livestock’n’animal health Do a forage budget


The difficult grass and maize growing conditions experienced by many ruminant livestock producers in recent years means it is crucial that winter forage stocks are planned carefully. Speaking at the Livestock Show last month, Malcolm Graham from own grown feeds specialist FiveF urged farmers to do a forage budget. “It has never been more important to estimate potential shortfalls in winter forage availability and quality. The sooner this is done the less disruptive the effect will be on cow health and performance. And if you plan properly now you will only have to make small adjustments over the longer period, which will be less costly in terms of bought-in feed, more advantageous to cash flow and better for the animals,” he said. Malcolm Graham said that the lousy weather throughout the spring and summer of 2012 culminated in a very difficult winter and many farmers ran out of forage. Now’s the time to take steps to ensure the coming winter is not as costly, particularly if you currently have your own cereals in the ground, he advised. “With cereal prices likely to ease downwards over the coming weeks and bought-in protein costs remaining stubbornly high, it’s well worth capitalising on the potential winter feeding value of your own home-grown wheat, barley and oat crops.


Read more on this article online at www.thefarmsite.co.uk


Vets promote responsible use of anti-infectives


Herefordshire-based Belmont Veterinary Practice’s recent client workshop on the safe and responsible use of medicines, specifically anti-infectives was supported by Ceva Animal Health. Attended by sheep, beef and dairy farmers from across the region, the workshop aimed to explain when, why and what the responsible treatment options should be when it comes to using anti-infectives, as well as vaccines and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories on farm.


Antimicrobial resistance is recognised as one of the largest threats to animal health and best clinical practice includes their responsible use on farm and in practice, at all times. Recognised as a highly important topic for today’s practising vets, it is also imperative that clients clearly understand the reasoning and methodology behind responsible anti-infective protocols. The workshop, organised as part of the XL Vets group Farm Skills programme on safe and effective use of medicines, was co-hosted by Belmont’s large animal vets Roger Serres and Dominic Alexander. Through informal discussion, debate and hands-on sessions, a broad range of topics were covered relating to everyday life in livestock farming, as well as more technical aspects such as the pharmacokinetics of anti-infectives. Roger Serres explains: “The prerequisites for the use of any medicine on farm are user safety, animal safety and safety for the general public. We actively encourage


Analysing lambing losses


At this time of year, sheep producers should be looking at farm records and analysing the lambing losses that occurred within their flocks this season, according to advice from EBLEX.


Data from a lambing project carried out in Wales, which took place before flocks were affected by Schmallenberg, suggested losses within flocks range from 10% to 25% between scanning ewes and the sale of their lambs. Generally, most losses occur during pregnancy or in the first week of life.


Comparing scanning, lambing and rearing percentages between years, and with national benchmarks, will highlight where problems occur and indicate where action is needed. Farmers are often surprised to find out how many lambs they do lose. This is partly because almost a third of lamb losses are ‘invisible’, as they occur between scanning and lambing.


Infectious abortions continue to account for a significant percentage of losses on lowland farms, with three types responsible for 86% of all sheep abortions. Enzootic abortion (EAE) is responsible for 52% of abortions and is thought to cost the industry £23.8 million a year. Toxoplasmosis is responsible for 25% of infectious abortions and Campylobacter 9%. Producers should aim to reduce abortions to less than 2%, and the barren rate to less than 5%. It’s important to establish a health plan with your vet, which may include a vaccination programme.


EBLEX BRP project coordinator Katie Brian advises; “If you suspect ewes have aborted this year, but did not submit the aborted lamb and placenta for analysis, speak to your vet to get a group of ewes blood tested (the cost of these tests is often subsided). If you have positive results for Enzootic abortion or Toxoplasmosis, the ewes can be vaccinated to prevent losses occurring next year. Vaccinations need to be done at least four weeks before mating in order to be


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clients to seek our support and advice to make sure all medicines are used responsibly and sustainably to minimise risk and avoid any unnecessary financial losses.” Ceva both sponsored and provided literature support for the event. Ceva also funds antimicrobial sensitivity tests as a part of its Cevolution™ offering to enable responsible, evidence-based treatment approaches. Ceva’s Managing Director Alan Doyle said: “Resistance is a serious issue, not only in the UK but internationally and it is our duty to address the problem meticulously, in order to preserve our veterinary medicine box for future animal health. Encouraging routine culture and sensitivity testing is a logical first step as it helps take the predictive element out of treatment choices to ensure best efficacy.”


Ceva provides sound advice and support on the appropriate use of anti-infectives


effective. Remember also that some losses would never have been seen as lambs, especially if you do not scan, as they could have been reabsorbed in early or mid-pregnancy.


“The Schmallenberg virus will also have contributed to lamb losses in many flocks this season. It’s worth speaking to your vet about the risk of Schmallenberg in your region and whether they think you should vaccinate to protect your flock against this disease.


“Finally, the weather over the last 18 month has made maintaining ewe condition a challenge. Ewes lacking body condition, or that are over-fat, are less able to rear lambs successfully. It’s important to ensure that ewes are at the correct Body Condition Score (BCS) at tupping, during pregnancy and at lambing.”


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