Articles
Stay informed with our topical articles, all written by our farm vets.
Coccidiosis
Almost all cattle will be infected with coccidia during calfhood but disease only occurs if they are exposed to a heavy parasite challenge or if their resistance is lowered through stress, poor nutrition or concurrent disease.
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Garden plants poisonous to livestock
Livestock may eat toxic plant species when they are dried in forages such as hay. So even if you think your livestock can’t access garden plants it’s still important to be aware of which ones are poisonous. Here are a few of the most common toxic garden plants. Yew Yew is commonly found in church […]
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Wild plants poisonous to livestock
During the grazing months it’s important to look out for cases of plant toxicity. Many poisonous plants are bitter and unpalatable while they are growing and will not be eaten by livestock under normal circumstances. However, if grazing is scarce, such as after a period of dry weather, or when pastures are overstocked it can […]
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Bulk milk result round-up
A few weeks ago we collected bulk milk samples from all our dairy farms and screened for the presence of antibodies to IBR, BVD, leptospirosis, liver fluke and Salmonella, depending on their vaccination status. Here’s a summary of the results: Salmonella dublin Of the 93 farms tested; 25 herds were positive for S. Dublin antibody and […]
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Management of the ‘down cow’
The main reasons for a down cow generally are toxic, metabolic, or traumatic. The longer the cow is down, the worse the prognosis as damage to the leg muscles and nerves begins to occur. Once the cause of the recumbency has been identified and treatment has been planned, the cow can be moved onto soft, clean bedding – Deep straw, sand (20cm minimum), or […]
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Managing Milkers At Turnout
Spring grass is attractive as a low cost feed for dairy cows. But how do we manage high yielding herds that wish to graze? The first question is what cows are suitable for grazing? Dry cows (both far-off and close-up) and early lactation cows are often much easier to manage on a housed diet. Mid […]
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