pinkeye pressure

early signs of pinkeye

The early wet spring and now heat of june is bringing on a fairly heavy amount of flies and some early pinkeye in cattle in our area. it's not too late to help reduce the amount of infection in your cattle or if unaffected, help prevent your herd from having an outbreak. vaccination is part of the solution, but fly control is the real saver. Consider fly tags which will help all summer and if on calves, their ears swatting around the udders of their dams will reduce fly irritation and bites on the teats. Pour-ons work well - have had good success with UltraBoss and UltraSaber as well as Synergized De-Lice. Once a case is established in a herd, higher fly levels equal easier spread and contagion to remaining members of the herd. Treat tearing clinical cases showing some 'white' with injectable tetracycline or florfenicol(remember withholds)as simple topical treatment, while relieving symptoms, doesn't eliminate the carrier state in those individuals. Some producers have had success with patches. I also do include a topical treatment with antibiotic and a steroid to give some immediate relief. 

Best results as with any condition are getting them in the chute quickly upon first signs - severe ulceration of the eye can occur rapidly! With estimated cost per case at or greater than $150 per head in treatment and lost performance, as well as bringing them relief from this painful condition, it is well worth the preventative measures as well as effective treatment. 

easy does it, part 2

a follow up - once that calf has been delivered there is occasionally the calf that needs colostrum to be given via drencher, or orogastric tube. Or it could be a scouring calf that needs extra fluids and is a bit weak to drink. Many dairy farms(and cow-calf operations in springtime)use these regularly with good success. 

It does require attention and care and I do run into some producers who won't use them out of fear of 'drowning' the calf with a mis-placed tube. That is not unwarranted and much prefer this type of caution to overzealous use(as with the calf pullers)that leads to injury or even death of a calf. 

calves need fluids, and a properly directed calf drencher can help many

The point I try to emphasize is that with careful use, many more calves will be saved than hurt and if you are conscientious about placing the tube, it should be very rare for complications. 

Ask for a demonstration if you would like to be able to use the tubes, or use them with more certainty. With current tubes/drenchers having a 'bulb' at the end most all calves do swallow the bulb into the esophagus, where it should go, of course. I also while introducing the tube rub the roof of the calf's mouth to induce swallowing and aid passage of the tube. Once it begins going down the esophagus, palpate the calf's trachea or windpipe - it will be a very firm 'corrugated pipe' feeling structure in the center of the ventral/underside of neck. As you pass the tube, you will be able to feel the trachea and then the bulb going by, outside of the trachea. If you feel that distinctly, then you know you are NOT within the trachea and are properly in the esophagus. Pass it a bit further and begin feeding the calf. I try to keep them upright, if not standing for the process. Withdraw the tube with flow clamped off after empty and gently remove. 

One note - to make things easier, use a dab of OB lube on the bulb of drencher to aid passage and check it to be sure no 'burrs' develop - they can traumatize the lining of the oral cavity and/or esophagus. Also - these drenchers should be properly cleaned and disinfected - they should last for a number of feedings with proper care, but they are in the end relatively inexpensive and best not to make them vintage 'forever' equipment on the farm. 

easy does it

good fun at a picnic - not good to do with your next difficult calving

a couple of calving calls this week have brought to mind the topic of calf pullers/calf jacks - the overzealous use of them and the lack of use of them - and how each of those approaches can be detrimental to the outcome of your calving cow.

used too early, before correct dilation, or excessively in the case of an oversized calf(needing a c-section or fetotomy if dead)can cause tremendous damage to a cow. it is also very important to see that the calf is correctly positioned(or repositioned)so that the dam is not injured. To quote from a colleague from AABP-L paraphrasing the NRA slogan, 'jacks don't ruin cows, people ruin cows". Don't rush. Simply because she has started calving doesn't mean she's ready to deliver that minute. And jacks aren't a means of getting back to other jobs more quickly. How well calving goes sets the entire tone for her lactation. A damaged birth canal leading to metritis, leading to an LDA isn't a good scenario. And don't forget to use proper lube, liberally and often. A word of caution with J-Lube - it is a very good lubricant, but if there is any chance you will be doing a c-section, do not use it. It can often cause a chemical peritonitis when it enters the abdomen resulting in death of the cow.

Those cautions in mind, pullers/jacks save many calves. Sometimes you're by yourself and have the calf just right and that provides the extra 'oomph' to get the shoulders out. The one I use, a Hercules fetal extractor, is nice in how it works side to side to ease the calf out. It isn't meant to literally 'jack' the calf out - I use it to apply extra traction and 'help' the cow when she is pushing. The downward motion of delivery occurs rather than a straight out pull.

It is of particular importance in a breech delivery(and this was the case last week that brought all this to mind)because once the hips of the calf get to into the pelvis, their is very often an occlusion/closing off of the umbilical artery. Not a problem with a calf with head out, but in posterior breech position the ability of breath isn't there. So a steady, progressing and complete pull once begun is needed and these are the cases where calf jacks can help your cows and calves. Likewise a calf stuck in that position with inability to be delivered not only can die, but the pressure on the cows pelvic nerves may cause calving paralysis.

Use these tools judiciously, and with instruction and it will be of benefit to your herd. Used otherwise, see the quote in second paragraph!

hot lunch for cold weather

This past week, winter seems to have set in, especially early morning calf feeding time - it's a reminder that extra protection for these youngsters, both physical shelter and nutritionally. Consider calf blankets - yes, it was 60F last week, but for the next three months, these calves will expend a large amount of their calories just trying to stay warm. That starts occurring even when it is just below 55F degrees - and those calories spent on staying warm are not available for growth. The blankets can help them stay more comfortable and continue growing to their potential.

Calves need extra calories, and an extra feeding is ideal - if that isn't possible, consider upgrading your milk replacer to a higher level of fat and protein - it is being recognized with recent research the past few years that the 'standard' level of feeding for dairy calves isn't meeting the potential they have - ask about this at the next herd check or farm visit and review your plan for calf care for the winter - now's the time - not in february or march.

Hubland Dispersal

One of the top herds, and nicest people, in NJ dairy farming, sell their herd this Friday

have a look - John & Martha Hubschmidt and Christian Tice are selling 81 head of Holsteins, heavily Semex bred cattle, lots of type, longevity and production.

http://issuu.com/cattlexchange/docs/hubschmit_dispersal_11-5-10

It's the furthest farm south in NJ I go to, but one of my favorites and will miss the stops there to see them.

Good Luck Friday!

the really good pictures are in the catalog - but on a hot july day
this Hubschmidt cow enjoyed drinking straight from the hose
For more of her antics - click right on the pic below:

From 100PALM

From 100PALM

name that calf!

Have a look at the new blog page for Klein Farms Dairy
and Creamery in Easton PA - just one more week to enter the "Name Sassy's Calf Contest" (she's the nice red holstein shown at the top of this page) - you can see more of her on their page and the comments section is down bottom of the page

KleinFarms Blogspot page


Why is this important? Cows with names give more milk!

Cows with names give more milk - Telegraph


Better yet, go visit the farm - nice cows to see, great store, and
the Klein's have a terrific place to visit. They do a tremendous
job with their farm and creating cheese and yogurt and other dairy
products from their herd.

good dog!

I don't work on many dogs, but i see a lot of them and enjoy watching them run up to the minivan when i arrive at the farm(i realize most of them consider me a mobile snausage dispenser). they're a fun part of the day and one of my favorites, and most photographed, Bando, wasn't at the farm anymore when i arrived recently. It was odd not having him run up alongside when i opened the door - often he stepped up into the car before I was able to get a foot outside the door!

He'd had a long run of being the farm dog and will be greatly missed. And it made me think about how much I appreciate all these dogs, who are a part of my day every day all year long.

So here's to all those dogs that make working with the cows (and sheep and goats) more of a pleasure - out of hundreds of pictures of these canine friends that i've snapped over the years are a few that a pictured below - in a collage and in a slideshow below that

Have a look - your dog might be in there!