The End of an Era

It is a bit unfortunate that Over Thirty Month Cattle are returning to the food chain this month after a break of nearly ten years at a time when beef prices are so low. Only time will tell if it is possible to develop an export market so that cull cows can have a reasonable value again. I understand that from November 8^th Shrewsbury Market will be holding an auction of cull cows alongside the OTMS collection scheme. From the start of next year only cattle born before 1st August 1996 will be eligible for the renamed Older Cow Disposal Scheme. The necessary tests on the brain stem have been going on for some months now and there is every confidence that the system will be able to cope with the numbers of animals involved. This is normally a busy time for cull cattle as the animal come in for the winter and cost you more to keep.

Loss of on Farm Slaughter

Several things have changed in the past ten years. There has been new European wide legislation concerning what animals are allowed to enter the food chain that seems to have been devised to virtually stop all emergency on farm slaughter for human consumption. As things stand only animals that have suffered an acute accident, such as a lower limb fracture, will be able to go to an abattoir for meat. Chronically lame cows and animals that are down are excluded. It will not be easy to get a cow to an abattoir after on farm slaughter as few seem to be interested in taking them at the moment.

Restricted by Drugs

It should also be noted that while we were not really watching most of the meat withdrawal times after antibiotics and wormers are used have increased considerably. There will no longer be the chance of trying an injection to see if there is a response to treatment as in most cases the wait for drug withdrawal from the meat will be too long. You might well find that you are having to wait a long time before some of your cows can leave on a lorry. The meat withholding time for Duphacycline 100 is now 15 days, Excenel RTU 6 days

Tylan 28 days

Synulox injection 42 days

Ketofen  4 days when given into a muscle.

There is no withhold period for either Foston, Calciject or any of the Magnesium injections.

There is considerable variation for the mastitis tubes

Synulox 7 days

Tetra Delta 6 days

Cephaguard 5 days

Pathocef only 2 days

Orbenin Dry cow 28 days

Cepravin Dry cow is still only 21 days.

Eprinex was not about when cows last went for meat, it has a withholding period of 15 days.

Sheep and Lush Grazing

October has been remarkable for the mild weather and continued grass growth. This has been a mixed blessing on some farms as they are the sort of conditions that lead to problems with pasturella in store sheep. The disease is triggered by a sudden change in feeding. Usually by now pastures are poor and there is little risk of triggering the problem. Purchased sheep of uncertain vaccination history are most at risk if they are put onto fields with fresh growth. This is a bacterial disease that progresses so rapidly the first signs are usually one or two dead animals on the field, sometimes you might notice animals that are reluctant to move with a discharge from their nose, but often even these are too badly affected to be able to respond to treatments.

Prompt Treatments

This is such a serious disease that if the history fits it is often better to start preventative measures at the earliest possible opportunity rather than wait for definitive post mortem reports. Long acting Duphacycline injections, and other drugs, are effective as long as you can handle the group gently so as not to stress them too much. If possible it is better to move them back onto short grass for a few days before gradually returning to the original pastures.

Fog Fever

So far this year we have not had any cases of fog fever and I would not expect trouble if we can get thought the next two or three weeks. You will be aware that Hereford Cows and Hereford Cross Cows are particularly susceptible to this respiratory condition that seems to be triggered by lush autumn pastures. In past years animals that we have seen have often been pregnant. Unfortunately they do net seem to respond to the non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs that we use for calf pneumonia. Often the only way to save them is to use intravenous doses of cortio steroids and bear the cost of a lost pregnancy.

Avian Influenza

Hardly a day passes without some mention of bird flu and there seems to be a lot of conflicting advice circulating at the moment. Not wishing to add to the confusion I am concerned that on the face of it we are so ill prepared for the disease. Avian Influenza does turn up from time to time. It was last here in 1992 when 8,000 turkeys in Norfolk were affected. On that occasion it was contained in a single flock although there were restrictions in the surrounding area for some time as other flocks were monitored. Now the disease is far more serious as it has mutated to a virulent form that in certain circumstances can affect people. The risk to human health is by no means clear. If the virus is readily able to mutate and spread amongst people it is likely that it will come with a person on a plane and not from an outbreak at a poultry farm in this country.

Cancelled shows

It is difficult to understand why the Poultry Club of Great Britain has been forced to cancel its show when it would have been an excellent opportunity to encourage its members to act responsibly should avian influenza ever reach these shores. There will be no less a risk in June and August next year and it would be a shame if exhibitors at our local shows were discouraged from entering their birds merely because some DEFRA official had not thought things through properly.  

Where are the Birds?

The worrying thing is that there is no register of poultry flocks of whatever size in the UK so nobody knows where the birds are. There seems to be several areas where there is close contact between our domestic poultry and migrating birds. It is impossible to stop wild birds gaining access to areas where free range poultry feed. Pheasants have a tendency to feed both in areas where there are visiting wild fowl and domestic poultry. The MinsterleyVets web site now has an avian influenza page that is regularly updated.

Gabby Drake

There will be a new face at the Malthouse this month as Gabby Drake joins us. Gabby is a graduate of Liverpool University who has an interest in conservation and is keen to get involved in all aspects of mixed practice.

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