Lice Control: The past week has seen a flurry of farmers housing stock around the country, with the heavy rain and stormy conditions. As a result of housing, cattle come in greater contact with each other, and lice numbers will grow rapidly.
Most cattle will show little sign of lice activity at housing, but where there is visible licking, quick treatment is necessary. In many cases, farmers who housed cattle in the past week clipped the backs of weanlings and finishing stock to reduce sweating in the sheds and reduce stress; in addition, this is aiding lice treatment.
The life cycle of lice is about three to four weeks, and all stages in the life cycle take place on the host. If left untreated, lice numbers will increase rapidly, impacting on animal comfort and thrive, caused by excessive irritation and licking. There are two types of lice: biting lice and suckling lice.
When choosing a product to control the problem, pay particular attention to the types of lice it controls. For example, Avermectin injections are effective at controlling lice, however it will only control suckling lice. Treatments will only kill lice and not lice eggs. For this reason, where the lice challenge is high, a second course of treatment will often be required approximately a month after the first treatment.
Withdrawal dates: With many farmers opting to dose for fluke and treat for lice, particular heed should be paid to withdrawal dates of the products used.
For example, an Albendazole product such as Albex 10% has a withdrawal period of 14 days for cattle prior to slaughter; Oxyclozanide-based product Zanil has a withdrawal period of 28 days.
Cypermethrin-based Ectospec 2.5% has a withdrawal period of 10 days. Accurate records should be kept of the tag numbers of animals treated, and the date of treatment must be recorded, along with the date the withdrawal ceases in the blue book.
Minerals: Supplementing cows with minerals prior to calving can result in livelier calves at birth and reduced levels of retained placenta, where cows are low in specific minerals. Mineral deficiencies are quite farm-specific, and in many cases will be dependent on mineral uptake of grass from the soil. The first step should be to identify if there is a mineral deficiency on the farm, and what minerals to supplement with.
Blood samples can be taken from a representative sample of the herd and problem cows, to identify what minerals are deficient. Low levels of iodine, selenium or copper are most common across the country and can have a significant effect on fertility, etc. It is recommended to supplement dry suckler cows for six to eight weeks prior to calving.
Lice Control: The past week has seen a flurry of farmers housing stock around the country, with the heavy rain and stormy conditions. As a result of housing, cattle come in greater contact with each other, and lice numbers will grow rapidly.
Most cattle will show little sign of lice activity at housing, but where there is visible licking, quick treatment is necessary. In many cases, farmers who housed cattle in the past week clipped the backs of weanlings and finishing stock to reduce sweating in the sheds and reduce stress; in addition, this is aiding lice treatment.
The life cycle of lice is about three to four weeks, and all stages in the life cycle take place on the host. If left untreated, lice numbers will increase rapidly, impacting on animal comfort and thrive, caused by excessive irritation and licking. There are two types of lice: biting lice and suckling lice.
When choosing a product to control the problem, pay particular attention to the types of lice it controls. For example, Avermectin injections are effective at controlling lice, however it will only control suckling lice. Treatments will only kill lice and not lice eggs. For this reason, where the lice challenge is high, a second course of treatment will often be required approximately a month after the first treatment.
Withdrawal dates: With many farmers opting to dose for fluke and treat for lice, particular heed should be paid to withdrawal dates of the products used.
For example, an Albendazole product such as Albex 10% has a withdrawal period of 14 days for cattle prior to slaughter; Oxyclozanide-based product Zanil has a withdrawal period of 28 days.
Cypermethrin-based Ectospec 2.5% has a withdrawal period of 10 days. Accurate records should be kept of the tag numbers of animals treated, and the date of treatment must be recorded, along with the date the withdrawal ceases in the blue book.
Minerals: Supplementing cows with minerals prior to calving can result in livelier calves at birth and reduced levels of retained placenta, where cows are low in specific minerals. Mineral deficiencies are quite farm-specific, and in many cases will be dependent on mineral uptake of grass from the soil. The first step should be to identify if there is a mineral deficiency on the farm, and what minerals to supplement with.
Blood samples can be taken from a representative sample of the herd and problem cows, to identify what minerals are deficient. Low levels of iodine, selenium or copper are most common across the country and can have a significant effect on fertility, etc. It is recommended to supplement dry suckler cows for six to eight weeks prior to calving.
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