Sheep Breeders Meeting - parasite talk

Any interested sheep, goat, or camelid breeders/owners welcome thursday night for GSSB meeting and presentation by acornembryo - dr pike & higgins on ruminant parasites and proper control and management measures

Hunterdon County Offices - on Route 12, 7pm Thursday 13 November

http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2014/11/garden_state_sheep_breeders_to.html

pre-weaned lambs and worms

Right now many of the spring lambs are at the point where weaning will be occurring, if it hasn't already. as cool spring grasses begin to slow in growth, pastures can be over-grazed and this can lead to increased parasite pressure, especially from the barberpole worm (h.contortus). while they may become dormant in prolonged drought and heat, the younger animals particularly are susceptible and can easily help these parasites multiply.

When sampling fecals to check on the need to deworm, include samples from some of this years lambs and treat them if indicated. It will help them wean off better, make better use of the creep feed that may be provided and get them to target weights for those breeding early ewes to lamb as yearlings.

Treat smart as well. Using Safeguard or Valbazen(the benzimidazole class), often it is recommended to double the dose, and also hold sheep off feed prior briefly; this will help increase the effective concentration of dewormer in the gut. Don't use give dewormer as an injectable(such as ivomec - drench form is fine)in small ruminants - the long tail of declining concentration when given that way can lead to resistance developing more rapidly. And if you haven't used Ivomec - don't go immediately to Cydectin drench(moxidectin). If you develop resistance to that drug, you'll also have created resistance to Ivomec too - instead, keep using Ivomec until you find it isn't working. Save Cydectin for when you need to treat a resistant population.

Do you see this? Here is a very anemic animal, evident in the pale conjunctiva

Besides other clinical signs(bottle jaw/anemia, ill-thrift and weight loss, lagging behind flock)how best to find if your dewormer isn't working? Test fecals before and after. Treat the animals that need it and not everybody on a random calendar date. Treatment of parasites in small ruminants is a complex equation often. Questions of timing, testing, and how to treat? Ask your flock veterinarian on these and other questions, such as how to handle new arrivals to keep those resistant worms off your pastures. You will not only boost the performance of your animals but keep the dewormers working by avoiding or minimizing resistance.

And hope for timely rains this summer - to keep these pastures growing along with the sheep and lambs on them.

Semex Winter Banquet Lunch

                                                                                      

We Appreciate Your Support!

You are cordially invited to be Semex USA’s guest at our annual customer appreciation luncheon on Wednesday, February 12th, 2014 at the Shady Maple Smorgasboard in East Earl, PA.

The regular meeting will begin promptly at 10:45 a.m. Julien Chabot, sire analyst for Semex Alliance, will give a presentation on the proof information and sires. The afternoon will also include:

                        - Meeting specials on semen and products

                        - Door Prizes

                        - Lunch on behalf of Semex USA to say THANK YOU!

Please RSVP to ensure your spot at this discussion, as we expect a large crowd. Shady Maple Smorgasboard is located 1 mile east of Blue Ball, off Route 23.

We look forward to seeing you on February 12th!

Reserve your seat before February 8th by contacting Jon Higgins/acornembryo, your Semex USA representative, at 908 625 6300

     Semex Walk of Fame at the Winter Royal

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Brackley Farm CHELIOS Cheerio

New label - New withhold

For those of you who have and continue to use Excenel on your cattle, there has been a change in formulation which will be welcomed - the new product Excenel RTU-EZ is named for it's easier syringeability. Less time holding the bottle pulling up the dose! (and NOT accomplished as one skeptical dairyman commented on by 'adding more water'). Same potency, same price, and easier to use.

An important note - this new formulation still has zero hour milk withhold - but the meat/slaughter hold is now 4 days, not 3 days. That will be noted on the Rx labels on the medicine and I will be emphasizing this as the switchover occurs.

Enjoy the easier draw up and follow label instructions. Call anytime with questions on usage

AABP and AASRP meetings this week

Time again for a meeting of the American Bovine Practitioners and American Small Ruminant Practitioners Associations - i'll be in Milwaukee attending the preconference seminars and meetings themselves this Tues-Thursday - some exciting topics and looking forward to this info helping out back on the farm with dairy and beef, sheep and goats!

A wet lab on laparascopic AI/ET in small ruminants, a full day on new topics in lameness management in dairy (and beef)cattle as well as 'Fecal Fluency' - new strategies in interpreting egg counts and larval development assay' - primarily for small ruminants, but helpful in all sizes. Thursday transition cow management, tube ventilation in calf barns, and calf scours therapy and control...many others too - Hope to be at your farm in the next few weeks and can pass along some of this education and help your animals.

(Will have phone and email at the meeting, so please do let me know, as always, any questions on your animals you have - thanks!)

cow catcher

Had a nice back and forth over the weekend with a UK cattleman on twitter and he mentioned a cow catcher that mounts on the front end loader of a tractor. Having just come off a call to treat a pinkeye case that required a lot of coaxing, ropes, and mild rodeo effort, this sounded very useful.

And i think it is - have a look at the full series of pictures on this blog he provided me.
 http://anorfolkfarmer.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/cow-catcher.html

His is a telescoping version and as the cows are often quite used to having tractors in the field around them(carrying round bales)they often and usually can be just driven up to and have the 'corral' drop over them. Great for pastures far from home corral - also was suggested (and many thanks to Andrew Holding @andrewholding1 for passing on all this info)that it was very useful for a newly calved cow to help get the calf sucking and tagged, leave them in for a few hours. Or *walking* cattle in them to get them closer to home.

Much as I love my lariat(and try to keep it hidden unless absolutely needed)this looks like a great piece of equipment to reduce cow(and owner - vet)stress and allow quick more easy treatment when cattle are on summer pastures.

March Madness time is back at UPenn New Bolton

(this is an updated version from past years - it is an annual event worth taking advantage of if needed)

The Annual Food Animal Rotation at New Bolton Center offers good discounts for bovine/small ruminant surgery and medical cases referred in to Penn for treatment in the next several weeks. Not only a good savings for you, but helps out students to see 'normal' cases that they will be encountering in practice. (I know this as a member of the original March Madness crew in 1989). Have a calf with a hernia? Great time to have her repaired. 

There is a continuing 'twist' this year - the first 8 LDA's of each 2 week rotation will be done for free, and for other cases they will pretty much offer a free evaluation and depending on the nature of the problem, can discuss cost of treatment and discounting.  

It starts today Monday, February 25th and goes for 4 weeks through March 24th. Take advantage of the expertise at Penn Vet, save some money and help your cattle, sheep, and goats, not to mention future livestock veterinarians.