmers have the silage cut and bulls out, it is a chance to catch up on maintenance jobs. We can take lessons from the pig industry who are used to dealing with cyclical price curves. During times of reasonably good pig prices, they catch up on maintenance and replace anything that is faulty or could break down. This means they tend to get away with spending very little on maintenance during bad price years. Use the extra cash that is available with the bigger milk cheques this year to make your business more resilient. Now is also the time to clean out sheds and disinfect them for next season.

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