VETCARE GRAZINGWELCOME TO NEW CLIENTS: To those of you who are new clients this year and don’t know us very well, let me put your minds at rest and assure you that Jamie and I only believe in running a well managed professional grazing business. We consider all our graziers to be top farmers, also professional who care for and grow your heifers as well as they can. There may be times when growth rates dip a bit but you can be assured our Graziers respond to advice if necessary and soon get heifers back on track. They all have a plan, which includes a fertiliser programme and supplementary feeding as necessary. The regular weighing and monitoring we do is paramount to ensuring success. As well the health insurance policy we have in place whereby neither you the dairy farmer or the grazier has to pay for treatment of sick heifers has been a huge success in ensuring sick heifers are treated promptly and losses limited. To prove that so far since May we have had only 2/3560 (0.05%) deaths. You can also be assured that all requirements that you have ticked in the contract, whether it be joining date for bulls, breed of bulls, vaccinations or pregnancy testing etc will be carried out as requested WHERE ARE WE AT The winter has been reasonably kind to us. Grass growth has been above normal. However august was a very wet month and some pugging on some of the wetter blocks made it a bit difficult. Our annual rainfall is still below average, so we may have more to come. Since the announcement that the payout is too rise substantially we have had a lot of inquiry regarding heifers to graze. A big demand for weaner grazing which will require us having to find some new grazing blocks. We will give priority to existing clients so if you require weaner grazing please ring Jamie asap so you don’t miss out. The payout increase will no doubt put demand on us to find more grazing blocks for the heifers grazing from may to may as well. We are already looking in to this being very conscious that if we take on new graziers they must meet our very stringent standards. OESTROGEN BAN CATCHES COUNTRY BY SURPRISE. A ban on oestrogen hormone used to treat non-cycling cows and synchronise heifers for fixed time insemination effective from 23rd July came as a surprise to Vets. The NZ Food Safety Authority has placed a restriction prohibiting the use of all oestrogen products in cattle producing milk or meat for human consumption. This has effectively outlawed the use of the product ‘Cidirol’ which has been a major part of the CIDR treatment for non-cycling cows and synchronisation of heifers in recent years. The restrictions are in response to the adoption of a EU measure, which prevents the importation into the EU of milk or meat products from any animal treated with oestrogen. Fortunately another programme still using a CIDR accompanied by alternative hormones has already been developed with the prospect of being at least as effective or perhaps better than the old programme. At present I am doing consultancy work for the veterinary pharmaceutical company ‘Intervet’ which makes a product called Receptal a GnRH hormone, which is one of the hormones that can be effectively used in the new programmes. My research gives me confidence that the new programmes that will still involve the use of a CIDR or similar progesterone insertion device will give as good if not better results than the previous programmes that we have used. However I know one should never jump to conclusions before getting some good data, so it will be very interesting to analyse first service conception rates to treatment this season. SYNCHRONISING HEIFERS FOR AI There has been a big increase in the number of heifers to be synchronised and fixed time inseminated this season on our grazing scheme. Perhaps the projected increase in the payout has something to do with this and maybe a possible national shortage of quality heifer replacements down the track. As mentioned above the synchronising programme involves the use of alternative hormones this year, so I am looking forward to getting the results later in the season, to see if there is improvement in conception rates. In respect to quality assurance I oversee the total programme, map out the programme, advise graziers in writing of dates and times for hormone treatments and fixed time insemination and arrange for experienced AI technicians who have good track records inseminating heifers to do the inseminating under my supervision. The only requirement is for the semen to be delivered to our clinic in time. We have plenty of liquid nitrogen banks to store it. We take care of the rest including recording and reporting inseminations i.e., which bull to which heifer. BULLS FOR HIRE Once again we have purebred Angus, Hereford and Jersey bulls available for hire. Order now as they are going fast.
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PREGNANCY TEST RESULTS EMPTY RATE 2007
Note that the Jersey empty rate is higher than the crossbred, which is higher than the friesian. The Ayrshire rate only includes a few heifers so is not statistically significant. This pattern has been the same for the last 12 years that we have kept preg test records as follows. EMPTY RATE 1994-2007
There is a statistical difference between the xbred/friesian versus jersy empty rate over this period. Unfortunately the friesian and cross bred figures have been lumped together. However anectodally we know that the friesian heifers would have had a lower empty rate than cross breds over the 12 year period. We are keeping the breeds separate now so it will be interesting with time to see if this years trend continues. Overall empty rates have trended down wards over the years, particularly jerseys which in part is due to more heifers being vaccinated against BVD and the use of certified and BVD virus free and vaccinated bulls. We have been blood testing and vaccinating our bulls for BVD for at least 10 years now and it has paid off. There has been no BVD fertility problems due to bulls since we started doing this. It has been good insurance and peace of mind for us particularly when we are responsible for your heifers and have to answer the questions when in calf rates are not up to expectation. BVD VACCINATION (This article is more or less a repeat from what appeared in the last newsletter. It is for the benefit of the many new clients we have. There are always a lot of questions and confusion about what to do regarding BVD hence the repetition) There is no doubt there has been a big reduction in the incidence of BVD since the majority of heifers on the grazing scheme have been vaccinated against BVD. I remember back in the early ‘90’s when I started the grazing business; our biggest nightmare was outbreaks of BVD in heifers usually about a month after they arrived and mixed with other stock some of which were naïve i.e. had no antibodies against BVD virus and were very susceptible when first exposed to the BVD virus. It wasn’t unusual to have virtually 100% of a line of heifers scouring due to BVD. They would take about 3 months to recover and during that time hardly put any weight on which was disconcerting for the Grazier who was trying very hard and being only paid on weight gain. As well there have been some lines of heifers that were infected by BVD during mating which affected their fertility resulting in more empties and later calvers. There were some real disasters. One example that comes to mind was the case of a PI carrier bull that resulted in 18% empty heifers and high percentage of late calvers. There is no doubt our bull policy, ensuring all bulls used are blood tested BVD virus negative and protected by vaccination has had a profound effect in reducing BVD infertility. However there are still some lines of heifers that come on and do have BVD carriers present that can have an influence on fertility. More and more farmers are getting their stock vaccinated as an insurance against BVD, which we recommend especially when lines of heifers have to be mixed up for management reasons. A carefully planned vaccination programme will protect most heifers against BVD. However if calves are vaccinated too young, colostral antibodies (from colostrum) will nullify the vaccine and it won’t work so BVD can still infect these calves at a later date with maybe an effect on fertility if they are infected during mating. If calves are vaccinated too old, then they may have already contracted the virus, so vaccination won’t work and their immune system may be depressed. Vaccination is a trade off. Research shows that first vaccination is best done at 4 months of age with a follow up 4 weeks later to get the best results. A booster prior to mating will give protection during and after mating. We find a lot of weaners have been vaccinated too young and are still susceptible to getting BVD There are two killed BVD vaccines registered for use in NZ at present, Viracare and Bovilus. Both will protect weaners from clinical BVD infection i.e. scouring, coughing, ulcers in the mouth and ill thrift etc; Viracare also protects against IBR virus (nasal catarrh). However Bovilus is the only vaccine registered to provide 100% foetal protection to prevent infertility and guaranteed antibody protection for 12 months therefore we are now recommending that Bovilus be the only vaccine used prior to mating and we have changed our contracts accordingly. Unless you have a nasal catarrh (IBR) problem we believe it is good insurance and more cost effective to use Bovilus in the weaners as well as prior to mating. If BVD has not been an issue in young stock, at the very least vaccinate your heifers twice with Bovilus prior to mating to guarantee 100% foetal protection. Vaccination options:
Note: Vaccination only gives 12months guaranteed protection therefore to maintain protection of your herd, all cows need an annual booster with Bovilus preferably prior to mating BVD is a complicated disease. Too find out more about it and I can assure you that there is a lot more to know I am available to give talks. At present I am chairman of the BVD steering committee whose principal objectives are to educate and give advice on control measures to Vets and Farmers. If you are interested you may wish to suggest to your own Vet, to organise a farmer day and invite me to attend. POST CAVAL SYNDROME One of the most common causes of death on the grazing scheme over recent years has been a condition that we commonly call ‘post caval syndrome’. The cause of this condition originates early in calf hood. It occurs when damage to the lining of the rumen usually due to rumen acidosis, allows bacteria to get through the damaged rumen lining, then in to the blood stream and eventually in to the main vein called the posterior vena cava; hence the name the ‘post caval syndrome’. From here bacteria eventually get lodged in the large organs particularly the lungs and the liver. Once in these organs an abscess or abscesses slowly develop over time usually months. The abscesses get walled off with protective fibrous tissue, which keeps them in check for some time. However as they develop further they eventually burst causing an acute peritonitis if involving the liver with blood poisoning and rapid death or perhaps more commonly if involving the lungs eventually causing damage to a blood vessel, which results in massive haemorrhage and sudden death. Often you will see that blood has poured out of the nose or mouth. We find that many of the heifers that die suddenly this way have been growing well up to death and there is no way of knowing that they have had a problem. Prevention is to prevent rumen acidosis. This can occur if the diet is unbalanced as a calf e.g. huge intakes of calf pellets which are a high in carbohydrates that can result in grain overload just like cows with rumen acidosis. High intakes of calf pellets are necessary to promote rumen development; the key is to offer ad lib fibre e.g. straw to balance the diet and make calves chew, which will increase saliva production high in the alkali bicarbonate, which is swallowed and then neutralises the excess acid in the rumen. Less scours as well and better-grown calves. I know because I have use straw and ad lib pellets in the jersey bull calves I have reared for years. Another good option is to introduce palm kernal and molasses pellets from 2-3 weeks of age and mix with the usual pellets. Palm kernal has very low levels of carbohydrate hence less risk of rumen acidosis, plus high quality fibre. HAWERA SHOW Jamie and I will once again be at the Hawera show on the 16th and 17th Nov in the South Taranaki Vets tent, so please come and talk to us. It will be great to see you. CONCLUSION All the best for a productive season. Make the most of the higher payout. You deserve it. If you have any concerns or queries don’t hesitate to contact Jamie or myself. John Pickering
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