Looking ahead

DAIRY

Spring will be here before you know it! Preparing well for the busy months ahead will go a long way to ensure things go as smoothly as possible.

• Calving will be well underway on most farms and hopefully your transition plan has minimised the occurrence of any “downer” cows (milk fever).
• The optimal time for detecting and treating cows with endometritis is between eight- and 21-days post-calving, this is done starting with the first round of metrichecking, 3 weeks since the start of calving (i.e. 10th August for a PSC of 20th July).
• Hygienic calf management is essential throughout the entire season. Picking up calves twice daily in clean trailers and spraying their navels with iodine is good practice. All calves should be receiving 10% of their body weight of first milking colostrum within 6-12 hours of birth.
• Calf disbudding has started on some farms. Call us to book your disbudding appointment so that you don’t miss the optimal window of two to six weeks of age.

SHEEP and BEEF

• Close observation of ewe health, especially those carrying multiples, is recommended. Increasing feed levels in the weeks coming into lambing are key to improved lambing performance. Restricting feed does not prevent bearings and is more likely to precipitate metabolic problems such as milk fever and can compromise lamb survival.
• Administer clostridial vaccines two to three weeks prior to lambing to ensure antibodies are in high concentrations in the colostrum. If you vaccinate too early with standard 5-in-1 vaccine, the peak of antibodies will have come and gone before the udder is actually producing colostrum. If you have scanned out your late lambers, consider vaccinating them later.
• Young cattle and light cows will benefit from a spring drench with a product containing a “mectin” active ingredient to safeguard against type II inhibited ostertagia.

DEER

• Most deer farmers will be well aware that the standards for harvesting velvet have been raised. If you haven’t managed to attend one of the local shed meetings on this, get in touch with your vet to discuss how you can modify your velveting set-up to remain compliant.

EQUINE

• It’s good to check your horse’s selenium status. This is important for the immune system and growth and development in young animals.
• As we approach competition season, reassess the supplements that your horse is on especially regarding joint heath.
• Drench resistance is emerging as a serious issue in horses. A faecal egg count (FEC) pre drenching can tell you if you horse needs drenching and a FEC 10 days after drenching will ensure that your drench is working.
• As we approach foaling season, check that broodmares are in good condition and up to date with their pre-foaling vaccinations.