Indian summer, but weanlings at their most vulnerable now
Recently I wrote here about getting sheds ready for the winter.
It may seem obvious, but it is also a good idea to get your animals ready for the sheds.
What this will involve depends on the type of animals to be housed, housing type and disease status.
Vaccination and dosing programmes need to be put in place in advance of housing.
Look to the historic records for your herd, when you are devising a housing strategy this autumn.
At this time of year, weanlings are at their most vulnerable.
In spring-calving suckler herds, weanlings have been or soon will be weaned.
It is a stressful time for these calves, and weaning should be done with the aim of reducing stress levels as much as possible. Introduction to meal for a number of weeks before weaning, and continuing to feed after weaning, considerably reduces stress.
In the past week, cattle to be finished this winter are beginning to be housed.
It is becoming obvious that these stock are starting to go backwards on grass alone.
For many, it is not practical to supplement these advanced cattle, for reasons such as weather, underfoot conditions, and the obvious farmer safety issues.
As a result, it is best to get them indoors and begin finishing them.
Care should also be taken with cows that have had calves taken from under them.
Keep a particular eye on recently dried off first calvers.
The best practice if cows are being kept outdoors after weaning is to put them in a bare paddock and offer straw for a number of days.
Monitor them for mastitis, and ensure that they are supplemented with magnesium to prevent tetany.
If you tick all the boxes around weaning, it should go smoothly, apart from all the noise.
Some farmers will separate cows from calves but leave them in adjacent paddocks, with three strands of electric fence and plenty of current.
Some may consider housing the cows for a number of days on straw, to monitor them closely and ensure thorough drying-off occurs.
At this time of year, farmers are also considering what to dose and vaccinate stock with, around housing.
This decision-making process should be done in conjunction with a vet, ideally. Your vet will set you in the right direction regarding any tests that could be carried out within your herd to establish exposure to particular diseases.
Since the start of 2013, the BVD testing scheme has been compulsory for all farms where calves are born.
This will identify any persistently infected (PI) animals that may be present in a herd.
Any PIs should be removed from herds once identified, as they can cause considerable health issues if left in the herd.
With regard to IBR, many suckler herdowners are testing a sample of their cows to try and establish the herd status and take action accordingly. If IBR is identified in a herd, your vet will advise you as to the best course of action.
If you have been having a lot of respiratory issues, don’t ignore it, investigate and act.
IBR can also have a detrimental effect on reproductive performance in suckler herds.
For farmers who buy in stock from herds with unknown disease status, the best practice seems to be to vaccinate all stock for IBR.
Parasite control advice should also be sought from your vet. Suckler cows often go un-dosed, but is this the right thing to do?
Some will dose first calvers at drying, and not the mature cows. If in doubt, get your vet to take samples, and establish your herd’s parasite burden and the necessary control measures.
Ensure with all stock that you follow the manufacturer’s full recommendations when using doses and vaccines.
It is also a good idea that sheds are cleaned out and disinfected, to avoid the carryover of bugs from last winter.
Housing of stock, even using all of the latest management practices, will heighten stress levels in animals, resulting in them being more susceptible to picking up disease from carriers within the farm.
This seems to be very much the case when it comes to respiratory diseases such as IBR, RSV and PI3.
Many suckler farmers also vaccinate in-calf cows to prevent calf scours, and if this has been a problem in the past, it should be considered.
Other common diseases vaccinated for include leptospirosis and salmonella.
