MANAGEMENT MATTERS
DON’T HESITATE TO
VACCINATE
A Dutch farmer affected by bluetongue disease advises UK livestock producers
to protect against the disease with vaccination, as Julian Cooksley reports
L
ivestock farmers in the UK should not hesitate to vaccinate their across a large area in the south of the country.
stock as an insurance policy against bluetongue, according to Well-informed to comment on the spread of
a Dutch dairy farmer and industry consultant who has experienced bluetongue in The Netherlands, Jakob states:
fi rst-hand the devastating impact which the disease can have on the “When bluetongue was fi rst diagnosed in The
livelihoods of farmers and the welfare of their livestock. Netherlands during 2007 very few people in
“As a farmer, you never think that bluetongue will affect you, until the industry knew anything about the disease.
it does,” states Jakob Pustjens. “Unfortunately, by the time livestock Certainly, most farmers had no idea of what to
show visible signs of the disease it’s too late to do anything to prevent look for, or the devastation which it could cause.
it. My advice, based on my experience on our own farm, together Initially, bluetongue affected only a few sheep
with that of other livestock producers I have spoken to throughout farms, but very quickly they found themselves with
The Netherlands, is that farmers should take whatever preventative a lot of dead sheep, which was a very harsh lesson.
measures are available, at an early stage, before bluetongue is It wasn’t long before cattle were also showing
diagnosed in their area.” signs of bluetongue, such as excessive salivation,
In addition to managing his family’s herd of 100 Holstein Friesian discharges from the nose and eyes, infl amed feet
dairy cows and 90 heifers on their 40-hectare farm at Nederweert, and swollen heads. Eventually, these animals
close to The Netherlands’ borders with Belgium and Germany, 29-year- became reluctant to eat, lethargic, suffered
old Jakob is an agricultural management consultant. Having been abortions late in pregnancy, levels of mortality
involved in the business for a number of years, he now spends three increased and milk yields were reduced.
days a week providing economic and management advice to farmers “Many farms in my region were very badly
110 THE JOURNAL APRIL 2009
e2-09 Bluetongue.indd 2 01/04/2009 15:24:29
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