Page 12 - Livestock Matters - Autumn 2014

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WORKING
TOGETHER
FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE...
11
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
Veterinary surgeon
Vikki Wyse
XLVets practice
Prostock Vets
VIKKI WYSE,
PROSTOCK VETS
COLIN LINDSAY,
CAPONTREE VETERINARY CENTRE
Strategies to prevent
pneumonia in
calves
When it comes to pneumonia and respiratory
disease, prevention is always better than cure.
Not only does it cost time and money to treat
sick calves, but profitability is compromised
as these animals will never regain their full
performance potential.
But there’s a lot more to preventing pneumonia
than simply reaching for a bottle of vaccine.
Attention to management, housing, and a
knowledge of which disease pathogens are
present on the farm are also required, to
ensure maximum success. In some cases,
further veterinary input may be needed as the
right bottle of vaccine may not currently exist.
Straightforward solutions
For Carmarthenshire farmer Huw Davies,
the route to stopping pneumonia cases
has been straightforward.
Huw buys in around 70 dairy cross-bred
calves through the year and finishes them at
Pengelli Fawr, near Newcastle Emlyn.
Calves tend to be around four weeks of age.
On arrival they are penned in small groups
and fed calf milk replacer twice a day for the
next 8-10 weeks, and are then weaned.
They are fed on 18% CP grower pellets and
barley straw until they are a year old.
They are finished off on grass, with access
to more concentrate and rolled barley. Cattle
are sent every month to slaughter, and at any
time there will be around 190 animals on
the farm.
Three years ago, a new calf shed had been
built on the footprint of the old one. This time,
the roof was higher, and a large door
installed which was split so that the top half
could be kept open to further help ventilation.
However, despite the new housing, calves
were succumbing to coughing, and not
putting on weight. Huw was regularly having
CAL F PNEUMONI A
Farmer Huw Davies
Vikki checking the calf’s lungs