Pneumonia issues

I have had a number of reports this week of pneumonia in calves and weanlings in sheds. Recent mild weather has meant sheds with poor ventilation have struggled to get enough air movement and this has led to health problems. Stress is a big factor so make sure animals aren’t under any nutritional or parasite stress. Remember in the face of an outbreak not to stress calves too much and to seek veterinary advice. While vaccinating calves intranasally can work quicker and give faster cover, vaccinating in the middle of a pneumonia outbreak when animals have high temperatures and animals are actively shedding virus will hinder the vaccination. If dosing, weaning or castration are planned, wait until all calves are fully clear of pneumonia until proceeding with these tasks as stress could lead to a relapse.

Check your ventilation and see if some temporary measure like taking off a few side sheets could get you through this winter. Make sure calves have a clean dry bed at all times and take care not to stock sheds too heavily. While antibiotics will likely cure animals, some can have poor thrive for the rest of their lifetime if affected badly enough. Talk to your vet about a plan to avoid further outbreaks.

Stock bulls

If stock bulls are neglected during the winter, this can have a negative impact on their fertility and functionality. Take care where bulls are housed on straw-bedded pens with no access to concrete areas as feet can become overgrown and tender. It’s also important that the bull does not lose too much condition and that they are fit and not fat either. In most cases, ad-lib access to good-quality silage plus 3-4kg of a balanced ration is adequate. Avoid feeding rolled barley on its own as this could increase the incidence of feet problems. Make sure the bull receives all doses and vaccinations that the herd gets.

Fluke

On this week’s animal health page we go into detail on farm fluke control plans. While the northwest is a fluke blackspot, the rest of the country shouldn’t forget about it either. You should still remain vigilant for the disease and at the very least ask about animals’ livers when slaughtered. The most common signs of fluke in cattle are poor thrive, loss of condition and, in very advanced stages, bottle jaw and anaemia during the chronic phase.Triclabendazole-based doses are the only products that can kill early immature, immature and adult liver fluke with an effectiveness of between 90% and 100%. These have been widely used in cattle herds and sheep flocks and this is one of the reasons resistance has developed. Remember, mature fluke are over eight weeks of age, so if you are using a product that is only active against mature fluke, animals must be housed for at least eight weeks to get high efficiency. Liver fluke control is very important in autumn/winter-calving cows, as the presence of liver fluke parasites adds to nutritional stress and has the potential to reduce animal performance and delay resumption of cycling. Talk to your vet about a control strategy for your farm.