Wales Farmer 14 NEWS FEATURE June 2013 NO TROUBLE: Cows at grass with no flies.


■ Raising awarenessof ectoparasites


THERE was areal buzz at an animal health farm open day, where dealing with cattle ectoparasites was the issue under


scrutiny. Clynderwen


and


CardiganshireFarmers (CCF), along with Farming Connect and Novartis held acattle ectopara- site dayatHackett Farm, Reynalton,


near Kilgetty,


Pembrokeshire, by kind permis- sion of the Jones family. The familyiscurrentlymilking


about 180 cows,averaging about 7,000 litres,aswell as finishing some Aberdeen Angus beef ani- mals on three separateunits totalling about 480 acres.One of the features of the farmisthe purpose-built calf house with a fan system designed to provide moreair movement inside. The daystarted with asession


by Novartis professional service vetCaroline Dawson on the problems thatectoparasites can cause both cattle and humans.As well as common cattle diseases including NewForest Eyeand Summer Mastitis,she said it is important to remember thatflies and midges arevectors forother


diseases as well, including Schmallenberg. Most importantly, flyprob-


lems can cause reduced growth rates in youngstock and up to 25% reduction of milk yield as animals grazeless if they are affected by flies. She said thereweretwo main


types of flies thataffect cattle – biting flies and nuisance flies – and thereare twomain ways of reducing their effect by treating the animals and making the envi- ronment difficult forflies to breed and multiply. The multiplication factor for


flies is massive and the warmer the weather,then the quicker the multiplication, so it is important to start treatment early. SallyHarmer,CCF animal


health manager,then spoke about factors in the environment thataffect the flypopulation. She said: “In the field, areas of


stagnant water and trees will makethe problems worse,aswill piles of muck. The first twoyou cannot change –it’sbest to move the animals away to moreopen fields,but it is worth getting rid of the muck as it is aprime fly


breeding site. “In the yard,again piles of


muck can cause problems,aswill rotting silage and dirty water,but most of these,with some thought, can be sorted out.” The different chemical options


PRACTICAL DEMONSTRATION: Jonathan Sear, from Novartis demonstrated the correct use of fly products.


availableinclude larvicidal prod- ucts thatprevent flydevelop- ment, as well as knock-down


Animal health event creates abuzz


BOLUSBONUS: Ieuan Davies, of Agrimin dosing acow with amineral bolus.


products such as scatter baits and paint-on products to use inside buildings.Having afan in the parlour can be useful as flies dis- likeair movement. Jonathan Sear,ofNovartis


gave apractical demonstration of applying flyproducts.Heempha- sised howimportant it is to cali-


bratethe gun and applyproduct on the correct part of the animal forittobeeffective.Healso emphasised the importance of applying flyproducts early in the season to avoid the massive mul- tiplication thatcan occur if pour- on application is left too late. The dayconcluded with Ieuan


Davies,ofAgrimin, demonstrat- ing the technique of bolusing dry cows with mineral boluses in an IAE crush equipped with ahead scoop.Heexplained the benefits of dosing dry cows with abolus containing selenium, cobalt and iodine,especiallyfor the calving and crucial post-calving period.


PURPOSE-BUILT: Inside the new calf house at Hackett Farm.


For the latest Wales farming news: walesfarmer.co.uk


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