The weather is playing hard on animals and herd health this week and farmers need to manage the situation as it happens. Heavy rainfall, followed by high winds mixed in with warm and cool temperatures makes herding stock at this time of the year very important.

In this Focus, we look at the return of sheep dipping and the benefits it brings. For the last number of years it has been replaced by other methods but the return of an annual dip seems best practice for a lot of flocks given what has happened since dipping faded out. Some early lambing flocks will be trying to get a dip in now before rams are released rather than upsetting the flock when the rams join up with the ewes.

Prevention for the best farmers is a mix of management practices and vaccines to help the young animals through the difficult transition

Weanlings from sucklers are valuable animals but often endure a lot of stress at this time of the year as the weaning process starts. Holding weight gain while preventing viruses are key at this crucial stage.

Prevention for the best farmers is a mix of management practices and vaccines to help the young animals through the difficult transition.

Management issues

Some of the management issues are made more difficult with weather like we have had this week. At all times try to minimise stress on the young animals by gradually making changes.

Wet weather and mucky fields and roadways also cause issues for dairy farmers. Again, one of the big issues is mastitis because there is more dirt around. Antibiotics to manage milking mastitis will work in three out of 10 cases so again prevention is better than cure and managing the muck on roads and around yards where there is a lot of cow traffic is important. This, coupled with trimming tails and careful wash down of yards and parlour, is important.

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