FARMNEWSshropshireFARMNEWS

In ThIs Issue: May 2019

•LivingtheHighLife?•“Staggers”orHypomagnesemia•HerdandFlockHealthPlans•NextStepsforMihail•MedsCorner•ComingUp•TransitionGroupMeeting•BankHolidayOpeningHours•RecapofUdderClubMeeting•NewFaces•TBUpdate

shropshire Farm VetsHanwood Office:Unit3,TheDepot,Hanwood,Shrewsbury,ShropshireSY58NYT:01743860920F:01743861934Whittington & Oswestry Office:GloversMeadowIndustrialEstate,MaesburyRd,OswestrySY198NHT:01691898822e:farm@shropshirefarmvets.comW:www.shropshirefarmvets.comCompanyRegNo6497266.VATRegNo817914608

Living the High Life?As we head into summer, bar the odd brief storm (Hannah), the weather has been fair, with plenty of warmth and good sunlight hours. Many spring calving herds are yielding better than ever, with tremendous yields exclusively from grazing, whilst we have a good proportion of all year round calving herds averaging over 40L per cow per day. So, despite decidedly unexciting milk prices, marginal litres and good cow health and fertility mean that there is hay to be made. What could possibly go wrong?.

Withoutbeingaharbingerofdoom,itisworthcastingacriticaleyeoverfactorswhicharemakingcurrentoutstandingperformanceonmanydairiesandwhatbottlenecksarelikelytoarisethisseason.Furthermore,howeachfarmcanmanagethem,dependantontheirsituation.

Forage stocks. Afteralong,mildandrelativelydrywintermanypeoplehavemadegoodfirstcutsilagealready.Afterlastsummer,thereisariskofpoorsubsequentcropsstrugglingwithdrought,aswatertablesarereportedlyyettorecover.Isitworthmakingcutsearliertopreservequalityandencourageearlyregrowthonfarmspronetoburningoff?Haveyouidentifiedanypassengersintheherd(byandlargeIexpectIcanheararesoundingyes)ifforagestockscomeunderpressure?Arethereanycowsbetween20and150daysinmilkthataregivinglessthan20Lperday?Overall,keepingacloseeyeonforagestocksandconservativelymanagingherdexitstomatchwillbeakeydriverforsuccessonmanydairiesthisyear–adifficultjugglingactweighingupcurrentperformancevsfutureherdsize.

Rain. Despitethefairlydryconditions,wehaveencounteredstaggersafterburstsofrainonseveralfarmsattheendofApril.JamesAprovidesacloserlookatstaggerslaterinthisnewsletter.

Forage qualityfromlastyear,andfromthatanalysedsofarthisyear,hadbeenexcellentbyandlarge.ManygrasssilagesamplesarereturningMEvaluesofover12MJ/KgDM.Beawarethatwithenergycontentthisgood,cowsmaydownregulateintakes,whichcanleadtounusualproblems(includingstaggerseveninhousedanimals)–Seantakesalookattheimpactofthisamongstotherthingsaffectingtransitioncowsinnextmonth’snewsletter.

Cow health. Shouldmilkpricestakeaturnfortheworstforwhateverreason,itisworthrepeatingthatcowhealthandfertilityunderpinsgoodeconomicperformanceondairyherds.Savingpenniesonvaccinationtoeasecashflowinalowmilkpricescenarioinevitablyleadstolostpoundsofincomeasfertilityandyieldsslidewiththeappearanceofpreventabledisease.

Flies arealreadyappearingwithlargeearlyhatches.Thecommerciallyavailable,deltamethrinbasedpour-onsrelyonfliesbitingtreatedlivestockandthenkillingthefly.Treatingearlypreventstheearlyfliesfromsurvivingtolayeggswhichcanleadtomuchlargerhatchesofflieslateronintheseason.Phonethepracticeoraskanyofthevetsaboutflycontrol,asdisruptionfromfeedingcanleadtoa5-10%dropindailyyieldsaswellasdisruptioninheatexpression,andincreasingmastitisandlamenessincidenceonfarmascowstakeevasiveaction.James

“Staggers” or HypomagnesemiaDefinition–PotentiallyfatalnervousdisorderthatoccursincattleandsheepwhenthereisadeficiencyindietaryMagnesiumlevels.Mostofteninlactatinganimalsthatarenotabletoeatenoughdrymatterorhaveareducedappetiteaftercalving/lambingandfailtomeetthemagnesiumdemandofmilkproduction.

signs–adultanimalsdown,headsbentbackandpaddling,convulsingoruncontrollablemuscularspasms.Onsetofsignsisrapidanddeathoccurswithinhoursifnottreated

Risks factors–Thistimeofyearanimalsarebeingputouttopasture,thereisalotoffastgrowingyounggrass.ThisisoftendeficientinmineralsaswellashighinmoisturecontentfurtherincreasingthevolumethatisneededtogetintherequireddrymatterintakeofmineralsinparticularCalciumandMagnesium.ThesetwofactorsareoftencompoundedbyirregularweatherpatternsaswetransitionfromWintertoSpring.ForexampleinMarchthisyearwehad2weeks

ofgoodwarmweatherfollowedbyasuddencoldsnap.Anumberofsucklerandspringcalvingherdswereputoutduringthistimeandanumberofstaggerscasesoccurred.InewestheStaggerssyndromeoccurswhenthebodylevelsarebothlowinCalciumandMagnesium.

Treatment/Prevention–IfanimalsareseenandtreatedquicklywithMagnesiumgivenundertheskinaswellasCalciumbolusesgiveneitherorally/intravenously/undertheskintheyrespondwell.IdeallythesituationcanbepreventedbycarefulrationmanagementandsupplementingMagnesiumandCalciummixedeitherinthefeed,inthewatersystemorsprayedontopastures.Herdsthathaverecentlybeenputouttopasturewillalsoneedhaysupplementedinordertoinsuresufficientdrymatterintake.DuetoirregularweatherpatternsespeciallyoverthistimeofyearStaggersisaconstantriskfactorandneedstobeplannedforaccordingly.

James

As most of you will be aware, new requirements by the Red Tractor Farm Assurance now mean that alongside reviewing the standard herd or flock health plan, there is now an additional stipulation for us to review the use of antimicrobial products on farm assured farms every 12 months.

MostfarmassuredfarmsshouldbynowhaveacomprehensiveShropshireFarmVetshealthplaninplace.However,onfarmswherethisisnotthecase,RedTractorAssuranceprovideatemplatetobecompletedwiththeminimumperformanceanddrugusageinformationrequiredtopasstheinspection(seepicture).

WeareseeingmoreandmoreoftheseRedTractorformsbeingdroppedoffatreceptionwithrequestsforusto‘fillthemin’andpostbackbeforeascheduledfarmassuranceinspection.Unfortunately,giventhenatureoftheinformationrequiredtocompletetheseforms,itisnotpossibleforustosimplyfilltheminonyourbehalf.

Thepurposeoftheformisthedemonstratethatwehaveseenthehealthandperformancerecordsforyourfarmandreviewedthemwithyou,aswellasassessingyouruseofantimicrobialdrugsoverthelastyear.Wearerequiredtosignaprofessionaldeclarationtoconfirmthatwehavedonethiswithyou.

Assuch,ifit’stimeforyourannualhealthplanreview,orifyouhaveaRedTractorAssurancetemplatewhichneedscompleting,pleasemakeanappointmentwithavetinplentyoftimetoallowustoreviewyourrecords,andcarryouttheproperperformancereviewasrequiredbythefarmassurancescheme.

John

Herd and Flock Health Plans and Antibiotic Usage Reviews

Overthecomingweeks,theinternprogrammewearerunningwithMihailandRosareachesitsnextstage.Havingbeenshadowingvetsoncallforthepast3months,Mihailwillbetakingcallsonashareoftherota.HewillhaveoneofDirectorsshadowinghimoverthisperiod,sowillhavefullback-uponfarmashemakesthistransitioninhisprofessionaldevelopment.Rosawillbefollowinglateronintheyear.

Apartfromtheinternanddirectoron1stcallduringthisphase,therewillalsobeavetonsecondcallforfurtherurgentcalls.

Next Steps for Mihail

Transition GroupMeeting in May

Guest speaker, Mike Overton will be at the first “Transition group” meeting of

2019. Mike Overton is Elanco’s vet and data analyst in the States and has a

special interest in the economic impact of transition disease.

The meeting will be held on May 21st at Lower shadymoor Farm, by kind permission of Oakley Farming.

Please phone the practice for more details and to book your place – strictly booked

places only.

Meds Corner

BovaltoRespi4isnowavailableatthepracticein5dosevials.

WehaverecentlystartedstockingVetLiverFortewhichaidsliverfunction,especiallyforcowsatriskoffattyliverdisease.Amogstotheractiveingredients,protectedCholineaidstometabolismofbodyfatonceithasbeenmobilisedtotheliverbycowsunderseveremetabolicchallenge.

COMING UPTransition Club:

12:30 till 2:30 21/05/2019

Foot Trimming Course: 9 till 4 06/06/2019 - £200 + VAT per person

Mobility Club: 12 till 2 13/06/2019

Bank Holiday Opening HoursFirst May bank holiday, the practice is open until 5:30pm on Friday 3rd and re-opens at

8:15am on Tuesday 7th. Second May bank holiday, practice is open until 5:30pm on Friday 24th and then re-opens at 8:15am on Tuesday 28th. As ever there will be two vets

on-call over these periods for emergencies.”

SHROPSHIREFARMNEWS:MAY2019

Please keep a note of the mobile numbers for the vets should you ever need them

shropshire Farm VetsHanwood Office:Unit3,TheDepot,Hanwood,Shrewsbury,ShropshireSY58NYT:01743860920F:01743861934Whittington & Oswestry Office:GloversMeadowIndustrialEstate,MaesburyRd,OswestrySY198NHT:01691898822e:farm@shropshirefarmvets.comW:www.shropshirefarmvets.comCompanyRegNo6497266.VATRegNo817914608

Find us on social media www.facebook.com/ShropshireFarmVetswww.twitter.com/ShropFarmVets

EmErgEncy contact numbErsALISTAIRMACPHERSON 07909 517184

TIMO’SULLIVAN 07909 517479

ROELDRIESEN 07813 833385

JAMESMARSDEN 07876 443950

RODWOOD 07809 227426

NATHANLOEWENSTEIN 07815 543546

JOHNHEMINGWAY 07496 305412

SEANHUGHES 07973 567367

LUCIANVALUSUTEAN 07818 177318

PELAYOPEJARES 07522 637322

ROSAFERNANDEZ 07719 270835

EVALEIBIG 07874 054328

MIHAILSTOICA 07948 475669

ALEXBEZMAN 07943 889285

JAMESANDERSON 07852 289271

LARISAMACOVEI 07721 509749

TB update for AprilIn April, we did 71 tests totalling 8088 animals. There were 25 reactors and 3 inconclusives.

The first Udder Club meeting of 2019 was held on April 24th at Lower Eyton Farm, Alberbury where we had a good discussion refarding an on-farm problem of mastitis.Thetopicofourmeetingwasfactorsoftheenvironmentwhichcanaffectmastitisrates,withtheemphasisonkeepingthecowcleansopathogenchallengeisminimised,andtheriskofenvironmentalmastitisreduced.Wetalkedaboutcollectingyards,loosehousingandcubicledesign,stockingdensity,strawstorageandventilationbeforegoingonabrieffarmwalktolookattheeffectsofpoachingespeciallyaroundgatewaysandwatertroughs,shadeandflyproblems.Usingotherfarmers’experienceswethenhadagooddiscussionandexchangeofideasonhowtosolvethisfarm’sproblems.Itwasgoodtogeteveryoneinvolvedandfortheofferofthefarmertovisitotherunitstoseehowproblemshavebeenresolvedthere.Thatiswhattheclubisallabout.Wefinishedjustbeforetherainscame,althoughitwasmuchneededbuthadlittletimetolookatourKPisthoughitlookedasifthemajorityhavewinteredwell.AbigthankyoutoPeterandBenDaviesforhostingus.WewillbeinterestedasthesummerprogressestoseehowtheirplansdevelopandperhapswecanspendafewminutesdiscussinghowtheyaregettingonatournextmeetingwhichwillbeinOctober.Thanksforyourinterest.Rod and Sean

Recap of Udder Club Meeting New Faces

Renata Sa Cruz

“I graduated with a Masters in Veterinary Medicine in December 2018 at the University of Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro in Vila Real, Portugal.

The externships I enrolled with different farm animal practices during my last year of training confirmed my great interest in farm animal medicine.

My adventurous side made me take the opportunity of working in the UK, as TB Tester for Shropshire Farm Vets. I took it with great drive and ambition to learn and progress.

In my free time I enjoy scuba diving, outdoor activities and I am also very passionate about music.”